No Longer Just a Bridesmaid

I have been the Bridesmaid in several weddings....not quite 27 dresses but more than many people. Since I have had a lot of experience being a Bridesmaid, I wanted to really put thought into the dresses for my Bridesmaids. I wanted to be considerate of body shapes and sizes... I've been in dresses where I felt badly for showing so much boob in a Church.. I've been in dresses that were not forgiving of any bulge that I had... and I have been to weddings where there is always one Bridesmaid who looks like she could just die because the dress style did not fit her body. I want my friends to be comfortable. While some people allow the different girls to have different dresses, I couldn't find any that I liked that could be done that way. But, after a lot of searching and thinking, I think I have found the perfect dress for my wedding and my friends...

I think the style is great for my friends that are well-endowed and those that are not... my sister always complains of hips (even though I think she looks great) but this will flatter any figure... not only will it flatter everyone's figure, they can wear the strapless bra they already own with it (Brides don't tend to think about the extra costs that Bridesmaids endure based on dress choices!)...

I have tried really hard to be considerate of my friends during this process (as most were with me as a bridesmaid...don't get me wrong, some of my worries come from 2nd hand experience of friends being bridesmaids... most of my friends were great Brides!)... and I know that every Bride says this but I really do think the girls could wear this one again! :o)

The Power of a Ring

I have always loved jewelry...especially rings. I can remember sitting in Church on Sunday mornings and trying on the rings of my Mom and Grandmother. I loved going to my Great-Grandmother's house because she had tons of rings (thanks, Avon). I remember in Junior High when I think we thought we should have a ring on every finger. I even had a thumb ring at one point in time. I have had hundreds of rings through my lifetime. Key word "had".... the rings never held an overly great value to me. The rings I wore were more fashion than meaningful. I chose them based on outfits and never thought twice about them being on my fingers. They were just rings.

Now this diamond ring is a different thing. This ring has power. This ring is changing my life. Yes, everyone knows the funny things that happen when you get one of these diamond rings... you all of a sudden become very left-handed (even though you are right handed)... you get distracted in mid-sentence because a sparkle catches your eye... you stare at your hand like it is no longer your hand because there is a ring on it... and many other basic, funny things..

While it is fun to stare at my hand, and I am in awe of the beautiful sparkle (Ryan did an awesome job designing my ring..yep, he designed it all on his own!)...the real power of this ring is what it represents. I am no longer the single 32 year old girl who can do whatever she wants... with this ring, I am vowing to share my life with Ryan... to consider him, to support him, to compromise and share, to no longer live my life on my terms but rather on our terms. My life is officially joining Ryan's life. I am going to be a WIFE.

So, while this ring's sparkle (and oh, how it sparkles!) does make me smile...the part that makes me smile really BIG and that makes me feel so content and sure is the true meaning of this ring... I am no longer living solely for me.