Dear 30,

You guys. An awesome thing happened. 

I get to wear this ring [yep this super perfect pretty one below] everyday now.

EEEEK. Ring from Erica Weiner. And yes, it's totally gorgeous and vintage and my new second favorite thing. Kevin is my very favorite thing. The Alpine is where all of Kevin's important life decisions have been made (truly) and holds so many memories for us, together. And now, we'll always remember that Friday night where Frank gave us a free round after we took our photo behind the bar with grins on our faces and a perfect tourmaline ring on my finger. 

Let's address some frequently asked questions:

"Have you set a date?"
It's nice of you to think that I'm that organized, but we have not yet selected a date. 
"Have you started your wedding pinterest board?"
Nope, but Liz has started one for me. Pinterest is a dangerous place for wedding planning. I learned that the hard way. (The hard way included 19 minutes of looking at the "wedding" page. Whoa. Lots of information, bouquet photos and mason jars to sift through. I had to step away from the Macbook.)
"Did you find the ring at the bottom of a moscow mule?"
I did not, but that is a wonderful question. As a follow up in response, do you think the vodka/copper mug combo would have harmed the ring (made in the late 1800s) or would it have naturally cleaned it?
(I'm being serious. Can anyone answer that?)
"Am I the best man?"
I'm surprised how often this one came up and was primarily asked by women.
"Is that ring vintage?"
Indeed. The raspberry colored middle stone is tourmaline, which is the gemstone of "love and friendship."
Kevin sneakily ordered it from Erica Weiner after we spotted it earlier this year. I continued to stalk the ring, but soon saw "SOLD" listed below it. I've been mourning the loss of this perfect ring since February and attempted to move on. Friday night I learned that Kevin was the mystery buyer. EEEEK. (Sly dog.) 
"Will you take Kevin's last name and be Mrs. Badowers?"
This question, Tim, is fantastic. 

We're overwhelmed with excitement and truly touched by the texts and calls and cards we've received from oh-so-many sweet and wonderful friends and family. Thank you for all the well wishes and congratulatory emojis. 

We're already dreaming of perfectly illustrated invitations and finely crafted wedding suiting, but for now, we're basking in our bliss and I'm taking photos of my left hand in the car, typing, holding pencils, etc (and promptly sending them to Kevin with the caption "eeeek.")

EEEEK. I'm affianced. EEEK. 

xo-LP