My amazing, loving, patient, unfiltered, and sometimes crazy parents have been married 35 years now! That is almost unheard of in today's society, to be married for so long and still have such an amazing relationship that inspires so many!
Don't you just love this picture! It was taken either just after they met or shortly after they got married, I can never remember but I do know that this is the most iconic picture of my parents.
They had a big trip all planed out for their Anniversary, unfortunately it got cancelled at the last minute. So we decided to go ahead and throw them a party to celebrate all the time they have had together and all the people that have been impacted by their outpouring of love.
Since we only had a few days to put everything together the theme was very real, natural, and laid back...which describes my folks to a T so it was the perfect way to go.
I had the help of a few friends, and we scoured our houses for scraps of natural textures. Burlap, linen, twine, glass, and whatever else we could scrape together.
A quick and easy chandelier made from a hanging planter turned upside down with a few small mason jars suspended by twine. It was beautiful in this little corner of their garden, all lit up as the sun went down. A perfect little romantic spot.
One of my favorite aspects was the "letter art". I literally took a picture frame off of my wall and now have the re do our whole gallery wall just so I could make this. Not only does the initial represent our family name but it also has special meaning to my mom and I.
All my life we have had a button tin in our family, it is nothing special just a round faded yellow tin that housed all of the loose buttons we acquired over time. Most seemed to come off of a blouse, or were extra buttons that came with a blouse, or were bought for a sewing project that never happened. Whatever the reason, all rouge buttons went into this little round tin that somehow I seemed to have taken possession of over the years. It's one of those silly random things that floods your brain with emotions and memories from the past. I could never bear to part with any of those buttons, I would always go out and purchase new ones if needed. Until I decided to make this for my mom.
We hung it on a 300 yr old oak tree that sits proudly in their backyard. Illuminated by the soft glow of the suspended mason jar lanterns and a string of white Christmas lights, it was the first thing to catch your eye upon entering the back gate.
As the evening started to fade and the candle flames flickered...
...we stuffed our bellies with yummy food and sat around the small fire making smores and sharing stories of the last 35 years.
It never ceases to amaze me that two crazy kids who met in a bar and fell in "lust with potential" (what my dad calls love at first sight) can turn out to be a couple who has demonstrated how the power of love, selflessness, and a heart to serve can impact the lives of so many. I am very proud of my parents and thankful for the daily lessons I still learn from them.
Most often the sweetest thing in life are the small things.
*Angela*
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