Thanking You and Being Even More Thankful Than That

I have begun the strenuous task of writing thank you notes for our wedding gifts and guests. It’s actually so enjoyable. It makes us recognize how many people truly care for us and have supported us in our marriage. But as we face financial burdens with paying for school costs, monthly living expenses, and the cost of becoming a resident of a different state it makes me realize even more how grateful I am for the things that we received from friends and family. 

Every time I step into a room now I try to figure out how we could afford such nice things, but struggle with our monthly budget. I evaluate every item within the room and remember where it came from or who it came from because I worry that we’ve spent money in places that we shouldn’t have. I love doing this now. 

In the bathroom, the scale was purchased with a gift card as was our shower curtain, rugs, and towels. The rest of our towels are from college that our wonderful mothers purchased for us. The toothbrush holder is a vase that my then boyfriend (now husband) gave to me with beautiful flowers in them. The soap vase is from our wedding reception décor paid for by my amazing parents. My favorite art piece I paid for with my own money when I was 13 and obsessed with redecorating my bedroom. 

My mother-in-law bought our bedroom furniture for us and the bed came from Adam’s dad. My mom gave us our first kitchen table that is now an island and she gave us most of our dishes. My two favorite skillets were given to me by my dad before I left for college. My favorite frames: Adam’s cousin and grandmother gave them as wedding gifts. 

Everything we’ve purchased including the couches (loveseat, full couch, and recliner $180), the ottoman ($15), the kitchen table ($22) and six chairs ($40) came from Craigslist or Goodwill. That’s where we spent some of our wedding checks and the rest really went to bills (oh the pleasures of being newlyweds). 

After I evaluate this it makes me love how giving people who love us are. I hope that my last post didn’t make me seem ungrateful for all that our loved ones have done for us. I hope that in the future we can return our appreciation to you beyond a simple thank you note. We love you all and thank you again. SO MUCH.

Gift Giving and Pleasures of Keeping Things You Hate

I’m not going to name any names or take any pictures of specific items, but I’ll tell you… in my lifetime I have been given some unusual items. And I married a man who had also been given unusual and sentimental items. Heck, I’ll throw him under the bus on this one. A man at Adam’s church gave him some things that he thought Adam would enjoy (how sweet), but one of the items was a book on Anarchism and Explosives. Hmm…. Interesting…. Now it’s sitting curiously on our windowsill and I’m constantly worrying which of our guests will say “Marcy, what kind of man did you marry!” Worst thing is that Adam won’t get rid of it (apparently it’s really cool). It’s fair because I won’t get rid of some silly things people have given me throughout the years. Okay okay… like the shell one of my professors gave me as a “You’re wonderfully made” speech that I’m sure was given to many students. 

So what do you do if you have an “I don’t like it, but I must keep it, really really weird thing”? Maybe it’s not weird. Maybe it’s just not your style or it takes up way too much space, but your mother in law (not you Kim) gave it to you and she looks for it every time she visits- I admittedly do that sometimes when I visit friends, ick. Do you paint it? Hide it and pull it out when they visit? Chuck it anyway? Break it on purpose? What?? 

Having something you keep that’s stupid for sentimental value is just SO DIFFERENT than keeping something because someone might notice that you got rid of it. I wish I could say that this is the reason we are surrounded in our home by so much stuff. I’m just going to blame that problem on all of the books… 

I have no solutions to this gift receiving problem, but I can surely try to help at the other end of it. So here it is!

Helpful hints when gift giving: 

1.       If you have terrible style, your house is a wreck, and you are willing to admit it: stick to a gift card.

2.       If you would rather be caught dead wearing it, using it, or having it in your house-unless they asked for it specifically: don’t get it.

3.       Remember that once this gift is out of your hands you have no control over wear it may go or what may come of it. That’s part of gift giving. GET-OVER- IT.

4.       If it’s not on their baby or wedding registry and not even like anything that they’ve asked for: it better be really awesome.

5.       Remember that most people would rather have a smaller amount of money to use on something that they need and or like vs. having something you bought cheaply to be more impressive that they can’t stand.

Celebration and Sewing Machines

We got a sewing machine! I. think. I. could. scream. Yesterday, I went to check our mail and along the way prayed that God could keep bills from arriving just for one day. There were some bills (but we already payed them-woo hoo!!), but what was soooo amazing was a gift we received from our good friends Wes and Grace: a $250 gift card for Macy’s. Not going to lie, I cried. Right there. 

We have made a list of the things we want to get once I start getting paid. It’s not exactly in order of importance, but it is close. First being credit card bills. Second, student loans. Third, a sewing machine. It goes on… No, I’m not kidding. I am dying to have the opportunity to fix my own buttons and hem Adam’s pants with a machine instead of by hand anymore (yuck). Then, I’m going to make new pillows, and aprons for friends… oh it’s going to be glorious!

Last night we ventured into Macy’s and Adam demanded that we ask if they sold sewing machines. I knew they didn’t at the store, but had no idea that they sold them online. If it weren’t for my wonderful husband I would be sewing machine-less, less. Meaning I wouldn’t be without it, but have it on the way… Get it? So yea, I’m excited!! Four more days until it’s arrival…. 

Happy Spring everyone!!