DIAMONDS ON THE INTERNET? The Scotsman, a UK-based paper, brings us this article, raising some important questions about buying engagement rings--and diamond rings in particular--online:

As Michael Laing holds the two diamond rings up to the light, it's hard to tell the difference between them...

Yet one is worth £400, the other £2000. The difference? The clarity of the diamond.

To the untrained eye it's hard to tell the rings apart--but under a magnifying glass it becomes obvious. The yellow-gold ring has a murkiness in its stone, thanks to a poor cut and flaws in the diamond. The platinum cut is much more refined and the diamond of better quality...

According to Frederick Street jeweller Michael--and an investigation by the Trading Standards Institute--increasing numbers of people are being duped into buying jewellery of the same kind of dubious quality as the gold ring - and worse--believing it to be of the same standard as the platinum, by purchasing it on the internet.

Find the rest here.

NEW BATH ITEMS Cudge.net is now offering four new bath items:


Great favor options for a destination wedding, a charity lunch, or really any occasion.

Cases of thirty-six 1.7 ounce bottles of whole wheat lotion, barley body wash, quinoa shampoo or amaranth conditioner for $31.22 each!

CANDLE SAFETY The Reno Gazette reminds us that, during the holiday season, it's never too early to start thinking about candle safety:

A Reno fire official warns that candles start twice as many home fires in December than the rest of the year.

Acting Reno Fire Marshal Bill Burney said Christmas Day was the peak day for home candle fires in 1999-2002, with New Year's Day and Christmas Eve tied for second.

"About half of the home candle fires occurred when some form of combustible material, such as holiday decorations, curtains or draperies were left or came too close to the candle," he said. "About 18 percent of the fires occurred when candles were left unattended, abandoned or inadequately controlled."

Some tips:

Never use candles on live or artificial Christmas trees.

Extinguish all candles when leaving the room or going to sleep.

Keep candles away from items that can catch fire such as holiday decorations, curtains and draperies, bedding, clothing, books, etc.

Use sturdy candle holders that won't tip easily. Be sure they are made of materials that cannot burn and are large enough to collect dripping wax.

There's more.

QUESTIONS FOR YOUR FLORIST 7online.com offers twelve questions to ask your florist. Among them:

Which flowers are least likely to wilt in hot weather? What are some hot weather no-nos?

Has the florist done weddings at your ceremony and/or reception sites before? If so, he or she may have pictures of arrangements done at your site and will be knowledgeable about what sizes, shapes, and colors work in the space.

How many weddings will the florist do on the same day or weekend as yours? The florist's answer determines how much time will be spent on your gig.

CUDGE.NET 3.0 A brand new version of Cudge.net launches later today! Not a radical overhaul--don't worry. As a matter of fact, it's only the second major redesign since our first, primitive portal was launched back in 2001.

You can see some pages from the original site here.

Let us know what you think! (And let us know if you find any bugs!)