Sunday, July 01, 2007
Bridal Registry
We attended my step-sister's wedding yesterday. Lovely outdoor affair at a golf course, very quick service - "Do you? Do you? You may kiss the bride."
Prior to the wedding, we checked out the happy couple's bridal registry at Target. Very convenient to be able to look it up online. The online list that comes up shows which items have been filled, or purchased, and which are left to buy. That cuts down on repeat gifts. The happy couple also has a chance to pick what they want, which means that things will match their decor. "But we wanted lime green, not day-glo pink!" So then, the bridal registry seems like a good thing, however . . . the ability to see the entire list, fulfilled or not, online certainly cuts down on the surprise of the happy couple while opening those gifts.
My lovin' spouseful and I registered for dishes - at the insistence of my family - and that was it. No one in my family bought those dishes; my lovin' spouseful's parents bought us one set, and everyone else surprised us. It was delightful to open our gifts because of the surprise factor. I suppose that historically wedding gifts have not always had a suprise factor, though. Think about dowries. They were used by the bride's family to purchase a husband. In order to figure out whether the bride-to-be was a good deal dowry-wise, the bride's family had to reveal what that dowry was. Fifteen cows, thirty-two sheep, handmade linens, some prime acreage, etc. etc. "Hey, throw in a dozen quart jars of your mother's canned tomatoes, and we've got ourselves a deal."
Still and all, I like the suprise factor, which we were able to conjure for my step-sister's wedding by viewing the registry online yesterday and popping into Target to purchase the gift just a couple of hours before the wedding. The bride and groom certainly were far too busy thinking of other things yesterday to bother with their registry.
Good luck and many wishes for a long and happy marriage to them both.
Prior to the wedding, we checked out the happy couple's bridal registry at Target. Very convenient to be able to look it up online. The online list that comes up shows which items have been filled, or purchased, and which are left to buy. That cuts down on repeat gifts. The happy couple also has a chance to pick what they want, which means that things will match their decor. "But we wanted lime green, not day-glo pink!" So then, the bridal registry seems like a good thing, however . . . the ability to see the entire list, fulfilled or not, online certainly cuts down on the surprise of the happy couple while opening those gifts.
My lovin' spouseful and I registered for dishes - at the insistence of my family - and that was it. No one in my family bought those dishes; my lovin' spouseful's parents bought us one set, and everyone else surprised us. It was delightful to open our gifts because of the surprise factor. I suppose that historically wedding gifts have not always had a suprise factor, though. Think about dowries. They were used by the bride's family to purchase a husband. In order to figure out whether the bride-to-be was a good deal dowry-wise, the bride's family had to reveal what that dowry was. Fifteen cows, thirty-two sheep, handmade linens, some prime acreage, etc. etc. "Hey, throw in a dozen quart jars of your mother's canned tomatoes, and we've got ourselves a deal."
Still and all, I like the suprise factor, which we were able to conjure for my step-sister's wedding by viewing the registry online yesterday and popping into Target to purchase the gift just a couple of hours before the wedding. The bride and groom certainly were far too busy thinking of other things yesterday to bother with their registry.
Good luck and many wishes for a long and happy marriage to them both.
Labels: bridal registry, dishes, dowry, family, gifts, husband, internet, surprise, target, wedding
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Finishing & Starting
I do believe I have spring fever. Can't have anything to do with this crazy non-Minnesota winter, could it? I finished knitting a hat & a collar. I'm working feverishly to finish a quilt I started for my son three years ago. It was a promised birthday gift. Today is his birthday. I think it's about time he get this gift. As if this isn't enough, I've started knitting another hat. One simply can't have too many projects going at once, no-sir-ee.
And, there are those two books to finish, plus another two to start . . . but, books don't really count, 'cause I'm always in the middle of one.
And, there are those two books to finish, plus another two to start . . . but, books don't really count, 'cause I'm always in the middle of one.
Labels: birthday, books, gifts, knitting, minnesota, quilt, son, spring fever, winter
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Boxing Day
Today is Boxing Day. As a kid, I wondered why boxers got their own day, never dreaming that the day referred to boxes of the package sort, and not boxers of the pugilistic sort. The hubby and I watched the children open their packages yesterday. Today, we are at the relatives' doing the same thing. I'm not sure there are that many boxes to open, more like a whole lot of bags. (Gotta love those reusable gift bags!) Wikipedia has more on the history and traditions of Boxing Day, if you're curious.
Labels: boxing day, children, family, gifts, husband
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Mosquito Nets thru Oxfam
An extraordinarily helpful and generous reader has pointed me to the Oxfam website, where, lo and behold, people can donate money to get mosquito nets to help prevent malaria in Africa, a problem I posted about last time. How cool is this? Someone's already working on the issue, at least on the supply side. (They must have some way of getting the nets where they're needed.) If I've got my currency conversion correct, $1.00 U.S. equals almost 2 British pounds. Two mosquito nets cost 15 British pounds, so that works out to only about $7.50 U.S. (If I'm not correct about this, somebody please let me know!) That's a pretty good deal. Oxfam has some other needed supplies that would make great gifts, if you're looking for a cause to support. Thanks, generous reader!
12/14/2006 - Update (in case you didn't see the comments) - I have the currency backwards. 1 British pound equals $2 U.S. dollars. My generous & helpful reader pointed out my mistake. Thanks!
12/14/2006 - Update (in case you didn't see the comments) - I have the currency backwards. 1 British pound equals $2 U.S. dollars. My generous & helpful reader pointed out my mistake. Thanks!
Labels: africa, currency conversion, gifts, malaria, mosquito nets, oxfam, problem
