Yeah, I know...I promised this several days ago, but give me a break people. I am adopting a kid, moving in three weeks and it's a holiday weekend. Glad to know you are reading though and truly, I am just kidding, my lazy butt should have posted sooner!
Ok, so best birthday present ever....part dos. My dear, wonderful hubby is an amazing man...great dad, great laundry doer (yes, he does the laundry-another post on another day), awesome Christian leader, etc. One of the things he lacks is a good gift giver. Now, I don't mean to sound harsh...but if a TLC crew stopped him on the street one day and said, "name one thing you suck at?" he would immediately answer "giving my wife gifts." I am not kidding.
One mother's day he gave me a book on how to be a better wife and mother. He didn't do this on purpose. He was running late and just grabbed a book. Note to self, check the theme of the book before wrapping. At any rate, with the big 30 rapidly approaching as well as our 10th anniversary (yes, I have put up with sucky gifts for 10+ years but hey, I still love ya baby), he wanted to really prove that a great gift could be done. So let's set the stage.
Three or four years ago, we went on a cruise with my mom and dad, their best friends Patti and Ronnie and our friends, Walt and Lisa. After getting one of the worst sunburns of my life on day one, we headed indoors on day two. Now, this is a little embarressing, but hey, I shoot for the 100% honesty so here goes. We went to an art auction. Not because we liked art (heck, we knew NOTHING about it) but because there was free champagne. Sad but true.
So we go to the art auction, sunburned and thirsty with Walt and Lisa and the art director on board was amazing. I learned so much in the next two hours and believe it or not, I only took one sip of the SUCKY champagne. I learned about Picasso, Monet, abstract, but most importantly, I fell in love with an artist named Carrie Graber. Her work was amazing (she mainly paints women, CLOTHED women) but what struct me so much was her shading and the fact that she was my age. Her talent is AMAZING and you can't help but just sit and stare at her work (at least I couldn't) I was dying to buy a print, but the PRINTS were $1400 so alas, I loved her work from afar.
When we got home, I immediatly bought a book about her work and dropped hints about how much I would love to have a Graber. We tried to find galleries here in Nashville that showcased her work (there are none) and I watched ebay trying to find some sucker needing money and selling a piece cheaper than normal (didn't happen)
A year later, we went on the same cruise again with the promise that if they had the work I loved, we would buy it. We found out it was sold out. I was super sad but happy to have saved $1400 for the PRINT.
Fast forward to the gift. My husband (ON HIS OWN) contacted the gallery that represents Carrie and had her commission an original oil on canvas of my favorite piece. Since it was sold out, she couldn't replicate it, but I actually like my version better. It is called Finishing Touches and the biggest difference in the one on my wall and the one in the link is that mine has a lamp and a hanger on the bed. It arrived a few months ago with a note from Carrie to me. The best part is that she threw in a PRINT of one of her new works....which is hanging in my dining room.
Now, you might not love Graber's work like I do, but I think anyone can appreciate the amount of time and effort my hubby put into the best gift I ever got. I love you Jonathan and thank you!
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