Ladies-In-Waiting Part III

[kasih]

one more!

 

[goldengirl]

kasih, that is LOVELY! I love the channel princesses...I bet you''re just dying to wear that band!! Congrats to you and here''s to a wonderful new year... heck, it couldn''t have started out much better, right?

Sistah, I love sites that imprint their name or address on the photo... I went digging and found Bella on Ebay... who knew that was moissanite? It photographs just beautifully. Will you be purchasing that one, or just using the photo as inspiration? I *really* love that setting!

 

[goldengirl]

gingerBcookie
goldengirl
cute330xigrl
1215n
LaurenThePartier
jenwill
denverkat
psuheather
twinkletoes
ootthibo
pokerface
blueroses
madarski
VAgal13
aeli
Morticia
icekid
LuvthatSparkle
Kberly
KimberJEB
kit0110
Queenofhearts
Dodger Gurl
honeynut
stacy11101
Erin
Dani
appletini
lovey
LittleOne
Shay
Croi
happysnowbunny
dancinbaby
AMALEEKEL
razza21
Binki
NoonersMom
kasih
blue824
kellypooh24
ammayernyc
SJS1234
jennyt
sistagrl2004
teebee
IslandDreams

That brings our pool total to 7.5...but who knows what it will end up at after we hear from everyone tomorrow!!

 

[appletini]

Kasih: Congratulations!!!

Ally: Its not a long distance relationship, but he works for the Latin American division of his company so that does require the occasional business trip to the other side of the equator. He''ll only be gone for three weeks. The last time he went we were both super sad and crying b/c we had never been seperated for longer than three days, but it turned out to be nice "me" time while he was gone, so I know he will be back before I know it. Plus one of my best friends will be coming in town this weekend, so I can spend lots of quality time with her.

As for the breakup, I''m going to give you the best/worst advice...Follow your heart. Its all about what you want not what anyone else wants and you can''t please everyone so you should at least make yourself happy.

 

[dancinbaby]

style="WIDTH: 99%; HEIGHT: 107px">Date: 1/2/2005 11:37

4 PM
Author: allycat0303

I know that I really love him, and that he really loves me, but I know the way the relationship is right now doesn''t work for me. I haven''t always been unhappy. It''s just some small details that have been occurring this past month, that are adding up. I don''t know. I am confused.

Ally:

It must be very tough for you right now. I commend your strength to have the courage to end the relationship after such a long time.It must have been very difficult.... But, if you feel you truly love him and want to make things work, you should tell him exactly how you feel and what you''ve been going through. Tell him about your (quoting your sis) "issues" (if you haven''t already) Tell him all the stuff you told us. I believe he will listen. Men are not mind readers. they can be kinda dense sometimes....at least mine can. Sometimes, guys just get really comfortable and need a little kick in the butt.

You know the saying "date" your wife....well how about "date" your GF

Best wishes for this New Year!
DB

 

[Croí]

congrats to the Newly-Engaged ! hooorah !! wonderful ! wonderful !


Alley *massivebighugstight*
It is so hard - my heart is breaking for you, truly. I left my ex after eleven years - and I deliberately moved out on April Fool''s day because I wasn''t sure if I was being the world''s biggest fool by leaving him. It''s hard to walk away from what is literally your whole life. I never anticipated all the little things that made it SO much harder than I thought it would be. I won''t kid you, it was HELL for a good long while.

then one magical day; when I was so totally not expecting ANYTHING from the Universe - someone hugged me (that''s all, he hugged me) and my WHOLE WORLD CHANGED ...... for the better.

and now, I just know that I did the right thing that day when I packed up my car. At the time I didn''t know if it was wisdom or insanity that was driving me - but now I am so glad I went with my gut. Don''t doubt yourself and don''t let other people''s opinions sway you (even your sisters).
They are not living your life, you are living it.

Hang in there. We are ALL thinking of you and sending strong bright energy your way ....

C

PS. no proposal for me - we had a nice New Year''s and have been doing a lot of talking ( which is GREAT and such a contrast to my ex !) and I am just feeling so lucky to have found this man !

#
C.

 

[njc]

YEA!!! Congratulations to everyone so far!!! Its taken me all morning to catch up on everything! So excited to see everyones rings and hear their stories, and for those so far... GREAT! I LOVE the bowling alley PBB!!!

Alley - BIG BIG HUGS!!!

Happy New Year to everyone!

 

[fortheloveofdiamonds]

Date: 1/2/2005 6:19:21 PM
Author: blueroses
FTLOD, thank you for not one, but TWO officespace treats to brighten my day!!!

Blue! You are SO Welcome!

 

[fortheloveofdiamonds]

Date: 1/3/2005 12:32

8 AM
Author: appletini


he works for the Latin American division of his company so that does require the occasional business trip to the other side of the equator. He''ll only be gone for three weeks. The last time he went we were both super sad and crying b/c we had never been seperated for longer than three days, but it turned out to be nice ''me'' time while he was gone, so I know he will be back before I know it. Plus one of my best friends will be coming in town this weekend, so I can spend lots of quality time with her.

Apple: That would be a cool job!! Is he fluent in Spanish? Separations are hard. My husband is leaving at this end of this month for 1 year. Ugh! I guess i''ll have plenty of me time...

 

[appletini]

FTLOD: Yes he is fluent in Spanish and almost fluent in Portuguese (since thats the language in Brazil). The people down there tease him and call him "el Americano" because is the typical All-American guy. I think its a really cool job too, which means when I have a ring that I can take really cool trips to go visit him. A year is a very long time...don''t know how I would handle that...best of luck to you. Maybe you can use that time to do any special projects you''ve been wanting to do, like redecorate or read lots of books or something or maybe do some travels of your own.

 

[sistagrl2004]

**goldengirl**.. I am asking Mario from Bella to recreate the setting for me in diamonds. We already have a 1.25 princess and .25ct rounds. I am ANXIOUSLY awaiting his response! He also has one that's not 3 stone. I can't figure which one!

 

[SJS1234]

Alley: Add mine to the list of big big hugs!! My heart is just breaking for you right now....but I know you will do what is best for you. Eight years IS a long time, and walking away is such a difficult and brave thing to do. Although I haven''t commented on them, I''ve read the posts from the last several days, and it does sound like you are confused about what you want and what is missing from your relationship. If it were clear that your problems with your boyfriend are deep-rooted and that the two of you have tried and failed to work it out, I would say "good for you", and congratulations for being strong enough to do what so many others are not capable of. Your sister (and best friend) knows you better than any of us however.....and if she''s concerned that you are in a "phase" and doing this for the wrong reasons, then it''s probably a good idea to keep an open mind to what she says. I remember you saying a few days ago that you feel like he is inconsiderate because he cancels time with you when he''s out with his friends, and that it happens maybe once per month. Someone suggested that you make a point of not scheduling time with him on the days he hangs out with the boys -- just so neither of you have to worry about a fight later. I agree that it is completely inconsiderate of him to bail on you just because he doesn''t want to leave the guys......but I can understand (to some extent) where he''s coming from.....especially if they''re all hanging around having a beer, watching football or whatever.....they are his "buds" -- well it''s hard to get up and leave. no excuse when he has plans with you......not saying that....but it is difficult. ESPECIALLY if the other guys have girlfriends too, girlfriends who are "ok" with their guys sticking around. Have you tried the suggestion of not making plans on those days? Ya know what else I''m thinking? You''ve been really sick.....which ALWAYS makes me crazy emotional -- I mean I am SUCH a big baby and I want to cry unless someone is sitting RIGHT there beside me the WHOLE time -- which is just an unrealistic expectation. But yeah, it makes me emotional -- that coupled with the holidays and the new year -- and the fact that you recently had a big argument.......there is the slight chance that you are being more sensitive than normal......but only you can decide that. Your sister is right about the communication factor, though........he can''t read your mind.....boy did it take me a long time to learn that one. Sometimes you have to calmly spell it out to them very very clearly.....and sometimes it takes the help of the third party.

Don''t get me wrong -- if you don''t have the right kind of love for him in your heart, then you need to move forward with your life, as painful as that may be.....but if you ask yourself "do I love this man with all of my heart and do I want to be with him eternally, if we could work out the kinks"....and your answer is yes......then talk to him. Tell him how his actions make you feel......don''t accuse him of anything, just explain how his specific actions make you feel inside. Men. wow.....you REALLY have to be specific with them, and you REALLY have to force them to be specific with you.....another hard lesson learned.

whew....sorry for being longwinded........and good luck -- my thoughts (and hugs) are with you, whatever your decision!

To the newly engaged -- Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and Happy New Year to you all!!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Congratulations to all of the newly engaged!

kasih - your ring is lovely and the proposal seems extremely sweet! Good luck to you both in your new stage of life together! Enjoy it!

Alley, I must reiterate what''s been said - follow your heart. Sometimes, if the only thing keeping you together is the sheer amount of time invested, then it''s best to seperate. Perhaps you''ll have a little bit of time to yourselves and realize that you truly are meant for each other. I went through something kind of similar with my b/f . . . I thought he had tired of me and so we split up. We chatted about it this week, and when I teased him about getting bored with me, he said "I wasn''t tired of you, I was scared of you. The idea of actually spending the rest of your life with someone can be a terrifying thought, sometimes." Perhaps you just need a bit of time away from each other to sort out your thoughts.

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and New Years! Santa was quite good to me this year. No NYE proposal for me, unfortunately. We were in Las Vegas, visiting my family, he had been leaving thinly veiled hints . . . it should have been the perfect time. While we were there, my Mother mentioned that she hadn''t told my Grandmother that Weston and I were living together because "she''s fairly old-fashioned." Kind of made me feel a bit . . . guilty . . . or something about living in sin. Ugh. I''m in a post-Holiday-non-engagement funk right now and I wish I could just get myself out of it. I definitely need to talk to him about my thoughts on the subject. I just hate to bring it up because he seems so happy with the way things are right now that I suspect he''s loathe to change the situation any time soon.

Soooooo, since there was no proposal on Christmas Day, I had him start the beginnings of my RHR sparkly. I''ve had a hex cut white sapphire for a while, and I had wanted to put it into a fairly antiquey setting - which included some of my ceylon bagguettes and some of my white sapphires for pave - maybe a bit of engraving, as well. I was truly getting exhausted with such high quotes for making the ring, which wasn''t even THE ring, that I finally put the stones away and decided to do nothing with them. But, I found exactly what I had in mind for half of what my lowest quote had been - with all of the stones included - I just need to provide the center! I''ll update when it''s put together next week - I suspect it''s going to be lovely!

Other than that - welcome back to the Grind, everyone!

 

[kanne]

ooooh! Kasih! Congrats!! How wonderful!!! Love the great pics. YUM-a licious!!

Allycat. First of all, BIG HUGS! I hope you don''t mind if I just slip in my 2 cents. Sometimes it takes a very truamatic event (like a break) to let each person step back and evaluate his/her role in the relationship/what they need to change/how much they value the other person in their life etc. I understand that you are in a lot of pain right now, but did your BF know what was coming or was this a complete surprise to him? If he was clue-less then maybe he deserves a chance to work things out. Communication is the KEY. You have so much history.. obviously care so much for each other and that really is a shame to throw away. Ask yourself.. 1. Do you love each other enough to work through your problems together? and 2. Could you see yourself with this person in 10 years (with positive changes in the relationship). It sounds like you are moving forward at different speeds (from reading your posts it sounds like you are almost done w/med school and he has almost completed the highest level of Grand Theft Auto for Playstation2). A break can really get a guy thinking about the important stuff. I speak from experience. My relationship went through a very rocky period (at about 8.5 years) but we chose the tough road and worked it out... and are in a COMPLETELY new relationship that is very satisfying for both. At the risk of sounding like a nut, maybe you could try couples counselling. It works for us. Relationships are hard work and it is sometimes good to ask for a little help.

You know guys, I COULD see us all on OPRAH one day. This thread is much more than just sparkle. It''s really about life.

-lovey

 

[teebee]

Hi Ladies ~ sign me up & add my name to the list please! I''ve really enjoyed these LIW threads ~ wish I had found it sooner, but I had to take a vacation from Pricescope to maintain my sanity when it appeared the e-ring was farther into the future than I had originally hoped... My boyfriend and I started looking at rings last March after I had a mini "where is this relationship going" meltdown.

Anyhow, short bio: I''ll be 31 tomorrow (eeeeeeeek!!!!) and he is also 31. We''ve been together about 2 1/2 years, we met at a cook-out w/ a friend of mine ~ she had talked about this guy (my now boyfriend) several times & he was at this cookout, so we hung out hit it off. Funny thing is, he kept telling me & my friend that he knows me from somewhere, that I look really familiar. But he''s from Oklahoma City, about 100 miles from where I was living in Tulsa so I know that I don''t know him.... Anyhow, eventually he figures it out ~ he''d seen me on Match.com but hadn''t ever joined or contacted me. So now he tells everyone that we met on the internet. So I left Tulsa

(sorry, I LOVE Tulsa) and moved in w/ him about 5 months ago and I''m hoping to have a ring really soon!!!

I''ll probably be posting lots of pics (pre-engagement wedding planning) because the knot isn''t really my scene...

BTW, Sista ~ I love that ring you posted!!! Beauty!!!

 

[eks6426]

You can add me...IslandDreams to your list too. My bf & I have known each other for years...married to other people. He got divorced after finding out his wife was involved with someone else and my husband past away from melanoma cancer at the age of 33. Friends turned into something more. Now we are getting ready to blend our kids (his 15, mine 7) into a new family. After many years of dealing with the struggle of cancer, my son and I are finally at peace thanks to this generous man (and his wonderful son) who are more than willing to take both of us. We are planning a summer wedding but I am just waiting for the true engagement signaled by a nice sparkly ring

 

[blueroses]

Welcome Island and teebee!!

Kasih, what a gorgeous ring! Congratulations!

SJS, I second what you said for Alley....sometimes it's worth looking at from all sides, just to be sure.

Sista, I didn't realize you had the stones already....that is going to be one stunner of a ring--if the pic was that pretty w/ moisonnite, it is going to blind someone w/ diamonds

Lauren, I am right there with you in the no-engagement post-holiday funk

Hang in there!!! That RHR sounds amazing, though!!

Oh, and Lovey, I never answered your question a few pages back re: the legacy. We've looked at that one. I prefer the simple to the ornate version (thinner band, pave only on top, not 3 sided) and I do like the look of a step-cut cushion. I think I am so enamored of asschers at the moment that I would need to go back and see the legacy again--preferably with less snotty salespeople!!--to really know what i think of it. Funny comment re: playstation. Boys are just sometimes clueballs. my BF and I went through a similar patch a couple years ago (like you guys did, perhaps like what Alley is going through?) where we just had to step back, evaluate, and say whoa, we are not treating each other with the kind of love and reverence that we should, what are we doing. It can be so easy to take each other for granted. Even though the ring is not here and I am frustrated with wanting to move forward, my BF and I are still in such a happier, healthier place than we were when we were living together a couple years ago. It's all about learning to be with each other and communicating.

BIG HUGS to you Alley--keep us posted.

Happy Monday, ladies

 

[Croí]

okay ladies ..........
we all know what this week means - resolutions !!
I really want to shed some weight, not a lot but maybe 10 to 15 lbs. I''m about 160 lbs but in my thirties I''m not looking to be as slim as I was in my early 20''s ! Still, I''d like to feel better and healthier, less sluggish -
of course, I also want to look drop-dead-gorgeous for the big day ! hehehe. (all going according to plan, I have JUST four months to achieve this goal !)

so, any great tips ???? any good anti-bloating tips or food/exercise ideas ??
Please bear in mind that I am NOT sporty, not by ANY stretch of the imagination. I had chronic asthma when I was young and could not participate in any sports at school so I never got into sport. I couldn''t even learn to ride a bike back then. I like to walk, that''s about the extent of it.
I was reading earlier on all the posts about sking and snowboarding and was feeling very much of the couch potatoe variety ! I am not a TV addict either. I''m arty and I like crafty stuff but that really just means you sit at a table and exercise your fingers !

I''ll be off home soon, I expect LOTS of tips on here tomorrow !

btw, B-o-L - are you still with us ? how are you doing ????
and Alleycat - how are you doing now sweetheart ??

I really feel for those ladies who were high on happiness like the rest of us, only to be realising all isn''t what they''d hoped for. Having been there and done that and knowing how horrid it is, I just wanted you to know you are in my thoughts - a LOT - and I''m sending really bright light and happier energy your way ..........


Croí

 

[appletini]

Croi: I started doing Bikrum Yoga about a month ago and I love it (and I hate to exercise). The room is heated to 105 degrees and it lasts for 90 minutes, but I feel so great afterwards and my tummy has started looking better. It was really hard the first time b/c I was so out of shape, but after the first time it gets a lot easier.

 

[teebee]

Hi Croi ~ I''m looking to shed some weight as well. My best tip is WATER, lots and lots and lots of it!! I know it''s not very original but it really does take care of the bloating, and curbs my appetite. Biggest problem I have with it is that I don''t care for the taste of our tap water, but I''m on a budget so bottled water adds up, so I''ve bought a big gallon size water container, and a Brita filter container ~ then I pour the filtered water into the gallon jug, then I add a smidge of lemon juice to give it just a hint of fresh "flavor" (either that or sometimes I add just a little bit of Propel Fitness Water). Between the lemon and the filter, the taste of the tap water is much improved. Sounds like a hassle but it''s really not bad. Then at the end of the day if I''ve finished the gallon I know I''ve had my required daily allotment!!

 

[fortheloveofdiamonds]

Date: 1/3/2005 10:40:30 AM
Author: appletini
FTLOD: Yes he is fluent in Spanish and almost fluent in Portuguese (since thats the language in Brazil). The people down there tease him and call him ''el Americano'' because is the typical All-American guy. I think its a really cool job too, which means when I have a ring that I can take really cool trips to go visit him. A year is a very long time...don''t know how I would handle that...best of luck to you. Maybe you can use that time to do any special projects you''ve been wanting to do, like redecorate or read lots of books or something or maybe do some travels of your own.

Apple! That sounds like fun! My husband had been training to be a Foreign Area Officer for the Army; however, with everything that has been happening over the last few years, they needed more officers in combat operations and decided to keep him there. We were supposed to be moving together to Chile, but now..sadly..he will be deployed instead....

As for being alone for 1 year. I have moved back with my family and will have them keep me busy. I hope I can get a lot done... Lose some weight! LOL!

 

[goldengirl]

Well hello ladies! I've been weirdly busy today, mostly just tying up the loose ends that inevitably happen over the weekend, but also I decided to buckle down and actually do my work for the week

so I'll have it all done early, and can spend the rest of my time leisurely surfing my boards instead of surfing all week and then having a coronary as I frantically do it all on the last day.

So: WELCOME to the new girls!! I hope your stay here is brief but enjoyable; and no worries, teebee, the knot's not really my scene either. I like some of the features but I HATE how the boards work, with the threads not getting a bump to the top when there's any activity... that means crazy busy threads get booted off when people post 400 new threads that nobody even reads. They could have done a better job coming up with THAT plan.

(You might try UW, though... I like that one a WHOLE lot better than the knot.)

lol, IslandDreams, when I first read your post I thought you meant his 15 kids and your 7 kids....

! I dated a guy a million years ago who was the second youngest of 17 children. All of the same parents, all biological, and he and his twin brother were the only set of multiples. As if that wasn't bad enough, his parents divorced and his dad remarried a woman with 9 kids and his mom remarried a guy with 7 kids!!!

So I did a double take and it reminded me of that poor, hapless young man.

Teebee, I think you may have single-handedly convinced my fh that I really would be happy with a diamond "alternative".

Croi: okay, first of all, hun, for some reason I can't PM you!!

My system doesn't register the last letter of your name anymore (it reads "Cro?") and Pricescope's pm system isn't letting me send to "Croi" or "Cro?" and it won't let me do it directly from your profile page, either, so.... I'm not being a snob, I just can't PM you anymore!!

Anyway, RE: the weight loss thing, I agree that the water will work wonders (heh say that ten times fast!) and I, too, like yoga, so a big thumbs up for those recommendations!

Another thing you might try is Pilates, often more of a workout than basic yoga but not at Bikram or aerobics level. And make sure you eat breakfast: studies have shown that people who eat breakfast consume fewer calories throughout the day than people who skip it! (That's my resolution-of-the-week, lol..)

I don't like to work out either

but I've kinda decided just to suck it up. Been trying to switch it up, a bike ride, a workout video, and the occasional run (I HATE running, bleh!!)... and I'm joining the Discovery Health Challenge so I'm getting an 8-week free membership to Bally's, which I'll use for their Group Ex classes (like step aerobics or the BoSu Ball challenge).

If you can afford it, get a personal trainer! Nothing motivates you like knowing if you don't show up you're out $60!!

 

[denverkat]

Ugh. Bikram. Apple, I totally admire you for being able to stick it out! I was positive it was going to be the "one"- the perfect exercise! Alas, one sweaty class later and I remembered why I left New Orleans- I hate heat and humidity! Duh.

So now I''m thinking Pilates again. Those Winsor Pilates tapes really worked for me a few years back, but even home videotapes may require more motivation than I have. Nice, though, to never have to leave the floor (can you sense the extreme laziness here?)

Anywho, a brief moment of New-Year''s fever hit me at DSW and I bought a pair of running shoes this weekend. I''ll post pictures if I ever run a marathon or a 5k or a mile or heck, around the block- you ladies will be the first to know

-Kat

 

[appletini]

FTLOD: My BF''s next trip is to Chile. I''m sorry that he is being deployed for a year...I''ll keep him in my prayers. Spending time with the fam will definitely keep you busy. I''m actually thinking of moving back home for a year to save lots of money for the wedding, plus once I get the ering I will probably stay at my BFs a lot so it won''t be too bad.

GG/Croi: another alternative if you are willing to spend big bucks is to hire a personal trainer...I did this two years ago (24 sessions=2x/week for 3 months) and my body fat went from 22% to 15%. I only drink water (and cocktails on the weekends) so I didn''t think to mention that. Also check out that new show on the Food Network called Take it All off.

 

[Erin]

First and foremost (from reading your posts it sounds like you are almost done w/med school and he has almost completed the highest level of Grand Theft Auto for Playstation2). ROTFL!!!!!! Hysterical!!!

Would like to join the post holiday no-engagement club. My last day of work was Friday the 24th at noon and came back today. Lovely amount of time off. So I called my distant relatives over the holidays to wish them what? Merry Christmas? surely you have something else to tell us? Here, your cousin just walked in she wants to talk to you - So did you get it? No, Merry Christmas. And then I go into work today - nobody is listening to me because they are all slyly trying to get a glimpse of my naked left hand. As if they have to ask next. . .so did you get a ring over the holidays? Yeah, don''t you just love it? It''s so blindingly huge it looks invisible doesn''t it.


As if I didn''t put enough pressure on myself (on him) I have to endure this? I know they all care and that''s why they''re asking but geesh! salt on a wound anyone?

 

[Erin]

Oh, and my weight loss advice is not the Atkins diet or the Suzanne Sommers diet, but do make a conscious effort to cut back on carbs. Not like you have to eat veal and asparagus everyday - just less toast, no sugary cereals or snackcakes. Less pasta, potatoes, chips, crackers, and fried things. No fast food unless of course it''s a salad or wrap. Carbohydrates are great when you have energy to burn but if you''re like me, you spend most of your time in an office in front of a computer and a tray of cookies that girl from accounts payable made from scratch - not working on a construction site.

 

[appletini]

well my roomie and I were bad...I had made a chocolate tres leches cake for a dinner party last week, well still had some leftover, so we each had two slices, but they were small slices, so really its like we had one big one. Oh well I can go to yoga the rest of the week and work it off.

 

[goldengirl]

Date: 1/3/2005 7:32:25 PM
No fast food unless of course it''s a salad or wrap.

omg, have you READ the nutritional info on the fast food salads & wraps??? I looked it up one day when I was feeling particularly virtuous for ordering a salad and I could not believe it... just as many calories as the freaking burger would have been!!

Arby''s Santa Fe Salad= 881 cal, 62.5g fat
Arby''s Chicken Club Salad= 860 cal, 67g fat
Jack in the Box Chicken Club Salad= 825 cal, 61.5g fat
Taco Bell Fiesta Taco Salad= 870 cal, 47g fat
Wendy''s Mandarin Chicken Salad= 630 cal, 35g fat (is it sad this is starting to look okay?)
Wendy''s Chicken BLT Salad (mmm)= 710 cal, 47.5g fat (but if I swap for reduced-fat ranch, it''s only 530 cal and 29.5g fat, not TOO bad, right??

)

These numbers will scare you!! Kyle and I decided to stop eating fast food, mostly because we were broke but also because we noticed how icky it made us feel. Oh, yeah, and because we''d just watched Supersize Me and that was putrid.

So I''ve had fast food maybe three or four times in the last three months.

You know what I really like for lunch? Those Michelina''s Garden Bistro Bowls. They''re salads but heavier on the veggies than the sauce (although there''s plenty of sauce and it''s quite tasty!) and you can eat them either warm or cool. They''re GOOD, first of all, cuz I''m not a huge fan of microwave food, and they actually FILLED ME UP, which I NEVER get from "diet" microwave food, so I was amazed. I really liked them, you might give them a try!

 

[allycat0303]

Hey everyone LONG POST brace yourselfs!!

Kasih..wow! finally a sparkly. Congrats on your engagement! It is truly a beautiful ring.

Appletini: Spanish...hmmm.. sorry but that is kind of sexy

. I hope your time apart goes well and that you aren''t too lonely for him.

SJS1234: All very good points you''ve made. I haven''t considered all that. I keep trying to tell myself to be in his position. And I am emotional. It''s been a hard year for me and to start the new year off with being sick made me think I was in for another bad luck year. And you weren''t long winded, long posts make me feel as though I am actually getting feedback for someone.

Lauren: I think I do need time. I feel more confused everyday. I hope that taking a step back will make everything more clear.

Lovey: Highest level of grandtheft auto! I love it! and he loves the game. Actually I will be starting med in september, he''s already an electrical engineer, but jeez, does he love his playstation. See when I read about how other people went through a rough phase and worked it out, I understand how that feels, because this is not the first rough thing we have been through. Our relationship changed dramatically 4 years ago. I just don''t know if I can make more changes. I have learnt that relationships, sometimes, are about sticking and working it out. And couple therapy is not a crazy idea.

Ok. So today my boyfriend dropped off my Christmas presents (I was supposed to get them NYE). I didn''t talk to him. But I did open my presents. He wrote me a letter which made me cry and suggested everything from couples counselling to taking a break. He says that he is confused, because I never told him anything was wrong, and that we need to talk to work things out. He is also hurt that I could leave him without giving him a reason why. I don''t know yet, so I am going to keep thinking about it. NOW SINCE WE are talking about weight. This is one of the major problems in our relationship. I HAVE MAJOR WEIGHT ISSUES. Although they are completely psycgological. I was a figure skater until the age of 18, and if any of you know the sport, it is a breeding ground for eating disorders. I am still obsessed with weight, and one of the reasons that my sister feels my relationship is in a rut, is because I will refuse to go out with him if I precieve myself to have gained any weight (as in a pound) the numbers on the scale are literally a prision for me. My whole life (since I was 10 years old has been a cycle of starvation and binging). So that''s it. He deals with it because he loves me. But I guess its not a wonder he wants to play playstation because he can''t take me out to the movies or go to the restaurant. So maybe he is bored with me. I guess I can''t blame him. Oh God that is depressing, I want to cry.

GRRR... ok. Sorry girls. I have something funny to share with you. FORLOVEOF DIAMONDS might know something about this because she is Canadian (by the way I commend you on your strength. I know you will miss him very, very much). But there is a compnay called BIRKS in Canada. I call it the Canadian Tiffany wannabe. They even have the BLUE BOX!!! This is their new signature ring (kind of Tiffany Legacy). This is the BIRKS CARESSE. The wonderful part is they are selling it (I quote)

"Starting from $11 000 with a 0.5 carat excellent cut round diamond of a variety of color and clarity grades" OH MY GOD!! AND in QUEBEC there is this little thing called sales tax.... 15%!! So that is $12 650. For 0.5 carats. It''s a lovely ring but again...$ 12 650 for 0.5 carat center.

Thanks for all the support! This board is definitely not only about the sparkly. It is about life! Hugs everyone.

 

[appletini]

Ally: I love the ring you posted it is very similar to the Ritani that we liked so much the other day. Also as far as the eating goes, you might want to seriously consider getting counseling for yourself. That must be a very tough ordeal to deal with. I love food way to much to ever worry about my weight because of it. Plus I''m sure that you are teeny tiny even if you gain a pound. Perhaps some ice cream will make you feel better.