I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes... Christmas is all around me, and so the feeling grows

I am getting excited for Christmas shopping!  Am I a nerd for doing that?  I’ll be shopping mostly online this year.  I don’t have much time to go to the shops, and it’s cheaper to shop online and ship to the NYC apartment then it is to spend euros here in Amsterdam.  Unless of course I find something so fabulously unique here that I can only get it here in Holland…

Christmas lists are zooming around the inboxes of my family.  Anuj and I are teasing each other about what we’re getting each other, even though we’ve already decided that for Christmas this year we are buying each other wedding rings.  Of course, Anuj is incapable of staying within the rules, especially when it involves doing sweet things for me – so I know he is plotting other things as well.  Which of course means I also have a trick or two up my sleeve!   But, we’ve both vowed to stay reasonable.

I have been nosing around for a wedding ring that I like – I am torn between getting something with more sparkles in it, or just going sort of plain utilitarian.  The no-frills approach appeals to me – something about a plain silver band around your ring finger symbolizing your commitment.   On the other hand, there are so many beautiful rings out there!  It’s hard to not be swayed by something a little fancier, with a little more design.  Then again, I’ll be looking at this thing for the rest of my life – maybe I will get sick of any design I pick and plain really is the way to go.  See my dilemma?

I can’t wait to buy Anuj his ring.  It will be fun to go pick it out together.  And I think it will be an easier choice for him.  He’s not a diamond kinda guy.  Although, the diamonds-for-guys trend is seriously increasing.  We have looked at rings where I could have sworn we were in the women’s section, and the salesperson assured us these were bonafide man-rings. 

I have made a Christmas playlist on my iPod.  I am totally in the mood!  I put it on for the first time while cooking Thanksgiving dinner for Anuj and me this past weekend.  Anuj makes fun of me for this every single year.  He can’t get over the fact that his atheist girlfriend (now fiancé) feels no qualms about belting out “Joy to the World!  The Lord has Come!” while drinking wine and shaking her groove thing.   I see no contradiction in this, however.  It’s Christmas time!

Which, by the way, I am jealous of all the Americans probably sipping on their pumpkin spice lattes right now.  I don’t even like Starbucks that much but those red cups of hot caffeine sure bring home the holiday spirit for me! 

Comments

[Heather Sanger]

Ha! You sound just like me with the C-mas music. We purchased the Vince Gauraldi Trio (The Charlie Brown music) C-mas CD on iTunes this weekend and also played it while cooking Thanksgiving dinner! I also got a kick out of the title of your post... That's the only other C-mas music we have right now because we packed up our other CD's along with all the decorations last year and it didn't occur to us to dig them out when we found out we were moving. It's putting me in the mood to watch that movie too :-)

[Nancy]

My husband and I got simple bands, but we're actually thinking of getting new bands (we've been married 9 years.) If you wanted a compromise, you could get something classic like a simple band with several channel-set diamonds. Just slightly "flashier" but still simple in design.

I'm still too much in panic mode about all the things yet to do before Christmas comes -- so I'm not feeling the season yet.

[Ruthie]

JOke,
I've already totally been in xmas mode--- i' LOVE Mariah carey's ALL I WANT FOR XMAS IS YOU song... maybe Its because i'm still obsessed with Love Actually (movie.) Hey-- i know what you can buy me from Holland NOT to ship over via online--- een pennezak!!! oh and.. i'd like a Keek vorm gelijk Moemoe heeft voor haar appelekoek... zo-- waar de ring eraf moet enz,? :)

[greensunflower]

I am not an athiest but rather agnostic (kinda buddhist feel) and I LOVE christmas. I have had Christmas carols on my iTunes since the begininng of November. They just put me so in the mood, for a good time.

[Janet]

It's been really fun to read your posts since Anuj arrived. I can tell how happy you are!

As for bands, I can understand how a simple silver band says a lot. But I have to admit I am in love with the sparkliness of my engagement ring. Do you have an engagement ring that you have to match the wedding band with? What does it look like?

[Ali G]

JOKE, GO WITH THE SPARKLY.

do not kid yourself with this plain jane commitment i'll get bored with something fancier thing!

i like old-fashioned hymn-type carols but HATE any sort of christmas pop. comes from working in walgreens with christmas musak .

[bon]

No sparklies for me, but that was a very specific choice for personal reasons.
have you looked at the three band rolling ring? My husband and I have them...yellow gold, white gold and red gold. I think they are also called Russian wedding rings. http://www.rollingring.com/