<p>Eireann, I’ve been married for 25 years. These are the wedding gifts we received that have managed to make the cut after this many years of changing china patterns and Martha Stewart revisions to our decor:</p>
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<li> A crockpot.<br></li>
<li> An afghan crocheted by my husband’s great-grandmother.</li>
<li> An anniversary candle.<br></li>
<li><p>A recipe box of my grandmother’s favorite recipes. This was her gift to us, and she took the time to sit down and write them up. Over the years, I’ve added recipes from the other great cooks in the family. I still use them, especially during family gatherings over the holidays, and seeing her handwriting always brings back very fond memories of wonderful dinners at her house. Perhaps, you could gather family recipes and put them together in a binder for the bride and groom. My stepmom is legally blind, but she can read large print. </p></li>
<li><p>A tiny clay pot from New Mexico, a gift from my dad. Neither of my parents had much money, and this was a gift from him with a $100 bill rolled up and placed in the jar. We used the money to pay our catering bill. There were 50 people at our reception. At $2/plate, our guests were served a buffet of bbq’d chicken wings, crab puffs, salads, and other tasty nibbles. Vegas-style. 
A small gift that is meaningful will last. </p></li>
<li><p>A “First Christmas” wedding ornament. A simple Hallmark gift that is fun to hang up every year.</p></li>
<li><p>Paperback cookbooks: Joy of Cooking, HP Make-A-Mix Cookery. I used my “Joy” cookbook until it fell apart, and then, I replaced it with a hardback version of the New Joy of Cooking. I don’t know how many times I’ve used the granola recipe from Make-A-Mix for campouts, housewarmings, and holidays. </p></li>
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<p>Wedding gifts I’ve given that have bombed: :o
- A really good pair of kitchen shears. The bride told me later that she had no idea what to use them for when she could just as easily use a knife. </p>
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<li><p>A tortilla maker. My cousin had just come back from living in Mexico, and I thought that he and his new bride could have fun making tortillas together! :D</p></li>
<li><p>A great set of monogrammed hotel towels from a funky, little Western hotel. This went to an actor friend of ours who was living in Hollywood at the time. We had never met the bride, and I don’t think he was a towel connoisseur. Funny, but a lot of guys aren’t! :)</p></li>
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