— my old country house —

HAPPY (24TH) ANNIVERSARY – WEDDING GIFTS – WHAT WE STILL USE!

November 6, 2018
November 5, 1994

NOVEMBER 5, 1994. Our wedding day. 24 years ago TODAY – my best friend and I tied the knot – got hitched – stood in front of our closest family and friends and vowed – “for better and worse…and all that jazz!”

And here we are – 24 years later.

Has it been easy?

Hell NO! Nothing worth anything is easy. Marriage is work. Staying connected, communication, juggling kids and jobs and life and homes and families and loss – so much loss – has pushed us each to the 4 corners of our-selves. Tears have been shed – of joy and of laughter.

Personally – I think the notion that one human being can fulfill all the needs and roles that come up in life is a few words short of NUTS~ But we have always circled back to one true thing – Damon DeVito is my best man. My best friend. My rock. He also has made me more frustrated and more annoyed than anyone on earth. I don’t think you can have one without the other. I have never expected Damon to be EVERYONE to me – nor I for him. We compliment each other. We have a mutual respect and admiration for the things we each are that the other is not. I am grateful for him and he thanks his lucky stars he found me!!! I love the man!!

so – enough of the mush – I though it might be fun to check our WEDDING GIFTS that are still around – and knowing what we know – what we would ask for now!

cherubmirror
1. CHERUB MIRROR

WEDDING GIFTS

I kind of miss it. There were a few years there where I was in at least one wedding a summer…

…and many, many  more that I simply attended. It was so fun, traveling, dressing up, seeing old friends… making new ones, dancing, cocktails, drama, decorations…little flower girls and ring bearers…and meeting adorable babies…and then.

Finally ME! I was the last one to get married…and then….

We were ALL hitched….then came the BABY YEARS…and so on and so on and so on. Now I have friends whose children are getting married and one friend who just welcomed her second grandchild!…the beat goes on…one door closes…another opens at the same time…it is JUST LIFE!

Today I thought it would be fun to take a tour through my house and see if I can find

10 WEDDING GIFTS (20 YEARS LATER) THAT STILL IN USE…

1. THE CHERUB MIRROR (ABOVE)

2. THE HAND-PAINTED WOODEN SERVER TRAY

2. THE LARGE WOODEN SERVER TRAY WAS A WEDDING GIFT. THE HANDPAINTED WOODEN TRAY WAS PACKED AWAY FOR YEARS BUT LAST YEAR I PULLED IT OUT AND DECOUPAGED THE WORLD MAP ONOT IT AND GAVE IT A SECOND LIFE IN THE KIDS LIVING ROOM!, UNUSED MOSTLY BECAUSE
2. THE LARGE WOODEN SERVER TRAY WAS A WEDDING GIFT. THE HAND-PAINTED WOODEN TRAY WAS PACKED AWAY FOR YEARS BUT LAST YEAR I PULLED IT OUT AND DECOUPAGED THE WORLD MAP over the 1990’s fruit theme  AND GAVE IT A SECOND LIFE IN THE LIVING ROOM!,

3. THE “LESLIE AND DAMAN” PLATTER

3. THE HANDPAINTED PLATTER ON THE CENTER OF MY DRESSER WAS A WEDDING GIFT, IWILL TRY TO GET A BETTER PHOTO BUT I AM WRITING THIS POST WITH FOIL ON MY HEAD...GETTING HIGHLIGHTS! ANYWAY, DEAR FRIENDS GAVE US THE DISH...BUT MISPELLED MY HUSBANDS NAME MAKING IT "DAMAN" VS "DAMON". WE NEVER SAID ANYTHING, BUT ONE DAY THEY WERE TOURING OUR HOUSE AND SHE SAW THE PLATTER AND SAID..."WAIT! THAT'S NOT HOW YOU SPELL YOUR NAME! I AM SO SORRY!" WE TOLD HER WE LOVED IT, MISPELLING AND ALL...
3. THE HAND-PAINTED PLATTER ON THE CENTER OF MY DRESSER WAS A WEDDING GIFT, (I WILL TRY TO GET A BETTER PHOTO BUT I AM WRITING THIS POST WITH FOIL ON MY HEAD…GETTING HIGHLIGHTS! ) ANYWAY, DEAR FRIENDS GAVE US THE  HAND PAINTED , –INCLUDING OUR NAMES – DISH…BUT MIS-PELLED OUR  NAMES MAKING IT:  “DAMAN” VS “DAMON” AND “LESLIE” VS “LESLI”. WE NEVER SAID ANYTHING, WE LOVED IT….BUT ONE DAY THEY WERE TOURING OUR HOUSE AND SHE SAW THE PLATTER AND SAID…”WAIT! THAT’S NOT HOW YOU SPELL YOUR NAME! I AM SO SORRY!” WE TOLD HER WE LOVED IT, MISPELLING AND ALL…AND IT HAD BEEN ON MY DRESSER FOR MOST OF THE 24 YEARS…

4. THE SEARS BOX

The SEARS Box has been with us since 1994

5. DROLL DESIGNS CANISTERS

The Droll Designs Canisters been the best POP of color all these years
DROLL DESIGNS CANISTER
I use this DAILY! my DROLL DESIGNS CANISTER…I love this canister so much, I have collected the set over the years…

 

6.VINTAGE FIESTA WARE PITCHER

CHERUB MIRROR
6. VINTAGE FIESTAWARE PITCHER – I spied this while visiting one of my Nursing school professors at her home in Maine. She surprised me by giving it to us as a wedding gift.

7. GRAMS CHAIR

My husband and I inheriting this chair from his Grandmother...hence it's name- "GRAM"S CHAIR"...It has been reupholstered 5 times and in this incarnation is a PINK VELVET that Phoebe and I chose on our trip to MOOD FABRICS in New York. We had a whole bunch of fun photos of us that day...playing in the fabric, being silly...and that was the day I lost my phone...with the photos...so we will rely on our memories of that fun fun day!
My husband and I inheriting this chair from his Grandmother…hence it’s name “GRAM”S CHAIR”…It has been reupholstered 5 times and in this incarnation is a PINK VELVET that Phoebe and I chose on our trip to MOOD FABRICS in New York. We had a whole bunch of fun photos of us that day…playing in the fabric, being silly…and that was the day I lost my phone…with the photos…so we will rely on our memories of that fun fun day!

8. IRON POTTERY BARN CANDLE STICKS

pbcandlestix
8. POTTERY BARN PAIR OF IRON CANDLE STICKS This was a Gift from my brother and sister in law…and they have graced every mantle… in every home.
DINING ROOM- and the IRON CANDLESTICKS
DINING ROOM- and the IRON CANDLESTICKS

9.REED AND BARTON FLATWARE

REED AND BARTON FLATWARE
and 10. our REED AND BARTON FLATWARE….hands down the MOST USED Wedding gift.

10. THE FLORENCE WATERCOLOR

DAMON AND IWENT TO ITALY ON OUR HONEYMOON. MY FAVORITE PLACE WAS FLORENCE...I WISH I WERE THERE NOW IN FACT! WE PURCHASED THE PAINTING IN THE FAR LOWER LEFT CORER - A WATER CORNER - A WATERCOLOR OF THE VIEW OUT OUR HOTEL WINDOW...AHHHHH SO ROMANTIC.
10. THE FLORENCE WATERCOLOR – NOT EXACTLY A WEDDING GIFT BUT WITH US SINCE OUR HONEYMOON……DAMON AND I WENT TO ITALY ON OUR HONEYMOON. MY FAVORITE PLACE WAS FLORENCE…I WISH I WERE THERE NOW IN FACT! WE PURCHASED THE PAINTING IN THE FAR LOWER LEFT CORNER – A WATERCOLOR OF THE VIEW OUT OUR HOTEL WINDOW…AHHHHH SO ROMANTIC.

…..poking around, it was fascinating and eye-opening to see what we no longer use…what has lasted and what we have destroyed…many times over…I bet we have been through 100 drinking glasses and at least 5 sets of pots and pans.

One thing is for sure, as I looked around the internet, looking at Weddings ON PINTEREST now days…THEY have become such a wonderful opportunity for creativity!!! I could spend all day looking at all the little personal touches…special LITTLE THINGS AND HOW personal they have become!!! My head was spinning, maybe when all the kids are out of the house, I can turn our house and our yard into a place where people get married!!! who knows!!!

XO

WHAT DO YOU STILL USE?