My Grandma Marvel passed away 10 years ago this past August. At times it seems like she has been gone for so much longer. My life has changed so much and I have grown so much as a person since I was 23. I think of her often and reminisce about times that we spent together. These memories flood in a different times; like when I am playing a card game with Cash, and I can remember playing Gin Rummy with her in our kitchen on a day she came to visit. Or on a day I make a tuna sandwich I think that that was her "go to" lunch when we would go down to see her. I have special things throughout my house that were hers and I am reminded of her sometimes on a daily basis. She told my Mom towards the end of her life that she didn't want to be forgotten. I think that is all we really want, to not be forgotten about when we are gone. To know that our lives made an impact on others, to know that our memories live on long after we are gone.
I acquired her wedding ring after she passed. It is white gold and is a perfect vintage piece of jewelry. Scattered in my kitchen cupboards are Pyrex mixing bowls, measuring spoons that she used in her motorhome while camping, and her wedding dishes. I have seen newer pieces that would easily replace these certain items, but the memories of her each time I pull them out are priceless.
One item that has opened thoughtful conversations between my Mom, Andrea, Aunt Tina and I is my Grandma's wedding dress. My Aunt Tina took it on one of her trips down to California. It is beautiful, capped sleeve and billows of crinoline. It weighs a ton! Nobody is quite sure what to do with it. I didn't wear it on my wedding day, and Andrea and Amanda haven't shared much interest in wanting to wear it either. So the question of what to do with it always comes up. We have talked about each taking a snip of it and making a pillow, or whatever we each chose. In a Pinterest search a few weeks ago, I saw that someone had made a Christmas tree skirt out of theirs. I thought that was a pretty cool idea. Something special that is made into a family heirloom of sorts that can actually be used. Genius.
I think that everyone has high hopes of passing down their own billowy white dresses to the next generation. But, really, our Mom's dresses aren't the right kind of "vintage". I am sure Clara won't want anything to do with a hideous strapless gown when the time comes for her. So in my search I stumbled across a photographer that had taken a picture of her daughter in her wedding dress every year since she was little. So I thought I would give it a whirl. I dressed her up, pinned up the back and started snapping. She cooperated for a bit and I got a couple good pics.
So the question remains...what do we do with our wedding dresses?
1 comment:
A. ADORABLE PICS!!! B. I've got six months to go before I even wear mine and I'm already scheming about what to do with it....So, great question!
I was fortunate enough to be able to think about this as I'm making mine, so it's been pretty easy. I'm embroidering our initials on the bottom of the "train" (it's basically a scarf that hangs from my waist). I made it detachable so I could wear it as a scarf on our honeymooon, and later on, I'm going to cut the monogram off into a hanky. Somebody may need "something old" one day. I've thought about taking the trim off of it and making a bracelet and/or anklet. And the beaded part (if I ever get it finished) is going to be put to use on another dress one of these days.
I love the pillow idea! I've always adored keepsake hankies and fun little purses. The tree skirt idea is very interesting. But now that you mention it, I'd probably be happiest dragging it out of the closet once a year to photograph my daughter!....and then cutting it up right before her wedding to make her a hanky. TeeHee!
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