And now for something completely different...

Since I don't have any doll-related posts worked out yet, I thought I'd dip into one of my other hobbies/collections instead: rings.

I have loved jewelry since the moment I could wear some, but rings have always held a certain special place in my heart. I don't know if it's because they adorn my hands, which are an important part of the body to me. Or maybe it's because you can wear a different one on every finger. :P Whatever the reason, I have collected rings since I was young.

We're not just talking simple bands either, my collection ranges from unique to...well weird. I have rings fashioned after vampire teeth*, from Greece, and even one made out of dog hair**. It's become my little tradition to buy myself a new piece of jewelry every Valentine's Day. While I'm definitely not opposed to receiving gifts of jewelry, I always thought it was silly how people would wait around for someone else to buy them a ring or a necklace just because. So I make a point to purchase myself something small around Valentine's Day as a sort of affirmation that I can do it all on my own. :)

This year I decided to reach deep down into my dork-dom and buy myself a ring from a bit of fan fiction I've worked on forever. As I've mentioned before I'm a big Sailor Moon fan, and I've spent the last twelve years writing and re-writing SM fiction with the same main character. This particular character has a ring in the story which acts as her transformation device (if you've ever watched/read SM you'll know what I'm talking about), and I've always wanted something like it. So I've been scouring the internet and local jewelry stores to find something similar, but with it's own kind of attitude.

I'd found a handful of "maybe" rings, and decided on a whim to check out my local artisan jewelry store and...bingo! I found a beautiful ring*** with all the necessary components (and attitude) by a local artist who I've heard of many times before. This ring is similar to the one I've purchased, except mine has a pink sapphire versus the orange/red. The ring also looks much better in person, and is *so* me!

It's a little pricier than what I'd normally select for my Valentine's Day purchase, but it's so beautiful and locally made so I really can't complain. The jewelry store has a fantastic layaway program, so in just a few short weeks the ring will be on my finger where it belongs. :)

*Vampire ring created by Chymiera on Etsy.
**Dog ring made by Baloo on Etsy.
***My new ring by Joy Raskin.