One Year Anniversary Gift(s)

Who loves a fast and easy, yet meaningful gift?

I do!

On August 4th, we celebrated our one year anniversary with a surprise trip to Lawrence, KS...where "we" began just under five years ago.

I started thinking about what I was going to get Jeff for our anniversary long before the day had arrived. I knew year one was "paper", but gosh it was so hard to think of something that was paper that really meant a lot to him.

I was going to get him tickets to the Chiefs vs. Cowboys game, but then that was a bust. Then I thought about a watch because I knew he really wanted/needed a new one. Then I crossed that idea off and decided to not spend very much money and just do something that I thought "meant" something to do the both of us.

I searched pinterest high and low. Googled the crapola out of one year anniversary gifts. Checked out one too many blogs for some different ideas so that it wouldn't be a total fail.

The one thing I did buy before I did the whole paper gift searching, was make a photobook of our first year together and all of the places we traveled. I am famous for my photobook gifts, so I'm sure he wasn't really surprised on that one. It turned out really cool (I thought) and I am so glad I have so many to look back on. (Lord help us when we actually have a child...watch out shutterfly and snapfish!)

So I guess that technically counted towards the paper gift as well.

For the other paper gift, I gathered some ideas of how to make a frame that had our first dance lyrics in it, as well as a picture, red heart, and "Team S" with our wedding date. I put burlap that was used at our wedding reception behind and attempted to make everything straight.

How To:

-Type out your lyrics/vows/etc in Microsoft Word.

-Use "shapes" on Microsoft Word to put hearts over the words so you can make hearts that look the same and same size. You have the change the setting so it is not filled it.

-Copy and Paste a picture into a Microsoft Word Document and put the heart around it as well.

-Print and cut the hearts out.

-I added a red heart from some red paper I already had.

-Glue them onto the burlap.

-Place in frame...wa-la!

I loved how it turned out, even though I am pretty awful at doing anything perfectly straight, and now it is proudly hung in our living room. 

The last paper gift Jeff received was just a plain ol' card. A plain ol' card that was abso-fricking-lutely perfect. Long story short, "Chicken Fried" by The Zac Brown Band was our song when we first started dating. I found a Happy Birthday card that had the lyrics on the front. I snatched that faster than you could say "Do you like your chicken fried?". 

Speaking of Happy Birthday cards, Jeff has made it somewhat of a tradition of Happy Birthday cards for practically every holiday or occasion. It cracks me up every single dang time. He even did that on our wedding day and crossed it out. I love it each and every time. Even though now he says he isn't going to do it because I expect it, and boy does he like surprises.

I thought I'd get him back and do the same to him. It was oddly one of my favorite parts of the whole gift. It just fit and it doesn't mean anything special to anyone but us. Which I especially loved. 

As for my present, well I may or may not have forgotten to tell him about the whole paper thang. I may or may not be glad that I didn't because I got my third ring instead! Now if only that bad boy would finally get in!

And now I want to go back to Lawrence and do it all over again.