Karen’s Opinion

I have a few outfits that I wear that need some adornment. I have been searching for the perfect necklace. I think I may have found it! Beaded Tail makes the most beautiful jewelry.

Now, to come up with some cash!

Hubby and I decided that if we didn’t have to pay for our own health insurance, we would be rich! I’m not saying I want the government to take care of me or even provide pet insurance for us. Although, dog insurance is something I wish we had invested in before we got our Shitzu. We could have saved thousands of dollars. Oh well, we are not going to risk going without health insurance. Some things are not worth taking a gamble on.

On the other hand, some things are worth the gamble. I recently won this beautiful brooch! By commenting and blogging about the giveaway on Three Fates Design, I was in the running to win and by golly I won!

Victoria at Three Fates Design makes the most beautiful jewelry. She has a little pug dog, named Yoda. I love reading her blog to see how Yoda is doing. Yoda has had some health issues.

When the weather begins to chill and holiday tides begin to fill the hearts and homes of many, love truly abounds. The autumn season is often breathtaking in its beauty and crispness, and it makes for the perfect backdrop for a marriage proposal. It is human nature to crave warmth and affection when the weather turns cold, and thus engagement rings make their yearly debut. The fall season is the peak of engagement proposals and many happy marriages begin with a proposal during the pre-holiday season.
One reason for the onset of autumn marriage proposals is because of the holiday season and the cheer that it brings to families and loved ones. With family traditions and tokens of love and affection in exchange, the diamond ring is the ultimate marker of everlasting love. Jewelry stores display a wide array of engagement ring settings and loose diamonds so that men seeking rings can easily find something perfect for their significant other.
Before couples wear a wedding ring on their finger, the romance and the wooing usually comes into play. What better time than the holidays to cultivate a little magic? Between the fall leaves, the ripe orchards, ice skating, and holiday cheer, you can be sure that the natural American settings provide the perfect opportunity for love.
If you are in the market for engagement rings this holiday season, there are a few things I recommend you do to get your ducks all in a row to pop the question. First, be sure that you and your significant other are ready for a lifetime commitment. Of course, if you know- you just know! When you begin thinking of the type of ring to buy, take notice of her personal style and activities. Is she very active and hands-on? Or, is she a classic and refined lady who doesn’t dirty her hands on a regular basis. Taking note of her eccentricities will help you figure out the band style and setting for the engagement ring.
Once you have a firm idea of the type of ring she would like, you can get down to the details and choose the perfect style. If you want to keep the ring a surprise but you’d like a little more help, it’s a good idea to ask her best friend or sister to come along with you and help decide what type of ring she will like. Chances are, anything with a little sparkle will wow her and she will love the ring simply because it’s you giving it to her. But if you truly want to step it up a notch, you can get her a stunning pave engagement ring, or a princess cut prong engagement ring to dazzle her for eternity. These popular styles are truly becoming an engagement favorite this year and women are going gaga over the modern yet sophisticated designs.
Whichever diamond ring you choose this holiday season, remember that the holiday cheer will carry you to a point of warmth and happiness- and the ring will simply be the icing on the cake of your winter season. Giving the gift of an eternal connection will never go out of season- or out of style!

I hate to come to my blog and complain but it is better to get it out than to kick the dog. Not that I would really kick the dog. I just need to vent.

The week of Christmas, my son said he really needed a pair of shoes. He wanted a good pair that would last. I hadn’t finished his shopping yet and had intended to buy him some luggage. I thought that this would be a better gift. We headed off to the mall to search for a good pair of shoes. We found a pair that he liked but they didn’t have his size in stock so we ordered them. Greg is home from grad school and we thought they would surely come in before he left again for school. Nope. The shoes have not come in yet. Why did we spend our time and energy, oh and gas to drive around searching for a pair of shoes that were never going to make an appearance?

I kick myself now. I am the one who orders all her stuff online. Why didn’t I think to do that with his shoes? I don’t have to go from website to website looking because Shop Wiki does the searching for me. They don’t work like the regular search engines who get paid to list their sites. ShopWikii finds everything for sale on the web. Their search encompasses thousands of websites! I could have put “Men’s shoes” into their search box and a selection of the styles Greg wants would have popped up. (I tried it and am sick about the money I could have saved).

You should try the website for your shopping. It is simple to use. For instance, if you wanted to find a birthstone ring to celebrate your daughter’s 16th birthday, you would simply type in the word jewelry. You can narrow down your search by using a variables such as price. Their website crawls online stores to find the best fit for your query. Say, you forgot which stone represents the month of March, ShopWiki has resources to help with that too. I checked out what stones were for February, clicked on Amethyst and OMG!!! I am in love with the choices that popped up! I am drooling over this loose faceted amethyst that is only $125.00! That is an unbelievable price. Did you know that different stones represent anniversary months? I didn’t know that but I read it at ShopWiki. I got married in July so that means my anniversary stone is a ruby. Here is the stone I want: and this is the result for my search on necklace at ShopWiki. Aren’t they both beautiful? and I neeeeed them!

Another tool that I like at ShopWiki is their helpful reviews. You can find out the good and the bad about individual products. ShopWiki resources will help you decide which products fit your need and where to find them at the price that fits your budget. I love ShopWiki.

I don’t know about you but I love jewelry. Years ago, I had no idea what style I preferred in jewelry. I didn’t know what to look for when choosing a ring that signified the most important date in a couple’s life, their wedding. Engage Diamond Studio has a new website that makes it easy to choose the perfect, beautiful and custom engagement rings. Their site is perfect for couples who want to learn what to look for when choosing the perfect stone and setting. They can guide you with information about quality and price and how to avoid mistakes when choosing that special ring. Partner with Engage Diamond Studio to make the best choice for the ring that symbolizes your love.