When Marie from Emma Calls Me Mama invited me to participate in her Heirloom Party, my first thought was, “Heck, yeah! What a fun idea for a little blog party!” I was very excited to participate.
But then, I realized there was a huge problem. Um, I don’t have any family heirlooms. Oops! That’s gonna be a little awkward, huh?
I’m lucky enough that I have only lost one grandparent. My father’s father and both of my mother’s parents are still with us. They all have many items special to our family, but I have a hard time thinking that I would love to have this or that when they are gone…because it would mean they are gone.
I was sadly getting ready to email Marie and tell her “no can do,” when I suddenly remembered that we did have something very special. When my husband and I got married, his grandmother gave us her monogrammed sterling silver place settings.
Tom’s paternal grandmother passed the family sterling silver down to us. As a traditional gal who loves monograms, I was overjoyed. We have knives, two types of forks, spoons, and a few serving pieces. It’s a little worn and doesn’t polish to a brand new shine, but I love to think of the meals shared over these pieces. I also love the little scroll work on the tips.
I really appreciate Marie hosting this party, as I would have forgotten about the silver altogether. We only use our china and sterling on very special occasions, a truth that I’d love to change except that it would mean having to hand wash my dishes, and we know I don’t do that…ever. Maybe I can start making a once a week exception. Eeeh, I’m kind of lazy though.
Do you have any heirloom pieces that hold a special place in your family’s heart? Do tell!
Hello Lindsay – thank you for joining the party! I love your silverware. Wow is it ever gorgeous. I have never seen a design like that. I understand not wanting to use it often and have to had wash it, but I am going to encourage you to use it somehow each week! Maybe a fork for a dish you've prepared? Or a knife just for the butter dish? You could even display a piece somewhere in your kitchen. Now that you've said it out loud, I'm going to be looking for it here and there in your posts! LOL. How sweet it is that your husband has a special treasure from his side of the family. Oooh…pickle forks? How cute! You better get your boxing gloves on for those!
Blessings,
Marie
http://emmacallsmemama.com
Lindsay how precious that not only do you have an heirloom, But you will have something that can be passed on to your son who will carry on the name.
I love sharing with my children the stories behind the items in our house.
Be Blessed
You are so right Lindsay, if wasn't for Marie….my memories where put away, now I am going to display everything again. Love the silverware. Ciao Rita
oooooh what gorgeous silverware a real treasure indeed!!
Lindsay – The monogram silveware is just beautiful. How wonderful to pass down family treasures along with the stories. Thanks for sharing.
Charla
Gorgeous silver. The pictures are beautiful as well. Thanks for sharing and have a loveleigh Friday.
Sares@ Loveleigh Treasures
The silverware is gorgeous. It is always nice to have treasures that are passed down.
Beautiful silverware! I love your blog slogan too!
Those pieces are stunning! I love monogrammed silver. 🙂
Swing by my blog today if you have a chance…I have a fun announcement up (after the name of the Giveaway winner). 🙂
Hi Lindsay! The monogrammed silverware is beautiful! What a treasure you have. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.
So nice to meet you!
Girl, that silver is beautiful! What a treasure!
It's funny about heirlooms. It would be nice to have some, but you pretty much have to lose someone you love to get them. So though we don't buy them with money, we pay a high price for them.
You've got me to thinking: I'm wondering if perhaps there are some things that I'm collecting these days that I ought to pass down to my boys while I'm still living. I guess I'll have to be sure that there are some things that they and their future wives will really want. Hmmm. . .
Have a great weekend!
Lindsay, I just love your blog. And I love your article about heirlooms! I am such a family heirloom fanatic. My most precious and loved heirlooms are my spode dishes passed down from my maternal grandparents. They collected Spode in general…any pattern they liked they bought a place setting of. They used them daily and as we got older, we all got to choose our favorite to use anytime we visited. My grandfather just passed a few months ago and my husband, children and I all have our own place setting that we use at least once a week! It gives me the warm fuzzies to remember all the meals my family has shared on those plates!
So beautiful!!! And how lucky you are to have your grandparents still!!! Enjoy them!
you asked about an heirloom we have my husbands grandmothers old piano it's over 100 yrs old, soooo priceless to me!
Your silver is gorgeous! I think I'd have to fight her for the pickle forks too, even if I would never use them LOL
You have a great sense of humor that comes out in your writing.
Have a great weekend 🙂
rue
Those are so beautiful and what a neat story about them. Things from grandparents are always so important to us. Thanks for sharing.
Oh and I am having a giveaway on my blog( my first ever yay!)
http://stayhomeandplay.blogspot.com
WOW you are a lucky girl!! That silver is priceless, especially since it has your monogram on it 🙂 All of my grandparents are still with us as well, and I'm thankful for them every day. My husband only has one grandmother alive, and she is getting quite old. So when he married me, he inherited 2 more sets of grandparents and they love him like their own grandson. Thanks so much for sharing this!
What beautiful silverware you have. And such special meaning behind it. :o)
Thanks for sharing the wonderful monogrammed silver an the story!
Stop by–love new DIY friends!
I am enjoying seeing everyone's heirlooms and the stories that go along with them. Glad to hear you did have an heirloom after all. Love the silverware. And monogrammed to boot. Lucky you.
Good thing it does not polish to new, I love patina. It is beautiful and a great gift froma loving grandparent, yes?
What lovely silver! I love heirlooms that are both beautiful and practical.
We also have my husband's paternal grandparents silver, also monogrammed with a "B". But I love the everyday china from my mother's maternal grandmother. It's so fragile now that it can't really be used and with the kids there's no place to display it so it's in the attic for now.
i have the awesomest heirloom evah! It's a 1920's Sellers cabinet (Hoosier). Mine is nearly complete, with all of the original glassware, shakers, salt dish, canisters, etc. Even have the swing arm coffee dispenser, flour & sugar containers, everything! It was my grandma's and i have so many memories of it in her house. When my granpda passed away, she was going to sell it and i asked her "how much?" She said she was so honored that i even wanted it, she was happy to give it to me. So i told her it would be "our" hoosier and it just lives at my house. 🙂
Your silverware is beautiful, Lindsay, and of course, I LOVE the "B"! You're right, we should all use our family heirlooms more often to incorporate those memories into our lives, but often it's easier said than done!