zhang ziyi's engagement ring

I was quite surprised when I first read that Zhang Ziyi 章子怡 was engaged. She's so private I didn't even know she was dating! Or, maybe in America, she just wasn't a big enough star to have that sort of press published. (Personally, I'd rather read about her engagement than to endure another cover story on any of the Hiltons/Lohans/Hills girls/etc., but you get the point.)

After much roving, I finally found pics of her gargantuous ring. I have no idea who made it, what cut it is, etc., but it's definitely a sparkler. (That double starfish ring is to die for, though!)


Congrats to her and her MOGUL fiancé, Aviv "Vivi" Nevo. Up until I read his name in Vogue, I had never heard of him, but as his outings w/ ZZ have been more frequent, he is starting to get into the spotlight himself. One example was via this investigative report from the New York Times. It appears, they are very interested in him, too!

As for the ring, even though it's so huge, it doesn't come off tacky at all. The design of the ring feels classic and stately, unlike Mariah's ring pop. :P Can't wait to see pics of her wedding, which is supposed to happen next year...!

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ashlee's gifts to her bridesmaids

I didn't really give a hoot about Ashlee Simpson's wedding to Pete Wentz, BUT, I always like to hear about what kind of party favors/gift bags are given away at these functions. Apparently, she was very generous to her bridesmaids, giving them a gift bag worth $650. Among the pieces in the gift bag was an "Alice in Wonderland" tote bag, t-shirt, and a Dillon Rogers 14kt gold charm necklace. On each charm was the initial of the bridesmaid, a wishbone, and Ashlee's favorite number 3.


I have to say, I like how she planned the bridesmaid's gifts. Very thoughtful in terms of the necklace, but I love the "Alice in Wonderland" theme even more.

To create your own version of the gift bag, check it out at Intuition.

Alice Tote - $60

Alice in Wonderland Short Sleeved Tee in Black - $39

Dillon Rogers 14 kt Personalized 3 Disk Necklace - Wishbone - $475

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scarlett's engagement ring

I was only gone for a week, but another celeb gets engaged!? Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds may not be in the same caliber as Angelina and Brad, but have to say, they are both equally easy on the eyes. So what does a gorgeous guy buy for his gorgeous gal when he wants to make things official? A very simple solitaire ring (by celebrity standards, anyways...have you seen Mariah's ring lately?).

Wouldn't you know it, but this ring is actually very old-fashioned, in terms of a single diamond, with a yellow gold band, not the white gold or platinum that one would expect, and it's actually very charming. I can't find any clearer pics of the ring than these for now, but I think this ring says a lot about this couple. They are obviously not flashy, but quite traditional, which is refreshing for Hollywood standards. I wonder if they will actually have a wedding, since Ryan's engagement to Alanis Morissette only ended in a break-up.


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mariah's engagement ring

With rumors swirling about whether or not Mariah Carey tied the knot with Nick Cannon, here are some up-close-and-personal pics of the ring, designed by Jacob & Co. It's giant and gaudy and blinding, but I think it suits her diva attitude.

"The ring is crafted from platinum and features a square emerald cut fancy light pink diamond as the center stone surrounded by 58 intense pink diamonds and two half moon diamonds on each side. The center stone alone weighs 10 carats, and the total carat weight of the ring is 17 carats. It's valued at $2.5 million."

Not sure about those "tabs" flanking the sides of the emerald-cut stone. I think one center stone would have been elegant and pretty enough, but I guess they weren't going for elegance, were they?!?


Pink diamonds are so purdy...

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modern Chinese bride

Speaking of red dresses, which in Western society is nothing more than a hot number to wear on a night out on the town, they often conjure up in my mind elaborate, traditional Chinese weddings. Most of the standard wedding outfits are of very ornate, embroidered designs, and can be worn as a "kwa" or a "qipao."


When I came upon this very spectacular spread on a high-fashion couture version of the Chinese wedding dress, I had to post it here. The feel and look of the traditional garb is so refreshing when seen through the eyes of an art director who obviously feels that tradition can still be acknowledged without forsaking contemporary design and flare. Many modern Chinese brides sometime forsake the traditional red dress because it feels old and out-of-touch, but with these new dramatic dresses, I see no reason why a stylish Chinese bride can't include something this beautiful and extravagant as part of her ceremony.


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blinking heart

As a surprise, my friend the bride bestowed each of her bridesmaids with a unique gift from Swarovski. I received this lovely "Blink" heart pendant that I instantly loved and have been wearing for the past three days.


I must confess, this isn't something I would have chosen for myself, but I love the thought she put into choosing a piece that is unique to each girl. That little bead above the pendant can slide up and down to create a different look to the necklace (choker-style or lariat-style). I definitely love the gift!

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musicians rocking their bling...

Fresh from my friend's wedding, which was long and beautiful and rowdy and perfect, I am still harboring the wedding high. Does it help that I caught the bouquet during the bouquet toss? I received many congrats from the other girls while my honey looked away...haha...

Anyhow, I don't have a ring to show off, but some celebs as of late do. I love seeing the glam jewels, 'cause who in reality that I know would walk around with 5 carat stones?

Ashlee Simpson is wearing this gorgeous ring, which I believe is an Asscher halo (but correct me if I'm wrong). It's so bright and sparkly and classic, I'm jealous! Pete Wentz has surprisingly traditional taste.


Carmen Electra, in the meanwhile, is sporting a black diamond ring. I definitely don't like this as much. The black diamond looks more like an onyx here, and the clear diamonds along the band don't really complement it. I think if there was a halo around the black diamond, maybe that would make it pop more. But it most definitely suits this very dark, goth couple.


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the ladies are back.....!

Few American icons have influenced the way my friends and I thought about love, sex, and life more than the ladies from Sex and the City. As we were coming of age ourselves, first in college, then in our first jobs, the ladies were there to make sure that we didn't make the same mistakes, if life threw us a doozy that we didn't fall too hard, and that there is such a thing as happy endings, even if they didn't start out as your typical fairytale romance. They also made it ok for us to obsess over clothes, bags, and shoes, and that was pretty cool, too. (Can you remember what life was like before SATC? No one talked about or carried fashion the way they did!)

I always thought of myself as a cross between Charlotte and Carrie, traditional by whims, but in my zest for life, a free creative spirit still trying to live by the rules. A good friend of mine was the classic combo of Samantha and Miranda, tough on the outside, sarcastic and somewhat cynical, and who went through guys like they were t-shirts on a hot summer day, but on the inside, vulnerable and caring, looking for the guy who can see through her shell.


As the countdown begins when SATC will be in the theatres, I approach this movie with trepidation of what will happen to all of my favorite characters. I have avoided all trailers so I have no idea what the story is about (I detest spoilers!), and I've been very harsh on some of the wardrobe choices that were used in some of the sneak peek clips that I've seen, but I still hope that this movie doesn't disappoint, in that when the TV series ended, Carrie had her Prince Charming in Big. What could they possibly do to make this couple not last? I hope that from all the different wedding dresses Carrie wears, she will certainly get a chance to walk down that aisle for real.


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Gorgeous couple...

Since I have weddings on the mind (I'm going to be a maid of honor for the first time in 3 weeks!), I was very smitten with these photos of 2 of my favorite Hong Kong TV actors, Myolie Wu and Bosco Wong. Rumored to be a couple, they recently came out with another TVB series, War of In-Laws 2, so in conjunction with all the media blitz, they also came out as the new faces of Mona Lisa Bridal Salon (in HK). I love how happy and beautiful they both look! Even though they're not married, and won't admit to being a couple, they exude such chemistry, it puts real couples in real wedding photos to shame. If only my future wedding photos can look as good...


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I feel pretty...

In about 3 weeks, I will be walking down the aisle, not for myself, but as maid of honor for one of my best friends from college. After a lot of drama and stress, I can't believe that her big day is coming up right around the corner, and despite the god-awful wintry snow showers we're getting now, maybe by then, the clouds will have lifted, the warmth will have arrived, and she will have the most perfect day that any bride could ask for.

For the last two days, I was running around malls looking for the perfect pair of shoes to go with this gorgeous chiffon dress that I will be wearing. While dress-hunting, the bride-to-be's only mandate was that we all chose dresses from the same color palette, which was coral. I opted for a long, billowy, romantic dress, with exquisite beading and shirring that flattered every curve, nook and cranny. The scintillating peachiness is yummy on the skin, but what kind of shoes would go best with it? I'd originally thought I would get silver shoes, but after I tried some on, the starkness of a white shoe up against a warm fabric didn't jive, so gold felt like a better option, although I really didn't like the hard, bright golds that were out there. Then, I came upon the perfect compromise. I found a pair of matte gold fabric shoes, low-heeled, with two rows of delicate crystals all across the top, which I came across quite serendipitously at Macy's. What I also loved about these shoes were that they had an ankle-strap, which is added support for a long day, so that's it, this is my MOH uniform. What do you think?


I still have to think about additional accessories, such as a delicate purse, and jewelry to go with the whole ensemble, but I'm quite excited for her, in terms of how we will all look together as a bridal party. Most of the other girls will be wearing a shorter, more casual dress, but I love my gown, I absolutely felt like a princess in it. I hope to feel the same way about that ~other~ dress one day, whenever that is. :p

David's Bridal Spaghetti strap long chiffon dress with beaded empire waist, wrap included - $150

Karen Scott Betina Evening Sandals - $49 (sold out online) - Photo Source