This post marks the beginning of a project profiling people with unique engagement rings, wedding bands, or other rings celebrating commitment. The goal of this series isn’t to judge the artistic merit of particular pieces of jewelry, but rather to validate and celebrate the decision to make a lifetime commitment without getting sucked into the hype of wearing a huge diamond ring. Since I’ll be trying to convince people to participate as “profilees,” it’s only fair that I should go first. Here goes:

Childhood ambition? Concert violinist.

What do you do for work? I own Turtle Love Committee, an online jeweler focused exclusively on cool engagement rings and wedding bands.

What would you do if you had a million dollars? Go on vacation.  Then I’d come back home and keep running TLC.  Repeat.

How many pets do you have? One: a snake named Monty.  Well okay – he’s (a) a step-pet, and (b) actually a she.  Whatever.

Favorite joke? Pete and Repeat went out in a boat.  Pete fell out.  Who was left?

Favorite book? Possession, by A.S. Byatt.  But the book that I’ve read most recently is The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Seuss.

Favorite beverage? Horchata Valenciana.

What did you do for fun today? Yoga on the back porch.

If you could be any animal, what would it be? A manatee.

What does your wedding/engagement/commitment ring look like? It’s a plain gold band from Sears, about 4mm wide.  It cost around $50 (10 years ago).  I don’t have an engagement ring.

What do you think about your ring? I love it – I don’t have to worry about losing it or comparing it to anyone else’s.  Also, I feel like it gives me proletarian street cred.