Thank You Notes - Anniversary Layout & Letter w/Sasha Farina

Lets say we're playing a game where I say the first thing that comes to mind when the other party says something (ala this scene in Skyfall) - You say 'thankful' and I will say 'Sam'. I'm a hopeless romantic, I admit, and I'm blessed with a good man I call my husband.

A few days ago, we celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary, and my husband left for Sydney the very same day. So, I spent some time creating this layout and a beautiful, heartfelt letter.

The Close Knit collection is just perfect for my 14 & Counting layout. I decided to cut a large ampersand from the 'Fabric' patterned paper and used it as the main embellishment.

I can't resist that cute little tag from the 6 x 12 sticker sheet. And of course, I can't stop layering all the gorgeous pieces from the die-cuts pack. The colors, oh my, the colors work so well together!

I wanted to add some definition to the large yellow ampersand, so I stitched around it with blue thread. A scattering of brads, mist droplets and buttons finished the layout nicely.

After the layout was completed, I had no where to journal! I have nobody to blame except myself - I was having too much fun! :) So, I decided to write him a letter instead. It's a little bit funny, a little bit sappy, but contains many happy memories of the two of us.

I won't bore you with the letter itself, but I thought I'd show you how I decorated the front of the self-made vellum envelope. For it to coordinate with the layout, I lined the envelope with the same paper from which I cut the ampersand. Love how soft it looks here!

I used the chipboard polaroid frame as the focal point and surrounded it with die-cut flowers, heart veneers and a kraft tag.

I finished it off with this cute brad from Close Knit. Told you I can't resist the 'cross stitched' heart :)

In no time at all, I have a layout and letter. I guess you could call them a set of 'Thank You' gifts for my darling husband. I think it's a nice way to tell that someone special that we're thankful for them.

If you're doing something like this for the festive season, I'd love to see it! Feel free to link me up.

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!