box of paper

So our anniversary came and went yesterday. It was such fun, and I'm so excited because I can finally share what I did.

I gave my husband a box of paper.

I thought and thought about what to get J, and hated every idea I came across.

I knew I wanted to make whatever I gave him myself, so I decided to just go to the craft store and try to get inspiration that way.

I was there for a long time. It seemed like hours but it may not have been. Then finally the idea donned on me.

EUREKA!

I purchased the following supplies:

1 unfinished wooden box with lid with a picture frame on top
2 tubes of paint, one white, one black
1 unfinished wooden heart
2 black wooden letters one J. for his name and one S. for my name
2 white wooden cutouts one of the word Imagine and one of the word dream.
1 paintbrush

I came home that day full of ideas and motivation and went right to work. First, I gathered the supplies I needed that I had around the house.

1 leftover engagement picture of us in black and white
1 bottle  of glue
scissors

Then I painted the base of the box white and the lid black and allowed those to dry. Once they were dry I diluted the paint a little and brushed white over the black and black over the white. I did the heart cutout this way as well, white first then black.

Finally, all of that was dry and I was able to glue on the wood pieces. I used a generous amount of Elmer's glue and they held very nicely. I cut our picture down to fit the frame in the lid and viola, my box was done.

Then I got on the phone. I called members of J's family, his friends, and some of my family he's close to. I asked each of them to write him a letter and mail it to me. I asked them to encourage him, tell him what they like about him and just be positive in general.

As the letters arrived I put them in the box, which I kept hidden.

I also wrote 2 letters myself. I attached one to the inside of the lid. It explained what the box was for and why I made it. The second was my letter of encouragement and praise for him and I nestled it in with the rest.

Another thing I put in the box was a Pez dispenser of his favorite childhood cartoon character and extra Pez. (He loves Pez.)

Finally, because someone had suggested origami and another suggested a kite (neither idea seemed the perfect fit for this year), I made an origami kite. (Well, I tried to. It came out pretty sad.) This kite had another silly little note on the inside.

So when the evening came I presented first the kite, then the box. He had a great time going through the letters.

And there's enough room still in it for him to use the box for other correspondence, or inspirations that come to him.

So all told, the box of paper was a success.