Me with my grand gal pal, Miss Jennifer Wang Chung Tonight, on my birthday this year – an example of my big, chunky ring bling.

I declared the other day on the I Wear My Sunglasses at Night post, that I have three weaknesses when it comes to accessorizing. 1) Sunglasses. 2) Hats. 3) Rings. It’s true, I am a hound junkie for chunky rings! However, what makes me a bit unlike most dames is that I don’t really prefer fancy, flashy (in an affluent way), expensive rings — I prefer jumbo, tubby, roly-poly costume rings (and if they’re plastic, all the better!). When they’re chintzy and cheapo like that, they don’t have much of a lifespan, but if you’re only spending $5 to $12 on a ring than it doesn’t break your heart or bank account when they break! Plus, it gives you the excuse to go and rummage around for another one that is in fine fettle and makes you happy. When I look down at my playful rings, I FEEL playful (and seeing as I have such a kittenish personality anyway, you could get me a ring out of one of those quarter machines at the Five & Dime and it would be even better than a roll of yarn)!

I have an even larger collection than this, but this is all that can fit in my jewelry display. I have this elegant, espresso-colored wood jewelry box from Bombay Company that was a gift, but all that I have in it is plastic, metal costume jewelry that probably cost a fragment of the case that holds it all. ::titter::

Just *some* of my funky, chunky, jumbo (some vintage) bling…

My Grandma Annie once sent me a 20 dollar bill in a birthday card about 6 years ago on my 20th birthday. (Oh wait, I am only 25! See, I told you I am bad at math. ::slysmile:: ) I was a newly single parent, at the time, and really living life paycheck to paycheck. Since my birthday is only a little over a couple weeks before Chriskwanzaakkuh (<– we celebrate all the holidays because we respect all religions, and we never turn down an opportunity to party!), I was down in sunny south Florida spending the holidays with my ‘rents. My momma & I went to this place (this PLACE!) called The Festival Flea Market. (Have MERCY on me pocketbook…! This place is absolute outre merchandise mayhem!) I found this ring there that I FELL head over hands for. I still don’t know what I like about it so much, but I walked past it and it screamed out at me, “You know you want to wear me home today!” — or maybe that was the churlish saleslady, but whatever. Tomato, tomatho… Potato, potahto… Frappuccino, cappuccino… I *really* wanted it, but Mini Maven & me were on such a tightfisted budget, so I passed it up. My mother said, “Grandma Annie would like it if you spent that 20 dollar bill on something for YOU. The ring is $19. It was meant to be.” So, I listened to my wise ole sage of a momma and slipped the ring on my finger, synchronously, as I slipped the churlish saleslady the 20. I’m nimble-fingered like that.

Moral of this story: I bought that thing for $20 over 6 years ago when I was just a fledgeling 20-year-old (*ahem* excuse me, I have a tickle in my throat), and I STILL bloody love it! I’ve worn it almost every day since that fateful day it screamed at me, in a retired New Yorker snowbird sorta way. (My ring is from Boca, so she has a lot of chutzpah.)

However, now I am only wearing ONE ring on that finger, and it goes a little something like this…

!!!

That’s right! Even though I have mad love for $5 plastic rings from novelty boutiques, my Darling Hotbuns thinks I am worth a 2ct beauty like this lavish, sumptuous, dazzling, SPARKLEtacular princess cut foxy femme…

::FAINT::

And he also believes I am worthy of being…

… HIS WIFE!!! #foreverlove

Keep calm & DAZZLE on, darlings!

~ Angelika Frangelico *Gros bisous*