Our Thematic Anniversaries

Since Dave and I were married seven (and a half) years ago, we have always celebrated by following the traditional gifts for each year. It is good because it gives us a direction to go in, but there is still room for creativity and meaning.

Allow me to recap our gifts for the last seven anniversaries:

First: Paper

I got him a sketch pad with pencils and charcoal.
He got me an unabridged copy of The Count of Monte Cristo, one of my favorite novels.

Second: Cotton

I got him a pack of three cotton undershirts and a CD (I had to sweeten the gift a little...).
He got me a printed t-shirt from one of our favorite websites.

Third: Leather

I got him a new Bible bound in genuine leather.
He got me a Fossil wallet that I LOVE and still use.

Fourth: Fruit and Flowers

I think I got him a bag of Starburst jellybeans and I think I might have done something else, but I don't recall (this anniversary was during the time when we had Maryn, ended up back in the hospital with her, he graduated from med school, and we moved to Tulsa all in a matter of two weeks. It was tough!).

He painted me a canvas (before we moved) and unveiled it when we got moved in. I think he also took me to Jamba Juice. :)

Fifth: Wood

I found a wood box at Hobby Lobby, painted it black, and then decoupaged a picture I took on the top that had some symbolism for our marriage. He keeps his change in it on the dresser.

He got me a new ceiling fan for the living room in Tulsa. Too bad it is there, and we are here. :(

Sixth: Candy and Iron

I'm pretty sure I bought him some candy, but I also got him a 25 lb. handheld weight. He really liked it!

He bought me a large skillet pan that looks like iron (though it isn't).

This brings us to our seventh anniversary, this past June 2nd. Boy, it was a tough one. It's times like these that make me super thankful for Etsy. We both ordered our gifts from Etsy, and we are so pleased with how they turned out. I don't have pictures I've taken, but here are the pictures that the artists took of their handiwork.

Seventh: Wool and Copper

I got him a black leather cuff with a copper plate. I had her engrave the word "Valor" on it. He really liked it. It's great for his rock-n-roll moods. I bought it from this shop on Etsy. This picture is hers as well.

And he ordered me these sweet mittens from a lady in Lithuania!!! The are wool mittens that are actually mimics of Bella's in "Twilight". How funny is that? I LOVE THEM. Here is her shop. This picture also belongs to her.

If you feel like you're stuck each year when trying to decide on the perfect gift for your spouse, I highly recommend following the traditional gifts list. One is available here, both the traditional and modern lists. The traditional gifts are less expensive early on (which is great because most of us were pretty poor when we started out!), but the modern is for more expensive gifts. We have loved this tradition.

I'm looking forward to our eighth--bronze/pottery!!!