One of the big dilemmas of this Royal Wedding year was to determine what was the "perfect" souvenir I could buy that would be cherished and passed down through the generations for years to come.
I would vacillate back and forth between buying something nice, or opting not to buy another "sit-about" just to sit around to collect dust.
So after much deliberation, I decided I should buy some sort of a keepsake, so I started in slowly. Surprised to find a Poundland store when we were visiting York where "everything's a pound," I grabbed onto one of these mugs for a mere 1£.
You have to understand, you can't buy hardly anything for a mere pound, so I couldn't leave it behind. I would have bought one for all of you too, at that price, if it hadn't been for the fact that I had to carry it back on a train with me to London!
Then there was this whimsical, not so expensive, Hudson and Middleton mug of bone china
made at the Potteries at Stoke on Trent in Britain. At this point, I still had only invested a small pittance for two treasures.
Then there was the Cath Kidston tea towel. Absolutely too fun to leave behind on the store shelf, and besides they were selling like hot cakes and were in big demand. So I bought two--just to be sure I wouldn't have any regrets.
The more I thought about it, I realized this chance of living in London at such an auspicious time in history warranted a really nice commemorative souvenir,
so I bought the official Royal Collection mug at the Buckingham Palace store. So sweet, and don't you just love the love birds just inside the rim? There were rumors that Catherine's initial "C" was placed about William's "W" to avoid any WC or potty humor!
And then I fell in love!
Wouldn't you know the absolutely perfect gift was waiting for me all the way in York, England at the Mulberry Hall shop where the Royal Crown Derby china company had exclusively produced a limited design of this loving cup just for them? Only 500 were made.
The Loving Cup is hand painted with British wildflowers which will be in bloom at the time of the wedding: Bluebell, Celandine, Forget-me-Knot, Meadowsweet and Pasque flowers.
Trimmed inside and out with 22 carat gold, the cup celebrates the Royal Wedding Day.
Note to my children: Do not put this in a garage sale when I leave this earth!
Having heard Alison Weir speak a few weeks back, she told us that she, along with 3 other historical biographers wrote this history of Royal Weddings between 1066 and now, just to be released at the beginning of April.
I can't wait to dig into it and read all the details and pore over all the photos of royal weddings,
beautiful gowns,
historical nuptials,
family portraits,
and details of poignant fairy tale weddings that weren't so long ago.
And now I've saved one of the best for the last.
I was in "happyland" when I found this little souvenir that I bought for me my granddaughter.
Aren't we going to have fun re-creating the Royal wedding again and again?
The Queen, with her pearls and crown, the Prince, and even their Corgi dog
are all cheering for the lucky couple.
And so am I!
Hip, hip hooray!
Won't be long now!
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