Archive for April, 2010
Poor men’s wedding bands. Yes, I know I just humanized a piece of jewelry, but if you think about it, is there any less appreciated piece in the entire jewelry catalog? Always solid and reliable, but rarely sexy, a men’s wedding band is the San Antonio Spurs of jewelry (look it up non-sports fans). While a women’s wedding and engagement ring is seemingly on display for the world to see and fawn over, a men’s wedding band just sits on a man’s hand as a warning to inquiring women of the world: yes, I’m married so stay away.
Fortunately for men, this has been changing in recent years. Men’s wedding bands have been getting a little more T.L.C. from jewelry companies with new designs, materials, and attitude. Heck, some companies have even started adding some subtle stones to their bands. That was unheard of just ten years ago.
One of the leaders in this new men’s ring revolution have been the titanium ring makers. New to the jewelry world, titanium has become the new must have ring material for men. Industrial looking, yet sexy, sleek and stylish, titanium rings have a look that seems to match a man’s jewelry taste perfectly. While they don’t automatically stand out, they definitely require a second look when noticed. Coming in black and silver, these rings have become serious competition to the traditional silver or gold bands that have been standard to the men’s ring market for decades. One of my good friends chose titanium for his wedding band and it is still to this day the only men’s wedding band that I notice on a regular basis.
One of the coolest things about the titanium wedding bands that companies have been offering in recent years is that precious stones have been added to the designs. These aren’t big stones, but very small diamonds inserted into the band of the ring. They fit perfectly with the feel of the titanium ring, while adding a nice bit of style of the design.
Men’s jewelry has been going through a renaissance in recent years. Essentially given up for dead just thirty years ago (it used to be passé for men to wear anything more than a simple gold wedding band), companies have begun to invest a bit more time and money in modernizing jewelry designs in their men’s catalog. The key has always been to find a balance, and while some men seem to enjoy the excess of diamonds, precious metals and colorful stones, most men just want a nice balance of style and sophistication in their jewelry. These titanium jewelry designs seem to be the next logical step in making jewelry a more accepted piece of the male wardrobe.
Author Kim Green hopes that men will someday take as much pride in men’s wedding bands as women take in their wedding bands.
Last week, one of my very best male friends hit me with a rather interesting and unexpected question: when did it become passé to wear men’s jewelry? I was kinda taken back by this question. I guess I never thought of men’s jewelry as being passé? Was I out of the loop or was it that I just run into something that is only purely a male idea.
I guess I can see his point: men’s jewelry has always had sort of a dubious history. It’s had a history of either being overused or looked at as (gasp!) non-masculine. The whole “bling” movement of the last twenty years hasn’t necessarily helped things either. It just turned overdoing jewelry into an art form.
For me though, and most of the girls I know, we actually like a bit of jewelry on a man. One or two rings is usually not a bad thing (wedding rings are always permissible) and a subtle necklace is fine (trust me women hate the “blinged” out look too). Necklaces are not a bad thing as long as they symbolize something to you and as long as they don’t overdo the diamond thing. Unfortunately, though, it seems like men have been believing the hype more then what women actually think.
Men are missing the fact that right now the men’s jewelry market is taking leaps and bounds. Not only are looks being modernized, but new materials are being brought into the fray. Let me give you an example: one of my favorite pieces of jewelry to come onto the scene in recent years has actually been a male design- the titanium ring. There is something that I find so intriguing about not only the use of titanium metal, but also the designs that they do with them. Using black and silver titanium, the rings have a semi-industrial look, but also give off a sophisticated elegance that you just can’t get from gold. It’s revolutionary if you ask me and in no way even close to looking “passé”. They’ve even found ways to embed small diamonds into the band which adds an entirely new dimension to the pieces.
So I’ll again reiterate to any man who is reading this article: women like a little jewelry on their man. The idea that jewelry has become passé is purely a male idea. Heck, in the 50′s when “men were men” (that’s what guys say, right?) men wore rings and necklaces all the time, right? So just keep that in mind and if you find a nice, subtle ring just go ahead and buy it. Trust me, you’ll feel better.
Author Kimberly Green loves to share her knowledge of men’s jewelry with her husband and his friends.
When you first start planning a wedding, a list is usually created. This list is begun the day after the engagement, usually on something unassuming like a post-it note or a scrap of paper you found in a drawer. This is a master list: a list of everything that you need to do between that very moment and the ceremony to make sure that your wedding goes off without a hitch. This list will be added to, subtracted from, crossed out, copied and, usually, thrown away accidentally once or twice. It’s an important list that’s main purpose is to make sure something major is not forgotten.
Of course, it’s never the big stuff that causes you unneeded stress at a wedding, it’s the small stuff that will kill you (not literally, of course). Take my friend for example: She made sure to shop around for the perfect wedding invitations. She spent weeks going from store to store, boutique to boutique and finally found the perfect set at the perfect price. And trust me, they were worth it. Very beautiful. Unfortunately, she didn’t find out until after the cards were sent out that she had forgotten to add directions from the ceremony to the party. Because of this small tiny little oversight she had to send out dozens of extra cards and e-mails with these directions. This caused so much extra stress for her and her fiancée. Of course, she had invitations on her list, but she forgot the important little detail of adding directions.
For me, my friend’s plight was the perfect analogy for planning a wedding. A wedding is a big deal, probably the biggest thing that you will ever have to put together. There are a lot of big pieces to worry about: finding a chapel, a room for the reception, getting a priest, finding a dress, picking a wedding party, etc., etc. Unfortunately for a bride and groom, these big things tend to over shadow a lot of the smaller little details that are so vital to making the ceremony run smoothly. I’ll give you another example: my sister’s wedding. Her and my mother spent hours making chocolate candies as wedding favors for the attendees. Unfortunately, in the stress of the final day, the groom only brought half of the candies as he forgot the other cooler full in the freezer. It wasn’t a big deal, but try telling that to my mother who was inconsolable.
The main thing to remember when planning a wedding is to take a deep breath and make sure you go over everything in steps. Think deeper than just the big strokes, think of the small little, minuet details. This deep thinking enables you to have a smooth and fun wedding without any of the added stress of last second surprises.
Kimberly Green likes to share stories of her friends who find great deals on all wedding supplies and wedding invitations.
Ok men. I have a little secret for you. Come close, I don’t want any of the women to hear. Ok, here we go: ring shopping is sooo much easier than most women would have you believe. I know that buying an engagement ring is a big deal. It’s a symbolization of love and commitment and, blah, blah, blah. I know we are trying to scare you into going into a tizzy trying to find the perfect ring. The thing is, though, men have been doing it for centuries. It’s not rocket science. Heck, it’s not even worth breaking a sweat over. There are just two secrets to finding the right ring: 1) trust your instincts; and 2) shop around.
That’s right: that’s all you need to do. Chances are you already know what kind of ring your significant other would prefer. You’ve been around her enough to know whether she wants a big ring with a bunch of diamonds (god help you) or a simple ring with a precious stone in the middle. Once you have that down all you need to do is fill up your car with gas and drive around visiting jewelry stores to compare style and price. If you live in Newport Beach drive around looking for jewelers in Newport Beach. If you live in Wichita do the same there. It might take more than a day but trust me, it’s worth it.
The thing to remember when shopping around is to keep your mind open and don’t get pressured into buying right away. Oh, are they going to pressure you. They want your business so they will guilt you, be indignant, and do other things to make you feel like an idiot for not buying. The thing about this, though, is that ultimately it gives you the upper hand. If you play your cards right then they will be willing to knock a good amount of money off the price. Most jewelry places start at an inflated price so that they can come down a significant amount to still make money.
Since they are going to play with your emotions you might as well play with there’s too (be nice though, don’t be a jerk). Don’t act too impressed by a particular ring. Don’t act desperate either. Just act nonchalant, like you like the ring but don’t love it. They will be more willing to shave some money off the price if they feel like they have to sell it to you. And don’t be afraid to bargain as jewelry is one of the few industries where this practice is commonplace.
Just follow these simple rules and you should have no problem tracking down the perfect ring for you’re soon to be fiancé.
Author Kim Green supports local businesses like jewelers in Newport Beach and hopes the rest of the country will do likewise.
Let’s play a word association game: when I say the words “kids clothes” what is the first thing that comes to your head?
Not cheap?
Quickly outgrown?
Waste of money?
Yeah, I would say all of those are good ways to describe children’s clothing. Unless you’re a yo-yo dieter there is no other type of clothing in your wardrobe that becomes irrelevant faster. You don’t buy children’s clothes for seasons as much as you buy them for the season. Chances are this year’s summer clothing will spend next summer in a box.
This is why finding a good deal is so important for parents looking for children’s clothing. With the summer season coming up parents will be hitting department stores in droves to find the perfect pair of shorts, dresses, t-shirts and swimsuits for their kids. And because kids grow so rapidly, they will be obsolete by the end of the summer. Unless you’re planning on hand me downs for your next little bundle of joy, it’s important to find a way to mix quality and price in your purchases.
The best thing you can do is scan the sales. Chances are in April and May stores will begin to roll out their big summer sales. With the economy still struggling, these years’ sales should be even more aggressive meaning that different stores will be fighting for your business. Be sure to check out the deals at different stores and don’t be afraid to shop around for the best bargain.
When you finally find a store that is to your liking, make sure you go at a time when they will have the most clothes available on sale. If it’s a weekend sale don’t wait till the last second. Yes, there will be a lot of people in store on Friday morning, but you’ll have a better chance finding what you came in for. Also, keep your eyes open for in-store only sales of special bargains. A lot of department stores will only advertise part of their sales items in advertisements. You might find seconds full of stuff you had no idea were on sale.
Another thing to look out for is off-season sale items. Many stores will be trying to get rid of their winter gear along with moving their summer supply. This means that you could get amazing deals on sweatshirts of pants for next winter. Now, this can be tricky since your child will grow, so be sure to plan ahead and buy for how big they will be in six months. Trust me, it’s easier than it sounds and you’ll save a lot of money in the mean time.
Author Kim Green spends time researching the best quality kids clothes for her nieces, nephews and her own children.
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