Most Hilarious, Awful Gift?
Sandi Rollins
How about the flip side? What was the most hilarious, awful
gift you've ever received? (Not necessarily from your SO....)
Sandi
Shelly
wrote:
>OK, we did the "What was the *best* gift you ever got?"
>
>How about the flip side? What was the most hilarious, awful
>gift you've ever received? (Not necessarily from your SO....)
I think it would be a toss-up between two of our wedding gifts,
actually. DH's dad asked us to invite a few of his co-workers.
As a gift, one of them brought this absolutely atrocious lamp
that went with NOTHING we own, was completely not to our
taste, and we suspect, re-gifted!
The other was from an OOT relative of DH's that couldn't
come to the wedding. They sent a Mikasa platter, which
would be fine, except this one was titled something like
"Lovebirds" and had this horrible scene carved and
frosted in it. Again, completely *not* to our tastes.
I think we've gotten the most mileage out of the lamp,
tho. :)
--
Shelly
Remove my favorite NFL team to reply
yah...@eagle.cc.ukans.edu
: OK, we did the "What was the *best* gift you ever got?"
: How about the flip side? What was the most hilarious, awful
: gift you've ever received? (Not necessarily from your SO....)
Bruce's sister and her husband have a "Stingy Santa" gift swap
at their annual holiday party. The idea is to bring something you have
and don't want as a gift. Last year the package I picked out was a framed
gift certificate for Dr. Death himself, Jack Kevorkian! :P
(This certificate has made the rounds of the Stingy Santa exchange
for the past few years...a few of the Stingy Santa "regulars" have been
this certificate, and a ceramic llama from Mexico that has tequila bottles
taped to its sides. I got the llama three years ago.)
Jill
Puester
>
> OK, we did the "What was the *best* gift you ever got?"
>
> How about the flip side? What was the most hilarious, awful
> gift you've ever received? (Not necessarily from your SO....)
>
The Christmas I was ~12 and getting very fashion conscious, I was hoping for
lots of pretty new sweaters and stuff to wear to school. I got 11 pair of
flannel pajamas from various relatives and friends of the family and, IIRC,
cried myself to sleep that night because "nobody loved me".
To this day I can't stand to wear flannel to bed!
gloria p
Geri.Clark
I was about 16. He got me a...for lack of something better to call
it... "painting", done in day-glow, aching-for-black-light colors, of
some kind of medieval countryside. I think it involved a unicorn. It
was awful.
The second worst gift ever is really not so bad, but it has a story --
DH's sister got married six weeks after we did. She and I are *very*
different people -- she's very image-conscious, cares what other people
think, kind of materialistic. Needless to say, she registered at
Tiffany for all kinds of not-useful stuff (I have *nothing* against
Tiffany, and received many lovely gifts from there, but who needs 12
sets of candle sticks, seven crystal vases, and about 30 other
expensive tchtchkes when you have no pots and pans!?) Anyway, on the
list was a "silver cheese set" for $250. DH and I could not figure out
what the hell this was and why something involving cheese should cost
$250...it became a standing joke with us.
So, we get married and SIL is pondering what to get us, we say she
doesn't have to get us anything, and she says "There's one thing on my
list that I *really* want, so maybe I'll get you that too."
Yup...the silver cheese set. FYI -- it's a sterling silver cheese
knife and spreader thingy (not solid, BTW...a ripoff at $250 if you ask
me). In a blue Tiffany box with velvet lining. We think it looks
lovely on our plastic cutting board.
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Mike and Heather Oviatt
Our worst wedding gift was some thing that was supposed to let you
program your VCR by voice. It looked like a remote control. Completely
useless to us as we have no problem with programming our VCR and it
would actually have been more of a pain to learn to use this thing than
to keep on doing what we had been doing. We donated this thing to one
of Mike's grandma's garage sales.
Last Christmas Mike's dad went nuts and bought everyone one of those
make-your-own bloomin' onion things. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if it
had been a good one, but this is a cheapy piece of plastic with guides
around the sides where you are supposed to place your knife when cutting
the onion. We also don't have a deep fryer (nor do we want one) so
preparing the onion would be difficult (Yeah, I know you can bake it,
but that just doesn't seem right). In my opinion, the bloomin' onion is
just something that is better off eaten in a restaurant. We plan on
giving this up at Mike's company party during the white elephant gift
exchange.
Oh, and I almost forgot the hideous sweatshirt I got from my grandma one
year. I was probably 14 or 15 and the sweatshirt was white with all
this gold glitter stuff all over it. At least Grandma was good about
handing out receipts with her gifts, and claimed to not be offended when
you wanted to return something.
Heather
Brandon and Robin Tutt
>
> OK, we did the "What was the *best* gift you ever got?"
>
> How about the flip side? What was the most hilarious, awful
> gift you've ever received? (Not necessarily from your SO....)
>
> Sandi
Oh, my MIL is the queen of awful gifts. And she gives a ton of them.
Just today we received a decorative pillow with the words "Last
Christmas of the Century, Dec. 25 1999" Now, even if you ignore the
"last of the century bit" (and if you're going to do that, why not go
for broke and say "last of the millennium") But what are we going to do
with this pillow year after year? Yikes! Let's see, for our shower she
gave us a white plunger. There was a little bride and groom at the top,
and the Handle was filled with rice. There was a tag that said "Taking
The Plunge!" That's become a pass-on gift! (I gave it to my
bridesmaid, who was married 1 month after us, and she passed it on to
her new sister-in-law, who was married a month after that). At the
rehearsal dinner, she gave us a sculpture of a a man's hand and a
woman's hand, with the man putting a ring on the woman. Wouldn't be
bad, except the hands are all out of proportion, so it just looks really
weird. She also gave DH a letter he had written to himself about 10
years ago. She gave it to him in front of everybody, so everyone wanted
to know what was in it, and he was really embarrassed.
I could go on and on.....
Robin T.
amemily
markets. We received a set of photo albums for birth through age 10 for
Emily when she was born, and the set was simply hideous. It was a nice
thought, but the binding was flimsy and wouldn't have held many photos.
I received a ceramic cow/country utensils holder, and it had a saying on
it that mentioned something about the country. Some people can pull the
country look off very well, I can't.
Liz
Geri.Clark
den...@nexuscomputing.com (Denise) wrote:
> I hate to say this, Sterling silver *is* solid, it is just mixed
> with
> a little of a different alloy like copper (I think to take the
> softness out of it & make it more durable) But the Silver content
> is
> about 93% for Sterling. It is Silver Plate that is not solid
> Silver
> and can chip if you are not careful.
> At least this is pretty much what I have understood it to be. I
> guess
> I could be wrong, been known to happen :)
No, no, the *silver* is solid, of that I am sure. It's just that the
solid silver is made into hollow-handled knives. Which is not really a
problem, but my point is, for $250, you think you'd get a solid-handled
knife.
RNR
<vad...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>Our worst wedding gift was some thing that was supposed to let you
>program your VCR by voice. It looked like a remote control. Completely
>useless to us as we have no problem with programming our VCR and it
>would actually have been more of a pain to learn to use this thing than
>to keep on doing what we had been doing. We donated this thing to one
>of Mike's grandma's garage sales.
We got a hideous frosted glass cookie plate shaped like Frosty the
Snowman. It shattered into millions of pieces in the move. Oh well.
We also got this cartoon picture of us with our names and wedding date
on it. Rich calls it the p*nis picture, since the heads kind of look like
mushroom caps, if you catch my drift. We don't know if the person who
gave it to us thought of that.
Regards,
Ranee
Microsoft is preparing for the next millennium with a new
version of Windows called Windows 2000. The target for
release is first quarter, 1901
Puester
>
> All these references to lamps keeps reminding me that when we first moved
> to our current home, we discovered that there was very little built-in
> lighting (we'd previously only seen the place in the daylight.) The next
> weekend we were visiting the in-laws and they'd dug a bunch of lamps out
> of the attic for us - both had been presents (to them) that they didn't
> much care for. Well one is so-so, but the other is just lovely. Best yet,
> a friend (who I consider one of the best artists I know) zeroed in on
> that lamp when she first came to visit. She likes it too. :)
>
This reminds me of a lamp story, too. I used to work in a large high school
whose assistant principals were constantly moving up to principalships in other
schools so we had new AP's frequently. Over the years it became a tradition
that the new AP was given a hand-me-down welcome gift by the other "leadership
team" members for her/his office. (They were mostly women.) The gift was the
most god-awful lamp you've ever seen--a nearly 2 ft. tall woman doll in a
bubblegum pink nylon big poofy Scarlet O'Hara dress carrying a pink parasol.
The most interesting thing about the tradition for the rest of us was seeing
which of the AP's had enough sense of humor and self-confidence to display it
prominently in his/her office and who hid it away in a dark corner till it could
be given away again....
Moral: You can tell a lot about a person by his/her lamps! ;-)
gloria p
Miriam Lewis
(Sandi Rollins) wrote:
> OK, we did the "What was the *best* gift you ever got?"
>
> How about the flip side? What was the most hilarious, awful
> gift you've ever received? (Not necessarily from your SO....)
>
> Sandi
I don't think this was quite extreme enough to fall into the "most
hilarious, awful" category but Doug once gave me one of those things that
you plug in and leave on to discourage mosquitoes. It supposedly emits
some frequency that keeps them away. Well not only is he bothered much
more by mosquitoes than I am, the darn thing doesn't work anyhow. He
seemed so surprised that I wasn't thrilled with it. He has, however, given
me some really stellar gifts.
Miriam
--
"Merely corroborative detail intended to give
artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise bald
and unconvincing narrative." --The Mikado
Hillary Israeli
Sandi Rollins <srol...@econ.Berkeley.EDU> wrote:
*OK, we did the "What was the *best* gift you ever got?"
*
*How about the flip side? What was the most hilarious, awful
*gift you've ever received? (Not necessarily from your SO....)
We got this weird...thing...as a wedding gift. Actually, the two worst are
tied. One is a small glass sculpture. It's about 15x10x5 cm and weighs
about 3 kg. It's basically a rectangle of glass with a brass wire running
through it and some bizarre splotches of color. It came with a book about
the artist, which was the most whiny, self-indulgent piece of crap I ever
read. I am certain, based on my knowledge of the giver and of the artist,
that this was a very expensive gift. But it is hanging out on the floor in
the dining room, seeking a permanent home...
The other thing we got is this weird lamp that looks like an umbrella
stand. We really don't know what to do with it.
--
hillary israeli http://www.hillary.net in...@hillary.net
"uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est."
upenn school of vet med class of 2000
Denise
<gec22N...@cornell.edu.invalid> wrote:
>Hmmm...okay, the worst gift ever was from my cousin for Christmas when
>I was about 16. He got me a...for lack of something better to call
>it... "painting", done in day-glow, aching-for-black-light colors, of
>some kind of medieval countryside. I think it involved a unicorn. It
>was awful.
Ohh, we had those!
I think those are collectors items now, might be worth something!
>Yup...the silver cheese set. FYI -- it's a sterling silver cheese
>knife and spreader thingy (not solid, BTW...a ripoff at $250 if you ask
>me). In a blue Tiffany box with velvet lining. We think it looks
>lovely on our plastic cutting board.
I hate to say this, Sterling silver *is* solid, it is just mixed with
a little of a different alloy like copper (I think to take the
softness out of it & make it more durable) But the Silver content is
about 93% for Sterling. It is Silver Plate that is not solid Silver
and can chip if you are not careful.
At least this is pretty much what I have understood it to be. I guess
I could be wrong, been known to happen :)
Denise & Brian (& Spaz the fid)
Calgon, Take me away!
Denise
wrote:
>How about the flip side? What was the most hilarious, awful
>gift you've ever received? (Not necessarily from your SO....)
Brian gave me a T-shirt for Christmas, after we had been dating for 1
year & 18 days.
The Next christmas, he got me a mini pool table set (one of those
decorative kind that would go on a business man's desk). I had seen it
while we were in a game store and said it was nifty, but a gift from
your Boyfriend of two years?
Needless to say, he is Clueless.
Kim W
he sat and watched TV.... I know I know..... I finally caught on and
moved out. But one year for Xmas he went to see his family in Chicago.
I had bought him some nice clothes and he came home with this pair of
puke yellow plastic candle holders in the shape of a star with huge
sharp points on them. Obviously something from a niece to him. But the
clincher is that when I thanked him he says " I knew they were you
when I saw them" I almost puked.
3 years later I was moving after living in my car for 6 months (yes it
got really bad with him) and I came across one of those stars and
sliced my hand open and needed stitches. Needless to say in the trash
they went.
He also brought me home after a surgery and went out to get me pain
meds and was missing for 36 hours. I could not get out of bed. bad
scene.
So this year when I had my surgery I was so scared that DH was going
to fail in the care giver role. So when he realized I was so upset
over something I told him the story. So I think he went overbaord in
taking care of me. Worked out well for me though. :)
Other than that I have never gotten any bad gifts. ONes from little
cousins who pick it themselves don't count for me.
On 8 Dec 1999 22:01:25 GMT, srol...@econ.Berkeley.EDU (Sandi Rollins)
wrote:
>OK, we did the "What was the *best* gift you ever got?"
>
>How about the flip side? What was the most hilarious, awful
>gift you've ever received? (Not necessarily from your SO....)
>
>Sandi
Donna
All these references to lamps keeps reminding me that when we first moved
to our current home, we discovered that there was very little built-in
lighting (we'd previously only seen the place in the daylight.) The next
weekend we were visiting the in-laws and they'd dug a bunch of lamps out
of the attic for us - both had been presents (to them) that they didn't
much care for. Well one is so-so, but the other is just lovely. Best yet,
a friend (who I consider one of the best artists I know) zeroed in on
that lamp when she first came to visit. She likes it too. :)
It was just too funny to think of this 'white-elephant' sitting around
all those years waiting for a daughter-in-law to come along and fall in
love with it.
Donna
Jenn Bernat
I'd have to say that the worst we got was from DH's Uncle Wally (I think
the name says a lot!). Apparently he's an artist. So he made us this
sculpture of two dolphins swimming together. In itself it's not too
awful. But apparently an important part of this sculpture is a large
turquoise rock.
When the boxes came, I opened the little one first. All that was in it was
a carefully packed, 15lb, spray-painted rock from the backyard! I called
DH at work right away, "Someone mailed us a rock! Must be one of *your*
relatives.". The card turned out to be in the bigger box. We now use the
"turquoise" as a door stop, and I plan to pack away the dolphins as soon
as I can get away with it.
Jenn
--
Jenn Bernat
Sara-anne
my brother got married, they got these crocheted mice dressed as a bride
and groom for a shower gift. They are about 8 inches tall, and,
well, they're a bride and groom! Where are you supposed to put them?
Anyway they are just awful! So, it has now become a tradition to regift
them to the next bride and groom in our family. It went to my sister,
then my brother, now lucky me! I can't wait for my brother or sister to
get married....
Sara
In article <82mkfl$e77$1...@agate.berkeley.edu>,
srol...@econ.Berkeley.EDU (Sandi Rollins) wrote:
> OK, we did the "What was the *best* gift you ever got?"
>
> How about the flip side? What was the most hilarious, awful
> gift you've ever received? (Not necessarily from your SO....)
>
> Sandi
>
--
Email at this address is never read. Please post all replies.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Michelle
Donna <mij...@livespamfree.home.com> wrote:
> It was just too funny to think of this 'white-elephant' sitting around
> all those years waiting for a daughter-in-law to come along and fall
> in love with it.
I have a similar story. We needed a mirror for our bathroom when we
first moved out. MIL was renovating her basement bathroom and gave us
the mirror she had in this bathroom. It has a fancy wood frame painted
in gold. Sounds a bit tacky, and I'm not into fancy things, but our
walls in the bathroom were in the yellow tint (Beeswax was the name of
the paint) and the gold frame stood out big time instead of being
forgotten in a basement bathroom. I fell in love with it.
Michelle
Karina Wright
: OK, we did the "What was the *best* gift you ever got?"
: How about the flip side? What was the most hilarious, awful
: gift you've ever received? (Not necessarily from your SO....)
Well, it's not really a gift, but since everyone else is posting about
lamps...
My great aunt had two lamps that my mom admired when she was about 10
years old. They are the most hideous things - HUGE yellowish-white
shades, lots of weird crystal things hanging from them, weird patterns on
the BIG stems - they probably stand three feet high (they're table lamps).
Anyway, my mom obviously grew some taste, and her and her sisters referred
to them as the "hooker lamps" growing up (according to them, they look
like something that belongs in a whore house).
Well, my aunt died earlier this year, and remembered what my mom had said
when she was 10. She left the hooker lamps to my mother. (I got the
beautiful antique bedroom suite, complete with four poster bed, vanity
table, night table, and dresser).
Anyway, my mom has been trying to pass off the hooker lamps on EVERYONE.
She jokingly said that our wedding present would be the hooker lamps. I
told her that I refused to accept them!
Anyway, it's not really a gift, but they're known in our family and
everyone is terrified that they'll get them one Christmas or birthday.
But a terrible present - you know, I can't really think of anything really
horrible offhand, except for when I was 14 or 15, I received an
"interesting" sweatshirt from a relative, complete with a picture of a
cat, sequins and gems sewn on, and some sort of words (like "you're the
cat's meow" or something).
Reminds me of the first time DH spent his birthday with my family (we'd
been seeing each other a month or so).
The first gift he opened was socks - DH immediately said (in a very
excited voice) - "WOW SOCKS!!! Now I don't have to do laundry for another
week!" He immediately fit in to my family!
Oops, sorry this is so long - I got carried away!
--
Karina Clark
Karen Simmons
something awful and I couldn't ... then I remembered the vacuum cover.
*grin*
My grandmother, bless her heart, is just terrible about getting
appropriate gifts. One year she got me a denim shirt embroidered with
little ducks and chickens all over - yuck. Another year she got me she
got me one of those "weave your own potholder sets" that's designed for
a 7 or 8 year old - except I happened to be 22 at the time. But the
most recent was last Christmas. Kevin and I opened a box from her and
there was a teddy bear - or so we thought. I took it out of the box and
it was only the upper half of a teddy bear and it had a really, really
looooong calico skirt and apron on (like Laura Ingalls from Little House
on the Prairie). Kevin and I looked at it forever trying to figure out
what it was. Finally I found the little tag on it's ear: it was a
cover for an upright vacuum. There was a hole in the bottom of the bear
which you put the handle of the vacuum into and then the skirt falls all
the way to the floor and covers your vacuum. It looks really silly and
it frightens the cat besides. So it's in a box in our linen closet and
if she ever comes to visit, we'll pull it out and cover the vacuum.
Until then, I don't see much use for it except for a good laugh.
Oh well, I know she means well - she just still thinks I'm 8.
Karen
--
----------------------------
Karen Simmons, Photographer
Atlanta, Georgia
----------------------------
Stefani L. Greene
awful/halarious gift every year. She picks up little things here and
there from garage sales and flea markets and gives them out for all
occassions.
On my 12th birthday, my Grandma gave me a used pair of electric
scissors and a stack of construction paper. I used the paper to draw
on, while my little sister (who was 7 at the time) stole the electric
scissors when I wasn't looking and pretty much shaved her stuffed
animals. Then, the two of us proceeded to cut up the remaining paper,
leaving it scattered across the family room floor. I know Grandma meant
well, but c'mon! Who gives a 12 year old electric scissors and a stack
of paper... that is just asking for a mess!!
Also, this same Grandma gave me, on my 15th birthday, a pair of giraff
statues she got at a garage sale. She thought they would look cute in
my room. They were light yellow and orange... one looked like he was
eating from a tree above his head and the other looked like she was
leaning down to bite the other's leg. Why she ever thought a 15 year
old would like something like that, I will never know.
Like I said, I know she meant well and I love the thought. But I wish
I could just have a gift certificate instead (I'm scared this year of
what she will attempt to get for Jason... *cringe*). <g>
Stefani
In article <82mkfl$e77$1...@agate.berkeley.edu>,
srol...@econ.Berkeley.EDU (Sandi Rollins) wrote:
> OK, we did the "What was the *best* gift you ever got?"
>
> How about the flip side? What was the most hilarious, awful
> gift you've ever received? (Not necessarily from your SO....)
>
> Sandi
techs...@prodigy.net
The first year I was dating Marc, his grandmother (God love her) gave
me underwear with dalmations on them. ( I was 21 at the time!!) She
also gave his 19 year old brother those pants with the elastic waist
that has velcro to tighten them and elastic at the ankles with some
crazy orange tiger stiping all over them!! (He actually wore them,
too!!) We have all agreed that we'd rather her not buy us any gifts,
rather donate money to charities or buy gifts for Toys For Tots or
something! She has TERRIBLE taste and thinks we are all 5 year old
children!!
Sheryl
Shelly
<tu...@berkshire.net> wrote:
>Sandi Rollins wrote:
>>
>> OK, we did the "What was the *best* gift you ever got?"
>>
>> How about the flip side? What was the most hilarious, awful
>> gift you've ever received? (Not necessarily from your SO....)
>>
>> Sandi
>
>
>Oh, my MIL is the queen of awful gifts. And she gives a ton of them.
> Let's see, for our shower she
>gave us a white plunger. There was a little bride and groom at the top,
>and the Handle was filled with rice. There was a tag that said "Taking
>The Plunge!"
Just a quick story about this: I went to the shower thrown for the
fiancee of a friend from HS, and she received one of these. I
couldn't believe that someone would think this was a good
gift, until I overheard the groom's mother say that he actually
REGISTERED for it!!
Robin
> No, no, the *silver* is solid, of that I am sure. It's just that the
> solid silver is made into hollow-handled knives. Which is not really a
> problem, but my point is, for $250, you think you'd get a solid-handled
> knife.
>
erases all flaws.
There was an ad on TV last night for Tiffany, and I took that opportunity
to have a little talk with Eric about the Tiffany mistique. I told him
how some women swoon at the site of the 'little blue box', and how if *I*
should every get a gift in the little blue box, unless it was being used
to hold a tape measure, I'd probably run screaming from the room. He
assured me not to worry =)
--
There's no need to e-mail me a copy of a follow-up; but if you do,
please identify it as such.
Geri.Clark
<klsi...@mindspring.com> wrote:
> What a great thread. I was really wracking my brains trying to
> think of
> something awful and I couldn't ... then I remembered the vacuum
> cover.
> *grin*
> My grandmother, bless her heart, is just terrible about getting
> appropriate gifts. One year she got me a denim shirt embroidered
> with
> little ducks and chickens all over - yuck.
OMG, how did I forget this one? *Every* year, my aunt gets me a
sweatshirt with some kind of syrupy-sweet animal on it. Lately it's
been lots of puppies and kitties frolicking in baskets...I have *never*
in my life worn something like this, so where she gets the idea that
I'd like them is beyond me. One year she thoughtfully got me hot-pink
leggings to match the sweatshirt. Ack.
I've taken to leaving them at my parents' house in NH where it gets
cold so I never have to bring PJs with me. And I think my mom has
started using them as dog towels. Seems appropriate.
Jenni
soul, he really flubbed up. That year, he gave me a scale! (His
thoughts? Well, we needed one. I thought that you would like it!) He
also gave me a "some assembly required" dresser. While I did need this,
it was not very attractive, not what I would have chosen, and
unassembled! He could not figure out why I was not happy! Lucky for
me, he has gotten much better at gifts. And I learned to drop big
hints about what I want and to say, "Yes, we do need that, but I do not
want to get it for Christmas!"
-Jenni
--
Jenni Ewing je...@home.com
Group Webpage: http://members.home.net/jenni
Personal: http://members.home.net/ewingd
Of course Santa is jolly... He knows where all the bad girls live!
fdrc
my birthday during my first year at college. I forgive her; she also
gave me a really cool kimono-style robe once.
The most curious wedding gift we got was from one of Charles's best
friends, who had put a lot of time and thought into getting us a good
gift. He gave us a small stained-glass lamp shaped like a turtle.
Neither of us can think how he was inspired to come up with such a
gift, but we accept his wackiness and think of him fondly when we see
the turtle lamp in our spare room.
Fiona
Geri.Clark
<rob...@softhome.net> wrote:
> On Wed, 08 Dec 1999 17:54:53 -0800, Geri.Clark wrote...
> > No, no, the *silver* is solid, of that I am sure. It's just that
> the
> > solid silver is made into hollow-handled knives. Which is not
> really a
> > problem, but my point is, for $250, you think you'd get a
> solid-handled
> > knife.
> >
> Geri, Geri, Geri. Don't you understand? It's from *Tiffany*!
> That
> erases all flaws.
Oh, you have no idea. The part of the story I didn't tell was that DH's
sister actually *worked* at Tiffany for about five years -- she was an
assitant pearl grader (which I think is kind of a cool job; but she
blew it -- the were paying for her to go to gemology school and get
certified. She quit about a quarter of the way through to get married
and move to California. Now she does some random job. But I digress) so
needless to say, she was in love with all things Tiffany. DH was so
disgusted with the sterling-and-crystal excess of his sister's gift
list that he asked then if it would be appropriate to use her employee
discount to buy her wedding gifts :-)
Re: the Tiffany mystique -- SIL registered for some large glasses at
Tiffany. DH and I looked at them, and he said, "those are the same
glasses I got at Ikea for a buck each!" And, well, he wasn't entirely
off-base :-)
Donna
Karen Simmons wrote: (but I snipped a fair bit of it)
>
> ... Finally I found the little tag on it's ear: it was a
> cover for an upright vacuum. There was a hole in the bottom of the bear
> which you put the handle of the vacuum into and then the skirt falls all
> the way to the floor and covers your vacuum. It looks really silly and
> it frightens the cat besides...
>
> Until then, I don't see much use for it except for a good laugh.
Obviously it's used to scare off catburglers.
Karen Simmons
cracking me up.
Kevin's grandmom who is filthy rich send me a really nice letter telling
me she was redoing their bathroom and she had some really nice antique
perfume bottles that she'd like to send me as a birthday present - if I
didn't mind getting "second hand" gifts. Since I collect perfume
bottles, and since I figured they were probably very nice ones, I said
that of course I'd love to have them.
3 weeks later the box arrived. I tore into it and... it was full of
just regular old perfume bottles for things like "Enjoli", "White
Shoulders", etc.
*sigh* I still have them and will arrange them on the bathroom counter
should Grandma ever come visit.
KayBooo
well-intentioned, elderly, crochet-happy aunt made them this... thing
for a shower. It was a doll wearing a crocheted wedding dress and when
you pressed a button in her back she played "Here Comes the Bride."
That doll made appearances at showers and bachelor / bachelorette
parties for years. By the time we got married, her hair was matted into
a solid wedge, she was missing one leg, and she played a drunken,
out-of-tune version of the music at unpredictable times whether or not
her button had been pushed. Nonetheless, she continued to serve as a
centerpiece. God bless Mike's Aunt Marge!
Other Kathy
In article <82ob8i$1bp$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>, Sara-anne
<sara...@my-deja.com> wrote:
> This thread is hysterical! We have this tradition in my family.
> When
> my brother got married, they got these crocheted mice dressed as a
> bride
> and groom for a shower gift. They are about 8 inches tall, and,
> well, they're a bride and groom! Where are you supposed to put
> them?
> Anyway they are just awful! So, it has now become a tradition to
> regift
> them to the next bride and groom in our family. It went to my
> sister,
> then my brother, now lucky me! I can't wait for my brother or
> sister to
> get married....
> Sara
> In article <82mkfl$e77$1...@agate.berkeley.edu>,
> srol...@econ.Berkeley.EDU (Sandi Rollins) wrote:
> > OK, we did the "What was the *best* gift you ever got?"
> >
> > How about the flip side? What was the most hilarious, awful
> > gift you've ever received? (Not necessarily from your SO....)
> >
> > Sandi
> >
> --
> Email at this address is never read. Please post all replies.
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.
* Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet's Discussion Network *
RGB
> Well, it's not really a gift, but since everyone else is posting about
> lamps...
Speaking of hideous lamps... we had a lot of stuff in our house (in Jamaica)
that was Phil's parents. There was one lamp that I just hated (and am so glad
it is staying in Jamaica with my FIL - there, that's 2 things I won't miss
living with... ). The lamp base was a black and white ceramic figurine of a
woman riding a horse. It looks like a scene out of Gone with the Wind or
something like that. (BTW, we had a hunting dog figurine in the same style
that lived on the coffee table for awhile. Equally hideous).
Phil had it sitting on a little wooden corner stand that wasn't particularly
stable. When I used to clean the house, everytime I vacuumed or mopped near
it I was sooo tempted to "bump" the stand and cause a little lamp fatality.
Of course, I never had the heart to do it - mainly cuz Phil actually *liked*
the thing. (My only explanation for this since - obviously <g> - the man has
otherwise good taste is that it's so familiar to him from being in the house
he grew up in and he associates it with good things that he is doesn't
actually see how ugly it is.
We also had some lamps in the bedroom (also from the parents stuff) that were
quite the monstrosities also. They're rather large porcelain things, mainly a
light green with very elaborate and detailed 3-D flowers all over the place.
Of course, now that I have been to several auctions and am learning about
collectibles etc. I am thinking they are Capo-di-monte as they are similar to
some of those pieces that I've seen sold. Of course, this doesn't make them
any less gaudy. I hate to admit it but they actually grew on me and I came to
kind of like them. Not enough to pack them with the things we brought back
mind you - just enough to not be thinking of how to get rid of them.
Rose
Vicky Larmour
>3 weeks later the box arrived. I tore into it and... it was full of
>just regular old perfume bottles for things like "Enjoli", "White
>Shoulders", etc.
LOL! This thread is so funny. I honestly can't think of any things we've
ever been given that have been quite so bad as some of the things you all
have posted about!
We've had our share of ugly ornaments, strange "gadgets" that end up
taking more effort than the task they were meant to replace, and all
sorts... but nothing as bad as random old perfume bottles :-)
I think the worst was last year when a well-meaning relative gave us a
pair of matching vases - one fluorescent orange, one fluorescent lime
green, and both basically spherical so that they wouldn't actually stand
up! I suspected it was a "re-gifting" but apparently the giver gave the
same thing to basically everyone as Christmas presents that year, so it
can't have been!
Vicky
--
vicky.larmour[at]camcon.co.uk All opinions mine.
The "unofficial offical alt.newlywed page" and a.n FAQ:
http://www.jifvik.demon.co.uk/newlywed/newlywed.htm
Geri.Clark
When I used to clean the house, everytime I vacuumed or
> mopped near
> it I was sooo tempted to "bump" the stand and cause a little lamp
> fatality.
> Of course, I never had the heart to do it - mainly cuz Phil
> actually *liked*
> the thing. (My only explanation for this since - obviously <g> -
> the man has
> otherwise good taste is that it's so familiar to him from being in
> the house
> he grew up in and he associates it with good things that he is
> doesn't
> actually see how ugly it is.
LOL! DH's great aunt is 97 years old, unmarried, had lived in the same
apartment for, like 60 years. She just moved to Florida with my ILs,
and when we visited her before they left, she told DH that he could
have what he wanted from her apartment. There are two things he "must"
have: one is a, well, I guess it's a clock. A heavy brass clock in the
shape of a boy fishing, I think. The clock is set into the body of the
sculpture. It is truly awful. I thought he was kidding when he said "I
can have the clock, I can have the clock!" so I told him no way was
that think living in my house, and he was devastated. So I guess it'll
be coming home to us soon. I think it's such a remnant of his childhood
that he also can't see how hideous it is.
The other thing is an enormous, intricately carved wooden bench with a
back that reaches about six feet high. It takes up the entire entrance
hall of Great Aunt's apt. This is where DH and his sibs sat at all the
big family Seders and Rosh Hashana dinners when his grandparents were
alive. I think it's the only thing they brought with them when they
fled Germany. He's the only one who wants it. I have no idea where
we're going to put it. It's lovely (though it looks like it belongs in
an old Jewish lady's house, and not ours, but I guess that's what
heirlooms are all about), and certainly a family treasure, but it's
*huge* and must weigh several hundred pounds. I'm purposely keeping the
largest wall of our dining room free cause I know the thing is going to
end up with us. I just hope my ILs keep the apt for a while longer so I
don't have to deal with it yet.
Teej
> OK, we did the "What was the *best* gift you ever got?"
>
> How about the flip side? What was the most hilarious, awful
> gift you've ever received? (Not necessarily from your SO....)
>
> Sandi
The worst gift Larry and I ever got was an engagement gift. It is a
clay mizzuzah. The biggest problem is the smell. Then there is the
look of it. I can't even begin to describe it.. Just look
http://www.panix.com/~teej/smellym.jpg (taking the picture was the
longest amount of time it has been out of it's case. The case seems
to keep the smell in.)
What's really unfair is that Larry's sister got married about 1 year
after us. The same person got her a really pretty mizzuzah.. Oh well.
/s
--
Teej
http://www.panix.com/~teej
RNR
funny story. I had registered for cobalt glass cake plate, salad bowl and
tiered server, as well as champagne flutes. Well, someone saw that we
liked cobalt glass and decided to get us a bunch of the other items they
had, too. Well, the bud vase and rose bowl were nice, although not as
useful as serving pieces. There was a third, however, a candleholder that
was made of three cobalt tubes that made a cup at the top which were to be
filled with water and tapers floated in it, the frame was this twisty
silver contraption. It was ugly and pointless and we could have used
something else much more.
Well, the first time we used it, I broke one of the tubes, and it just
sat on top of the shelves in the living room for a while. Rich, when we
were moving, asked whether I had registered for it, or something like
that, and I said no, and explained. He laughed because he said he had
hated it all this time, but didn't want to say anything because he thought
I'd picked it out.
Regards,
Ranee
Microsoft is preparing for the next millennium with a new
version of Windows called Windows 2000. The target for
release is first quarter, 1901
Liz
Robin <rob...@softhome.net> wrote in message
news:MPG.12b97a122...@naxs.ispnews.com...
> On Wed, 08 Dec 1999 17:54:53 -0800, Geri.Clark wrote...
> > No, no, the *silver* is solid, of that I am sure. It's just that the
> > solid silver is made into hollow-handled knives. Which is not really a
> > problem, but my point is, for $250, you think you'd get a solid-handled
> > knife.
> >
> Geri, Geri, Geri. Don't you understand? It's from *Tiffany*! That
> erases all flaws.
>
> to have a little talk with Eric about the Tiffany mistique. I told him
> should every get a gift in the little blue box, unless it was being used
> to hold a tape measure, I'd probably run screaming from the room. He
> assured me not to worry =)
Hi Robin ....
As a *former* employee of Tiffany, I'm happy to tell you that they do in
fact carry a sterling silver-cased tape measure. So you may yet get a little
blue box.
They also have very cool sterling Swiss-army knives, with 18k Victorinox
emblem, one of which I own (but did not purchase).
Liz (who considers Tiffany to be a favorite museum)
HollyLewis
>should every get a gift in the little blue box, unless it was being used
>to hold a tape measure, I'd probably run screaming from the room. He
>assured me not to worry =)
Now if I were Eric, I'd be calling Tiffany's to find out whether they have
sterling silver tape measures...
(I bet they do.)
Holly
HollyLewis
>it I was sooo tempted to "bump" the stand and cause a little lamp fatality.
Y'all have seen the movie "A Christmas Story", right?
I think the most hilarious part of the whole movie is the bit about the leg
lamp.
Holly
Jodi Graham Wood
HollyLewis <holly...@aol.com> wrote:
>Y'all have seen the movie "A Christmas Story", right?
>
>I think the most hilarious part of the whole movie is the bit about the leg
>lamp.
That's what I was thinking, Holly! "It's a major award!" "Look it must be
Italian, it says 'fra-gee-lay'"!
Jodi
Karen Simmons
> He laughed because he said he had hated it all this time, but didn't
> want to say anything because he thought I'd picked it out.
Oh this reminded me of something else. About 9 years ago now (wow, it's
been a long time) I coordinated a wedding for two friends of mine. They
were living and going to school in California, but wanted to get married
in Austin, which is where we were all from and where I was still living
at the time. So I put together the whole wedding for them, sending
Polaroid photos back and forth, making lots of late night phone calls,
etc. It all came together really, really well if I do say so myself.
But I digress.
The night before the wedding we were at the groom's parents house where
we were putting the finishing touches on some mini-quiches I was baking
for the reception. We were all chatting and going over the details
(didn't have much of a rehearsal) when the groom's mom came in with a
wrapped box for me. I opened it and it was one of those troll dolls
(the ones with the bright neon hair that sticks straight up and the bug
eyes) in a wedding dress. His mom said it was to thank me for all the
work I'd done - they were going to call me the "wedding troll" or
something like that. Well, she meant well and I made the appropriate
gushing "oh thank you" noises over it and set it aside. Left the
kitchen for a minute, came back in to find the groom's brother miming
choking the thing and stuffing it down the disposal. They all turned
and looked at me with shock and guilt on their faces, and the brother
gently smoothes the trolls hair and sets it gingerly back on the
counter. I start laughing and the bride says "oh we're so relieved -
the way you thanked his mom for it, we thought you loved it".
Apparently I got quite the reputation at that point for being able to
appear to like anything and ever since when they send me a gift I have
to let them know that I *really* liked it as opposed to being polite
liking it.
Howboutmer
>Kevin and I opened a box from her and
>there was a teddy bear - or so we thought. I took it out of the box and
>it was only the upper half of a teddy bear and it had a really, really
>looooong calico skirt and apron on (like Laura Ingalls from Little House
>on the Prairie). Kevin and I looked at it forever trying to figure out
>cover for an upright vacuum. There was a hole in the bottom of the bear
>which you put the handle of the vacuum into and then the skirt falls all
>the way to the floor and covers your vacuum. It looks really silly and
>it frightens the cat besides.
ROFLMAO!!! That's hysterical! Who would have imagined vacuum cleaners need
covers -- and teddy bear ones at that!
Bet its fun to show your friends.
- Mary
>
>
>
>
>
Geri.Clark
Okay, just thought of another one.
I refused to have a wedding shower; just didn't want it. One night,
about five weeks before our wedding, DH tells me that we're going to
dinner with an out-of-town client of his. Fine. So we get to the
restaurant, and it's actually my "wedding party" (which was just my
brother's wife and my best friend) and their spouses. They wanted to
something pre-wedding and festive without a shower.
So, they even brought gifts! My bro and SIL got us towels, and my
friend and her DH bought us crystal glasses...all very nice. Then my
friend makes a big deal out of the last box. She very seriously says
"This is something special that we didn't have at our wedding, and wish
we had, so we got it for you."
In the box was the most hideous cake-topper I've ever seen. My very
non-craftsy friend had made this thing out of styrofoam and gold ribbon
and gold-lame roses, and it had a bride and groom on it...it was just
completely tacky.
My mind raced -- she and I had both joked about how much we disliked
cake toppers, so my first reaction was that it was a joke. But I played
it totally straight (I dunno how I managed...it was *hideous*) and
thanked them and gushed. But then I was panicking about suppose she was
*serious* and I had to have this thing at my wedding? Luckily, she
folded first -- she really thought that I loved it, and said, "Uh, you
know it's a joke, right? I don't expect you to put that on your cake."
Whew. I considerd putting it on the cake anyway and telling everyone
that she's made it just for me...
KathyK
<klsi...@mindspring.com> wrote:
> I opened it and it was one of those troll
> dolls
> (the ones with the bright neon hair that sticks straight up and
> the bug
> eyes) in a wedding dress. His mom said it was to thank me for all
> the
> work I'd done - they were going to call me the "wedding troll" or
> something like that. Well, she meant well and I made the
> appropriate
> kitchen for a minute, came back in to find the groom's brother
> miming
> choking the thing and stuffing it down the disposal. They all
> turned
> and looked at me with shock and guilt on their faces, and the
> brother
> gently smoothes the trolls hair and sets it gingerly back on the
> counter. I start laughing and the bride says "oh we're so
> relieved -
> the way you thanked his mom for it, we thought you loved it".
> Apparently I got quite the reputation at that point for being able
> to
> appear to like anything and ever since when they send me a gift I
> have
> to let them know that I *really* liked it as opposed to being
> polite
> liking it.
> Karen
> --
Karen, this is so funny, I am laughing so hard that I'm crying. The
worst part of it is that I'm at work and the guy in the office next
door must think that I am nuts!
Denise
<gec22N...@cornell.edu.invalid> wrote:
>No, no, the *silver* is solid, of that I am sure. It's just that the
>solid silver is made into hollow-handled knives. Which is not really a
>problem, but my point is, for $250, you think you'd get a solid-handled
>knife.
Ohh, I see.
Well, then that is pretty cheap.
Denise & Brian (& Spaz the fid)
Calgon, Take me away!
Lynn
My ex's mom gave us a home-made lamp when we were first
setting up an apartment. It was made out of a huge wine
bottle, had tiny pieces of ripped masking tape glued all
over it, then painted black with really bright colored
flowers on it! I hated the thing but being as poor as we
were then and needing some kind of light in the living room,
we had to use it.
Fast forward about 13 years...I'm no longer with the guy
but I'm friends with one of the girlfriends he had after
me. We got to talking just last month and the lamp came
up. Turns out she hated it too and it did "accidentally"
fall off the table. We had a really good laugh about that.
Lynn
Miriam Lewis
> The worst gift Larry and I ever got was an engagement gift. It is a
> clay mizzuzah. The biggest problem is the smell. Then there is the
> look of it. I can't even begin to describe it.. Just look
> http://www.panix.com/~teej/smellym.jpg (taking the picture was the
> longest amount of time it has been out of it's case. The case seems
> to keep the smell in.)
>
> What's really unfair is that Larry's sister got married about 1 year
> after us. The same person got her a really pretty mizzuzah.. Oh well.
Oh that is too funny. Especially the little bride--she looks like she has
marshmallows on her chest. Maybe you could save it as a white elephant
gift. Otherwise the sisterhood rummage sale (if they have one where you
are).
Miriam
--
"Merely corroborative detail intended to give
artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise bald
and unconvincing narrative." --The Mikado
Jean Peters
Mike and Heather Oviatt wrote
> Oh what fun!
>
> Our worst wedding gift was some thing that was supposed to let you
> program your VCR by voice. It looked like a remote control. Completely
> useless to us as we have no problem with programming our VCR and it
> would actually have been more of a pain to learn to use this thing than
> to keep on doing what we had been doing. We donated this thing to one
> of Mike's grandma's garage sales.
>
We can't decide what our worst (or most useless to us) wedding gift was.
It's a toss-up between a duvet (for a twin bed) or a crystal ice bucket
that reeks of "unwanted golf club prize". My mother got the duvet - we
have either a double bed (ours) or the futon which turns into a double bed.
The ice bucket may get lost or broken when we move.
On a personal level, my pil gave me a print of a Dublin street for my last
birthday. Not only is it a bad print of a bad painting, I'm not from
Dublin originally, and have no emotional ties to the place. I have no idea
why they thought that I'd like it (even Mark, who is a native Dubliner
doesn't like it).
Jean, sure that's there's many more, but time and space won't allow it.
Jean Peters
Jenni wrote
> The first Christmas that DH and were married, bless his little practical
> soul, he really flubbed up. That year, he gave me a scale! (His
> thoughts? Well, we needed one. I thought that you would like it!) He
> also gave me a "some assembly required" dresser. While I did need this,
> it was not very attractive, not what I would have chosen, and
> unassembled! He could not figure out why I was not happy! Lucky for
> me, he has gotten much better at gifts. And I learned to drop big
> hints about what I want and to say, "Yes, we do need that, but I do not
> want to get it for Christmas!"
Mark has been warned that if I ever get a household appliance as a
birthday/Christmas gift (unless I specifically ask for it), there will be
*big* trouble. The warning gets repeated every year, just in case :-).
It's worked so far.....
Jean
HollyLewis
>covers -- and teddy bear ones at that!
>Bet its fun to show your friends.
At least it wasn't the one that looks like a maid. Or a butler. (Yes, this
exists.)
I think they're meant for people who have insufficient closet space for the
vacuum. And who also like quilted appliance covers with chickies and bunnies.
:-)
Holly
yah...@eagle.cc.ukans.edu
: >Who would have imagined vacuum cleaners need
: >covers -- and teddy bear ones at that!
: >Bet its fun to show your friends.
: At least it wasn't the one that looks like a maid. Or a butler. (Yes, this
: exists.)
Or Aunt Jemima. My grandmother had a whole set of hand-made
"Aunt Jemima" appliance covers in her kitchen (this was WAY before the
days of political correctness). :P
Jill
Robin
> > There was an ad on TV last night for Tiffany, and I took that opportunity
> > to have a little talk with Eric about the Tiffany mistique. I told him
> > how some women swoon at the site of the 'little blue box', and how if *I*
> > should every get a gift in the little blue box, unless it was being used
> > to hold a tape measure, I'd probably run screaming from the room. He
> > assured me not to worry =)
>
>
> Hi Robin ....
>
> As a *former* employee of Tiffany, I'm happy to tell you that they do in
> fact carry a sterling silver-cased tape measure. So you may yet get a little
> blue box.
I'm so afraid... so very afraid.
Actually, I think I'd be more afraid to know what it costs. I'd have
visions of all the wonderful power tools I could have gotten instead
dancing in my head.
--
There's no need to e-mail me a copy of a follow-up; but if you do,
please identify it as such.
Robin
> I think they're meant for people who have insufficient closet space for the
> vacuum. And who also like quilted appliance covers with chickies and bunnies.
> :-)
We have insufficient closet space for the vacuum, but (believe it or not)
have no penchant for quilted appliance covers with chickies and bunnies.
Something about the vacuum itself being Way Less Ugly.
Deb Hardison
it was a "re-gift" as soon as she opened it, but her suspicions soon turned
to affirmation as she found the *original* card laying on the bottom of the
box... :-)
Deb
Shelly wrote in message <384ed5b4...@news.cyberlynk.net>...
>On 8 Dec 1999 22:01:25 GMT, srol...@econ.Berkeley.EDU (Sandi Rollins)
>wrote:
>
>>OK, we did the "What was the *best* gift you ever got?"
>>
>>How about the flip side? What was the most hilarious, awful
>>gift you've ever received? (Not necessarily from your SO....)
>
>I think it would be a toss-up between two of our wedding gifts,
>actually. DH's dad asked us to invite a few of his co-workers.
>As a gift, one of them brought this absolutely atrocious lamp
>that went with NOTHING we own, was completely not to our
>taste, and we suspect, re-gifted!
>
>The other was from an OOT relative of DH's that couldn't
>come to the wedding. They sent a Mikasa platter, which
>would be fine, except this one was titled something like
>"Lovebirds" and had this horrible scene carved and
>frosted in it. Again, completely *not* to our tastes.
>
>I think we've gotten the most mileage out of the lamp,
>tho. :)
>--
>Shelly
>Remove my favorite NFL team to reply
Donna
Karen Simmons wrote:
>
> ... I opened it and it was one of those troll dolls
> (the ones with the bright neon hair that sticks straight up and the bug
> eyes) in a wedding dress. His mom said it was to thank me for all the
> work I'd done - they were going to call me the "wedding troll" or
> something like that.
You know they make a groom troll as well (I should know, we were given
one of each at our rehearsal dinner. ;)
Donna
Puester
>
> The worst gift Larry and I ever got was an engagement gift. It is a
> clay mizzuzah. The biggest problem is the smell. Then there is the
> look of it. I can't even begin to describe it..
I'd say it's......interesting. Great boobs, too!
gloria p
fdrc
Charles the very first Christmas we were together (3 years ago). She
gave him a "pants sled." It's a pair of huge red vinyl shorts with
sewn-in elastic around the waist and legs that you pull on over your
clothes, and the bottom is a large, flat, plastic area for sliding down
slippery slopes on your bum! It looks like a big red diaper! Sadly,
we haven't had enough snow these past two winters to test it out. ;-)
Fiona
Karin Lin
> There was a third, however, a candleholder that
> was made of three cobalt tubes that made a cup at the top which were to be
> filled with water and tapers floated in it, the frame was this twisty
> silver contraption. It was ugly and pointless and we could have used
> something else much more.
Hey, we got the exact same thing as an engagement present several years ago,
but we LIKED it! Unfortunately, we broke one of the tubes as well when we
moved, so it's not sitting out anymore. I guess the one thing we can agree
on is that the glass is too darn fragile!
Karin
Hillary Israeli
Teej <te...@panix.com> wrote:
*>
*> OK, we did the "What was the *best* gift you ever got?"
*>
*> How about the flip side? What was the most hilarious, awful
*> gift you've ever received? (Not necessarily from your SO....)
*>
*> Sandi
*
*The worst gift Larry and I ever got was an engagement gift. It is a
*clay mizzuzah. The biggest problem is the smell. Then there is the
*look of it. I can't even begin to describe it.. Just look
*http://www.panix.com/~teej/smellym.jpg (taking the picture was the
*longest amount of time it has been out of it's case. The case seems
*to keep the smell in.)
*
So, what is up with the mezuzzah thing, anyway? We got, as engagement
and/or wedding gifts, more mezuzzahs than we have doors! I can't figure it
out. It just isn't something I would have ever considered giving as a
weeding gift to a couple who was NOT moving!
--
hillary israeli http://www.hillary.net in...@hillary.net
"uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est."
upenn school of vet med class of 2000
Hillary Israeli
Robin <rob...@softhome.net> wrote:
*On Wed, 08 Dec 1999 17:54:53 -0800, Geri.Clark wrote...
*> No, no, the *silver* is solid, of that I am sure. It's just that the
*> solid silver is made into hollow-handled knives. Which is not really a
*> problem, but my point is, for $250, you think you'd get a solid-handled
*> knife.
*>
*Geri, Geri, Geri. Don't you understand? It's from *Tiffany*! That
*erases all flaws.
*
*There was an ad on TV last night for Tiffany, and I took that opportunity
*to have a little talk with Eric about the Tiffany mistique. I told him
*how some women swoon at the site of the 'little blue box', and how if *I*
*should every get a gift in the little blue box, unless it was being used
*to hold a tape measure, I'd probably run screaming from the room. He
*assured me not to worry =)
*
The first time I was ever presented with a little blue box was when DH
proposed to me. I NOW *love* the little blue box. He teases me about this
all the time. I have saved it in my sock drawer :)
HollyLewis
>it was a "re-gift" as soon as she opened it, but her suspicions soon turned
>to affirmation as she found the *original* card laying on the bottom of the
>box... :-)
>
The only "suspected re-gift" we got wasn't so horrible, it was just that it was
a strange combination.
A simple glass pitcher, and a pair of ornate crystal candlesticks.
The couple who gave us these were relatively recently married also, so we think
these were the unwanted and un-exchangeable things *they* received. :-)
Holly
Tobyn Pollman
>Y'all have seen the movie "A Christmas Story", right?
>I think the most hilarious part of the whole movie is the bit about the leg
>lamp.
jsgr...@cs.indiana.edu (Jodi Graham Wood) wrote:
>That's what I was thinking, Holly! "It's a major award!" "Look it must be
>Italian, it says 'fra-gee-lay'"!
Well...should anyone ever want a "Major Award" for their personal web
site...I've been giving this one out for almost 2 years now:
http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/6369/ouraward.html
:-)
Robyn
http://come.to/tobyn
to...@tampabay.rr.com
We learned our lesson...please
remove "donotspamus." to reply
JulieD3964
>One of my good friends got a gift for their wedding... she suspected that
>it was a "re-gift" as soon as she opened it, but her suspicions soon turned
>to affirmation as she found the *original* card laying on the bottom of the
>box... :-)
We got one of those for our wedding shower. My brother and my sister-in-law
bought us a crock pot and when we opened it, it had a card inside to another
set of people. We figure that a happy couple returned the crock pot to the
store with the card inside and then my brother purchased it after it was
resealed.
The funny part was that the woman's name matched that of my sister-in-law!
Julie
Julie...@aol.com
JulieD3964
>So, what is up with the mezuzzah thing, anyway? We got, as engagement
>and/or wedding gifts, more mezuzzahs than we have doors! I can't figure it
>out. It just isn't something I would have ever considered giving as a
>weeding gift to a couple who was NOT moving!
We received four mezuzzahs for wedding gifts and only one of those would I ever
consider putting on an exterior, exposed door. Sorry, but there's no way I'd
put a Rosenthal art mezuzzah or either of the crystal ones on those doors since
we haven't a storm door or even an awning over the door. We're using a pewter
one on the front door (or we were until I took it down two weeks ago to repaint
the trim and forgot to put it back up after the paint dried) and it's become
terribly weather beaten.
We were already settled into our home but if you count the interior doors, I
suppose we could use more mezuzzahs. We're waiting to have fun with them at our
next house.
I've only given one as a wedding gift once but it was in conjunction with some
other Judaica. I happened upon a great buy on a set of a Rosenthal crystal
mezuzzah, a seder plate and a Kiddush cup for just under $150 when the seder
plate alone normally costs that much.
What I'd like to know is what's up with menorahs! We received FIVE of them as
wedding gifts (six if you count the new electric one) plus each of us already
had a good sized one and I had a travel menorah that uses birthday candles as
well as an electric one for show in the front window. We also ended up with two
seder plates.
Julie
Julie...@aol.com
JulieD3964
>Anyway, on the
>list was a "silver cheese set" for $250. DH and I could not figure out
>what the hell this was and why something involving cheese should cost
>$250...it became a standing joke with us.
In a similar vein, a friend of mine was married last spring and she was
registered at Williams-Sonoma for a "batticarne". I had never heard of a
batticarne before and hadn't a clue what one looked like. We asked a clerk
there who also didn't know and ended up with three people helping us find the
batticarne which is just a funny looking meat tenderizer. It's shaped like a
cookie press but bigger with a flat, heavy disk on the handle. We still tell
each other batticarne jokes.
Julie
Julie...@aol.com
Hillary Israeli
JulieD3964 <julie...@aol.com> wrote:
*I've only given one as a wedding gift once but it was in conjunction with some
*other Judaica. I happened upon a great buy on a set of a Rosenthal crystal
*mezuzzah, a seder plate and a Kiddush cup for just under $150 when the seder
*plate alone normally costs that much.
I gave a great challah plate/knife set to a friend for her wedding a
couple of years ago - bought it at American Pie here in Philadelphia which
sells a lot of funky judaica. She returned the favor with a really
beautiful spice box for our wedding :) (for the havdalah service, not for
cooking, in case any non-Jews are curious!)
*What I'd like to know is what's up with menorahs! We received FIVE of them as
*wedding gifts (six if you count the new electric one) plus each of us already
*had a good sized one and I had a travel menorah that uses birthday candles as
*well as an electric one for show in the front window. We also ended up with two
*seder plates.
Wow. I think everyone who even remotely knows us knows we have sufficient
seder plates and menorahs. Don't ask.
Geri.Clark
julie...@aol.com (JulieD3964) wrote:
> We received four mezuzzahs for wedding gifts
Okay, are we the only Jewish (well, half-Jewish. The DH half) couple
who received *no* mezuzzahs? We've been commenting for a year that we
think that's strange. It was kind of appropriate at the time, as we
weren't moving, but still, someone usually throws one in.
menorahs! We received FIVE
> of them as
> wedding gifts (six if you count the new electric one)
I'm starting to think I'm holding down the judaica gift quota here --
We got one menorah, and it was an engagement gift (we actually got
engaged two days before Chanukkah and DH's then-roommate's mom gave it
to us).
Hmmm...
Miriam Lewis
<gec22N...@cornell.edu.invalid> wrote:
> In article <19991210200005...@ng-fg1.aol.com>,
> julie...@aol.com (JulieD3964) wrote:
>
> > We received four mezuzzahs for wedding gifts
>
> Okay, are we the only Jewish (well, half-Jewish. The DH half) couple
> who received *no* mezuzzahs? We've been commenting for a year that we
> think that's strange. It was kind of appropriate at the time, as we
> weren't moving, but still, someone usually throws one in.
>
We did not receive any mezuzzahs as wedding gifts (we did receive one as a
house-warming gift but that was 4 years ago).
>
> menorahs! We received FIVE
> > of them as
> > wedding gifts (six if you count the new electric one)
>
> I'm starting to think I'm holding down the judaica gift quota here --
> We got one menorah, and it was an engagement gift (we actually got
> engaged two days before Chanukkah and DH's then-roommate's mom gave it
> to us).
>
> Hmmm...
>
Likewise, no menorahs. The only judaica gift we got was a pair of Sabbath
candle holders with some decorated candles.
Jenn Bernat
> Okay, are we the only Jewish (well, half-Jewish. The DH half) couple
> who received *no* mezuzzahs? We've been commenting for a year that we
> think that's strange. It was kind of appropriate at the time, as we
> weren't moving, but still, someone usually throws one in.
Nope. We're similarly half-Jewish, and we didn't get any Judaica at
all. We got some nice candlesticks we've designated for shabbat, and a
dish that matches (from different people) that a loaf of challah fits
on. But our menorah was Drew's (from Temple for his confirmation) and the
mezzuzah used to hang in his bedroom door at home.
Jenn
--
Jenn Bernat
JulieD3964
>I gave a great challah plate/knife set to a friend for her wedding a
>couple of years ago - bought it at American Pie here in Philadelphia which
>sells a lot of funky judaica.
What a great store! I've only been there a couple of times but they have the
NEATEST stuff!
>She returned the favor with a really
>beautiful spice box for our wedding :) (for the havdalah service, not for
>cooking, in case any non-Jews are curious!)
We don't have a spice box. That would have been useful instead of another
menorah. :)
Julie
Julie...@aol.com
Hillary Israeli
JulieD3964 <julie...@aol.com> wrote:
*Hillary wrote:
*>I gave a great challah plate/knife set to a friend for her wedding a
*>couple of years ago - bought it at American Pie here in Philadelphia which
*>sells a lot of funky judaica.
*
*What a great store! I've only been there a couple of times but they have the
*NEATEST stuff!
http://www.americanpiecrafts.com/index.cfm
Hollybear
that are out of business now so you can't return it!! Or stuff that you
never can find out where she got it to return it...one yr. she gave my dad
a tire gauge with someone else's initials on it...said she got it on a
clearance table at a going out of business sale...DUH!! and every yr. she
asks us to make lists of stuff we would like and she always buys what she
wants....westill laugh at the tire gauge though!!
Holly
JSchwab280
sock combo in peach. It had glittery snow and birds all perched on a barn. The
kicker is when she presents it to me and says, "I saw this and thought of
you"!! I have to restrain myself from saying, "How in the world do you look at
that and see me?!!?".I am very gracious about it, and her gifts usually come
from a certain store, so I return and never let her know. As we were taught as
children, it's the thought that counts!
Meg