OT - gift question...

[Karenj2]

I want to get my mom a set of embroidered napkins with our names on them - they recently went from using paper napkins to cloth, and I thought it'd be nice if the entire family each had their own (plus I'd get some extras for guests, etc.), so it'd be my parents', my older sister & her family, me and my family, and my sister...

The sticky question is, my sister is currently dating someone (who's living with her), but it seems to be an on & off relationship. (It's kinda hard to break up with someone when he's living with you... ) Case in point - they broke up on Halloween, but since she had plans to meet up with us, he came along, and when I asked her afterwards, she said they never "really" broke up. (she's 36, not 15)

Anyway, do I get a napkin with his name on it (which has the possibility of being unusable in the future), or do I skip him, and let him use one of the "guest" napkins?

On a side note - I was trying to think of a cute thing to put instead of "guest" or "friend" - perhaps "this is MY napkin!"?

ETA - I was thinking of trying to get these made for Thanksgiving (as an early Birthday present), for which we're all going to be there.

 

[luvmy3]

Unless they are engaged I would just skip him. He can always be added to future napkins if they got married, but I don't think it would look right if his name was crossed off and another one was added if your sis ever gets a new BF

Okay, I was rethinking what I said. I don't know what the cost is to have a personalized napkin made, but if he was going to be at Thanksgiving dinner with everyone I would get one with his name on it. If anything happens in the future, his napkin can be used to wipe the dog's paws.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

I would get one with his name on it, especially if he is going to be there for Thanksgiving dinner. If your sister is living with him, it is worth the price of the napkin not to make her feel like you are judging her relationship. Marriages fail as well, unfortunately. If the relationship doesn't last, your mom can toss that napkin.

Get enough napkins so that your mom will have a complete set if anyone exits the family.

 

[KarenAylwood]

I'd get one with his name on it. It can't be THAT expensive (and like someone else said, she can use it for something else if they break up ).

I agree w/ StitchandPooh- it could seem like you're judging her relationship. I think you should make a few that say "guest" or something like that, so if they do break up your mom will still have enough to go around

Btw- this is an adorable idea. I might steal it once DH and I have kids!

 

[Karenj2]

Unless they are engaged I would just skip him. He can always be added to future napkins if they got married, but I don't think it would look right if his name was crossed off and another one was added if your sis ever gets a new BF

Okay, I was rethinking what I said. I don't know what the cost is to have a personalized napkin made, but if he was going to be at Thanksgiving dinner with everyone I would get one with his name on it. If anything happens in the future, his napkin can be used to wipe the dog's paws.

...or other areas...

I would get one with his name on it, especially if he is going to be there for Thanksgiving dinner. If your sister is living with him, it is worth the price of the napkin not to make her feel like you are judging her relationship. Marriages fail as well, unfortunately. If the relationship doesn't last, your mom can toss that napkin.

Get enough napkins so that your mom will have a complete set if anyone exits the family.

I was thinking of having a few extra (maybe 6 or so) because she loves to have friends over, too. I need something witty to put on the napkin, though - help??

I'd get one with his name on it. It can't be THAT expensive (and like someone else said, she can use it for something else if they break up ).

I agree w/ StitchandPooh- it could seem like you're judging her relationship. I think you should make a few that say "guest" or something like that, so if they do break up your mom will still have enough to go around

Btw- this is an adorable idea. I might steal it once DH and I have kids!

I *am* judging her relationship. But I try not to do it rudely. If I can find an inexpensive way to do this, he'll get his own napkin, otherwise, I might wait until the next time they break up and THEN give my mom the napkins....

 

[scrapquitler]

I would get one with his name on it, especially if he is going to be there for Thanksgiving dinner. If your sister is living with him, it is worth the price of the napkin not to make her feel like you are judging her relationship. Marriages fail as well, unfortunately. If the relationship doesn't last, your mom can toss that napkin.

Get enough napkins so that your mom will have a complete set if anyone exits the family.

Spend the money, get the napkin with his name on it, then there won't be any hard feelings now. If they break up in the future, Mom can toss that napkin.

 

[v.t.]

What about his name on a patch with velcro? easy on, easy off.......

 

[Karenj2]

What about his name on a patch with velcro? easy on, easy off.......

I'm SO happy I wasn't drinking anything, because I TOTALLY would have spat all over my monitor!!! Thank you for that laugh!!

I could be generic, and put something like "Dsis' current SO" - that way it'd be good for whatever BF or hubby she has! (KIDDING!!)


(And for those just reading - I my sister, with all my heart! You have to know her to know that she consistently makes bad choices when it comes to men. I'd love for her to find "Mr. Right", but she's not looking in the right places right now.)

 

[Soulsearching]

I want to get my mom a set of embroidered napkins with our names on them - they recently went from using paper napkins to cloth, and I thought it'd be nice if the entire family each had their own (plus I'd get some extras for guests, etc.), so it'd be my parents', my older sister & her family, me and my family, and my sister...

The sticky question is, my sister is currently dating someone (who's living with her), but it seems to be an on & off relationship. (It's kinda hard to break up with someone when he's living with you... ) Case in point - they broke up on Halloween, but since she had plans to meet up with us, he came along, and when I asked her afterwards, she said they never "really" broke up. (she's 36, not 15)

Anyway, do I get a napkin with his name on it (which has the possibility of being unusable in the future), or do I skip him, and let him use one of the "guest" napkins?

On a side note - I was trying to think of a cute thing to put instead of "guest" or "friend" - perhaps "this is MY napkin!"?

ETA - I was thinking of trying to get these made for Thanksgiving (as an early Birthday present), for which we're all going to be there.

This thread is very funny! but in all seriousness, where are you getting the embrodered napkins from. I would love to know.

 

[Sandi]

This thread just made me laugh. My mom has Christmas stockings for we four kids that are embroidered with our names, and I cross stitched personalized stockings for Mom and Dad when I was in high school. Since then we've all married and my mom just got a piece of masking tape and wrote our spouses' names on stockings for them with the intention of "some day" embroidering their names. My DH and BIL have fun with it every Christmas -- they are just temporary fixtures in the family and might not last (DH and I have been married 21 years Sister and BIL are married 17 years). My mom gets all apologetic and the guys say to not change anything because they like this tradition. Well, one SIL was apoplectic about it, so Mom got embroidered stockings for the wives of my two brothers. Guess who divorced over the summer? Yup, the SIL who threw a fit.

 

[Karenj2]

This thread is very funny! but in all seriousness, where are you getting the embrodered napkins from. I would love to know.

I didn't mean for it to be, but it is kinda funny, isn't it...

I haven't figured out where I'm getting them, yet. I work for Calico Corners, so I can get good quality linen for not too much cost, but I can't sew well. (I think I could try, but it'd probably be easier to just get them somewhere.) I looked on www.etsy.com and found a few people that sell personalized napkins, but I have a few friends/coworkers that have embroidery machines, so I might just ask them to help me out.

 

[v.t.]

I think it is a fabulous idea, and am going to steal it for my aunt. I have an embroidery machine so I will do all our names and then either a B (last intital) in various colors to match her dining rooms or a sayings about friends being family, or something to that effect.

Another idea for your DSis, Dsis's +1. (Can you tell we went thru that with my cousin, LOL)

 

[gr8leg8]

For the guest napkins

how about...

Welcome
Enjoy your meal
Be our Guest
Bon Appetit
Honored Guest
Dig it!
Praise the lord & pass the biscuits
Life is short - eat dessert first

 

[Karenj2]

Seriously, just finding decent quality cheap napkins is proving to be tough!!

If I could sew, I'd get some linen from work and sew them myself!

As for the embroidering part - a friend is going to help me with that, I think. Otherwise, I might just use fabric paint and make them myself.

 

[Mickey1Fan]

A friend of mine does not have embroidered napkins, she has coloured napkin rings to identify whose is whose.

She has several sets, seasonal, etc. but the colour for the family member is always the same. Makes it easy for guests, significant others...

 

[Karenj2]

Napkin rings are also a good idea - it won't work as well for us, though... We've had napkin rings get taken off & then the napkins get moved around (the dining table is used for quite a bit between meals).

I like the color coding idea, though!