It's "Anything Goes" week at the TFC, so I'm going totally random. As I'm sure a lot of you know, I'm getting married this fall. Part of the fun of getting married is you get to register places for people to give you presents!
Yesterday, my fiance Scott and I went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to register. The women who helped us told us, "Pretend you're a kid making out your Christmas list and Santa is going to bring all this stuff to you."
When I was a kid I used to love it when the Sears Wish Book catalog come out every year and I could go through folding over pages and starring items that I wanted my parents to get for me for the holidays. Of course, at the top of my list, were always two impossible items:
1. A horse (yeah, like, we could ever afford that)
2. Giant trampoline (our backyard was not big enough for one of those, plus, again they are pretty pricey)
Nowadays at the top of my wishlist I'd put Toyota Prius instead of horse (though my car-loving fiance tells me to wait til the new Honda hybrid comes out that I'll love it even more than a Prius), but it is as much a fantasy as horse and giant trampoline, since I could neither afford a Prius and I don't have any room to house it. (We have one parking spot and Scott's car lives there. Actually I think "house with backyard and two car garage" might be the real top of my wishlist or else "pay my mortgage for me.") I'm usually at a complete loss when my family or Scott asks me what I want for Christmas or my birthday because there isn't really the Sears catalog equivalent for grown-ups. Mostly I just ask for money or giftcards so I can pay bills, buy new shoes, save for a much-needed vacation, or get a book or CD here and there. But as it turns out wedding registration is like the Sears catalog from grown-ups!
Scott and I totally went as nuts as we would have as kids. The saleslady assisting us talked us into registering for 90$/place setting china (after finding us suitable china since I'm vegan and bone china is really made from bones so it is not) and $30/glass goblets and champagne flutes. Oooh pretty, sure why not? Then we ran around the store scanning towels and sheets and blankets and photo frames and vacuum cleaners and crockpots.... We spent 3 hours total in the store, pouring over stuff like my brother and I used to pour over the Sears catalog.
But once we got in the car, reality set in. There is no Santa Claus. There isn't even some rich relative who is gonna drop a grand on us to get us fancy china. Neither of us come from money and it's a recession and seriously when are we going to throw a 12-person dinner party? And where? On our four person table? What if someone buys us the silly china instead of the much needed microwave? If someone is going to drop a ton of a cash on us, I'd rather have the cool Cuisinart mixer with the pasta making, juicer, blender and food processor attachments because, you know, I'd actually use that at least a few times a month. Or even better than that, I'd rather they buy us the regular dishes we asked for so we can have a matching set instead of the combination of plates from Target, plates from my childhood, plates inheirited from my dead grandpa, and the plate I stole from the Antioch cafeteria.
So we came home and deleted the china and uber fancy stuff. But what I'm super upset about is that the saleslady showed us the 10 piece set of pots that I adored and I thought it would show up on the registery by piece, but no, it shows up as a 600$ set, which again, no one in our family is going to be able to afford to buy us, nor would I want them to, that would just make me feel terribly guilty. And yet, the thing I want right now more than a Prius, a pony, a new house, a trampoline and maybe even a vacation is these pots. In the past four years I've gotten so into cooking that good cookware, it really would be the best thing in the world. I kind of feel lame admitting that. I kind of feel like it shows that I'm turning 30 this summer and really turning into a grown-up. But I don't care, I just want nice pots!
So um, if you happen to know about pots and pans, and can suggest some good ones from Bed Bath and Beyond that I can add to my wedding registry individually, I'd be thrilled. But otherwise just tell me, what is the one item you are wishing for most in the world right now?
Posts
8 comments:
Stephanie-
Call Bed, Bath, and Beyond and tell them you would like to separate the set. Remind them that it would be beneficial for them to separate since noone that you know can afford to drop $600 on them. That may help them make up their minds.
PS - I'll be in town the weekend immediately following Scott's bday.
That's a good idea, Chris. I couldn't see a way online to separate the set, but maybe they have special ways. I can call the lady I worked with specifically, she did give me her card and they do aim to please....
But just in case they can't, I'm still entertaining other pots and pan recommendations!
Oh, I remember the Sears Wish Book--anything pink and/or having to do with Barbie usually topped my list!
As for pots and pans, I can't even boil water so I'm afraid I'm not much help there! But my husband is a gourmet cook and one year I surprised him with a new set I got from Chef.com--don't remember the name, but they're high quality and not $600!
Okay, and as for what I want most in the world?
Peace.
Cliche, but there it is!
Happy Wedding Planning!
I'm not much of a cook (understatement), in fact I still have some pans that belonged to my mum - they must be over 30 years old. They're amazing because everytime I burn something (as in most of the time) you can still clean them up!!
I hope you get your cooking set, Steph!
There are so many things I want for my family it's not even funny.
But most of all I just want to keep them happy!
Hi Stephanie! It's my first post here at tfc but I feel it's super important that I save you from my own Bed Bath and Beyond wedding registry mistake. Avoid a product called the 'Warm and Toasty'. I know, it's an AMAZING concept -- a microwave and toaster in one! But I tell you that the honeymoon ends quickly with this one -- it makes both floppy, untoasted toast and somehow manages to pop 1/4 of a package of microwave popcorn while incinerating the unpopped kernels.
I just thought you should know.
Also, we really really love our All-Clad cooking pans which I believe BB&B offered separated out for registries.
What do I want most? Money to start raining from the sky! As for the pots, I don't cook much anymore, so I can't help you there, but I will say that when I got married back in 1989, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the whole registering process and how touched I was by whatever anyone got, no matter what it was. Nearly 20 years later, I can look around my home and still remember which items were wedding gifts and who gave them to us. I'm probably the only bride ever who got a new pool cue for a shower gift...and I didn't even ask for one! Enjoy every second!
Lauren, I am with you on money raining from the sky! And I love that you got a pool cue. I'm definitely having fun with all the wedding stuff and will also be so touched by anything people get us. It's just such a nice gesture, you know?
amvrettos, thanks for the warning and the suggestion about All Clad, another friend recommended those to me so I will have to check them out!
Post a Comment