aknitwit ([info]aknitwit) wrote,
@ 2007-10-11 13:52:00
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A Little Help Here?
 I have been invited to a bridal shower for a young woman I have met only once--she is the fiance of my step-son's stepson--so I know very little about her.  I am appealing to members of her generation to give me an idea or two for a shower gift.  If there is anything you remember getting, pre-nuptially, which you still value today, and haven't relegated to the back shelf of your pantry, I would like to know the identity of said object.  I am feeling hopelessly 'out of it' and also suffer from 'live in Hickville-itis'  so your assistance would be more than appreciated.
My line is open...

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[info]deirdremoon
2007-10-11 09:48 pm UTC (link)
D'you figure Kim would be able to point you at an Amazon wishlist? There's probably more than one woman out there with her name, maybe even her name in SoCal, but you can try it.

Failing that, I can't imagine that she'd mind a gift card to one of their registry places more than she'd mind a gift that isn't her. If you know her that little, she shouldn't expect you to know what the perfect gift is either. :P

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[info]devonapple
2007-10-11 10:41 pm UTC (link)
If you know her that little, she shouldn't expect you to know what the perfect gift is either

This is true!

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[info]aknitwit
2007-10-13 06:46 pm UTC (link)
Great! I'll look for her on Amazon. We have already selected a wedding gift from their registry, so something a little less formal or maybe something more personal would be in order...

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[info]devonapple
2007-10-11 10:41 pm UTC (link)
Something of clear utility which isn't tragic if duplicated. High-quality cookware (All Clad, for example) can be an automatic success, and unintentional duplication of oft-used pots or pans can be an advantage rather than a disadvantage (hey, we can cook TWO sauces at the same time).

Also, high-quality but consumable items (honeys, teas, exotic candies, spices) are more likely to actually be used. Foods can be tricky, especially concerning allergies, but something creative might win the day. Even if someone doesn't like wine themselves, a nice bottle of red can be the perfect thing for when they have company.

I don't know how much of a computer aficionado this lady might be, but a 1- or 2-gig Flash drive is pretty utilitarian. That might be too pragmatic, actually...

Netflix membership (DVDs delivered and returned via mail using prepaid envelopes) can be given as a gift -- if they already have an account, the membership can be applied as a credit, and if they don't, they get to try it for free!

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[info]lemurling
2007-10-11 11:30 pm UTC (link)
I've not been married, but I know what I would value most is things that share your wisdom and experience. A favorite cookbook, travel book, relationship book, poetry, things to read by the fire, something that got you through your first five household emergencies. Small kitchen gadgets that you ended up using all the time. The cake pan you like the best and a recipe that never fails. Most people today have more than enough stuff, or the money to buy it. Knowledge is a lot harder to come by.

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[info]aknitwit
2007-10-13 06:50 pm UTC (link)
Hmmm. I'm picturing a cookbook wrapped up with wooden spoons and measuring spoons instead of bows, and maybe a recipe tucked inside of that. Great suggestion!

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[info]racerxmachina
2007-10-11 11:40 pm UTC (link)
I like Devon's Netflix idea, or more prosaically, Barnes and Noble or Borders, or to her registry if you can find it. When people who didn't know me very well gave me bridal gifts, I wound up with some things that were well-meant, but so not me as to be completely DIRE (fussy crystal photo frames from Mikasa that weighed a hogshead apiece).

Know where they're going for their honeymoon? A travel present (small piece of luggage, say) might be suitable too.

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[info]aknitwit
2007-10-13 06:51 pm UTC (link)
OK, OK, no Mikasa!

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[info]rhylar
2007-10-12 11:56 pm UTC (link)
Elvis, Bigfoot & 2 Dogs playing poker, painted on black velvet.

It provides the opportunity to practice writing thank you notes in a way that conveys "I love you, but ick!" And we all need to be better at diplomacy.

But seriously. I like devon's cookware suggestion. Pots & Pans are always useful. Storage space is probably at a premium if they're living in a big city, so gift cards to IKEA, or other places where they could get shelving units & the like would not go amiss.

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[info]aknitwit
2007-10-13 06:53 pm UTC (link)
I knew I could count on you for an original idea...
What are the best and worst gifts you have received?

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[info]rhylar
2007-10-15 06:07 am UTC (link)
well, largely we received cash, since Mimsy's relatives are all in the detroit area & didnt feel like shipping stuff across teh country.

Of course, we kinda hid from a lot of the wedding planning, so we never stocked our registry with anything. Shopping is not something that either of us enjoy, so we didnt.

So gifts, non-cash:
From the gang here in SJ: a very nice set of knives
From my welsh relations: a fuzzy wool blanket which mimsy absconded with to keep warm while playing video games, and the traditional welsh gift, the love-spoon. (which gets hung up in the kitchen at some point.)

I think the "least us" event in the whole wedding business was when one of Mimsy's uncles gave us a wedding blessing where they told us the ingredients for a happy marriage, and one of the listed ingredients was Christ. She's Unitarian, and I'm Zen Buddhist. Neither of us are christian, but we felt it was better to accept & move on.

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[info]baxil
2007-10-22 04:31 am UTC (link)
One of our nicest gifts-from-relative-strangers was a blanket embroidered with both of our names and our wedding date. It was a lovely way to personalize what otherwise would have been something of a generic gift.

Also, happy slightly late birthday!

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