marriage: Off the beaten registry

I didn't make any New Year's resolutions per se, but I am somewhat on a let's be super-responsible-now-that-we're-having-a-child-kick, and if I do say so myself. . .I am on a roll! Seriously, the bed is made, the dishes are clean, a major piece of furniture was recently purchased and the baby's registry is started. Yup, I am getting stuff done my friends. And today, I tackled an often frustrating task. . . I finally bought a few just mildly overdue wedding gifts.

It can be tough to find the right gift for a couple a few months after the wedding. At that point, the registry is usually depleted and you can be stuck with I don't know, either a set of $500 Faberge accent plates you can't exactly afford or measuring spoons for $4.99. Not exactly prime pickings.

As I've said before, we're lucky that nowadays it's considered perfectly fine etiquette to stray from a couple's registry, and if you're past the wedding date, you might find that you need to do so. The problem is that it seems all we know is Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, Williams Sonoma & Target. And don't get me wrong, those are some of my favorite stores, but sometimes we need hints on where else to shop. So if you're in the same position I was in this afternoon, here are some gifts that almost any newlywed can use, from a few stores that are off the beaten path.