Ever have an item that is a little too sentimental to you?
I have a couple. One is the little bride and groom topper that sat on our wedding cake. Sadly, someone knocked it into the sink and the bride’s head cracked off. That same someone attempted to glue each precious piece back together and now “I” look like that girl in the Exercist. Which was ironically how I also looked when I found out and blasted a million deathly eye darts into that someone. I may or may not have thrown a brick. Not pooped one. Threw one. Thankfully that same someone has catlike reflexes and has since forgiven me. I guess we called it even. Personally I am just glad he didn’t call the cops.
One other precious thing to me is this pig head. You long time readers (hello are both of you still here? Mom?) may remember that I blogged about it a long time ago. It belonged to my grandmother and I remember her voice telling me to rub the nose for good luck. Oh how she laughed when we actually did it.
Unfortunately this same pighead was the only fatality of the move. It was carefully wrapped and padded…but apparently before it made it’s way into a box, something squished it. We found a few of the pieces and we tried to glue it but alas, this porker is a goner. But you want to hear something crazy?
My mom found the pig’s twin brother. The day after mine saw the big butcher in the sky.
I had called mom crying like a baby to tell her about how life was over upset I was and she was a very good consoler. THE VERY NEXT DAY, my mother as she frequently does, was visiting the local Goodwill (my favorite branch) and she discovered this pig head. She couldn’t recall exactly what Grandma’s head looked like (I guess pork isn’t as important to her) so she called me to say that she found a similar one that could just be a reminder of the one that got smooshed.
It was a dead on match. Bros from different Sows.
Sure it isn’t exactly the same…the new one never knew my grandma’s kitchen but I like to think that God knew that I needed that little oinker in my kitchen. And if I know my grandma, I’d bet that she was up there twisting some arms to make that happen for me. My how I miss her.
This bad boy is going up in my kitchen…when I figure out where, I’ll let you know. But for now, did anything sentimental to you get broken? Did you find a replacement? Or maybe you just superglued and enjoyed it anyway? After all…it’s not really the cracks that count, right?
Bros from different sows… you made me snort. 🙂
Oh my gosh! I know EXACTLY how you feel. It’s crazy how attached we can get to objects that can’t talk to us or hug us or cook us bacon.
I had a white ceramic lion that belonged to an uncle I’ve never met because he died of cancer when he and my mom were in their early twenties. We found some kittens on our property and let them live with us, and one day knocked it down the lion and shattered it into thousands of pieces. I’m talking total annihilation. I was FURIOUS! So the kittens went buhhh-bye. I still get heated over that story and its been a year and a half.
You are so lucky to have been able to find the same pig!
Yes oh yes! I know exactly how you feel!
I have a little ceramic jar(?)/bowl with a lid that looks like a giant strawberry. I bought it from my cousin’s garage sale when I was little because I thought she was the COOLEST and it reminded me of Strawberry Shortcake. I’ve just always had it in my room holding bobby pins and stuff.
I broke the top when my husband and I moved. : ( Fortunately I salvaged it enough.But I cried like a baby.
I, too, laughed out loud at “bros from different sows”… you kill me.
So, I’ve had this blue teddy bear my entire life (all 24 years of it). There’s nothing particulary amazing about this bear… just your average everyday teddy bear. Except that I’ve been obsessed with it for ummm my WHOLE life. Someone gave it to my mom when she was prego with me (thought she was having a boy hence the blue bear) and it’s literally grown up with me… pre-school, moving houses, awkward junior years, traveled to college, went with me when I lived in he middle east, I mean really any and every passage of life-Blue Bear has been there.
UNTILLLLLL about a month ago when my roommate and I were dog sitting. I came home from work to a house that looked like had snowed. Our house was torn apart… throw pillows, at least 4 rugs, my favorite (and most expensive pair of boots) and my beloved teddy bear. I. ALMOST. KILLED. THE. DOGS. I wish I was joking. They almost died. Why? Because of my leather boots? Because of $300 worth of rugs? Nope… because of Blue Bear.
I’m obviously over it. Tell you sweet grandmother to send me a Blue Bear twin, okay?
“Bros from different sows” among several other lines made me snort also! I hadn’t read up on your blog for quite a while and when I did today, I remembered why I used to look forward to it:) You are truly hilarious!! Yes, I enjoy your design tricks and adventures as well as your amazing photographer talent but your great sense of humor is what will keep me comin back! Thanks for the laugh.
Unreal!!!!! I’m super stoked for you though I don’t actually know you (but I feel like I do! yay blogs!)!
I was one of those kids that used to bring precious sentimental junk to school and never let anyone touch it. I’d just sit in the corner playing with an old perfume bottle. (freeeeeeeak)
My poor superstar hubs has to put up with a lot of weirdness from me.
Most unusual item I’m (senti)mental about: coincidentally, a little blue bean bag pig my mum bought me when I was 11. His name’s Ponky.
Wow, what are the odds? It definitely sounds like your Grandma’s watching over you!
OK, so not quite as precious as your pig, but my husband won this coffee mug while we were on our honeymoon. It’s not even that great or anything, but it was a reminder of our trip and that whole experience (he won this diving competition at the poolside and they called him up onstage to accept his “award” at the show later that evening. Corny, but the whole thing was pretty funny and it was a great trip!) One of my coworkers broke it while juggling some of the dirty dishes at work and totally broke the handle off. It seemed like it was a semi clean break so my husband tried to glue it, but it looks like total butt. We still have it, but it kinda irks me every time I open the cabinet.
That’s crazy that your mom found the exact same one! It was meant to be!
How funny – I was just in said Goodwill yesterday and saw THAT PARTICULAR PIG. I totally thought of Sherry, though, not you. Now I know! And is there a GW anywhere in the greater Atlanta area that’s NOT awesome??
yep. different bro.s from different sows. I did a very large piggy snort when I read that;)
and yes. we all have funny little things that mean the world to us… even tho other people think that its strange!!! Yay for the new piggy:D
OMG… I laughed out loud (at work) at that “bros from different sows” comment! Your grandmother had a part in that, fo’ real. How in the world is it possible that your mom could find the exact same item? Something as obscure as a ceramic pig head that screws into a wall. Wow. Unbelievable.
TWINS!!! I love your pig(s). I always ask for the odd things when family members have passed.
Ummm….what are the odds that your mom would find the same exact thing at Goodwill!?!? Wow! Your G-ma was for sure up there twistin’ some arms for that!!
I love your pig head! I wrote a post all about my cow and pig heads in my kitchen awhile ago. I think you’ll like it. I also recently acquired a chicken head that I need to hang with my other two.
Here’s the link to my post: http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2011/02/22/the-cow-and-the-pig-in-the-kitchen/
I’m sorry your pig head broke, but what luck that your mom found another one for you!
I love your blog. You are awesome.
Allison
Your grandma definitely sent that pig for you! (Although it is a tad creep and I’m not a fan of the pig I’m excited for you!).
Wow! I actually just picked up the bull one a few weeks ago at a resale shop! Just love them and can’t wait to hang it our kitchen once we finish painting. I bought it to cover a spot left by an old phone jack and of course its adorable too! 🙂 Glad you were able to find its brother!
That’s amazing! I can’t believe your mom found your pig’s twin. Talk about luck!
This reminds me of the post Sherry did over at Young House Love about her ceramic dog’s accident. With all of these ceramic animals, I’m worried for our penguins!
Bros from different sows?! Bahahahaha!! Did you come up with that on your own?? Hilarious!
Katie, I too had a ceramic pig given to me from my grandmother when I was a little girl. It was a piggy bank actually, and when we moved, the little curly Q tail broke off. My husband wanted to toss it in the garbage but I said no way. I had to hold on to it for sentimental reasons. 🙂
So awesome that your mom found it’s twin for you!
Yup. Sure did. I did google ‘female pigs’ first to make sure I didn’t mistake sow for a cow or something like that.
xo – kb
Ah Ha!!!! The roots to your love of bacon can be traced to your grandmother. Although it sucks that the original broke, I can’t believe what good luck you have in finding its twin. It really is kind of eerie. What are the chances?
Oh my gosh! We have that exact same pig head in our laundry room! We “inherited” it with the house we bought a couple of years ago! We weren’t really sure what the heck it was for, except creeping us out when we walked by. Too funny!
I broke not only a gorgeous ceramic plate I brought back from Morocco last summer, but also my favorite piece of black pottery from Oaxaca 🙁 BUT I discovered the best glue ever (Beacon’s 527 multi-use glue), and both pieces are back to looking like new!! … and yes I glued even the tiniest of broken pieces back on with tweezers in hand!
It’s funny how the littlest things like that assure me there is a God. How else could that have happened?!
I’m so happy for you! A new twin pig! I have to agree that your Grandma is lookin’ out for you. I haven’t had anything special break (yet, knock on wood!) but I have my Grandma’s chipped cookie jar in our kitchen. It’s a pig dressed as a farmer. It makes me very happy and always reminds me of Grandma and her delicious cookies!
how awesome is that?!?!?
Are you and Sherry soulmates or what? 🙂
Glad your Mom found the long lost brother-pig!
OMG Katie! My parents have an animal in their kitchen JUST like that! Well, not just, because its a duck not a pig. But is is the same color and design with those same crazy eyes. When I was a kid I used to go to great pains to make sure the kitchen towel covered its head so I couldnt see the eyes. Funny huh? My parents have theirs attached to the side of one of the cabinets over the sink and they use it to hold the hand towel.
Wow- can’t believe your mom found that! Your grandma must have really wanted you to have it.
While we remodeled our kitchen, we had to wash dishes in the laundry sink in the basement, for a year… yeah, I know. Anyway, only casualty of that process was a spoon rest that had been in my husband’s bachelor pad and moved with us to the new house. I didn’t know anything about it, it was just something laying around, but of course I dropped it on the ceramic floor. And my husband saw the pieces in the trash and said, “That was my great-grandmother’s. It was in her kitchen for 50 years.” Worst wife ever. 🙁
I have never ever seen a pig head like that before and you lose one and get another immediately after… Grandma at work for sure! I try not to get too attached to stuff because I was a military kid and boxes always got lost in the moves, so… Do you have plans for the broken piggy? Glue it all back together and hang it above the new one…you know, as the angel looking out for the new dude! Hang a sign with your hilarious “Bros from different sows” phrase! Love the blog, it’s my fave and always look forward to it…
That’s amazing that you found the exact one! Awesome! And yes, my husband let our three year old play with a small ceramic box I bought on our honeymoon (don’t ask why he let that happen!) and Vincent (the three year old) threw it on the floor and it shattered. The bottom was too broken, but I did superglue the top together and now have it as an art piece in a bedroom. And, too started crying and was so pissed, not because of the cost, but because of the sentimental value. Ben didn’t get that concept, which made me even more mad!
My mom broke a butter dish at Christmas from my dad’s 1970s crystal collection. They were both pretty upset about it because they don’t remember the name of the pattern so it would be hard to replace. Anyway, I was out thrift store shopping a month later and found an exact replica. I wrapped it up for my mom’s birthday and she was THRILLED. The best part is I got it for 75 cents.
My grandmother has that exact same pig! I remember thinking it was similar after I read the first post a while back, but then I was at my grandma’s house and realized it’s exactly the same! It’s a little crazy and creepy, but I kind of want one.
I get upset over kind of stupid things. The only example I can think of is when two of my Humane Society wine glasses (I think they were from a benefit, but I got them for 25 cents at the Humane Society thrift store) broke. Both our dogs are from there and they were a great conversation piece at parties. Robert didn’t undestand. Maybe I’ll find more of them after another benefit one day.
I know just how you feel! I had a little Precious Moments figurines of a boy and girl holding their wedding rings up and pointing at them. They are called “I still do”. Our whole shelf fell one night and my girl got broken, but my sweet husband glued her back together for me. It made me sad for a while, but now when I look at her, I think – that’s exactly right – in all of our fusses, squabbles and imperfections… I still do! <3
So glad you got the brother pig for your kitchen!
that’s just crazy that your mom found this the next day!
Oh Ashley I’m heartbroken for you and the blue bear 🙁 🙁 🙁 I would have killed the dogs 🙂 I hope you were able to keep some part of it….for sentimental reasons.
Isn’t God so stinkin’ awesome??? This story to me is the perfect example of the depth of His love. To show you how much He loves you by orchestrating a solution to something so meaningful to your heart (regardless of how silly it may seem) proves that He is FOR you!!! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
My Mom still has two of those pigs hanging in her bathroom! Crazy! I had to go and check and see if they were the same.
Oh my gosh I am soooo jealous of your pig head! I love pigs so much, probably comes from being a pig farmers daughter. But anyways, super jealous!
I can completely identify with this. I spent some of my growing up years in Thailand, and my mom and dad purchased a little blue and white porcelain tea set that was “doll-sized.” I loved that tea set so, so, so, much. What five year old wouldn’t? I was devastated when one of the tea cups broke while I was playing with it in Thailand, and even more devastated when more of the little cups broke during the move back from Thailand. They continued to get broken during dusting and other household activities. Lo and behold, on my 24th Christmas, I unwrapped a brand new tea set, identical to the one that I had when I was five. My mom knew how much I loved it, and before leaving Thailand, had purchased an extra one so that she could give it to me when I was all grown up and “responsible.” 😀 Today, it’s sitting in my China hutch so that I know nothing will break it. Save the darn earthquakes we have here in California. 😉 Glad you found a replacement porker!
WEEEIIIRRDD!! I just picked up that exact same pig at my local Goodwill this weekend. My dad grew up on a pig farm so pigs are our thing. It is looking at me with its creepy eyes as we speak!!
I just love your NEW PIG. I just can’t believe that another person that lives right
across the street from me had the same pig head……now funny!!!! I just love mine.
I am so glad that your Mother found you another one.
Bros from different sows, Ha!
You have the coolest mother ever. Well, except for mine. Maybe they are muthas from different… aww nevermind, I cant make that one work.
Well, rub a pigs nose and call me a monkey! What are the chances of that, and the very next day!!! No such thing as a co-inkie-dinkie. That was a gift from your grandma!
oh this is just too funny! I stumbled across your blog recently from YHL. Read some of your posts and started adding a couple of things up and began to wonder if you are the same Katie Hughes whose family I knew some time ago from Jersey. Then I recognized pics of your parents and know it is you. My family (Jacobus) knew yours from Pemberton Baptist. What a small world! You probably don’t remember me (I was a little older), but I think you might remember my brother Brandt – he was buddies w Bradley. Anyway, just wanted to pass along that my hubby and I have four small children – 2 boys and 2 girls and they’re literally a dream come true for me. When I was a young girl and visited your family once when your family was still living in Pemberton you and your sibs (2 boys and 2 girls) were all playing together and I just had this moment where I was like “I want this one day” – 2 boys and 2 girls close in age. So I have vivid flashbacks of that moment many times when I see my kids together and just thank God for fulfilling that dream. You grew up beautifully and have a lovely family and home. So nice to “see” you 🙂
I think you jinxed me! I read this yesterday & thought, “Nope…well, probably something, but it was so long ago that I forgot.” & then today it happened. I have this mercury glass tealight holder sitting on our tv stand. It’s wonderfully thin glass & looks really old, even though it was just a Big Lots find. My hubby used the tv stand to steady himself while putting on shoes…down went the tealight holder & it completely exploded. No way I can glue it back. Sigh.
Oh Katie, I’m so happy for you that you have a replacement. I feel like I know you too, been following you and Sherry for years 🙂
Suzy xxx
That is SOOOO sad. I think I would have seriously considered killing the dogs as well. I have a teddy bear that I have had since I was 12 (ten years) that is so special to me and sleeps everywhere with me, so I know how I would feel if he got destroyed 🙁
When they military moved us this past summer they lost the carved wooden shaft to a Maasai spear I bought in Kenya. It probably only cost me about $2 over there, but it’s not the kind of thing that can be replaced. Even if something similar turned up over here it would a) be ridiculously expensive from the import, and b) not have any of the original memories and attachments – great people, attempted car jackings, vehicles stuck in the sand in the middle of nowhere, getting lost in the African bush, vibrant churches, AIDs patients, beautiful countryside, slums… . I’m left sentimentally clinging to a spear head I can’t bear throwing away. What does one do with a spear head?
Oh so sorry for you. Maybe you could frame the spear head? How big are spear heads…I don’t even know?
xo – kb
Haha! Hi Marla…can’t wait to tell my mom that you commented 🙂
Actually I do remember you and your family quite vividly…your mom used to make us chocolate covered bananas that were to-die for…and your brother was technically the first boy I ever kissed. Although…I would like to say that he didn’t do any kissing…it was all me. I was like an attack dog.
Tell everyone we all said Hi! And I’m so glad that you have your big close family. I know I loved having the sibs close in age so I’m sure they will too 🙂
xo – kb
That was definitely a God thing -I mean how many pig heads can there be out there?!
I wonder where they were from?! We just picked up a bull head the other day at the salvation army (and I see a bunch of other people did too!
How fun!
Ohhh! That is one smart mom. Love this.
Definately frame it in a shadow box style Frame that can house 3D objects! There is custom framing for such items at most area craft stores. It may prompt visitors to ask why just the head of the spear is encased. But wont that be a great way to share those emotional attachments and memories with others?
Haha! As much as Katie made me laugh with her post, I love the senti(mental) in your comment!
Hi Katie, Just wanted to let you know I linked up and shared one of the pics above. I love ceramic wall hooks. I just found a duck. Or goose. Can’t really tell.
http://www.theycallmedomesticate.com/2012/02/thrifting-gems-ceramic-animal-hook.html
cate