8 is bronze and pottery
Tomorrow is our 8th wedding anniversary. We got married in winter and all our flowers were dried, with curly willow. The wedding invitations, thank you cards and favor bags were my very first gocco project ever. I remember every square inch of our teeny tiny Seattle apartment being covered with wet cards.
We try to exchange the traditional anniversary gifts every year, it's much more fun than trying to figure out another special gift after Christmas and Pete's birthday and valentines day all being so close. This year it's bronze or pottery. I'm not sure if bronze will make an appearance by tomorrow, but the pottery is on it's way, thanks to eBay. This coffee carafe (and 16 other pieces) is from the Denby pattern, Samarkand, and was the wedding pattern of my parents from 1968. Growing up, I thought there was nothing uglier than this pattern. I mean, I was actually astounded anything like this was ever made, especially in my middle school years. The pieces were put into storage and then went with my dad when he and mom got divorced. They were then lost, and my father passed away 3 years ago and I have been meaning to rebuild some of the collection ever since then but hadn't had the chance to until now.
I love this pattern so much. Yes, it still is ugly, but in the very best modern cool way ever and I love how hip my parents were to choose such a ballsy pattern. I know Denby was so popular then in the late 1960s, but not this pattern, this one was hard core, you know?
We have no other plans tomorrow-I have been really using up the babysitting vouchers for all this crazy stuff I have been working on, so I think we might just get some take out and then a watch a movie. And then when this coffee service comes, we'll have some extra dark coffee and some cake. Sounds pretty good to me.
Happy 8th Anniversary to you and Pete! May you both be blessed with many more wonderful years together.
Posted by: sally | February 27, 2006 at 02:44 PM
Happy Anniversary! We celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary in June. I have got to agree with you about the pattern, and I love it for all the same reasons.
Posted by: Janine | February 27, 2006 at 03:18 PM
dang its beautiful!
:)
my folks had equally bafflingly "ugly" stuff that i now curse the day it got sold at a garage sale. it was actually awesome- i kept one jug-
happy 8 years! that is amazing- congrats!
:)
Posted by: tania | February 27, 2006 at 04:15 PM
happy anniversary! we'll celebrate our 8th in September, just a wee bit behind you!
and, I *love* Denby, *love* that pattern, and *love* stoneware from that era... so cool!
Posted by: kelly | February 27, 2006 at 05:51 PM
happy anniversary!! that's a fun idea actually going with the traditional gifts. we always end up totally spacing ours. oops. that denby is very cool. you could come over to our straight out of the 70s brown and orange kitchen and have coffee with that set.
so do you think sadie and delia will be astounded it was ever made?
Posted by: hillary | February 27, 2006 at 06:32 PM
Your post is so lovely today!
I think it's very nice you've bought your mum & dad's wedding pattern for your wedding anniversary :-)
Hubby and I also try to give each other traditional gifts. It makes it fun and challenging.
Happy 8th Anniversary! Your plan sounds great!
Posted by: Adriana | February 27, 2006 at 06:33 PM
happy anniversary! enjoy the dark coffee in the now very cool mugs. i think they count for bronze too, the color palette anyway. perhaps some dark gingerbread to go with that coffee and movie? yum...
Posted by: hannah | February 27, 2006 at 07:00 PM
I gasped when I saw that pottery because that is the EXACT set I grew up with! We grew up in Europe, so I guess that's why my Mom had it. My Mom got rid of it years ago, but I have to say your post put a smile on my face and brought back some good memories. Thanks for the smile!
Posted by: Gillian Greding | February 27, 2006 at 07:03 PM
About 30 minutes before reading this post, I had no idea what Denby was nor that we were using this stuff at work. It is so strange to have talked about it at work - analysing the mugs, etc and then whoa! go to your site and see you talking about Denby!!
Happy anniversary by the way =)
Posted by: Lien Vong | February 27, 2006 at 07:25 PM
Happy Anniversary, you cute kids!
Posted by: Mariko | February 27, 2006 at 08:49 PM
Happy 8th Anniversary to you and Pete! I'm sure the coffeeset would be a great conversation piece. =)
Posted by: CraftsyKay | February 27, 2006 at 09:17 PM
Happy Anniversary! Those are freakin' cool!
Posted by: Cerella Di Mondo | February 27, 2006 at 09:32 PM
My hubby and I also try to do traditional gifts. Our first anniversary I think was paper. Craig actually looked up oragami sites and figured out how to make a rose and lilly-the flowers in our wedding-he's so artistic. One of our favorite things to do now (since we don't get out much with little ones and all) is sit around all night playing scrabble and drinking hot cocoa. That was our theme this winter. It's been very fun. I know I'll have alot of sweet memories. Anyway, have fun and Happy Anniversary.
Posted by: Laura | February 27, 2006 at 09:38 PM
happy anniversary, have a great day!
Posted by: karin | February 28, 2006 at 12:16 AM
We only remembered this morning our 6th anniverary is in 2 days (wel sort of we married the 29th) and I think I'll have to take it as an excuse to buy something gorgeous for our home ;-)
Posted by: mijk | February 28, 2006 at 12:19 AM
happy 8th!
Posted by: jess | February 28, 2006 at 02:54 AM
Happy Anniversary@! And congratulations on rebuilding a most groovy collection. I had no idea Denby did anything so far out.
Posted by: kelly | February 28, 2006 at 04:38 AM
No Way - 8 years? I can't believe it. That was such a happy day!!!!! I love the pottery - it takes me back to being a kid watching grown-ups drink that darn coffee that I now love. Happy Anniversary!!!!
Posted by: leslie | February 28, 2006 at 06:18 AM
I grew up with this Denby. Mum still has it after 35 years of marriage and 35 years of being in the dishwasher, it's doing pretty well! Enjoy.
Posted by: Kirsty | February 28, 2006 at 09:51 AM
I think it is sweet you are collecting these. (And that you two exchange traditional anniversary gifts. Love it!)
Posted by: Kelli | February 28, 2006 at 11:46 AM
happy anniversary. you have gotten over the 7 year itch, although you two have been together FOREVER, so that doean't apply. love the pottery. don't think it's ugly at all, but then we have similar taste. enjoy.
Posted by: lisa | February 28, 2006 at 11:54 AM
Happy anniversary!
Posted by: Leisl | February 28, 2006 at 12:23 PM
happy anniversary amy! i love that you both do the traditional gifts, i think i may try to get my husband to start doing this too.
hope you're having a great day.
Posted by: sunni | February 28, 2006 at 12:45 PM
I love that pottery, it's very cool. So chunky, and the colours are gorgeous.
Posted by: katharine | March 01, 2006 at 01:03 AM
Happy Anniversary!
I love how everything old becomes new again and makes me annoyed that we made our parents get rid of their "junk" when we were teenagers. What did we kids know?
Posted by: Karen | March 01, 2006 at 01:38 AM
8 years ago! I remember it like it were yesterday (well, now, your anniversary was yesterday, but that is beside the point...).
It was the RAINIEST day in Portland (rain = blessings, so you are pretty set). It was such a lovely evening, you and Pete looked so beautiful and tired from all the pre-wedding bleh and so happy that night. I think it was the first and only time I had seen you in a new dress (vs. vintage) and the first and only time I have seen pete in a suit.
And though I didn't get to witness it myself (and so wish I had), I love the ending to the evening... you and pete packing in to the back seat of henrietta with pat and tara driving you to the hotel.... it's such a perfect picture of the time in our lives when getting into the back of a ford festiva after your wedding reception and on your way to the honeymoon suite was alright. Simpler times.... they make me smile a lot.
happy anniversary. I love the denby pattern, it is funny how our tastes evolve, isn't it. I think there is a serious source of comfort to be found in the forms of the past and the memories they evoke. You will enjoy that set for your lifetime.
my best.e
Posted by: erinay | March 01, 2006 at 04:31 AM
Great pottery! I'm trying to register now and I can't find anything contemporary that I like. Any suggestions? Also, I would like to design my own wedding invitations and would be interested in seeing a picture of the ones you made for your wedding and your favors, if that isn't too much trouble.
Posted by: miranda | March 01, 2006 at 04:49 AM
i absolutely love that pattern! this weekend i found myself stitching pillows in a an equally ugly pattern that would have been perfect in my parents house circa 1974. i hated that stuff in the 80s, and now i embrace it again:)
Posted by: joy | March 01, 2006 at 06:28 AM
your articles are always so much fun. thank you for sharing is very nice reading you! happy aniversary.
Posted by: paula | March 01, 2006 at 01:26 PM
Happy Anniversary! :)
And take out and a movie sound divine to me!!! :)
Posted by: Leslie | March 01, 2006 at 03:59 PM
hi miranda-
so sweet! thank you-
you know, I think the wedding invites are just a bit to private for me to share, I know 100 plus people got them back in the day, but now, i think we like them better tucked away just for us to treasure. . but thanks for asking and even caring!
Posted by: amy k. | March 01, 2006 at 04:13 PM
Happy Anniversary!!!! The idea of kicking back with some cake and coffee (out of your new service!) is a blissful way to spend celebrate!
Posted by: scribblesnbits | March 02, 2006 at 09:04 AM