The Willow Glen Resident

Photograph courtesy of Petroglyph

Engaging Couple: Laura Thibaut found a diamond ring with her name on it--literally--in a heart-shaped box painted for her by fiancé Lorenzo Thornton at Petroglyph.

Petroglyph pottery yields diamond, marriage offer

By Christine Frey

Engagement rings usually come in velvet boxes, but Lorenzo Thornton decided a ceramic one would make for a more heartfelt presentation.

Thornton, 34, took Laura Thibaut, his girlfriend of 18 months, to the Willow Glen Petroglyph last Thursday night on the premise that they were to meet her sister and brother-in-law to paint pottery. While perusing the Lincoln Avenue store, Thibaut, 22, spied a green heart-shaped box with her name printed on it. At the urging of her sister, she opened the box and read the message written within: "My love, will you marry me? Lorenzo."

Moments later, the diamond ring Thornton had placed inside the box was on her finger.

"They're so in love it's pathetic," Thibaut's sister, Kym Higginson, said as she watched the two celebrate over glasses of sparkling cider provided by Petroglyph manager Eloise Christian.

Thornton approached Christian several weeks ago with his idea. Since then, store employees have been anticipating the proposal. Thursday night Christian and several employees excitedly watched the events transpire from a back room.

However, their anxiety could not compare to Thornton's. "Yeah, I'm glad it's over," he said, smiling with relief minutes after Thibaut accepted his proposal.

Thibaut said the proposal was completely unexpected. "I was really looking at stuff I wanted to paint," she laughed.

Thornton gives credit to his brother-in-law, Brian Higginson, for the idea. Thornton decided upon it after considering two other ideas: proposing to Thibaut before an audience of friends at a movie theater, or having her served with wedding papers by a police officer who is a friend of Thornton's.

Although Thornton claims not to be romantic, others disagree. Petroglyph customers Emily Gibson, 22, and Naraelle Barrows, 19, were taken away by the proposal. "I thought, 'Gosh, I wish my man was that smart,' " Gibson sighed.

"It was beautiful. You could tell he just meant it from the bottom of his heart," Barrows added.

[ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ]