Hope Chests
While I admit to being a guy and not sure about may of these things, in talking with one of my sisters-in-law, I realized something about a hope chest. To show my background, most of my knowledge of a hope chest stems from reading my Mom's book, "Belle of Nauvoo." The hope chest is supposed to be filled with everything that would be needed to establish a household when you get married. This means that everything that goes into the hope chest is chosen by the wife. This is probably a good thing when I look back on it.
I don't particularly have a great eye for colors or coordinating themes. I am much more of a 'Value-ist' where value is the dominant theme of my decor. You could take for instance our $2.50 couch or our extremely sturdy free desk. Things may not match in color, but in value it all seems to work.
So, this observation will make more sense for outside of my household. I don't exactly think it fair that the sheets and pillow-cases and towels and plates and flatware etc. are all chosen by one person. Maybe I like Mauve more than pink or rose. Maybe I can't stand the sight of orchids on the comforter. This is not very fair for the guy coming into the marriage.
To give the reverse example, maybe the guy's hope chest would be filled with similar things but separate themes. Could you imagine coming into a marriage with the planter's peanut man theme or a GI-Joe theme. What about monster truck themes. I am not sure that you want to go through that when you get married.
Now, I want it known that I am pleased with what my wife brought into our marriage. I was a lucky one. So I guess my plea for all those thinking about putting together a hope chest is to be considerate of the future spouse. And don't forget the "Big Box" hope chests (we went with Target and Bed Bath & Beyond.)
What would you want to have in your hope chest? You can think retrospectively.
While I admit to being a guy and not sure about may of these things, in talking with one of my sisters-in-law, I realized something about a hope chest. To show my background, most of my knowledge of a hope chest stems from reading my Mom's book, "Belle of Nauvoo." The hope chest is supposed to be filled with everything that would be needed to establish a household when you get married. This means that everything that goes into the hope chest is chosen by the wife. This is probably a good thing when I look back on it.
I don't particularly have a great eye for colors or coordinating themes. I am much more of a 'Value-ist' where value is the dominant theme of my decor. You could take for instance our $2.50 couch or our extremely sturdy free desk. Things may not match in color, but in value it all seems to work.
So, this observation will make more sense for outside of my household. I don't exactly think it fair that the sheets and pillow-cases and towels and plates and flatware etc. are all chosen by one person. Maybe I like Mauve more than pink or rose. Maybe I can't stand the sight of orchids on the comforter. This is not very fair for the guy coming into the marriage.
To give the reverse example, maybe the guy's hope chest would be filled with similar things but separate themes. Could you imagine coming into a marriage with the planter's peanut man theme or a GI-Joe theme. What about monster truck themes. I am not sure that you want to go through that when you get married.
Now, I want it known that I am pleased with what my wife brought into our marriage. I was a lucky one. So I guess my plea for all those thinking about putting together a hope chest is to be considerate of the future spouse. And don't forget the "Big Box" hope chests (we went with Target and Bed Bath & Beyond.)
What would you want to have in your hope chest? You can think retrospectively.
posted by The Pagets in Florida at 11:37 AM
4 Comments:
Danny came to our marriage with his hope chest full of your standard tools. Unfortunately (or fortunately since we don't have any room) that box is still sitting in Hurricane at his parent's house. You can always fill it with classic things like tools, your 4 generations of genealogy, your whole life documented and organized up to date, a 4 door car, 72 hour kit, video camera, a computer or two, extra memory, down payment for your first house, etc. Those sorts of things are timeless.
I never had a hope chest but Rich sure does have very very strong opinions when it comes to colors and patterns. How would I have predicted I'd marry a man who liked orange, thought red was vile, and the only color we could both agree on was sage? I'm getting a little sick of sage too.
Personally I think we should decorate our entire house in Scooby-doo as Jack is still obsessed :).
I did bring the china and Ryan brought his transformers and thudercats. guess which thing we use most often. I did just inherit several blankets and baby girl clothes from my family members' hope chests. I hope these are more useful than a mikasa bowl :)
Really, if Kathrine is willing to love you, you could certainly learn to love an orchid bedspread! I had a friend in a previous ward that started a hopechest when she was a young woman and watermelons were a very popular kitchen theme. When she got married 10 years later, she wasn't so fond of it anymore!
Alex has a "hopechest" full of tools here in his parents basement. I'm pretty excited about that :)
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