Next Tuesday is our two year wedding anniversary.
Our anniversary came up fast this year and yesterday Ryan and I discussed traditional gifts that couples exchange on their second wedding anniversary.
Last year I told Ryan about the whole “traditional wedding gifts by year” thing and we both adhered to the paper theme for our first year anniversary. (I gave him a Met, Married, Engaged map and tickets to a hockey game.) For a couples’ two year wedding anniversary, the theme is cotton which stumped both of us at first.
Neither of us really care to receive sheets, towels or clothes and kind of want to make our anniversary gifts a little more lovey than practical. I have two ideas, but I need to get crackin’ if I’m going to have them ready in time! Any fun cotton-themed gift ideas out there? (Pinterest is seriously letting me down. A monogramed laundry bag? Really?)
I also have the idea to just wrap a normal gift in a sheet and give it to Ryan, but that seems like cheating. Sneaky!
Lunch
Today’s lunch began with a handful of almonds and hazelnuts and ended with spring mix greens topped with salmon salad.
Plus a few sweet pickles on the side. Yum!
Questions of the Afternoon
- Do you celebrate anniversaries?
- What is the best anniversary gift you’ve given or received?
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We have only had one Anniversary so far but it was so great! We went to a St. Louis Cardinal’s game which is what we did on our first date! It was perfect 🙂
So I assume he doesn’t want any clothes? Maybe a blanket like a quilt? I think you have a t-shirt quilt, right? Does ryan have one/would he want one? Those are just my initial thoughts ha. I think I need to keep brainstorming ha.
just curious…..are you not blogging at night anymore? no biggie if you aren’t, i just always check and haven’t seen one in awhile. 🙂
as of right now, probably not. i may post a dinner recipe if i think it’s worth sharing every now and then, but right now i’m enjoying my two-a-day posting schedule. i’m trying to focus a little more attention into some of my freelance projects since a few have turned into ongoing projects and balancing that with studying made this transition make sense for me at the moment. not sure if it’s permanent, but as of right now, it’s what’s working for me. 🙂 thanks for checking in!
that’s what i figured! it sure seems like it would definitely work better. you sound super busy with work, blogging, studying and oh your hubby! 🙂
thanks for asking this Ashley- I was wondering this too! =)
Hahahaha you could do one of those creepy pillows with a big picture of your face on it?! Maybe a signed jersey from a athlete he likes? Although that’s not really about the two of you… Hmm this is a tough one.
Hahahaha, the creepy pillow! Even though this made me laugh out loud, I actually think it’s not a bad idea. Ryan seems to have a sense of humour and I am sure he would love it.
Julie seems to travel a lot lately as well, so it would keep Ryan company when she’s away!
Cotton would stump me too! Can’t wait to see what you come up with!
A monogrammed hanky for special occasions? With both both of your first initials and the last initial in the middle. Or a framed cloth with hand stitched vows on it if you had your own! Those were the first things I thought of!
Hi! I’ve followed your blog for some time but never commented. My husband and I just had our two year anniversary this past June and I have tried to follow the traditional gifts as well. I ordered toss pillowcases off of Etsy to match our bedding. One was my initial, one his, and the other an ampersand. They are kind of cheesy but do look great on the bed. Just an idea! You could probably make them yourself if you are savvy with a sewing machine. Good luck and Happy Anniversary!
that’s cute! i also saw some fun outdoor pillows on etsy that were really neat that i thought could be cool for outside on our patio.
We’re sticking to the traditional anniversary ideas, too. So, we just had our 1 year, and decided to “buy each other tickets” to see a broadway show: Les Miserables. We are actually going in just a few weeks–I’m excited! Can’t wait to see what you do for cotton (b/c I can’t think of anything, now that you mention it!).
Hammock, robe, apron?
have you by any chance seen the dane cook comedy sketch about his dad’s robe? that’s all i think about when i think about a man in a robe! 🙂 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-lgvmePgAg
Yikes! LOL!
I’m laughing (and also kinda loving) the pillow with your face! How funny would that be! Or maybe a fleece/afghan throw that is a copy of your wedding invitation? I’ve seen a bunch of photo sites that let you order throws with a photo– if that’s too over the top, the invite might be a fun and constant reminder of the special day!
We just celebrated our 2 year in July. I got my husband a beer-themed rug from Urban Outfitters (made of cotton) for his man cave. I’m already dreading having to figure out future years: iron and pottery? Really?
i can’t wait to get a lovely ceramic dish! 😀
this is a tough one if you are getting sentimental, you could always just give him a tshirt with a picture of u and sadie and have it say my girls haha! Blah modern family for that idea
My husband and I just celebrated our three year anniversary last week. Normally we don’t do presents. We prefer to spend the money and take a small trip instead which was the plan this year. However, he surprised me with a new camera! I was very excited!
I just recently got married in June, but plan to stick with traditional gifts as well. I am terrible at coming up wtih ideas for gift, my husband is hard to buy for, he never wants anything.
I have an idea for the cotton gift though. You could make a hankerchief and sew in y’alls initials, wedding date, and your anniversary date to the corners. Its something he can use on special occassions and something he can keep for a while. Just a thought though.
It could be kind cool / cheating to go to a bed/breakfast that has COTTON sheets? ehh, ehh?? 🙂
I was also thinking pillows with a fun saying or initials on them? Or matching (or non-matching) shirts with your faces on them that are super cheesy if you want to go that route 😉
ha! your first idea is right along the lines of one of my main ideas… 🙂
I love celebrating anniversaries! And not just the big ones..my fiance and I would celebrate everyone month the first year we were dating (It was long distance at the time, so we would skype, and show each other what we got for each other the next time we were together. Usually small things like movie tickets or a groupon for dinner, but still awesome!)
Maybe you could wrap yourself in cotton?
My bf still raves about the day I dressed myself up with a bright red bow and something sexy 😉 hhhhh
FYI money is made of cotton. Sooo you could wrap yourself in money? haha
Just trying to help Nicole.. No need to get all contemptuous..
Learn to recognize a joke. Was not meant to be condescending.
I recently got married in August and I want to do the traditional wedding gifts for our wedding anniversaries. We are also planning on still celebrating our dating anniversary since that is when we officially got together. 🙂 I love the ideas that everyone has posted so far especially with the pillows and your monogram on it. I think that is a cute idea.
Sometimes it’s the more simple things that are extra special! Would you have time to make up or have made a cotton blanket with square either with pictures printed on them or with bits of jersey’s, outfits, shirts etc… that bear significance? Or a funky bathrobe? It’s a tricky one alright!
We recently celebrated our 2nd anniversary (not marriage, but of being in a committed relationship). We chose to go to the Hermann, Missouri area for Octoberfest in Missouri’s wine country. We stayed at a very romantic and quaint B&B in nearby Augusta, Missouri. We walked all over town, and toured galleries and antique shops. We also enjoyed local wineries and breweries. The second day we made it to Hermann and again walked all over to the wineries, and ended our trip with a tour of one of the local wineries. It was a great time. 🙂
hmm that’s a tough one! All that comes to my mind are cotton balls haha but that’s lame. I only had 1 really committed relationship (one that I cared for really lol) and on one of our anniversaries we went to the city to walk around, go to dinner, and see Legally Blonde on broadway 🙂 it was a nice day.. too bad he got crazy haha because we’re not together anymore
Anniversary gifts are always tough for me. We usually try to go somewhere or do something fun to celebrate.
I love that wedding pic of you guys!
And, did you make that salmon salad? (Or where did you get it?) I’ve been craving it since the one I had in Oregon
what about a cross-stitch family portrait ala martha – http://www.marthastewart.com/309518/customizable-cross-stitch-projects
you can always leave space for future additions!
maybe you can get him tickets to the cotton bowl. 🙂
I like the sports jersey idea from his favorite team.
My husband and I don’t do the traditional themed anniversary gifts- we actually don’t really do gifts, but rather a little get away.
Is there anything you could do with race shirts that you two have participated together? Or have you seen the “I do” and “Me too” (or Mr & Mrs, or His and Hers) pillow shams? You said you didn’t want to do clothes- but maybe you could get some sort of hiking apparel and plan a fun anniversary hike?
Good luck figuring out a cotton gift 🙂
For my brother and sister in law’s second anniversary they went sky diving because my brother said clouds remind him of cotton.
A monogrammed laundry bag is the gift that keeps on giving! haha, I’m sure you’ll come up with something good, can’t wait to see what it is!
I just celebrated my 12th wedding anniversary and we’ve done the traditional gifts each year. My husband is a big fan of Francis Ford Coppola so I got him a DVD of The Cotton Club movie along with some fun retro martini glasses and bar towels.
This year was silk for us. Nothing was calling to me, so I just went with some silk boxers and some Dove Silk chocolate. Some years are tough if you stick with the traditional gifts.
Maybe a weekend at an old cotton plantation B&B? It might be a fun getaway that somehow incorporates cotton into the mix!
What about making him a blanket? You can sew a quick quilt if you sew, but if not, you could always make a no-sew “cut and tie” blanket. Those go by rather quickly and are hand made which instantly makes them sentimental.
Another cotton idea could be printing on fabric. We all know that you are a writer, why not write him a love letter, a poem, or write your vows and print it on fabric and frame it?
Good luck with this one, it’s not easy!
Amanda
What did Ryan give you for year one?!
Hmmm cotton .. maybe take a trip to a cotton related place like the cotton fields of Georgia? haha
You could do a a weekend getaway/daytrip in Florida and give him a new bathing suit, cotton t-shirt and a customized cotton beach towel?
Etsy has some cool monogrammed art on linen/cotton.
What about a cotton gym or overnight bag?
Or is there something that he could use at work? A cotton comfy seat cushion? haha sooo difficult!
Good luck!
Do you have your salmon salad recipe online somewhere? If not, could you post it? Looks delicious 🙂
My hubby and I also are doing the traditional gifts. For our two-year anniversary in May, I had a photo canvas printed for his office from a wedding photo (canvas is kinda like cotton?). He got me (us?) a really nice egyptian cotton blanket for our bed, since I always complain in the summer that our comforter is too hot.
Reserve tickets for the Cotton Bowl. You can present them wrapped up with some cotton candy. Nothing like going all out.
Cotton Candy!
Love it! My husband and I just celebrated our first anniversary yesterday. We are sticking to the traditional wedding gifts also. He gave me the Joy of Cooking cookbook (I love to cook and collect cookbooks). I gave him a gift certificate to a Big Green Egg (it’s a grill) cooking class. I looked up the second year gift today and was just thinking ahead to what I would do for cotton when I saw your post. Too funny! It’s a tough one but I will let you know if I think of anything good.
Aw, happy early anniversary! I love the idea of doing the traditional gifts! I haven’t celebrated my first wedding anniversary yet, so thanks for giving me a mental head start. Can’t you just give clothing for the cotton one? Or is that too silly of a gift for an anniversary? I would honestly just opt for some cotton t-shirts, but my husband is always in need of new clothes and stuff too.
How about a great big bag of fluffy Cotton Candy? 🙂 You could get a sugar high for your anniversary.
i like where your head’s at!
Aww happy anniversary! We just celebrated our 2 year a few weeks ago 🙂
What we’ve done for the past two anniversaries is go on a little trip ad that’s our preset to eachother! I feel like guys can be tough to shop for…well my husband is anyways. Beer, steak, and sports and he’s happy. Lol.
This is sort of along the lines of Amanda’s idea, but what if you make him a quilt out of plain cotton material, but on each block you write with a fabric pen something that you love about him. Maybe there will be a manly material that you can frame each block with?
I found this website through pinterest when I was searching for a one year anniversary gift idea for this past June. Maybe you could get some ideas from this?? Most are the practical things you mentioned…but I thought it might be worth a shot anyway. And maybe it will be helpful for future years.
http://www.thedatingdivas.com/tara/anniversary-special-milestones/
My husband really likes to workout and run – so I got him a really nice new running outfit – shorts and shirt – that I knew he would never spend the money on it himself.
When my boyfriend asked me to “go steady” he had the words “to my sweetheart” engraved onto a snow globe with heart confetti and silver hearts circling inside. I know it’s not an anniversary gift but he did it because he knew how much I LOVE the word “sweetheart” and of my love for my Disney princess snow globes from childhood. We had only been “courting” for 2 weeks! Definite props to him (and it’s still on my night stand!).
Your wedding picture looks like it came out of a magazine! I love it! Good luck with the cotton though…
Cotton is tough if you’re staying away from clothes, sheets, towels. Another commenter mentioned monogrammed pillows — I think that is a great idea!
We bought one of those really nice picnic backpacks ( canvas= cotton) and went on a hike and romantic picnic! We still do this after two daughters but no alcohol and in the park.lol.Hope this helps
You know, my boyfriend and I have been together for 6.5 years and we aren’t good about anniversaries at all. Or Valentine’s Day…or bithdays really. Well, I should say, we just don’t go all out. We’ll make a nice meal at home w/ wine or try a new restaurant or exchange cards or small presents but that’s usually it. He does though surprise me occasionally with something big (hello trip to Paris!), and I think having all those nice “little” moments makes me appreciate the big stuff more. Sometimes I wonder, “Are we too comfortable already?” “Should he be more romantic?” But honestly, I’m always happy, so as the saying goes…If it aint’ broke…
My fiance and I have started treating ourselves to trips and vacations instead of buying presents for big occasions. Last year, in lieu of holiday or anniversary gifts, we took ourselves on a week-long vacation to Savannah and Charleston. I love the idea of spending money on an experience that we’ll always remember—I hope it’s something we continue for a long time!
I just got married in July, so we haven’t had a “big” anniversary yet…but we did eat some leftover wedding cake on our one month anniversary 🙂