On Willows, on a Hot Spring Day

“... I do not know the dreams from which I have come,/sent into the world without the blessing of a kiss, behind the/willow trees, beside the darkened pansies on the deck beside/the ships, rocking, I have written this, across the back of the/sky, wearing a small and yellow shirt, near the reptile house,/mammalian, no bigger than the herd…” 

from “The Bridge” by Lisa Jarnot

a willow engagement ring from Simply Wood Rings

It’s warm and humid in the studio today and so we’ve been thinking a lot about thirst. A willow tree thrives best at the edge of the water, working hard, stretching its roots outward for sustenance. Perhaps it’s all the heat, but we totally “get” where the willow is coming from today.

Across global cultures, the thirsty willow has been a symbol for keeping in touch with our kindred history and those that came before. Its leaves were used by the ancient Egyptians to control pain, a precursor to modern aspirin. A willow soothes and connects. Because of this, a willow ring is a wonderful way to honor special moments, relationships, and lives, and we think our engagement-profile willow ring says a big, joyous thing in an elegant, quiet, design-forward way.

Our willow is sourced from our friends at Horigan Urban Forest, who found a fallen willow tree at a Skokie elementary school that had been loved a bit too much by the local kids. With its all-wood abstracted engagement profile, and warm honeyed tone, it’s a great fit for minimalists and romantics alike. And to fit this beauty of a ring to your life, we offer wood burning personalizations. What could be better.

For now we’ll drink a big glass of water, remember last winter’s snow and ice, and be grateful for being right where we are.

A Romantic Post About Bogwood

When we think of our bogwood rings, they bring to mind mizzle (mist + drizzle, a real and wonderful word) and mystery: a tree fallen into a peat bog and grown-over centuries ago, not petrified nor decayed, a sort of immortal thing, just beginning to be a fossil. 

our "Young at Heart - Yang" ring

As one of us said today: it's easy to write a romantic blog post about bogwood, because bogwood is so romantic! 

Indeed, what more do we want of our love than to hold it close, and feel it everlasting?

Often in Ireland, bogwood logs -- once of oak or pine, yew or cypress -- are dredged from their wet climes and placed into piled cairns, meant to mark a trail. Or else a canny harvester looks for the last-left frost across the peat: wherever there is still frost, bogwood can be found below. 

Being such "new" people in the presence of such an old material makes us feel quite pleasantly agog. To wear such a ring unites us with the earth and everything. 

The bogwood rings, too, make us misty eyed, and remember the specialness of life, where we are coming from and where we are going, as Italo Calvino writes in Invisible Cities:

"The city...does not tell its past, but contains it like the lines of a hand, written in the corners of the streets, the gratings of the windows, the banisters of the steps, the antennae of the lightning rods, the poles of the flags, every segment marked in turn with scratches, indentations, scrolls."

How to Propose

How to Propose: Tips and Advice from an Expert
by Sarah Pease, The Proposal Planner

“Will you marry me?” is one of the most important questions you’ll ask or be asked in your life. As an expert in planning dream marriage proposals, I’ve found that there are a few basic do’s and don’ts that apply to any marriage proposal. Whether your proposal is here in Chicago or around the world, follow these top engagement tips to have your perfect marriage proposal:

• DO have a ring. It seems like a no brainer, but these days many couples are shopping for the engagement ring together. If you’re a traditionalist and don’t want to ruin the surprise by taking her shopping before the proposal, propose with a placeholder ring such as a toy or candy ring and enjoy picking out her engagement ring together after she says yes!
• DO make it personal. Think about what she likes before popping the question. Asking her to marry you in the middle of a trapeze lesson isn’t so romantic if she’s afraid of heights! Personalize the ring by incorporating pieces of each other into it, for example, by designing the ring from meaningful materials.
• DO document it. Proposing at home? Set up your computer’s webcam to secretly record your proposal. Have a friend with an iPhone or a Flipcam? Have him film your proposal paparazzi-style. Or, splurge on a professional photographer and/or videographer to capture the moment to share with friends & family at your engagement party.
• DON’T tell everyone beforehand. It’s tempting to share the finer details of your proposal with your friends and family before you pop the question. But, resist this temptation! The more people you tell, the more likely it is that word will get back to her and ruin your surprise.
• DON’T forget the aftermath. If you propose on a Thursday morning before work, she’ll have to run out the door to get to her early meeting and you won’t be able to bask in the glow of being engaged. Or, if you pop the question in Bora Bora and you have no international cell phone plan, you won’t be able to share the news without spending big bucks on phone bills. Think ahead and ensure that you have time to enjoy your first few moments of being engaged.
  

Sarah Pease, The Proposal Planner ™ is the foremost expert on marriage proposals and is the pioneer of Marriage Proposal Planning. Sarah is the founder of Brilliant Event Planning  and Proposal Ideas, and has designed and produced dream engagements for countless lucky couples from across the world.