Displaying our memory jar items

For our wedding last year we asked guests to bring a small item (approximately the size of a coin) to place into our memory jar. We originally planned to do this as part of the ceremony, thinking it would replace the more traditional unity candle. In the end we realized the logistics of having everyone place their item into the jar during the ceremony were a bit too complicated, so we instead had the jar on a table and asked that everyone drop their item on their way in and write down their name with a description. At first we planned to display these items in a glass jar in our home, but the diversity of things people brought made that arrangement difficult. Honestly, it just looked like a jar of "junk," which is not at all what we wanted. These items are special to us!

So we got the idea to display them in a typeset tray instead. We learned that David's mother actually had a typeset tray that she planned to give to David, so we brought it home, cleaned it up, and filled it with all of our memory jar items. I think its one of my favorite decor items in the house! Every time my eye catches one of the items I am reminded of our wedding and of the person who brought that item.

The point of the jar was to symbolically represent the union of our friends and family and to give us something small from each guest to remember the special day by. We asked that everyone bring something that had meaning to them. Our guests were so creative! We have had a really fun time looking back through all of the items and smiling at who and what they represent. Some examples are a coin from Russia, seashells from Moody Beach, a rock from Maine, a Lego man, Air Canada Elite membership cards, parts from the FSAE race car, jelly beans, bark rings, a family thimble, a threaded nut & bolt, wrist bands from the 24 Hours of Lemons race, house charms, bottle caps, climbing nuts, colorful or region specific rocks.... the list just goes on and on and every single item is special and thoughtful.

A condo complex moves in next door

Last December I wrote about them knocking down the dry cleaners that used to be across the street from us in this post. Since then there have been small bits of progress as they finished demolition, cleaned up the lot, tested the soil (negative I am told!), and built the foundation for the condos that are going in. I attended a meeting before the dry cleaner was torn down that told us there would be six condo units being built. We are pretty excited about it, because it will make the street and our area feel more residential. It's also fun to watch everything going up! They are building them as modular homes, and so large sections of house come in on a tractor trailer truck and get fit into place like legos. This basically means that in just 3 days we have gone from foundation to full 3 story building. Check it out!

Day one - all of these housing rectangles came in on a truck and were attached in just one day!

Another view from day one. 

Day two - we have a roof! 

This morning (day three) - looks like a real building now... and they are still out there working! 

We also always have resale and rentability on our minds. By adding in these condos, as well as the HUGE new condo/apartment complex they built down the street, we know that the area is becoming nicer and more developed. They are extending the awesome bike path  that we walk the dogs on and take down to Davis Square, and in the future they will be extending the green subway line to our area as well. All of these things are good things in terms of what we can bring in for rent, and what we could potentially sell the house for in the future! And in the mean time, we can enjoy the changes and the added amenities that the new housing options bring.