Today we packed the contents of the old shop and moved it up in the sky, on a platform at 250m altitude just above the cloud layer.

And guess what, we're doing a sale!

Almost all items are at a 50% discount until the reopening. The whole interactions line - 50% off. The Laynie necklace - 50% off. The Pizzaz and Elegance rings - 50% off. And even the famous Tiffany ring and the Pearls of Wisdom necklace is 25% off.

And finally, there is also a discontinuation/retirement sale: the earcuffs and piercings are going to be retired forever at the Grand Re-Opening - so this is the last chance to get them!

The reopening sale will go until Saturday, September 12 at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Juicy/39/213/24

Knit Knit Zine, Forget Me Knot RIng, Via Ambrosia Duffel, and Ginkgo Biloba Earrings

This weekend Fred Flare is having a great sale: 25% off EVERYTHING! I picked out a couple of my favorites to get you started. You better hurry hurry though because the sale is only through the weekend.

During the scene where she finds him in his study burning top secret documents, I saw a light out of the side of my eye.  I glance over to our front door and there was definitely a bright light shining through the curtain of our front door.  I motioned my roommate to look.  She sees it too.  The light stopped but came back on a second later and I could see there was a square-shaped shadow between the light and our curtain.  Given what we were watching and the mood we were in, my roommate and I started to panic.  My roommate unsurely got up, walked to the dark dining room and tried to look out the window to see who was there.  I remained on the couch staring at the door and the no-longer shining light.  What if it's a burglar?  What if that square-shaped object was a gun?  Rose's phone is sitting right there on the coffee table.  Should I grab it and dial 911 just in case?   I should probably get up because I'm a straight shot from the door. Thoughts were racing through my mind as I quietly walked to the dining room.

"I think I see someone out there," Rose said, "Should I turn on the light?"  She turned on the dining room light and I looked out the window but didn't see anyone.  Realizing that it was probably easier for the intruder to see in than for us to see out, I dimmed the light.  Should we flicker on the porch light? I courageously ran to the light switch next to the front door, flicked it on, and ran back to the dining room.  I peered out the window and I saw a face.

CALVIN!

"OMG, OMG!" I gasped as I ran to open the front door.  Rose was still confused as to what I saw.

Standing there, guitar in hand, was my boyfriend.  I started crying, not because what was going to happen next but out of relief that our house wasn't being broken into.

I pulled him inside and standing there in our living room, he started playing his guitar to the melody of "For the Longest Time" by Billy Joel.  Our song! He made up lyrics to the song and sang me a (somewhat out of tuned) proposal.  I couldn't stop crying, not because I was relieved I wasn't being robbed but truly because I was so surprised and his song was so adorable and romantic.

I tried to stop him but he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.  I didn't even say anything before he reached for my hand.

"Left hand!" I exclaimed.  That was my answer to his question.  He dropped my right hand and grabbed my left hand and put the ring on my finger.

It was the most romantic thing he has ever done, and it turned out to be perfect.  His original plan was to send me a text message telling me to go downstairs.  (But 2 things went wrong: 1. the message didn't get through until 10 minutes after it's already a done deal.  2. I was already downstairs.)  I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.  It was a scare and a joyous surprise all at the same time and it's so typical of him.  Rough around the edges but so charming on the inside.

So as of 9/5/08 -- exactly 4 years after we started dating -- I am officially engaged to the most wonderful man.

It's even more beautiful in real life but I'll post pictures later.

I promissed that I will tell you  what happened that day. Because my days in Romania are numbered ( only 11 left) Chris wanted us to make a big step in our relationship. He talked with his parents and agreed that it's too soon, since we have 3 years ahead when I will be away. He wanted to ask for my hand in marriage, but it didn't happened. Still, he wanted to do something to show his love so he gave me a pre-engagemet ring :D. He told me that he will wait for me until I come back, and he will try to improve himself, as I am doing there, for our future. It was a really emotional moment. As you can see we have a thing for rings :D.

My laptop is still ''under surgery'', I managed to write this post from my 100 years old computer.

If reading this makes you angry, I urge you to call Wal-Mart. Here's the number: 

Monday

We woke up Monday morning a little later than normal. It was much warranted after 2 long days of travel and exhausting fun. Caroline and I woke up in New York, both dizzied from the pace of the weekend. It was a funny mix of joy from the last 2 nights of celebrations and today's inevitable heart-breaking separation. She was to go her way back to the Midwest and I was supposed to head back to Boston. But what she didn't know was that there was a slight amendment to the agenda.I wasn't quite ready to let go of the weekend. I had other plans.

When she thought we were going to grab lunch with her family and then drop her off at the airport to bitterly wave goodbye to each other for another several months, in actuality, I had penned a different ending to the story. I misguided (i.e. outright lied) to her by saying I was going to catch the Bolt Bus back to Boston for a mere $15 (which is a steal, by the way), but in reality I had already booked a flight back to Chicago leaving from LaGuardia only 40 minutes after her. Ingenious, I know.

The lunch went as planned and she said her goodbyes to her parents and her brother drove the both of us to LaGuardia. Pulling up to the terminal, I put on my best sad face and pretended to dread our last goodbye. Gave her a hug and told her to call when she landed and we went our separate ways. I immediately got back in the car and Andy (her brother) and I did a lap around the airport before he dropped me off at the same spot we'd been only 5 minutes earlier! Doing my best to duck and cover from being noticed, I managed to slip into the nearest Au Bon Pain to wait out the time it would take her to check-in. Unable to wait too long, for fear that I wasn't going to be able to check-in on time myself, I quickly made my way through security and toward the gates. But I didn't quite make it to my gate, perse. See, I was supposed to be waiting in Gate D8, but Caroline was in Gate D7, which were gates that faced one another. I wouldn't let this whole surprise fail with that sort of knuckle headed move. So I stopped short of my gate and slipped in to sit and wait at Gate D2. I was 5 gates away from this whole thing becoming unraveled. After I saw her plane detach from the skyway, I quickly hurried to my own gate, because it was in the midst of boarding.

I made it! I was on board and she still didn't know. How do I know she had no clue? Well, after I landed in Chicago, I got a voicemail saying she landed safely and that she was with her friends and would call me later. Perfect! Everything was going according to plan. She was supposed to go out with her friends to celebrate and I was "supposed" to be in Boston, sulking her absence. I got scooped up from the airport by Dan-I and before we rendezvoused with our friends at the designated surprise location, we managed to slip a quick bite to eat at my favorite Chicago hot dog establishment - Maxwells. One Polish, extra mustard, please.

From months ago, Jean and Jenie had helped me in planning this Chicago leg of the weekend. We had it all perfectly orchestrated from the meeting place to the timed unveil. So with everyone in position, Caroline and her friends came down Michigan Avenue toward the lounge we were going to host the party at. And to her surprise, there was a crowd of 13 people there waiting for her. Ok, so at this point she's thinking, "I guess it's not just a dinner with my roommates, but a dinner with all my close friends! Yay!"

"But wait...who's that strutting toward me...with yellow flowers?" Surprise! Out from the haze of the afternoon sun, I walked toward her and fulfilled the final installment of a weekend full of surprises! From Boston to Chicago in 0.2 seconds. Watch the video.

Yes, she tried to kick me. Yes, she hit me multiple times. But in all, it was a great night of celebrating a very special weekend with our even more special friends. It was an epic night: cheeseburger cupcakes topped with haribo gummy bears doing unmentionable things, sparkling grape juice in self-assembled plastic champagne glasses, and dizzy bowling with your best friends. All told, it was 3 days in 3 cities. Everyday was filled with a different adventure. Each story was intricately woven in order to form what was the perfect weekend.

Now I write this as an engaged man. What's different? Nothing, really. But I'll tell you what will remain the same. I commit myself, as I did from day one, to love her as Christ loved the Church. We haven't said our vows yet, but the attitude starts now. Please pray for the both of us that our relationship would be another great picture of the Good News of Jesus Christ: a God who loved His rebellious people so much that He was willing to give and sacrifice His only Son, so that those He loved could come into a more intimate relationship with Him forever. Pray that our relationship would picture a Gospel of Love, Forgiveness, and Service. Just as God Loved, Christ Forgave, and the Holy Spirit continues to Serve.

A gigantic shout out to our family and friends for making everything possible. We love you all and are overwhelmed by the thought of God's grace shown to us through you.

To Caroline, let's give our all until there's nothing left. And when it's all said and done we seek only the approval of One as He says, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"

Anyway, I meandered around in the center of the field for while and found the usual pulltabs and clad coins. I got a strong signal on my MXT and dug this ring. It was really dirty so it took a few seconds to see what it was. As soon as I saw the silverish color and multiple clear stones I was ready to do the happy dance. I was thinking either white gold or platinum, but then I noticed the plating coming off on one side of the ring. The stamp is unreadable (maybe intentially so).

I really thought this was a good one, but it looks like I'll need to wait a little longer. This makes ring number 19 for me. I've got a few 10k and 14k gold rings, even more 92.5 silver rings, and lots of junk rings.

What I didn't understand was the claims supposedly made by the new AMA.  The article said, "The new AMA announces, "It is no longer acceptable - morally, ethically, economically - for so many of our people to be medically uninsured or seriously underinsured."  The new AMA proclaims, "We can solve this problem.""  This sounded like empty political jargon to me, claiming that there is a problem (which I agree that there is) and then claiming that they can solve it.  If they really can solve it, then why haven't they already solved it by now?  The date on this article is 1991, but now 17 years later they still haven't solved it.  What are they waiting for???

Korner

Lite mer övning behövs ännu.

Stenen är en 5 mm:s granat. Skulle ha lagat av ametist men den var dyrare så jag valde att göra först av granaten :)

 
1. Do You read much? What books are you reading now and what is your favorite book?
Right now I'm reading Good Omens. A friend gave it to me, I guess it's a humerous book about the Apocolypse. My favorite books are Man's Search for Meaning and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. Both books really seem to change a persons views on the world and our place in it.

2. Outside of the cage, what is your biggest fear?
Carnies. Circus folk. Small hands, smell like cabbage.

3. What do you think is the biggest concern in the world today and what is your take on it, how would you go about fixing it? (You weren't expecting a Miss America question, were you?).
I don't think you can make one blanket statement as to the biggest concern in the world. I think in America our biggest concern overall is the economy. But for a lot of the world the biggest concern may to not be slaughtered in a genocide today. We are so very insulated from so much of the world that it amazes me how much importance people put on celebrities. I honestly can say I don't care what Brittney Spears wore today.

4. Have you had to overcome any major obstacles in your life (outside of MMA)? What were they and how did you overcome them?
One big obstacle was having back surgery. At the time I had no one to even tell me it was going to be all right. Everyone said that if I had surgery I was never going to be the same and my career of fighting would be over. Fortunately I chose not to listen and with having a company like Nuvasive perform the surgery I was able to come back to fighting and wining only 15 months after spinal fusion in my lower back. It was a tough road but one I can look back on now and say I'm a better man for having walked it.

With regards to this final question, if you did not see Nate's return to the ring battle against Pete Sell then you need to find it and watch it. Both guys are amazing and entertaining stand up fighters and the fight itself was a barn burner.

Thanks, Nate. See you in the ring!

pretty!  and important!

Halle Berry and daughter Nahla Ariela Aubry at the zoo - August 30^th

Sterling Silver 4 mm Wedding Band Thumb Ring

Product Description

The Half Round Dome Shape of this Ring Is the Most Popular shape in Wedding Bands. Because of manufacturing difficulties in making this kind of Wedding Band, this is only found in finer stores. This Ring is little under 3/16" (4.0 mm) wide, and has a Very Nice Solid Feel to it. And because it's all hand polished (no plating), sizing and engraving of this ring is no problem.

Dome-shaped, about 3/16" (4mm) Thick
High Polished Finish
Solid Feel, Not Flimsy
Made of Sterling Silver 925

Customer Reviews

1) Lili - Wonderful item and shipper

I bought this band as a keeper for my too-loose wedding band, and it's just perfect. The quality is good, the sizing is accurate, and the item was shipped to me very quickly. My husband and I are both very pleased and would definitely buy it again if the situation called for it.

2) Deborah - Great experience!

I'm a woman of few words, so:

These rings are comfortable and stylish; an excellent value!

BTW - I have ordered from this vendor before and will do so again. Good prices, quick service, and great communication.

3) Scott - Great Service, Great Company

This was an excellent shopping experience. The order was placed promptly, and i had my rings within days. I made a mistake and ordered the wrong ring, and the company even agreed to replace the ring with the right size for me. Customer Service like that is rarely seen, expecially with online transactions. I highly recommend this company.

4) Son of Shatner - Very pleased with everything!

Very nice rings for an incredible price! Anyone who has seen the rings and commented on them is astonished when they find out how much I paid for them. Arrived in just a few days too.

5) Holly - Wonderful

I am very pleased with my purchase, a Wedding Band. My fiance loves it and my confidence in the company is very high. It is simple but the quality is high.

6) Zeyad - you get your money's worth

This product definitely does the job. The size is appropriate and the silver appears to be of decent quality. Of course, it will get scratched up quickly but that is to be expected in a ring made of silver, a soft metal. The ring looks shiny and you definitely get your money's worth!

7) Andrea

This ring looks like a beautiful white gold wedding ring. It fits perfectly and is super shiny and smooth.I bought a 9.5 and its the same size as my size 9 ring...so maybe go up .5 of a size.

sterling silver rings

"Yes. Of Course!" That's what she said when I asked her to marry me.

Rewind a few months back to her 25th Birthday, when I sent Caroline an envelope marked "Do Not Open!" Inside were cards that we'd use throughout the weekend she was to visit in order to make things fun. They all had some sort of directions on them (i.e. Fashion Show!, Take a Walk on the Wild Side, Ask Anything, etc). And I was going to ask her to draw from the deck every once in a while to help us in what we were going to do next that day.

So with that, plans were set for a Labor Day weekend full of surprises. I had the blessings of her family & friends. The travel arrangements were made. And the party planning was coming together in two cities. In all, it was going to be a busy weekend: 3 days in 3 different cities ending with 1 ring and 1 very happy couple.

Friday

I did a "dry run" through what we were going to do on Saturday. Call me Johnny Cautious, but I just wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing before I actually did it. Especially, since I didn't know the city as well as I would like after moving here just a few months ago.

Did a lot of praying as I was walking the streets of the city, and it was sinking in slowly that this was where God was calling me to serve. And I prayed a lot for our (Caroline and I) future marriage and ministry together. Overall, a hugely blessing day of reflection, repentance, and rejoicing.

Around midnight, went to go pick Caroline up at the airport. I missed seeing her face live and in person.

Saturday

A full day of touring the city of Boston was in order. We woke up early. (Card #1 - Fashion Show) I had told her we were going to have a really nice dinner that night, so I convinced her to bring a change of clothes, so she could look her best. We grabbed our Starbucks and hopped on the train to go into the city.

After a full walkabout tour of Boston, we ended up at Jin's (my sister's boyfriend) place to get changed and wash up a little. About this time, I was nervously anticipating what I was going to say when I proposed. And while she was changing in another room, I carefully pulled out the ring one last time and placed it securely in my pocket (touching it a million and a half time just to make sure it was ok). It's a feeling only those who've been there can understand. You really feel as if that thing is secretly burning a hole in your pockets and planning an escape, so you get ultra paranoid and pat it constantly to make sure it's staying put.

(Card #2 - Take a walk on the wild side) And after a great dinner on the Harbor, we went for a stroll along the Harbor Walk. All this time, while we were at dinner, my roommates Hojin & Andy, were scouting the best spot to propose and have pictures to show for it. I got the go ahead for the perfect spot, so I took Caroline for a leisurely after-dinner stroll along the pier. At dinner we had an awesome conversation about what our future here in the city was going to look like and it continued as we walked toward "the spot". As I got to the bench, we took a seat and nervously, I started to "setup" the proposal. At this point, all I could hear in my periphery was "click. click. clickety click." Hojin was going nuts on his camera! I was about to turn around and tell him to shutup! But good thing Caroline was so engrossed in what I had to say (or atleast did an awesome job pretending).

I shared with her just some of the things God's been teaching me here in the past few months and where I see God calling me and us in the future. After what seemed like an hour long speech, I asked her, "Would you be willing to do that with me?" She quickly replied, "Of course." Then I asked her to stand up for me (we've been sitting this whole time, overlooking the beautiful Boston skyline). As she stood up, I took her hand, got down on one knee, and pulled the ring out of my pocket. I looked up at her and all she kept saying was, "No! Are you serious?! No way..." and in a weird reflex proceeded to pinch my cheeks! I wasn't gonna have that in my proposal pics, so I brushed her hand away. :)

While I was on my knee, supposedly Hojin made a mad dash from 100 yards away to get to the perfect spot, but it was already too late. She had already answered, "Yes. Of course!" I got up, gave her the biggest hug I could and we prayed for both ourselves and the city. This is where the tears started to flow. "Amen," I ended. Looking at her, I wiped the tears from her cheeks, "You ready for this?" I asked. She just nodded.

I told her to turn around and there they were, Hojin & Andy waving in the distance. And after a few more hugs and high-fives, the night came to an end. We went out to celebrate after and spent the night texting friends and family. After talking to her parents, she got another card that read, "Day Trip. Pack Your Bags." (Card #3 - Day Trip) Her parents told her to come down to New York City, where she lives, to have dinner with them on Sunday. So being the great daughter she is, she obliged and early in the morning we were going to head down to NYC.

It will forever be an unforgettable night. But it wasn't the end just yet. The weekend of surprises had just started...

to be continued (PART 2 posted on Caroline's Blog)

Today we started a new PHP Project of Form Processing and using Spry and AJAX , linked to a mySQL Database that process this Form.

PHP Project

Enjoy !

LAOMUSIC ARTS

Of course, I've spent the last day worrying that it's too tight (I'm a bit of a spaz).  Sigh.  At least my ring isn't stabbing me anymore.

Welcome to Ring War, a blog dedicated to thoughts and random bits of info relating to the world of MMA (or to the uninitiated, Mixed Martial Arts). I won't waste time talking about myself since there is an about me section to this blog and I will get straight to telling you what to expect. As it stands, we already have some interviews with a handful of fighters that will be posted here shortly. Our first one will be from Nate "The Rock" Quarry. Our interviews here are focused more on getting to know the person/ fighter rather than the generic questions usually posited by most MMA publications. We try to keep it interesting and as such we will need your input. WE WANT YOUR QUESTIONS! That's right, have something you want to ask a fighter?  Just email your questions to me and I'll start compiling them. With any luck we can get a response from the fighters you want to hear from most.

What we aren't. Common. Here at Ring War we are not looking to feed you the same information as the other sites that are devoting themselves to MMA. If you are looking for a reliable news source, we aren't that either. We will generally discuss news that has broken and give our opinions about it, but we won't be offering up to the second updates on your favorite fighters. Sorry, we just don't have the time and manpower necessary for that at this time. Our goal is to offer discourse on some of the more prominent issues in the sport and some of the more recent events. As I mentioned, we will try to have some Q & A with as many fighters as will answer our calls or emails.  We promise to do what it takes to keep this fresh and interesting. If you have some ideas... let us know. We'd love to hear from you.

-Josh

Our orders start being due tomorrow, and I really had to rush it to figure out what I wanted. It wouldn't be so bad if the order form wasn't so over my head.. I'm not the newest kid on the block (zing) but it's really freaking complicated. Why have a number and a name for the ring?

All I want is the mascot and year with my birthstone...sounds easy. But wait until you see that form. Blurgh. It's like "Describe it here", "Enter the number", "Kiss the banana", etc.

I guarantee this woulda been easier had I done it over the weekend like I should have. Procrastination sucks.

Ciao Baby...

Here's a quick note to share some happy news. My sister got engaged Sunday! Her new fiance, Cole took her out to dinner at the Forest Park Boathouse and proposed in a row boat near the Grand Basin. She said everything about his proposal was perfect and they are both very excited and happy.

We got to celebrate with they newly engaged couple Monday on a road trip out to a local apple orchard. Tim took the opportunity to snap some shots of that gorgeous ring and the happy pair.

Congrats Anna and Cole!