While I was expected to be away on 11-11-24, we did not have any grand plans. However, I ended up catching a flight back home early to be here on our actual anniversary. Simple and low key~ we headed to First Watch for brunch. We used to do a lot of brunching on the weekends when we dated. So this was the perfect way to commemorate our 13th wedding anniversary!
You might recall when we celebrated our first anniversary and the *paper* gift that kept on giving all year long. We had a great time on our monthly dates and continued to enjoy our passion for exploring. For year two, I combined cotton & china into a beautiful Thanksgiving week getaway up in Mont Tremblant, Canada. In year three, a traditional leather gift came in the form of a TUMI travel wallet while the modern crystal gift included a Thanksgiving dinner at The Crystal Hotel in Portland, OR. Year four brought "tropical" fruits & flowers together with a trip to Bermuda followed by an upgraded {appliance} TV for our bedroom.
Our fifth year was about "wood" and "silver" which included a bamboo sushi set for two, wine cork cuff links with the year 2011, and a trip to the Greenbrier. The sixth year of our marriage included iron & candy meaning bikes to burn off those personalized M&Ms and the trip to Schimpff's Confectionary in Indiana. In year seven, wool & copper were our gifts of choice which included a wool Fedora, a copper pocket watch and an incredible trip to Cuba for the ultimate throwback.
Year eight saw the traditional bronze and pottery via a money clip & homemade pottery while linen & lace came from a personalized pair of boxers & a night staycation at the Omni Louisville. Year nine involved "willow - wicker" coffee mugs for Ryan's daily cup of Joe as well as "leather" weekender bag with his initials that he used on our getaway to the Greenbrier. Year ten brought an aluminum framed sound wave of our first dance song and a getaway to a {subset} of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Chattanooga. Year eleven saw a steel mustache comb, a leather bracelet and a turquoise Lincourt button down with an ode to wear our nuptials took place; our visit to the Kentucky Castle was almost as magical as our beloved Solvang. Year twelve presented silk pajamas for our getaway to Dana Crossing as well as a handmade engraved pearl pocket knife. Year thirteen was all about a lace wine bottle holder, a custom bottle of wine from a local winery and a backyard hammock to commemorate our honeymoon to Fiji.
This year I wanted to *again* stick with tradition and put a spin on the modern gift. Traditionally ivory is the gift of choices for year #14. It is originated from the Hindu mythology, signifying luck and protection.
For ivory, I had custom coffee mugs in our wedding colors {beige brown & baby blue} engraved with elephants. Their ivory tusks are a symbol of strength and a means of how they protect themselves from predators in the wild.
In terms of *gold jewelry*, which is the modern gift of choice, I ordered a black & gold rosary. Gold jewelry is a symbol for unification, eternity, and perfection. What better way to find those three things than through praying together to the Lord.
I truly love following the traditional and modern celebrations of each year. I hope when we look back on all of the years we can enjoy the way we celebrated as well as the special moments of each passing year!
You might recall when we celebrated our first anniversary and the *paper* gift that kept on giving all year long. We had a great time on our monthly dates and continued to enjoy our passion for exploring. For year two, I combined cotton & china into a beautiful Thanksgiving week getaway up in Mont Tremblant, Canada. In year three, a traditional leather gift came in the form of a TUMI travel wallet while the modern crystal gift included a Thanksgiving dinner at The Crystal Hotel in Portland, OR. Year four brought "tropical" fruits & flowers together with a trip to Bermuda followed by an upgraded {appliance} TV for our bedroom.
Our fifth year was about "wood" and "silver" which included a bamboo sushi set for two, wine cork cuff links with the year 2011, and a trip to the Greenbrier. The sixth year of our marriage included iron & candy meaning bikes to burn off those personalized M&Ms and the trip to Schimpff's Confectionary in Indiana. In year seven, wool & copper were our gifts of choice which included a wool Fedora, a copper pocket watch and an incredible trip to Cuba for the ultimate throwback.
Year eight saw the traditional bronze and pottery via a money clip & homemade pottery while linen & lace came from a personalized pair of boxers & a night staycation at the Omni Louisville. Year nine involved "willow - wicker" coffee mugs for Ryan's daily cup of Joe as well as "leather" weekender bag with his initials that he used on our getaway to the Greenbrier. Year ten brought an aluminum framed sound wave of our first dance song and a getaway to a {subset} of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Chattanooga. Year eleven saw a steel mustache comb, a leather bracelet and a turquoise Lincourt button down with an ode to wear our nuptials took place; our visit to the Kentucky Castle was almost as magical as our beloved Solvang. Year twelve presented silk pajamas for our getaway to Dana Crossing as well as a handmade engraved pearl pocket knife.
This year I wanted to *again* stick with tradition and put a spin on the modern gift. Traditionally lace is the gift of choices for year #13. It is said that lace shows the elegance & beauty of the sanctity of marriage.
For lace, I had a beautiful blue wine bottle holder handmade of lace. Sewn on the front are our initials along with our wedding anniversary date~ 11-11-11. Paired with a selected bottle of wine from a local winery, we plan to enjoy it during the holiday season.
In terms of *textiles*, which is the modern gift of choice, I ordered a hammock for two. Set up in our backyard for daytime naps or nighttime star gazing. On our honeymoon in Fiji, we had a small hammock outside our Bula that we would swing in each night & listen to the ocean sounds. Textiles are representative of the comfort & warmth that 13 years of marriage brings to each of us.
I truly love following the traditional and modern celebrations of each year. I hope when we look back on all of the years we can enjoy the way we celebrated as well as the special moments of each passing year!
To celebrate our 12 year wedding anniversary, Ryan & I enjoyed a little overnight getaway to Dant Crossing. Only a short drive away, but we felt like we were in a quaint space. It was an incredible campus~ with walking paths, a beautiful pond and a distillery.
What a unique & fun celebration for our 12th Anniversary!
You might recall when we celebrated our first anniversary and the *paper* gift that kept on giving all year long. We had a great time on our monthly dates and continued to enjoy our passion for exploring. For year two, I combined cotton & china into a beautiful Thanksgiving week getaway up in Mont Tremblant, Canada. In year three, a traditional leather gift came in the form of a TUMI travel wallet while the modern crystal gift included a Thanksgiving dinner at The Crystal Hotel in Portland, OR. Year four brought "tropical" fruits & flowers together with a trip to Bermuda followed by an upgraded {appliance} TV for our bedroom.
Our fifth year was about "wood" and "silver" which included a bamboo sushi set for two, wine cork cuff links with the year 2011, and a trip to the Greenbrier. The sixth year of our marriage included iron & candy meaning bikes to burn off those personalized M&Ms and the trip to Schimpff's Confectionary in Indiana. In year seven, wool & copper were our gifts of choice which included a wool Fedora, a copper pocket watch and an incredible trip to Cuba for the ultimate throwback.
Year eight saw the traditional bronze and pottery via a money clip & homemade pottery while linen & lace came from a personalized pair of boxers & a night staycation at the Omni Louisville. Year nine involved "willow - wicker" coffee mugs for Ryan's daily cup of Joe as well as "leather" weekender bag with his initials that he used on our getaway to the Greenbrier. Year ten brought an aluminum framed sound wave of our first dance song and a getaway to a {subset} of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Chattanooga. Year eleven saw a steel mustache comb, a leather bracelet and a turquoise Lincourt button down with an ode to wear our nuptials took place; our visit to the Kentucky Castle was almost as magical as our beloved Solvang.
This year I wanted to *again* stick with tradition and put a spin on the modern gift. Traditionally silk & linen are the gift of choices for year #12. Both are meant to exemplify the life you have built together over time. Silk and linen represent home staples just as home is where your {spouse} heart is.
For silk, I grabbed a pair of navy silk pajamas for Ryan. Something to take on our little overnight getaway! For linen, we traded our own bed linens for a little B&B stay at Dana Crossing. I also couldn't resist getting us a new set of silk bed linens to cozy up under.
In terms of *pearls*, which is the modern addition, I had a beautiful pocket knife with an authentic pearl handle made of Ryan, inscribed with our wedding date of 11-11-11. Pearls are hidden treasures, much like how we came to find one another 12+ years ago.
I truly love following the traditional and modern celebrations of each year. I hope when we look back on all of the years we can enjoy the way we celebrated as well as the special moments of each passing year!
