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On Heirlooms

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Other than the baby clothes I’ve used for decor in the nursery, I don’t have many family heirlooms.  Tom’s grandmother gave us her set of monogrammed silverware when we were married, but that’s about all we had.  I love the idea of family heirlooms, but I don’t like the idea of the loss a family usually must suffer in order to pass down such items.

Last month, we got a call that Tom’s grandmother’s health was quickly declining.  Just a few days later, Tom was getting ready to fly out to her funeral in North Carolina.  Sadly, this all happened about two weeks after his other grandmother’s funeral.  When it rains, it pours around here.

Grandmother Kuhlman was one of those wonderfully Southern ladies that you fall in love with upon meeting.  I didn’t get the chance to spend much time with her since we lived so far apart, but we exchanged letters and cards every now and then.  I will never forget when she first saw pictures of Zack’s room – she wrote me a 4-page letter wondering why I didn’t have my own TV show.  I got a good giggle out of that, as it was nice to have such a big fan.

Tom returned from Grandma K’s funeral with a heavy heart and a heavy gift for me – her monogrammed sterling tea set.  I started crying as soon as I saw it.  I am so thankful that we will have this gorgeous set (that I need to polish, I know) to remember her by.

I’m not sure where I’m going to store the tea set, but for now I’m using it as my center piece on the dining room table.  It brings a smile to my face every day, even if the method by which I acquired it breaks my heart.

I hope we don’t have any more heirlooms passed down to us for a long, long time.

About Lindsay Ballard

Lindsay Ballard is a former college mascot turned political geek turned roller derby playing, DIY fanatic.

Lindsay chronicles her projects, design ideas, and lifestyle tips here at Makely, where she shares tutorials and inspiration. Her DIY designs are bold and graphic, while her spirit is fun and full of color.

Comments

  2. sondra says

    I love the pieces I have from the special people in my life. The memories are sweet and precious, though tinged with the sadness of the loss of their presence in my life. Enjoy your tea set!

    Reply

  3. Anna says

    what a special piece to have. We have some china that belonged to my husband’s grandmother and a couple of weeks ago we brought back from the family farm her old singer sewing machine (it was stored in an old barn). Although I never met her, it is great to have these heirloom pieces to stay in the family. And we gave my daughter her name for her middle name (Emma).
    When we had my FIL over for lunch this weekend for father’s day he said it is the first time that sewing machine had been in an air conditioned house 🙂

    Reply

  4. Joanne B. says

    Hi Lindsay,
    You already know this, but it will get easier. The set is beautiful and you will come to smile whenever it catches your eye, and the loss will lessen as the memories grow. You should feel honored that she wanted you to have it. Grandmothers-in-law are usually very careful about who they choose to leave thier family heirlooms to! You must have been just as special to her as she was to you. And think way ahead of the example you are leaving to Zach and Emma as they learn to appreciate these things from the past! Thirty years from now, you may be thinking about passing the set on to Zach’s bride! I would keep it right where it is! It is such a beautiful statement of all that you feel! ( but if you ever decide you don’t want it, pass it along to me, as my last name is a “B”also! Oh, and my husband Tom is a pilot too! And he is too handy for his own good too! And we live in the sweltering heat and humidity of south Florida!) Blessings to you and your husband on your loss…
    Joanne B.

    Reply

  8. Kathy says

    I think my grandma has the right approach on heirlooms. She is 97 and still going strong, but she has passed on to her children and grandchildren most of her family treasures. She gets the joy in seeing her children enjoy the pieces, and she also is preventing any hostilities after her death by handing things out herself. Win win all around.

    Reply

  9. Janna says

    What a beautiful treasure to cherish! It looks like it is very at home on your dining room table. Thank you for the thoughtful reminder to appreciate these special people in our lives while they are still with us–you’ve inspired me today!

    Reply

  10. Paula says

    You’ll remember your husband’s grandmother fondly every time you see this lovely tea set. I’ll bet that she would be so happy to know how much you love it.

    Reply

  11. Annelise says

    My mother is passing down her heirlooms while she is living and I treasure every object we receive. They make memories.

    Reply

  12. Nancy says

    My condolences, Lindsay, on the loss of a beloved grandmother.
    Every room needs some sparkle in it. You now have this lovely coffee and tea set. Just think of it as Grandma K sparkling in your dining room.

    Reply

  15. Barbara says

    Lindsay,
    I just found your site and blog and find it fascinating for several reasons.
    Your creations are just beautiful and the baby nursery you have created is a masterpiece.
    I have a daughter named Lindsay who also has curly reddish hair and appears to be about your age. She has one little girl and just had a little boy in May.
    And finally, you are from AUSTIN, my favorite place on earth. I am from Texas, but live in Georgia now, and just think Austin is heaven on earth.
    I look forward to more posts from you and your tutorials.

    Reply

  16. mary says

    Hi Lindsey, I have been a follower for agood while .first time to comment tho. your teaset is very lovely, but I can tell you it is a lot of work to keep it polished!UNLESS you do as I DO,I found a product called everbrite that you can spray on sterling silver,brass and other metal finishes that you NEVER have to polish again.IT works great I have used it on about 50 pieces and they has never tarnished you can get it online at EVERBRITE.COM.YOU WILL THANK ME TO YOUR LAST BREATH.BE sure and follow the instructions.It is food safe and removable should you choose to .the shine is even better than original. the best polish toclean it before youapply thicoating is haggertys foam. I am sorry about your loss andhope this helps you to enjoy this heirloom without the extra work Please let me know if you decide to usethis and feel free to email if you have any questions. Mary

    Reply

  17. Susan says

    What a beautiful tea set. And I agree with Annelise…best to give away the things you have when older (like, really old!) to avoid fights, etc and the grief. My great grandmother’s kids couldn’t agree on who got what, so they sold it all and split the money. Fortunately, she gave my dad a piece or two each time he went to visit her…she was his favorite grandkid apparently.

    I wish my MIL had followed that philosophy. Her house was so bad last year that when she thought about putting it up for sale, two BILs and a SIL had to go and clean up…and never asked us if there was anything. We have a rattan chair (circa 1940s) from the Phillipines that I would loved to have had the sofa, other chair and ottoman to go with it all…apparently it didn’t make the trip from Austin to Dallas….FIL brought it and a DR set back from the Philippines in WWII.

    Reply

  18. Steph @ Annoyingly Domestic says

    I am so sorry for your loss. 🙁

    I feel compelled to write to let you know NOT to use a liquid “dip” silver cleaning product. It will make your set look like brushed nickel or (non-polished) stainless steel. There is a polishing cream/foam from Hagerty that is fantastic and will not ruin your beautiful set. Leave a little bit of the patina in the design and in the creases to make it pop and if you’re motivated to wipe it down regularly, a silver polishing cloth (dry) is perfect to maintain without needing to do the full polishing cream scrub and dance.

    Again, I’m sorry for your loss.

    Much love,
    Steph (who grew up in an antique store – yes, literally)

    Reply

  19. Oonafey @ Little Pink House says

    Our entire house is made up of heirlooms and Ikea. Luckily, the majority of the antiques we have acquired came from relatives I never met (looooong deceased) or from my grandparents simply downsizing slowly, a few bits at a time.

    Reply

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