My Happiest Day

Today Joel and I are celebrating our thirteenth wedding anniversary! I love this day because I'm always flooded with memories of the day we were married; it was my very favorite day. Ever. If I could choose one day out of my life to live over again, it would definitely be August 20, 1997 because everything about that day was perfect.

Joel has a remarkable ability to give really thoughtful gifts, and he has given me some incredible ones over the years. My absolute favorite though is the drawing pictured above of the temple where we were married. He spent about three months secretly working on this while we were engaged, while we were both going to school full time, while we were both working, and while we were both trying to spend every spare second of extra time we had together. I have no idea where he found the time to complete it.

When he surprised me with the framed drawing a few days before our wedding, I was speechless. I'm embarrassed to say what I gave him because it was so lame in comparison. So I won't. I have tried, but never been successful at achieving his level of thoughtfulness or secrecy when giving him gifts.

I was so sure I had thought of the perfect gift to give him though this year. My excitement got the best of me on Sunday and I asked Joel if I could give him his gift early (I am no good at keeping a secret very long). He was a bit confused when I handed him an envelope, but when he pulled out the card inside emblazoned with the Apple logo on the front, his eyes immediately lit up.

He's been patiently waiting for our wireless phone contract to expire so that he can FINALLY get an iphone. I wanted to give him the real phone, but had to settle for an iphone gift card after securing the real thing proved more difficult than I thought. It's unfortunate that it required so much effort on his part this week to order his phone. But, barring no further issues, he will soon happily join the throng of iphone aficionados.

Joel doesn't spend much time anymore creating pieces of fine art, but his drawing skills are clearly evident in his fabric designs. Most of his designs are created first as sketches that he then refines on the computer. His Sparrow, Columbine, Damasks, Orchid, Antler Damask, Floral Drop, Sunflower, Handpicked Daisies, Majestic Oak, and Dogwood Bloom all began as large, hand-drawn designs that he then scannned into the computer. All of his other designs are a hybrid of sketching, photography and graphic design. It's a fascinating process to watch.

In fact, I'm currently watching the process unfold again as he works on a new collection, and I can't wait to see the final product. And, like I do each time Joel creates anything, I'm sure I will fall in love with his art and with him all over again.

Happy Anniversary to us!

We Have Our Winner!

Thanks for entering the contest and for all of your compliments on the baby blankets. The photo above shows the butterfly pattern I used from the book. We loved reading your comments about favorite baby gifts. I have to say it made me a bit nostalgic thinking about being pregnant with each of our children and remembering the thoughtful gifts we received. Like so many of you, mine and Joel's favorite gifts were those that were homemade.

When I was pregnant with our first son, we were given a quilt that my sister-in-law made with hand-designed blocks by friends and family members. For our first daughter, I was given a beautiful, creamy white afghan and a tied blanket my mom made with some fabric she bought while traveling in Japan. A good friend of mine wrote a beautiful poem for our second daughter, and without my knowing it, had Joel design artwork around the poem; it made me cry. And with our second son, I was given a handmade quilt, the designer of which didn't even realize she had sewn with some of my mother-in-law's fabric.

But, enough of my meandering down Memory Lane. Now onto the primary purpose of this post; announcing our contest winner. We used random.org to select our winner; #117 Tracey. Congratulations! We hope you enjoy your copy of "Sewn Spaces" and that the rest of you get a chance to look through the book at some point as well.

P.S. As I was getting ready to post this, the doorbell rang and once I made my way through the tangle of kids fighting to open the door, I discovered a much-anticipated package: Modern Meadow prints that have been on back order since March! Yes, Joel and I have been waiting patiently for these to arrive, along with everyone else. Now, I can finally get to work creating with Dogwood Bloom and Picnic Plaid in the Pond colorway! Oh happy day. I hope this means that all of you who have been awaiting the arrival of these well-sought-after prints get yours soon as well.