As I was hastily writing last week’s blog post in the few minutes before Little Woolly woke from his afternoon nap, there came the ominous tinkle of breaking glass from the lounge. You will recall from an earlier post that this is the room currently being gutted decorated. A similar noise the previous week was the sound of the bottom half of the sash window coming out of its frame and hitting the floor, hard. Since that moment we’ve discovered that nobody seems to make aluminium-framed sash windows any more, so we’re getting the glaziers in.
On this occasion, I rushed to the scene of the sound to find the smashed remains of four hurricane-light style candle holders on the floor. One was the candle that my husband put on the table when he proposed to me.
One was a candle that had been given to me by my in-laws and of which I was inordinately fond. But saddest of all, two were vases that I decorated as the centrepieces for the tables at our wedding reception.
The shelf where they were sitting was a temporary home because they are usually part of the decoration in the lounge. I wish I’d separated them so that if one got broken I’d still have the other – the reason, after all, that I kept two rather than one. I have a clumsy husband and a two year old son and am very capable of breaking things myself, so keeping two felt like the safe option.
They weren’t terribly tricky to make. I traced the iris design from a biscuit tin and used it for as a cover for the wedding invitations and order of service, as well as for the table centrepieces.
We also had the most amazing flowers, with a heavy dose of irises.
On a chilly winter evening when we were tucked up in front of the fire in the lounge, lighting the candles in these vases was a reminder of our happy day and the excitement and hope involved. I have two more vases that were bought as spares so I could easily make more, but this would feel like a betrayal, like I was making reproductions, like they were missing the essence of being part of our wedding.
So with a philosophical shrug of my shoulders and a quietly muttered ‘c’est la vie’, I set to sweeping up the glass. I’m glad that more of these vases exist. They were given as thank you presents to friends and family who helped with and were an important part of our wedding day. At least I know when I’m visiting someone I care about, I might glance up and see one of these vases.
Note: I feel I should mention that the engagement and wedding photos were taken by my father-in-law, whose second job is professional photographer.
Woollydaze 
