I didn't really answer your questions, so... 1. ...is the three stone ring a fad...be better off getting a nice size solitaire with a classic look? What's a fad? The "best and newest" design today will be considered a "fad" once the next "best and newest" design comes out next week. The classic prong set solitaire was designed by Tiffany in the late 1880s I believe. Rings with three stones have been designed for centuries, too. A solitaire is beautiful; if that's what you prefer. And another way to look at it is nearly "everyone" has a solitaire. 2. Do smaller diamonds in bands fall out more easily? Properly set stones are going to stay set, no matter how big or small. On the other hand, all jewelry should have the settings and prongs checked twice a year because they can get bent or broken and cause the stones to loosen and fall out. The inspection doesn't take long, and should be done at no charge by your jeweler. Which looks better, white gold/platinum or yellow gold? The one that looks the best is the one you like the best. White gold, even really good white gold, can take on a yellowish cast over time. It can be buffed and plated and kept looking great. Also, white gold is supposed to have a yellowish cast because it is GOLD, and gold is yellow. The other metals mixed in turn it white, or pink, or green, or whichever color of gold they're blending for. 10k gold is a different color from 12k, 14k, 18k, 22k, or 24k gold, too. 10k or 12k white gold looks "whiter" than 14k or 18k because they have a larger percentage of the yellow gold in them. Different karats of yellow gold have different shades of color, too. It's all a personal decision. I love the look and feel or 18k gold. I have exactly one piece of 18k. The rest of my jewelry is 14k or 10k or plated. Platinum is a nice white, too, but it tends to go grey over time. This is natural and normal. Some people love the look; some don't. A good jeweler will give you samples of all options and then you can decided which is your favorite. The only person that has to love it is you.

In our previous house when our 3 children were little, our dining room was separate with 4 walls and big enough for about 10 people. We didn't like that if we invited more than one other family over, our dining room was too small. One objective for our current house was to have a dining room that allowed for expansion for holiday dinners. Our dining room is defined by the flooring. It has walls on two sides and its other sides are defined by the transition from its carpet to the tiled hallway and entry area. (The rocking horse is in the living room because it is carpeted and the family room floor is harder. The tall wood cabinets that you may notice in the living room are just there temporarily. They were our family room entertainment center cabinets until our recent family room remodel and are there until we transfer their contents to the new FR cabinets. Then they will move to our kids houses.) The entry area beside the dining room is about 6 feet wide. The dining room is to the right(from the front door) of that entry area and living room across the entry area from the front door. A closet wet bar is on the left side of the entry area. The dining room table expands within the confines of the dining room to hold 10-12 comfortably. For larger dinners, we have sometimes put a second table parallel to it on the tile. Other times, we have made a very long single table seating by putting tables end to end slanted to cross the dining room, entry hall and living room. We were able to handle about 20 that way which was nice for feeling that we were all sharing a Passover Seder at one table. And we have seated 40 for a holiday dinner with tables in the entry hall, dining room, and living room still with a feeling that we were all together since the rooms are open to each other.

There is a lot of passion here. Rightfully so. Rose gardeners are especially passionate people. We attempt to learn, are not afraid to act, and enjoy doing. What I have found, in this antique rose forum, is that I am able to learn from others here, read their perspectives, then take action in my own garden in order to create my own experience. Conversations about roses within this forum are wonderful, but the magic happens in my own yard when I apply what I learned in the conversation. I believe the same can be said for this particular thread. Talking about our different political perspectives is interesting. But the real magic happens through our actions, regardless of where we stand on the left or on the right. This can be something as simple as supporting a news organization that aligns with your own perspective or signing petitions. It can also be more involved and personal, such as volunteering your time and expertise. Regardless of where you stand politically, you can see an area of need within this current political climate and choose fill it. Even being just one person, we can each make a difference. That is obvious within each of our gardens, as we cultivate the soil. We can also cultivate change in other areas of life too. I said this previously, but I volunteer at the VA hospital, at community kitchens, at an elder life program at a local hospital, and also by speaking to youth and women's groups about health and fitness. I do this because I see areas of need within populations of the elderly, veterans, and women and children... areas I have skills and knowledge in. Even though I was a single parent for many years, even though I work, and even though I am going back to school. I find the time because it is important to me... and each time I volunteer I leave feeling as though I have gained more than I could ever give. I also feel as though I am taking actions based on my beliefs and making a real difference. I volunteer side by side with other democrats and republicans with many different political views. But we each saw an area of need and chose to fill it. There is common ground. Regardless of my own political views, regardless of the political climate, regardless of the political choices being made in our country and others, I choose to be the change I personally want to see in the world. I am only one person, but my actions matter. I believe each of yours do too. The people within this forum are absolute do-ers. I completely believe in each of your abilities, because I have seen what you can each do in your gardens... and I personally believe the same life skills from gardening translate over into so many other areas. Action for change can be small. It doesn't have to be something that burdens you. It can be uplifting. Here's a quick article with ideas of different ways you can be politically active. I especially like #18-25. http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/15/politics/ways-to-be-more-politically-active-trnd/

Although today the term corsage refers to any small bouquet of flowers that a woman wears,[5] the tradition of wearing them pinned to clothing dates as far back as Ancient Greece, when small bunches of fragrant flowers and herbs were worn at weddings to ward off evil spirits.[6] During the 16th and 17th centuries, corsages and boutonnieresmay have been a part of daily life to prevent disease and to ward off evil spirits, but over time, they became special-occasion pieces.[7] The word corsage comes from the French term bouquet de corsage, meaning "a bouquet of the bodice" which was traditionally worn by women to weddings and funerals.[5] Eventually, the term shortened to corsage.[7] In the early 19th century, corsages were regarded as a courting gift and were often given at formal dances.[6] Traditionally, the gentleman would bring a gift of flowers for his date's parents and would select one of the flowers to give to his date, which would then be carried or attached to her clothing, usually on the shoulder.[6] During the 1950s, some corsages were made with fruit and would be seen on hats for decoration.[4] As dress styles changed, pinning the corsage to the dress became impractical, and wrist corsages became the norm.[6]