Oooh! A Sparkley!

So I went to the mall on Friday . . . had a nice lunch, went to the Gap, same old, same old. Walked by the engagement ring display (of the 4 thousand of them located in the mall) and paused a minute . . . thinking "hey, I may never really get one of these". And there was a little ache. It was the store where my first "real" boyfriend worked (when he finally graduated from high school) and even fifteen years later, I'm leery about standing too long in one place near it. (rumor is that he "went gay" and moved to California -- Good for you Guenter!)

Went to Marshall Field's simply because I had a coupon from the paper and was somehow genetically drawn to their fine jewelry counter also (theme of the day). I do like to look in the clearance section . . . gotta love "scratch and dent" gemstones. Of course, the lady swoops down, wanting you to try things on so you will hopefully fall in love and she will make the sale. I rebuff her and move on to the diamonds and then the emeralds . . . when I see "the ring". I had picked it out three years ago when my brother was shopping for engagement rings. Very 1920's looking, with filigree. It's a little high . . . and had an emerald instead of a diamond but I love that ring.

I don't know if it was the turning 35 angst . . . or the "be careful what you wish for" angst . . . but the lady was still there, hovering. "Do you have this ring (pointing on the glass at the emerald) with a diamond?" She did . . . and let me put it on and priced it for me. And I bought it. I hesitated, don't get me wrong. I looked at the clearance section again, tried on a nice ruby for less but still went with the diamond. Bought it and sent it off to be sized. It's little . . . only a quarter carat and I can wear it on my right hand . . . and I can be over the ring angst.

But then I had to shop with the ring gone for a week to be sized. I almost went back to get it . . . but went to J. Crew instead and then my mom called. Not the best influence about the sparklies, my mother. "A ruby for $200? You can't get a ruby for $200 . . . " she says.

They had the ruby in two matching rings, which I thought would be nice . . . we could have matching rings. She did give birth to me and all. So I went back and bought them both. Gave one to my mother as a "giving birth to me 35 years ago/Mother's day present". May be able to sucker my siblings into paying for some of it. If not, oh well. She's worth it . . . and it's super cute and it matches my hair. Didn't get it sized so I could wear it (and it needs to be sized) so I will drop it off when I pick up my diamond.

So I have Sparklies . . .

I don't suppose they get used up or go bad. Thank goodness I get a raise next year . . . at this rate, with the jet-setting and the fine jewelry, I'll never have a garage. I'm a "material girl", who knew?