A fruitful anniversary...

"Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand."
-Mother Teresa

Rob and I happily celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary this past week. I think the traditional wedding gift ideas are kind of neat to follow (Year One: Paper, Year Two: Cotton, Year Three: Leather), so I was anxious to find something to fit this year's "Fruit/Flowers" theme.

I waited until the last minute, hoping I would have a job and could justify spending money on one of these cool fruit bowls: Made of Clay Ceramics or Polka Dot Stationery or Museware Pottery. But, in the end was most inspired by this etched glass bowl that I pinned from Create Studio.

Glass etching has always been one of my favorite crafts. It's so amazing how easy it is, and how awesome it looks when you're done.

So, hence the thrift store trips the other day... I need to find a glass fruit bowl. But no luck... Ended up at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, where I used a 20% off coupon and $3.00 left on a gift card (probably left from our wedding gifts!) to pick up a trifle bowl (I also learned that's the name of these type of bowls with vertical sides!) for just over $5 out-of-pocket.

Then I set to work. You pretty much follow the directions on the Armour Etch glass etching cream bottle, but in case you're unsure of the process, I created a mini tutorial for you to follow.

And, voila!

But, I wasn't done until I added fruit and some cute cards with metaphors explaining the significance of each fruit choice.

Here's the text if you care to read:

• Banana : Year One : Although we’d been together for awhile, our first year of marriage ushered in a new way of relating to each other. We had new names, new identities; we became our own “bunch.” Our futures were “ripe” with possibilities. I remember a conversation early on when we agreed, “After we get in an argument, it’s such a comfort to know, that we’ll still be together in the morning.”
• Apple : Year Two : Just like an apple, year two also started out a bit crunchy (putting a down payment on a house, Poppy’s death, and looking for a teaching job), but we took on these things, knowing that they were steps to reach the sweet fruit of our labor. At the core, we were looking to fulfill our dreams. (Not to mention... this was the year we bought Apple iPhones!)
• Peach : Year Three : With two nine-to-five jobs (ok, maybe they were more like seven-to-sixes!), two incomes, two cars, and a mortgage, we were in a warm “fuzzy” routine. We worked long hours, but we came home to curl up on the couch with each other. We wondered how anyone our age could possibly still enjoy partying and staying out late. How could they trade all that we had?
• Grapes : Year Four : Just as this bunch is made of lots of little individual grapes, this past year has been full of so many life-changing events. Some sweet, and some sour. But what I will remember most about this year is that we took a risk to follow our dreams. A year ago we hoped that we would be brave enough to move across the country. And, look at us, in a new state, with our house almost sold, looking toward our next adventure...