Art Dealer Chic: The Proposal

Chic

/SHēk/

adjective

elegantly and stylishly fashionable.

Synonyms: stylish, elegant, sophisticated, dressy, smart

So... This proposal was supposed to happen in 2016. However, I was inconsistent with my mission and did not get super serious until 2017. I knew I had to buy a ring, so I told myself save! Save! SAVE! I genuinely tried to but every time I had some cash stacked up, something would happen and I was forced to dip in my stash. So about two weeks before Thanksgiving I budgeted out my expenses for the year and notice a little surplus, and a coaching check came in. I knew exactly what I needed to do with the extra cash. I started researching the 4 C's of diamonds (Color, Clarity, Carat, Cut), if you have ever shopped for a diamond you understand. With my newly gained knowledge, I was ready to begin the process of looking for the perfect ring. I am an avid online shopper and I did not want anyone to see me in a jewelry shop, that would have been a dead giveaway. Everything top secret!

I had some knowledge of what Jaime liked and did not like from conversations in the past, hearing her talk about other people's rings, and her Pinterest. Yeah Pinterest, the cheat code. Your mate will tell you exactly what they like and want, all you need to do is scroll through their Pinterest page. Yet- some of the items on her Pinterest page conflicted with what she had told me, so I was torn. All I knew for sure was- no cut up or chopped up mini diamonds (the ones that are put together to create an illusion of a big stone) and no single stone with a bunch of smaller stones around it (Halo or Three Stone) type of rings. Lol. She was extremely adamant about these facts. Besides, I wanted her to have exactly what she wanted. So I looked for a high quality solitaire diamond with very little inclusions, near colorless, and between one to two carats. I looked through hundreds of rings, literally, and nothing jumped out at me; besides the ones that were two or three times my budget. I began to get a little discouraged because I felt like I would have to settle and I did not want to do that.

A few days later, I linked up with my man Fame and hit a cigar lounge. We hung out for a few hours, talking about whatever, smoking cigars and pouring up Johnnie Walker Wine Cask Blend and Monkey Shoulder neat. We were wasted; well I know I was. We shut the place down. On the ride home, we talked about random stuff. Once I pulled in my driveway, I began to tell him about my plans to purchase the ring. He congratulated me and asked what my plan for the proposal was. Oh shit, all the fuss about getting a ring and I had not even thought about the most memorable part. I told him that I did not have a plan; I just wanted it to be low-key. I thought about doing it on New Year's Eve right before the ball dropped. He gave me some advice and we exchanged thoughts on the upcoming proposal.

A day or two after, I was watching television and a commercial came on about designing your own ring. This intrigued me; I immediately grabbed my laptop and opened an incognito web browser. This allows a person to browse privately, and other people who use that device will not be able to see your activity. Yeah this was necessary, I wanted this to be a surprise, and I did not want any clues left behind. I did some research to make sure the company was reputable and legit. Then I started playing around with different bands and diamonds, putting them together for fun. It reminded me of when my students go on Nike's website and create different variations of sneakers. It took me about five days before I felt that I had created a ring she would love. I liked the pave band but I was not sure if she would. She was adamant in the past about no chopped up diamonds, and she did not want anything causing a distraction or taking away from the brilliance of the stone. I went back to her pins on Pinterest and noticed that 90% of the rings had pave bands, so it seemed like a cool move. I found a really nice diamond and put it together. It was beautiful. I held it in my shopping cart for a while. A while meaning like six days, I had to make sure, I mean like really sure. Lol. The website sent me multiple reminders about the design and even reminded me that the diamond I wanted would be sold if someone else decided to purchase it before I completed my order. Yeah I was stressing a little bit, a lot of random stuff running through my mind (Forever, forever ever, forever ever?). In addition, it was the most cash that I have ever dropped on a single purchase at once, so that made me nervous as well. I finally mustered up the courage and the day before Christmas, I hit the purchase button. I had come to the realization that she deserved even more than what I was able to cop and her value to my life is worth much more than any purchase that a wealthy man could ever make. I love, appreciate, and care for her. It was time.

Even so- I immediately started having a panic attack. I know... I know... I said and felt all of that beautiful stuff at the end of the last paragraph and then a panic attack ensues. It was crazy. Lol, I know it sounds funny, but I am serious. I was sitting in the house by myself and I began freaking out. It hit me. As soon as I verified the purchase, it hit me. I was sweating, my mind was racing, I was jittery, and my heart was pounding. I did not know what to do. I hit my man Fame's phone and was like "Dog, I'm stressing out. I think I'm having a panic attack or something." His was response was "Lol, damn yo. Crunch time." Reassuring... right? Lol. He asked the ring delivery date and I told him. He told me at least you would have some time to settle down. This was true, it would give me some time to focus and get myself together. Only issue was- the ring completion and delivery date was after the New Year because of the high volume of orders during the Holiday season.

Damn! The New Year's proposal would have been simple and would have taken little to no preparation. That plan fell through and I am not proposing without a ring. It is just not me. Then I thought that a simple proposal is just not me either. I am a thoughtful person. I do special things and this is a super special situation. This is what everyone talks about and wants to know about. After saying congratulations their next phrase is “Let me see the ring” or “How did he do it?” So I knew that I had to make this memorable and original, a real tear jerker. I went online and googled best proposals. I read a bunch of articles, blogs, and even watched some cool videos. It seemed like everything had already been done and I mean everything. Being original proved to be a mind-racking task. I thought about multiple variations on what I came across and thought I had it figured out, but it was corny or just wasn't me. Then on December 31, 2017, it hit me. I had an epiphany. ART.

“You’re a work of art baby.. Art baby…”

Jaime and I are both into art. We are not connoisseurs but we definitely enjoy checking out the expressive side of people through their creative works. We have been to art shows, galleries, and museums multiple times. I thought to myself, why not express my love for her through something we both enjoy. Something that she is- a work of art. I decided to take my favorite picture of her and blow it up on canvas. My idea was to hang the canvas photo in a museum with an information label. I would take her on a date to the museum, telling her that I knew a dope artist that was showing their work there. We would check out various pieces of art and then we would casually come upon her photo on canvas. I would witness the surprise look on her face; ask her to read the caption. Then I would do it, I would say something special and I would propose. I would also hire a photographer that she would not recognize to capture these precious moments.

I began contacting museums and galleries from Dover, DE to Philadelphia, PA to see if they would allow me to use their facility for my proposal plan. I received a lot of great feedback but most were weary of hanging items in their buildings that had not gone through the proper procurement channels. A bunch of "Sorry, but good luck." I began to worry that my plan would not come to fruition. However, some wonderful people at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts really loved my idea and worked hard to help me secure their location. Special shout out to Courtney and Morgan at the Delaware Contemporary Art Museum. In the meantime, I found a photographer on craigslist. I checked out his website and hired him to do the photos. Special shout out to William Wilson of Wilson Modern Photo.

I wanted to do this on January 10, 2018, a Wednesday, which is our regular date night because it would not be out of the norm for us to do something. Because of some weather delays, I ran into a shipping issue with the maker of the photo on canvas, which really pissed me off. Therefore, I had to push the date back to Saturday, January 13, 2018. I told her that I needed to switch our date night to Saturday because I wanted to check out a show but because of time constraints we would not make it on Wednesday. She was cool with me switching our date night to Saturday. We do this from time to time anyway when conflicts or special events happen.

I stopped by the museum yesterday and met with their staff and the photographer to come up with a plan of action. Everything was set. I met with her father last night to speak with him about my plans, showed him the ring and received his blessing. I told my mother about my plans as well, she told me “Don’t tell me nothing! I do not want any details. I want to be surprised. Do it soon, because I’m bursting at the seams with this news.” LOL.

So now, it’s Saturday morning and it is almost time. I am going to put my favorite playlist on and go run a couple of miles to clear my mind. Prepare to continue to make her the luckiest woman in the world.

I will update you all soon. The photo, the label, and the ring are shown below. Who likes a story without pictures?