Thursday, April 20, 2006

A Crate & Barrel o' Fun

Because time is important and none should fall to waste, I began registering for wedding gifts online today while I had some free time at work. Or more like I didn't really feel like working so I needed something else to occupy my time.

Anyway, as I was surfing through pages of over-priced china, I began to wonder who started this almost-awkward task of listing things you want your guests to buy you because, well, you're getting married so people should feel obligated to get you stuff. It's odd really. Sure, it'd be nice for people to send flowers or whatever as congratulatory offerings, but asking someone to spend 200 bucks on china that they'll more than likely never eat off of? Seems like money could be better spent elsewhere. But where?

So as I began to delete items off the coveted Crate & Barrel registry list that I had so recklessly created, I thought about how nice it would be if weddings weren't soo complicated. If simple meant better. If well wishings equaled Platinum Line Dinnerware.

Now ladies, I too am a hopeless romantic, dreaming of the prince in white armor, fantasizing about a fairytale wedding. Picking out china and fine bed linens used to keep me awake at night with excitement. But then I learned something: anything stamped "wedding" or resembling anything wedding-like automatically ups the price at least 84.9% (a guesstimation, of course).

Even justifying buying fine china for those rare occasions when I'll be serving 8 to 10 guests formerly at the dinner table, using salad plates, dinner plates, soup bowls and the oddly-sized side bowl (and assuming I could slave away in the kitchen long enough to cook more than macaroni & cheese) was difficult:

  • Serving friends = alcohol = need for non-breakable dishes
  • Pizza requires no formal dinner pieces whatsoever (and hardly a napkin)
  • Will the dogs care to lick scraps off china?

And just when I thought I'd actually gotten a start on something, I'm back to the drawing board. What do we really need for those, like Grandma, who won't feel right until they've sent their blessings in a beautifully wrapped package with hand-tied bow?

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