Wednesday, June 16, 2010

20 Years... It's Time to Celebrate with BLOG CANDY!

Today is my 20th wedding anniversary. 20 years ago I married my best friend... and he still is. Now -- four kids and a few wrinkles later -- we have much to celebrate. There have been ups and downs, joys and heartbreaks, but I really wouldn't change a thing. :)

I made this frame for him (okay, for us). The photo was taken just this past weekend at the wedding of two sweet young friends. I had seen Julia Stainton do her embedded rhinestone technique on her blog, and I have been dying to try it. I'm thrilled with how it turned out! I covered the frame with Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paint in Antique Linen, then I sponged some Walnut Stain Distress Ink over the cracks. I lightly stamped a sheet music background (from CHF) randomly over the frame using the Walnut Stain ink.

For the flower I used a combination of BasicGrey Boxer and MFT Take Note papers. I cut them with Blossom and Peony Nestabilities. The button is from the new MFT Earth Girl buttons. The sentiment is from Clearly Sentimental about You -- one of my all-time favorite sentiment sets.

While I'm feeling so much love, I want you to celebrate with me! How about a little BLOG CANDY? I'm giving away designer samples of three MFT sets: Coffee? Tea?, Thinking of Hoo?, and Snow Bunny Flopsey (thank you , Kim, for your generosity!). These sets are unlabeled and unpackaged -- they're the same sets we receive on the Design Team. I'm also throwing in some of my favorite papers, ribbons and embellies! :)

So, who wants to participate in my little love fest?? Simply leave a comment here on THIS post between now and Tuesday, June 22, at 11:59 EST. Tell me about your wedding, your favorite anniversary, or any little love story you have to share! I'll use Random.org to choose a winner and post it a week from today, Wednesday, June 23. Sound good?

I'm off to enjoy the day with my hubby -- Happy Anniversary, Chris!

Thanks for stopping by -- I always appreciate it!

Have a great day!
Christina




36 comments:

Tracy said...

Don't count me in for the drawing. I just wanted to congratulate you and your hubby on 20 wonderful years! Happy Anniversary to you both!!!

Hugs,
Tracy

Whimsey said...

CONGRATULATIONS - 20 years; that's fabulous!

Just a quick note - my wedding day is STILL my most favorite day ever!!! I'd do it all again in a moment's notice; EVERYTHING was perfect that day! :D

Thanks for the chance to win. Again congratulations, may you be blessed with many more years together!

Karen Motz said...

Wow!! 20 Years!!! You must have gotten married when you were 12, right? wink!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!! I love the frame you made...so pretty and meaningful!!

PatsyB said...

Cogratulations on your 20th!! It's always a blessing to see a couple that is truly committed to one another. The most romantic thing my hubby has ever done was on our 25th anniversary. He totally ignored it.When I asked, he informed me that we were going on a cruise and that would be my gift. The first night on our cruise, I was shocked to see my best friend, our son and his girlfriend and several other buddies of ours all sitting at our table! Then my husband not only stood in front of everyone and told them what a great wife and mom I was but also how much he still loved me after all these years!! I was crying so hard I couldn't even see the waiter bringing me some beautiful roses! My DH has never been a romantic so this really blew me out of the water and all my friends and family had helped him hide it from me! Thanks for the chance to win!

Anonymous said...

How heartwarming to read such a great story and see your beautiful picture. One of our most memorable annivsaries, was a couple of years ago---our 40th. Instead of celebrating with dinnerwith our children, we were at the hospital in the Stroke ICU unit-my husband had a stroke---everything turned out fine---but it is an anniverary I will never forget.

Celeste said...

I decided to wear my Mom's wedding dress when I got married. I had to have it refitted and have some repairs done as my grandfather had stepped on the bottom of the dress and the tulle had ripped. Well, the dress maker fixed that by moving a sequined piece from one part of the dress to where the rip was. When I was walking down the aisle I was thinking of my Grandpa who had passed away in 1975 when all of a sudden I heard a rip. My Dad had stepped on my dress and I ended up with another tear. I know Grandpa was with me and had to give me a chuckle!
Congrats on your anniversary, I love the frame you made.

Sheila Davis said...

CONGRATULATIONS on your 20th!!! This December will be our 20th too. Your frame is just beautiful and inspires me to start working on something for my husband. We were high school sweethearts and got married a year after graduating high school. I thought then that I loved him more than anything but today I know that it has grown way beyond that. He is my true love and soulmate and I am so happy to have him in my life. It is so nice to see others having long marriages these days as so many seem to think it's too much work and just get out.

You and your husband look so happy together in the picture. I wish you both many, many more wonderful years together.

Thanks for the chance to win!

Bev J. said...

Congrats on your 20 years together and I wish you many more happy days to come.

On our 25th anniversary we had just came home from church when people started coming to chivarii us complete with me getting a wheelbarrow ride around the yard! This November will be number 49.

Melissa in Mesa said...

Wow! Congratulations!! I hope we make it to 20 years - -my 4th Anniversary is next week. This will be the first year we are actually doing anything to celebrate it as previously we always had little ones around or family events to attend. Don't you just LOVE June weddings!

EileenMV said...

Congratulations! Our 20th wedding anniversary is this November. We're hoping to do something cool to celebrate this year! With the kids, work and everything else - the two of us never come first! Marriage is such a big commitment - we're lucky to still love & care about each other as much as we did that day 20 years ago!

Lesa said...

This is gorgeous girl!!!!! Congratulations! I miss you my friend. ((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))

Anonymous said...

Happy Anniversary! What a blessing!Thanks for all your wonderful projects!!

Michele Boyer said...

What a beautiful frame and photo! Big congrats, Christina! Twenty years is a LONG time! :) Happy Anniversary!

akagreenhouse said...

Congrats on 20 years!!! What a great milestone! Dh and I will celebrate 32 this year. Now, keep in mind I was 5 when we got married! LOL When we were dating, I spent many weeks in the hospital and had to have some surgeries. I was only allowed to have water by mouth. I made a list of things I wanted to eat once I was allowed to. At the top of the list was a Big Mac. One day he comes walking down the hall of the hospital with a McDonald's bag. The nurses began following him because they know who he is and they know I'm not allowed to eat anything. He walks in and puts the bag on my tray-table. He tells the nurses that it's okay. I open the bag and inside is the famous poly-styrene box that Big Macs come in. I opened the box and inside was a hamburger. Not just any hamburger, but a plastic, dog chew-toy hamburger. We all had a good laugh. The box has long since fallen apart, but I still have that hamburger. Every time we move and unpack stuff, we find it and laugh all over again.

Kathyc on SCS said...

Congratualtions Christina! 20 years is a wonderful milestone. My DH and I just celebrated our 30th in March; we were lucky enough to take a trip to Italy with 8 other family members including our daughter last month to celebrate. Our son couldn't come because he's busy planning (& saving for) his destination wedding next spring; lots of love to celebrate these days!
Kathy Camasso
PS, Love the frame and beautiful photo!

Marcie Sharp said...

Happy Anniversary! My husband and I were married in Varadero, Cuba while on my spring break from university (it was planned, not an elopement!) when I was 21. All my friends thought we were crazy, but we just passed our 7 year wedding anniversary and have 2 crazy kids AND are still madly in love with each other...well, at least I AM! :)

nokki99atyahoodotcom said...

Happy 20th Anniversay to you and your DH! I adore your frame & lovely picture, so nicely done.
I worked for 6 months, sent my parents off on their 50th anniversary cruise and surprised them with a huge package in their suitcase (something old, new, borrowed and blue) along with all the cards from family and friends and a nice credit from all on their account, champagne and pictures on board too! Then I surprised them and re-united their wedding party. It was fun to do.
Jan

kate c said...

You look SO happy! I hope you enjoy your anniversary! I ahd a great time at my wedding - 11 years ago - my theme was purple/pansies and I made everything with my mother(where i get my craftiness and talent). The invites had hand-pressed pansies on them, the namecards and table cards and every favor also had them. I had baskets overflowing on the tables and in the church and we were blessed with a wonderfully sunny day and an equally great marriage.
Thanks for the chance to win something fun on this, my anniversary week as well!

lindagerig said...

My granddaughter loves to hear the story of how my husband asked me out on our first date. He and his brother were playing football in their yard and when his brother tossed it to him, he missed it and it came into my grandmothers yard. He came after the ball and then started to talk me and asked me out for the next weekend. My granddaughter keeps asking him if he really missed the ball or did it on purpose just to talk to me. He is not telling. lindagerig@sbcglobal.net

Peg Smith said...

Happy, happy 20th Anniversary Christina! Almost unheard of these days....my husband and I will be married 49 years August 12th. People sometimes say "to the same man"? I'm very thankful to say yes!

Allison said...

Congratulations on your anniversary! That is a fabulous frame for a wonderful picture! You guys look so happy!
This year my husband and I celebrated our 1st anniversary and celebrated by going for a nice dinner together and talking about how much has changed for us over the course of the year - all for the better!

Lisa said...

Congratulations on 20 years! In a few weeks my in-laws will celebrate their 50th and in September my parents will celebrate their 60th! Hope you had a wonderful day and I love your blog.

Lucy said...

Happy 20th anniversary! Here's to another 80 wonderful years!
My favorite anniversary party was my parent's 25th ... my father passed away shortly after, and I just remember how happy they looked together.
Lucy Lam

La Chula Fashions said...

WOw 20 yrs. that's awesome! CONGRAT'S..and may you enjoy another happy 20 yrs to come.. as for a love story well I'm not married but I have a long time boyfriend who I love dearly last year he took me to balboa island for the day and we had a great day with lots of cool presents and a nice dinner I must say I do love him.. thanks for the chance to win.. tu amiga Kat..

Dawn Easton said...

Congratulations to you and Chris! What a darling picture of you two! FANTASTIC job on that frame! Wow! So elegant and rustic at the same time...love that!

My 16th wedding anniversary is coming up in a couple of weeks! Gosh doesn't it seem like yesterday when we were young and just getting married! Time flies but we are having fun!

Sarah said...

Congratulations! 20 years seems so long compared to our 3 year anniversary (in May), but I'm sure we'll get there someday!

If I had to choose an event I would pick my wedding; however, to tell you about the whole event would leave a mini-book on your blog. So I will just tell you one of my favorite moments from the wedding. We choose to have pictures in the morning (which is somewhat unconventional since most couples don't like to see one another until the alter). The landscape was gorgeous and I almost wished I had brought a camera myself! The lush background and fresh smell of an upcoming summer - paired with the joy and excitement of marrying the love of my life - definitely remains one of my greatest memories!

Again congrats. For contact:
sarah.day@eagles.ewu.edu

Traci Davis said...

Your picture frame is beautiful and you are a lovely couple.

I love Christmas time. We got married in December on a cruise ship and had our reception at a Victorian Tea House and both were all decked out for Christmas. I was given a Christmas themed wedding shower and received decorations, linens, dishes, etc. Every Christmas when I pull out my decorations, I re-live all of the memories of our wedding and enjoy the magic of the season.

Happy Anniversary!

Bonnie said...

HUGE Congrats to you and your hubby Christina! Twenty years is a great reason for blog candy ;)! We have been married 30 years last January and Ron is still my best friend too! It sounds like we are two very lucky girls - and they are damn lucky guys lol!

Stacy Simpson said...

Congratulations! My hubby and I are celebrating 15 years in August. I will tell you a funny story from our wedding day.. we were married at the beautiful (all glass, nestled in the side of the ozark mountains with trees everywhere) Thorncrown Chapel. My uncle volunteered to videotape the wedding - unfortunately, his battery died and since he was running it via remote, he didn't know. So our wedding tape consists of every one being seated, the wedding march starting and it cuts out. Then for some reason the battery found some juice and it shows my younger brothers lighting the candles and cuts out again. Then it shows my husband and I lighting a candle, it cuts out again. And suddenly we are walking down the aisle as a married couple! Hehe! My uncle felt really bad - we just laughed and said all we had to do was light a candle!

(Sorry for the long post!)

Tracey said...

20 years!! WOW!! That is awesome Christina! Congratulations!!

Hubby and I are only at 6 years married but I know we will make it much farther! He is the best and it seems our relationship just gets better over time!!

Vana63 said...

Congratulations!!! Thats not an easy accomplishment, especially these days, so kudos to you and your DH :-) We're having our 30th this year...and to think that none of our friends and family thought it would last, LOL...we met, we dated and we married, all in less than 3 months! Im Thankful everyday that the good lord gave me a good man with a big heart and a strong back, 3 healthy children (now adults, LOL) and so far, 1 beautiful Grandson...A Good Life! Thank You for asking, Thank You for giving a gift for answering and Best Wishes to You and your family into the future!

Ree Donnelly said...

Congrats on 20 years!!!!

My memory from our wedding (we'll celebrate our 30th this Sept.!) is actually a couple of them... while the reception was going on, I decided to stop and just completely take in the moment and I'm so glad I did... I completely remember the moment crystal clear! #2 memory is a funny one...we had our reception at a local VFW Post hall. You know how they have the bar in another part of the building for "members". Well, some guy, a "mailman" in uniform, (feeling pretty good) crashed the wedding & even sat & chatted with my Mom... he was quietly escorted out! #3 the morning after our wedding night I woke with the "mother lode" of all cold sores on my upper lip!!! Darn! LOL... thanks 4 bringing me back to that fun day!

Lilian said...

happy wedding anniversary!!! wow 20 years!! that is so wonderful. my husband and i have been married for almost 5 yrs now. they pass by so quickly!! =) congratulations again!

Julie.G said...

Congratulations....your frame and picture is perfect.
we will be celebrating 22 next April....He is still my best friend....
Congrats!

Unknown said...

Congrats on 20 years. We sometimes need to be reminded on how blessed we are to find love and happiness. We work on it 24/7 but the rewards are never ending. May God continue to bless you!

Angel said...

Congrats on your 20th anniversary! That's wonderful! My hubs and I will celebrate our 16th this Sept! BEE-U-TIFUL frame!!! Thanks for a chance to win some goodies!!!