When Left to My Own Devices...

I dreaded registering for presents.  I avoided it.  Not only did I not have any desire to register on my own, but I had no idea where to start!  So I decided to take my time, and ask the experts (i.e., friends and family--thanks guys!).  


To test the waters, I created our first wedding registry on Amazon.com.    

(source)

And I discovered that I have an eye for the most useful, sensible items.  Wanna see?  Here are some of my favorite "essentials" off our Amazon registry.  

Totally practical! Let's take a closer look:

1.  Cobalt blue glasses - the most gorgeous color and they're well made.  Perfect for sipping iced tea.

2. Rest in Grease spoon rest, by Fishs Eddy - Because I want to begin my collection of Fishs Eddy products that I will call "One of Everything in the store," or "One of Everything" for short.

3.  Fishs Eddy Brooklyneese "Cawfee" cups - Um, yes please.  

4.  White marble pastry board - Because a. I have every intention of baking like a madwoman and b. I couldn't register for white marble countertops.

5. Dirt Devil Rechargable Hand Vac in Spice - because it's the best choice to pick up any pet hair left behind by my little Ollie.  Obviously.

6.  Polka Dot Dish Towel, Fishs Eddy - no kitchen is complete without one!

I realized that I stink at being practical, so to throw people off my scent I registered for some cookbooks!  They are all really common sense guides that I will (hopefully) get some use from.  What you don't see here is that I registered for about ten cookbooks to begin with, and I painfully narrowed it down to these four.  (7, 8, 9, 10)

Then I got back to registering for home decor, which is more important to me than most kitchen appliances (read: execpt for the KitchenAid Stand mixer). 

11.  Mojito Kit - I make a mean mojito, true story.  And I've wanted a wooden muddler for a while.  A must have for entertaining, am I right?

12.  Coop Bowl, CB2 - A lobster red bowl made of chicken coop wire.  Clearly, everyone needs one of these lovlies!

13.  Tiffany Vines Square Vase - I'm going to need a nice place to put all the flowers the Bear will get me after he sees how I managed to register for all the essentials.  

14. Teal Agate coasters - to protect the coffee table we don't have right now.  But we will!

15.  Glass Poron Wine Pitcher - This is the first item I registered for.  THE FIRST ITEM.  My inner wine nerd couldn't resist.  Just fill with a nice chilled bottle of rose, pick up the pitcher and tilt your head back so that wine pours out of the tiny spout directly into your mouth.  I've wanted one ever since a Spanish friend of mine introduced me to it.  

So let me finish the title of this post, "When Left to My Own Devices, I Register for Pretty Things.  And that's it."

Bare necessities?  I think I got 'em covered.

Did you enjoy registering for your wedding?  Was it easy to keep to the necessities or did you find yourself registering for things you just loved?

Can I Register for a Lomo?

Because I really want one.

Image via Lomography.com

No?  How about a pony?

Image via MiddleoftheRoad / Photo by Saddle Mountain Rider

I've always wanted one of those too.  At least more than I've wanted serving dishes and salad bowls and such.  

A couple weeks back my mom asked me where we planned register, and I told her I wasn't sure but I didn't only want stuff for the house.  Bewildered, she stopped and asked me if I was crazy.  Then without skipping a beat she asked me what color towels we wanted.  My mind went blank.  White?  Yes, white.  "Mom, we'd like white towels." Of course she thought that was a bad idea too, but I recovered quickly with "Um...blue.  We'd like blue towels?"  Satisfied with that answer, she left me alone.  Hopefully Mr. Marmalade will like the non-white towels.  

I know that registries serve a purpose and maybe I'm saying this a little prematurely.  But why can't we register for things we want? Not just items for the home.  I've heard of sites like Honeyfund that allow you to register to help pay for your honeymoon.  Or the Alternative Gift Registry, where you can "register" for non material items or ask your friends to donate to your favorite charity. Those sound like wonderful alternatives!

I'm not saying that we won't register for our own KitchenAid Stand Mixer, because I'm sure we will.  But why do our registries have to be so traditional even when our weddings or even our relationships aren't?  It just doesn't make sense to me.  I'm sure we'd be thrilled with whatever we recieve for our wedding, if people decide to get us anything.  But if we're supposed to take the time and create of list of things we "want" for our house, doesn't it stand to reason that we should be able to register for things we want for ourselves without running the risk of being called tacky?

 Before I go, here's some food for thought:

His and hers beach cruisers?  

Image via Beachbikes.net

Come on.  That's a bad ass wedding present. 




Did you register for for non-traditional gifts?  If you did, how was the received by your friends and family?