Presents for my Pretties: The Search for the Perfect BM Gift

So now that the ladies got their dresses, I started to think about what I wanted to get them as my thank you for being such great bridesmaids.

I knew that there would be beautiful tissue paper & some great font on a tag... but I didn't know much else...

Source / Shim & Sons

Thank goodness for the Internet! With a keyboard and trusty mouse in hand I found some great things to gift the girlies with.

Tiffany's Playing Card Set / $30

Source / Tiffany's

Sigh. I just want to sit and sip coffee on a Sunday morning 

with my ladies in these robes.

Etsy Seller PlumPrettySugar sells these

 knee-length kimono robes by the 5... perfect for a BM gift -- as
Miss Bunting had mentioned previously!

Gift Certificate for some pampering at a local spa?

Source / Soothing Creations 

With their grey & white striped sweaters to get me started, I started editing my ideas and thinking about something that they might wear on our big day.  While I am normally not that practical of a gal (heck, I spent how many hours upon hours cutting little tiny tiny triangles for our STDs?!), I wanted something that they'd use again.

I originally wanted to make everyone robes -- similar to PlumPrettySugar's gorgeous dreamy ones.  But time was ticking and I knew that I could be going in a little over my head with a To Do wedding list the size of two of my arms!

But purses -- little bags -- could be doable!  I sought out Keyka Lou's adorable accessories patterns and the pattern for her pocket clutch was in my inbox in a moments time.

KeykaLou's patterns are precious!!

Source / Keyka Lou

Especially if I use the fabric that I am using to create the guys ties!

Amy Butler's Midwest Modern Grey & White Fabric

Source / Hawthorne Threads

I am planning on sewing a little message or quote inside, personalized to each.

Now I wanted to get them something else.  Something to accompany the sweaters & purses.

I decided to start to research lockets. Just the idea of a locket reminds me of something timeless, romantic and thoughtful.  It is heartfelt and is a piece you treasure.  You give a locket to someone you love.  A grown-up version of a friendship necklace (which I have exchanged many with cousin Sweet Cream!).

Me & Cousin Sweet Cream always loved exchanging 

Best Friend necklaces... seriously, we probably did it at least 5 times!

Source / Kaboodle

I decided that lockets would be the perfect gift for the girlies!

Lockets are timeless.  They are a gift you give with your soul.

Source / Nordstrom's 

If someone gave me this locket, 

I know that I meant something special to them!

Source / Mimi Boutique

Sigh.  Look at these beauts I picked for my girls.

Etsy Seller TrystByKerry makes breathtaking personalized lockets...

And I can't wait to get them!!

Source 

I can't wait to finish their bags and put everything together!

Did you gift you BMs with any gift or presents?  What was it? How did you come up with the idea?  What was the best BM gift you have gotten!

Mission Impossible: Operation Registry

Registering for gifts is like a grown-ups version of a dream Christmas list.  When else do you get to single-handedly hand pick what you want to be gifted for a party where you are the guest of honor??  So while BM Sweet Cream shrieked with glee after hearing that me & Mr. Sweets were going to register, I wasn't that thrilled inside. 

Why the crazy talk you ask?

Because me & Mr. Sweet Cream were up against Mission Impossible.

Mr. Sweet Cream & me hopefully didn't look as crazy as Tom & Keri

zapping barcodes... although we might have felt this way.

(Source)

I'm sure that many of you Bees may be cohabiting like Me & Mr. Sweets.  We originally didn't plan it that way -- but that's for a different day, different post.

So we have tons of things that we would have registered for -- but we already bought it ourselves.  Like our Dyson that we found on clearance at Target after the vacuum we originally got from a second hand shop died after it ate way too many our Christmas tree needles.  And our grill that we had to get to kick off last summer.

But the bigger problem? I am a mid-century, antiquing junkie.  

So years before the Sweets bought their first home, there were boxes and boxes of dishware, serving pieces, glasses, coffee cups, bakeware, gadgets & gizmos -- all created between the decades of World War II and the era of Gloria Steinem -- up in Mama & Papa Sweet Cream's attic.  Think of it as a hope chest on steroids. 

OK. It wasn't this bad... but it was really really bad.

(Source)

So I already have my fair share of Salem North Star plates:

When I pull out one of these plates and serve a 

homemade piece of pie to Mr. Sweets, my heart smiles

And this is my favorite pattern of all my bowls & casseroles.

Seriously.  How can you not be happy when

serving something in this pattern?!

I have a mixed collection of real silverware from the 20th century that I love and a whole buffet-server full of serving pieces...So, with two things up against us (co-habitating and said addiction to mid-century kitchen items -- heck all mid-century items to tell you the truth!), Mr. Sweet Cream and I began to think about what we could register for.

We hung a piece of looseleaf on the side of the refrigerator and as we realized something we could use, we would jot it down.  Although it happened slowly... a full piece stainless steel pot and pan set here, a 10 cup food processor there, it got easier when we visited the store.  With guns in hands we said "YES!" to a folding banquet table that we realized we could need for hosting sit down dinner holidays to our two families.  We gave high-fives to each other after finding the patio furniture that we lusted over -- and immediately took aim at the bar code.  We started figuring out things that we could use... in all price ranges for all of our guests.

Throughout our registering at Target, Home Depot & Kohl's we registered for great things, including:

• A smoker
• New Sheets
• Tons of brand new bath towels
• a Pizza stone
• Grill accessories
• A Brita waterfilter
• 16 mini dessert shot glasses
• a Heating Lamp for outside
• a collapsable grill for tailgating (Go Phillies!)
• Massaging shower head
• Great new door mats for outside
• a new mailbox
• a ceiling fan for our bedroom
• Etc. Etc. Etc.

I was insistant on not letting that gun own us and not giving in to a desire to zap everything and anything in sight.  I wanted us to think of the suggestions for our guests as if we would really buy it.  

And while I would love to register somewhere like Amazon.com, knowing our guest list, I don't know how many people would use it.   I know that a lot of Bees register for their honeymoons -- which is a great idea -- but we aren't going through a travel agent.

I am going to try not to cheat and look at what is bought in the days that lead up to my shower. I love a surprise so I think I'll be good.

Did you have a hard time thinking about what to register for?  Did your co-habitating lead you to have needs and wants already crossed off?  What is your top registry item that you are hoping you get at your shower?  Did you register somewhere out-of-the-ordinary -- like a sport good store or favorite charity?  

[NOTE to brides near a Kohl's: Although not an original thought-of store for registering, they have a ton of kitchen appliance we needed -- and give our guests 15% off our gifts!  So they are like giving our guests a gift (of a discount) for buying us gifts! Very nice, Kohl's! Very nice!]