Handcrafted: The Cure For The Common Wedding

Handcrafted Sucess Story

Most of the time I write about small mom and pop type shops that are just starting out. I thought it might be nice to take a glimpse at their future. Morgan & Company started 16 years ago as a way to help a new mom spend more time with her new daughter. Now Morgan has a driver's license and Morgan & Company is one of the most complete monogram shops online.

There are a ton of great products in this shop. You can find gifts for your bridesmaids such as jewelry, robes, flip flops, and other fun things to put your monogram on. There are also several really nice things to add to your online registry (if you haven't tried Wishpot yet, I highly recommend it)

I remember seeing an interview with Reese Witherspoon (I think) where she was asked what was the first thing she splurged on when she started making real Hollywood money. She said monogrammed towels. As a kid she thought they were the height of luxury. There is something kind of cool about seeing your new initials in print. Just don't go overboard and cross the line into full blown home decor narcissism.

Fun With Names

I have been having fun with my name this morning all thanks to Letter Your Legacy. This company has a really cool way to celebrate your new last name, or to honor your maiden name.

Adam and Stacy are an adorable married couple who found a way to combine their talents to start a business together. The results are these great framed pieces that combines some unique photography together to spell out your name (or whatever you want it to spell)

 

The design tool gives you a lot of flexibility in the finished product. Each letter has a generous selection of pictures to go with it. I had so much fun trying out different combination. I think I tried out every surname in my family. My son, who is usually by my side while I am posting, made me try his name, and I think it turned out the best of all of them. If your husband has a special area of your new home just for him, this would be a great way to sneak some style into his man cave.

Just for the record, this was a random name I picked and not actually my son's name.

Who? Me?

I got an email this week from the Gift Girl at Wishpot letting me know they have a new section just for weddings, and asking me to be one of their wedding experts. Me, an expert? Well, my dear, flattery will get you everywhere. I opened my account last night.

I took it for a little test drive and now I am so excited about this site. It's like a MySpace for presents! You can create a registry for yourself, make a wish list, and even save present ideas you have for other people. I love the wish list idea because you can put things in it that was too outrageous to put on your regular registry, like that Dyson.

Normally, I might not be that excited about a new way to register, but this will allow you to select anything you see online, and I mean ANYTHING. You add a tiny button to your tool bar and when you are browsing the net, you hit that button and your pick is saved. I tried it out on some of my handcrafted favorites, and it was super easy. You can use it to organize bridesmaid's gifts, register for things from Etsy, compare prices on dresses you have seen, and search for idea on what to get your groom. So, in my "expert" opinion (hehehe) I recommend this site.

Registry Gray Area

There is one area of your registry that is very subjective, and that is small appliances. Every few years we get a new appliance of the moment. In the 70's it was the fondue pot, which has tried for a come back in recent years. There was the yogurt growing machine, bamboo steamers, rice cookers, espresso machines, juicers, and all sorts of fryer/griller/ and (fill in the blank) makers. I wish I could tell you specifically what you will need, but there is no way to do that. For example, I have never found myself needing a rice steamer, but I know people who use their's weekly. So how do you know? There are a couple of things to consider.

First of all you have to take into account how much space the appliance is going to take up. Many newlyweds have very small kitchens with very little storage space or counter space. I'm sure it would be great to have a food processor, but if you have to store it in your parent's basement, then what's the point? By the time you have a kitchen with room for it, the appliance will be outdated and you'll be wishing for a new one.

The other thing to think about is if you will really use the product. I love my waffle maker and use it at least once a month, but I barely touched it for the first 7 or so years of my marriage. It wasn't until our children were older that waffles became a family favorite. In general I am not a fan of the things that make one specialty item. I love things like the newest George Forman Grill because it has removable plates to make not only the grill, but also a waffle grid, and a griddle plate. Just think it through. You know if you are the type to make your own pasta enough to need a pasta machine. 

Service with a Spoon

First of all I have to say that I am not a big fan of SILVERware. It is a pain to clean and polish, it's really expensive, and you use it maybe twice a year at the most. When people look at a registry they typically have a price range in mind and given the choice between buying a full serving set and one teaspoon they will go for the full set every time. Keep in mind that this is my personal opinion, but I prefer to pick a stainless flatware pattern that will look good with both your everyday and fine china.

The number of pieces you need for your table setting is easy because it is the same number of place settings of dishes you requested (I recommend 12). The serving pieces can be a bit more confusing. There are just so many different pieces, and the names of them can be deceptive. Take, for instance, the seafood fork. I don't ever serve the type of seafood that usually requires a special fork, however I use my seafood fork on average once a week. It is great for getting things like olives and cherries out of jars. Long handled ice tea spoons are another useful item that many people forget to register for. I have 4 myself, but could probably use 4 more. They are great for things like jelly and salsa and mixing up chocolate milk. We find a new use for this item all the time. My point is that just because you don't need it for it's intend purpose doesn't mean you won't need it.

Serving spoons are very nice to have. If your pattern is open stock (meaning you buy one serving piece at a time) then be sure you register for at least 2 regular serving spoons as well as 2 of the slotted ones. If, however, your serving pieces come in sets, register for at least 2 sets even if it also comes with a piece you really only need one of such as a ladle.

Before you pick you pattern, take note of how long a pattern has been around and how often the company discontinues styles. After 12 years of marriage my stainless pattern is still available. I know this because I occasionally need a new piece. It's nice to know I can always find it. Some companies have even set aside some of their patterns as being ones they will never stop making. It is nice to know that as long as Oneida is in business I will be able to pick up new pieces. 

Towels

To get ready to write this post I did a fair amount of towel research. I am a believer in registering for really good towels. But how do you know if the towels your store offers in a good brand? Good Housekeeping has some great tips. I think the number one tip I have read this week is that you should pick towels based on weight not on softness. The heavier the towel, the thicker the weave, and the more water it will hold. I've also finally found out why you aren't suppose to use fabric softener on towels. The towel fibers will absorb the softener making them super soft and fluffy, but at the same time it keeps them from being able to absorb water.

After you have decided what brand of towel you want you need to know how many you'll need.  A lot of the check lists I have seen say you will need 6 of each sized towel. I disagree with this. There are some men that will tell you that you only really need two towels, a wet one and a dry one, but if you like to shower daily and like to have a clean towel each time then with only 6 bath towels you will have to do laundry ever third day. Stop and think about how many towels you use in a week  then double it (so your husband will have clean towels too) and that is the number you need to register for.

The next thing you need to talk about is color. Many stores have more than 20 different colors to pick from. My personal rule is since the bigger towels are more expensive I make sure they are neutral in color. Your idea of neutral may be white, ivory, some version of taupe, or even black. Then the smaller the towel the more willing I am to pick out something trendy. I regret this is a lesson I learned the hard way. I have a stack of towels in mid 90's blue that haven't been in style for some time now. I have one friend with a black and white bathroom that I love. Her bath towels are all black and she has a stack of hand towels in a wide range of colors so she can change up the look weekly if she feels like it. This is a great option for brides who like to change things up often.

Practically Registered

If I had it my way we would all get to have wedding type showers for every ten years of marriage. Between our 9th and 11th years of marriage we had to replace our can opener, toaster, blender, hand vac, carpet sweeper, and the clothes dryer. It is like they all made a suicide pact. It got me to thinking about the things we put on registries.

In spite some of the things I have read (mostly put out by department stores), your average wedding guest is going to spend $20-$35 on your gift. I'm sure your family and close friends will spend more on you, but this is about what you can expect from your mother's second cousin on her father's side once removed that you absolutely had to invite even though you have never met them. Even with closer family, they may spend $100 or more in total, but that might come in the form of three or four smaller gifts spaced out through all of the showers they were invited to. This is very important to keep in mind while you are registering. The more items you have in this price range the more people will use your registry instead of going out on their own to find the token crystal picture frame.

It is the job of the person helping you register to convince you that you will absolutely need and toaster that will handle four slices of extra thick bread and has 52 different levels of toasting that costs $125, but I am here to tell you that you don't. In fact, this toaster will be dead in ten years just like the $20 one that only does two pieces of toast in 10 shades of brown. On top of that, the cheaper toaster takes up much less counter space, which is an important detail many people overlook. This basic concept can be applied to most of the small appliances you will be registering for. Even the cheap blenders have 10 speeds and will crush ice. Keep this in mind while the sales clerk is dazzling you with the idea that you can make smoothies at home.

I think I feel a series coming on. Come back next Tuesday to see which common registry item I cover next. 

Tease

Today's post is a terrible tease. Not only is it a hard to find designer (only 3 stores in the U.S.), but also the entire site is in German. The Austrian company Feinedinge* Handmade (meaning "fine thing) has the type of things that inspires my creativity, which is why I wanted to show it to you.

I just love the simplicity of these designs. I have spent the better part of the morning  going back and forth between their site and a translation site. I learned that each piece is poured by hand and all of them are dishwasher safe except for the ones with gold or platinum on them. It's is very common for that little metallic detail to make things unsafe for the dishwasher and certainly the microwave, so be sure to ask about that before you end up hand washing your everyday plates.

 

I hope more boutiques here in the U.S. pick up on this designer. Right now there are two shops in California and one in Portland, OR.  The shop in Portland, Olio United has a few pieces in their online site, and Peek Keep has a few as well. That is a great start, but I want more.

 

Okay, so this last picture isn't really something you would put on a registry, but I just love these drop lights. They run about $150 depending on the exchange rate, which seemed like a pretty good price to me. My husband thought they were a little girly, but I see nothing wrong with that.   

Tea Tables Part 3

I am so worn out. Last night was amazing. At the last minute, just hours before the tea, it was decided that we really needed a table set up just for our entertainment. I stepped up and offered to decorate. So, I ended up as a hostess after all, and got to meet 5 of the most fun ladies. We had a great time. Thanks to all that great fun (and a little work) I am too tired to think, so I'm just going to talk about my favorite table from last night.

My friends Lisa and Donna put together a great table. The high point is Lisa's dishes. If you already have plenty of dishes and are wondering what to register for, consider holiday dishes. If it isn't cute enough that they say "'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house" on the front, on the backs of these plates is a tiny little mouse sleeping with the words "Not even a mouse". How cute is that ?!

Their favors were silver candle snuffers. I love the way they fanned out the napkins and tied it all together with sheer ribbon.

I was watching while the ladies were putting together these chair covers. It started with a large piece of tulle that Donna played with until it hung just so. She tied it off with some more of the sheer ribbon. Then after standing back and some chin rubbing and head scratching they took some of the fresh greenery from their centerpiece and added it to the ribbon. It was the perfect touch and really gave it all a polished look. It's funny how much of a difference a tiny addition like that can make.

Your China Pattern

This is the one and only time people are going to line up to give you dinnerware so choose your pattern very carefully. I am a big supporter of neutral and simple patterns that will stand the test of time. When you select a pattern from Rust Designs you get classic with a personal flair.

Mixed in with the beautiful trees, blossoms, and birds you will find your names and wedding date. The personal touches are added in seamlessly so instead of disrupting the style, it adds to it. There are designs that are as simple as your initials carved on a birch, or as fancy as a full family tree style design.

If you are inheriting china like I did, you can still add in a few dessert plates  to compliment the rest of your dishes. Jennifer Rust creates the type of designs that will mix well with just about any china pattern, formal or everyday.