As some of you might already know, I'm currently in the midst of wedding planning. Yes, I was engaged this past year 😊

But my engagement wasn't your traditional kind.

Mr. Rowe knew how OCD I was about everything and anything, decided that it was best for me to pick out my own ring. And quite honestly, I think for my personality, it was the best choice haha ...

So I went on this journey learning about diamonds and that's when I realized how awful it is that we've put this burden on men for so many decades!

As women, studies have shown that we are much more at ease when multi-tasking. & picking that perfect engagement ring is exactly that! Multi-Tasking.

Not only you need to pick the right diamond, cut, and size but you also need to think about the setting and top it all of making it within the budget! No wonder when I tried to explain how it all works to Mr. Rowe, there was a haze suddenly glazing over his eyes lol ... Poor guy didn't stand a chance 😆

Given everything, I know most ladies still love that traditional proposal. The joy when he takes the knee in a perfect setting with a ring in hand. So with that in mind, I thought: why not give these poor guys some tips to make that perfect moment even more perfect! Feel free to forward this to your loved ones and give them a little help 😜

So here goes nothing!

TIP 1: Find The Right Jeweler
Before you go crazy and start looking at the actual diamonds and settings, it is important to find the right jeweler. Each jeweler will have their own inventory so it would be useless for you to look at the diamonds if, in the end, you are not going to purchase from them.

I spent a decent amount of time researching which jeweler to go with. In the end, I went with BRILLIANT EARTH.

For me it was important that a) the diamonds are conflict free, b) sustainability of the product.

BRILLIANT EARTH was exactly that. The company strived to be and is 100% conflict free, and all their materials are recyclable even down to the packaging. My ring box was even made out of recycled wood!

But again, everyone's preferences are different so take your time and research the best jeweler suited for your needs.

(FYI this post is in no way sponsored by BRILLIANT EARTH. I wish it was though lol ... would've saved us a lot of $$$ haha )

TIP 2: Pick the diamond cut first. 
Now that you have a jeweler, before looking at settings, first, pick out which diamond cut best suits your lady. It's easier to find a complimenting setting once you know what cut you want. Below are the common cut options:

Any women that loves Fashion often loves Chanel.

Chanel is well known for it's timeless pieces and amongst the vast brilliance one of the classic must-haves definitely goes to the Two-Toned Slingback shoes that Coco Chanel herself first designed back in the late 50s. 💛

The better known version and most sought after pair is definitely the black and tan color combo. However, my personal style never quite matched up to it. As much as I wanted it, everytime I tried it on it just didn't look quite right. Maybe I'm just not sophisticated enough ? lol 😝

Yet maybe mighty spirit of Madame Coco finally heard my desires...

This beautiful season Chanel released an updated version using lizard skin and the black on black gave it a delicious saturated dark tone.

Finally I was able to make the purchase! 😊

And just as Coco promised, the shoe was comfortable yet flattering. The heel was sturdy and at a perfect all day wear height. The shape of the shoe makes your feet looks slim and shorter accentuating a classic lady elegance.  Even though girly in style,  the versatile design you can wear with even denim and still works!

All I can say is simply: "Love! Love! Love!"

For those who are considering these heels I def highly recommend ~! But do try them on cause slingback can be tricky, if the size isn't right the back straps can slip off constantly while walking...

Thank you for reading! Have a wonderful week ahead!
xxx
Gi

IG: GIGIL4M

Thanks to Netflix, all of America is on a cleaning craze. Yes, I'm talking about Marie Kondo's show and her Konmari Method.

Personally I've already been exposed to her work roughly 2 years ago.

I first read her book (The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing ) after I saw a friend of mine mention it in her instagram post. Being the OCD me, I immediately took the opportunity and dived into being even more organized 🤣

Most of my home I've already reorganized using the KonMari Method (see previous post / vlog: minimalist-life-style-vlog-404-konmari ) but I had one area which I had put off cleaning up for awhile simply cause I have yet to figure out what I wanted to do with it.

But new year new resolutions right ? I decided I've been putting it off long enough and I'm going to do something about it!

Since this was one of the areas I found harder to reorganize I thought I'd share my tips, which will work hand in hand with Marie Kondo's spark joy method 😊 . I'll also provide links to the products I used for those who might be interested.

Now lets begin .. 😉

Tip #1: Figure out your Spark Joy Aesthetic 

A lot of times people just go ahead and start organizing without really thinking about how they'd like their space to look once it is cleaned up. I find that as a big no-no. If the space looks sloppy, even though the clutter minimized, your motivation to keep it organized will wither as time goes on.

If your space makes you happy, or as Marie Kondo puts it: Sparks Joy , then most likely you'll cherish it more and want to keep it that way.

The key to looking organized isn't really that complicated, it's finding a coherent look through out your space.

For example, for my home, an minimalistic look is what sparks joy for me. I decided the colors which I want my home to have will consist of black, white, grey, dusty pink, and rose gold. These are the colors I'm most attracted to and eases my mind the most. A easy way to figure that out is going on pinterest or instagram and look at home related photography to see what aesthetic you are most drawn to. That helped me a lot 😁

Once I had that, it made it so much easier when I shopped for some additional pieces to help reorganize the space.
As some of my friends put it, even before reorganizing the space didn't look "messy". But it sure didn't spark joy for me. But after I reorganized it to what aesthetically eased my mind, now every day when I wake up and look over to my dresser it motivates me to keep it organized. 💛

Tip #2: Understand Your Available Space 
What do I mean by that is, before you start throwing things out and just buying all sorts of reorganizing products, spend some time and look at your space & what you can utilize base on what you already have.

For example, for this reorganization, I decided that I'm limiting my jewelry space to the top of my dresser and 2 dresser drawers which I will clean out.

Once I know how much space I'm working with, it minimizes the unnecessary reorganizing products you might buy otherwise.


Tip #3: The 2 Years rule
Know that this rule applies to only non-sentimental objects or your "Spark Joy" pieces as Marie would put it.

I think Marie is brilliant but sometimes the idea of "Spark Joy" can be very vague and wide. For those that have severe separation anxiety with their things, it might not really work. So on top of the spark joy mentality, I also apply a 2 years rule.

"Spark Joy" for me are usually things which has a sentimental story behind it, be it a memory associated with it, or it being a gift from someone I love and care about. These are no brainers. For example, the Chanel clip on earrings my mom passed down to me from her collection, even though I never wear them I 100% will never get rid of it. It gives me joy as it reminds me of my mom.

But there are the things that land in a grey zone. There really isn't a great deal of sentimental meaning behind it but you feel like you might still want to use it. With these things I apply my 2 years rule. That is: if I haven't used it in 2 years it's a go!

As human beings we're creatures of love for new things. That one pair of hoop earrings that you think you'll still use will be overshadowed by a new shiny pair in the future. If it's not irreplaceable and you haven't touched it in 2 years, it's safe to say you can let it go.