Pet Peeves: First Anniversary Gifts . . .

When you give a gift, sometimes people may wonder what the thought process was to picking out something, especially if it’s a handmade piece of art. My daughter and son in law’s first wedding anniversary was coming up and I wanted to give them something special. My daughter is all about tradition and paper is the traditional gift for a first wedding anniversary. Months ago I had gotten them a book to record the details of each anniversary along with a picture. This is the book I chose.

I had to ask her for their favorite wedding photo for page one, in order to have it ready to present to them on their anniversary. I also picked out a few others so they have a choice of which one they want to use. This way they would have a keepsake of all their anniversaries in one place and it’s all paper. Here is the picture she sent me, which I placed in a matted frame, as a little extra gift.

But because I started so early, my mind kept wandering off to what else I could get. this past Christmas they wanted a large canvas map so they could place pins in all the places they visited and plan to go. Here is that map, their first work of art:

I was thinking of what I could get them that would match nicely with this piece and also commemorate their anniversary in paper. I came upon this item which to me seemed perfect. It's a handmade, cut out, 3D tree with the lyrics of their first song printed on it. It would have two or three hearts hanging from a branch with their names on it and the date of their anniversary and would come already framed and ready to hang. Here is a sample:

I customized my gift so that the tree color would be turquoise (like their names on the map), the hearts bright yellow, like the compass, and each heart would have their names printed on it and a third, smaller heart would have the date of their first anniversary.

Why did I think this would be the perfect gift? First it's made out of paper. When I looked at it I saw their first dance as their first memory as husband and wife. The words to the song, “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz, hold much meaning for them and would be a constant reminder of how they felt about each other on their wedding day. I picked turquoise for the tree because I wanted it to match their map and represent the "waters of life," which are sometimes calm and sometimes rough. The lyrics would be in white, like the foam. I saw the tree itself as symbolizing both their families and their roots; the branch with the hearts as the new family they were creating together and adding on to it. I picked yellow for the hearts to match the compass on the map. I hoped it would symbolized that, like a compass, they would help each other navigate through their journey of life together, guiding each other in the right direction. Yellow also reminded me of the lyric in their song, a "beautiful sunrise," that they see in each other's eyes.

And, I had to stray a little from traditional paper in order to make this crocheted Aran Heart Throw that I had my eye on for a long time. It took about a week to make. It's not perfect, but it's made of love. I think it will look great in their new home.

Another thing made of paper is, of course, the card. I have been very unsuccessful finding beautiful, meaningful cards for special occasions and often have to settle for what's there. Even Hallmark has been disappointing in their selection of special cards. So, I had to get creative if I wanted to give them a keepsake for this anniversary milestone. I investigated the art of paper quilling that involves rolling up pieces of paper to create pictures. I ordered myself a basic kit and created this card for the special couple.

I can't wait till my daughter sees this! Considering it was my first and only try at quilling, I think it came out very nice. Maybe now I will terminate my relationship with Hallmark.

So the day of the celebration arrived and here are the photos: