My husband and I are happily celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary this week! Handmade gifts and treasures have always been a part of our relationship, including our wedding cake toppers above. My husband made the “mini us,” and I made our canine daughters all out of clay.
This year, I wanted to give him something that we could add to each year as our relationship grows. Thus, the Catalog of Love was born as a perpetual anniversary gift!
This is an antique wooden library card catalog box that now will hold the chapters of our relationship and life together. I created faux Dewey Decimal catalog cards, where the book number is replaced by milestone dates, chapters of our love overwrites book titles, and important locations substitute publisher cities. One day, when we are both old and wrinkled, I hope we will be able to fill the box completely with our life’s chapters together.
If you want to create your own Dewey Decimal cards, which can be used on a variety of gifts, such as birthday cards or present tags, visit the Catalog Card Generator. I’d love to see what you create!
43 responses so far ↓
1 Carlene // May 19, 2009 at 5:47 pm
What a lovely idea! A great way to keep all those beautiful memories safe and sound.
http://itsheavenly.blogspot.com
2 cindy : quaint // May 19, 2009 at 9:34 pm
oh, that card box is such a romantic idea! i just love it. everything you did is wonderful.
we’ve been married for quite a while, but it’s never too late. i really need to get my typewriter fixed, already.
3 erin // May 19, 2009 at 10:03 pm
you are so romantic! i LOVE this idea. {and yes, sand all over the house is definitely part of my summers too!} hope you are well, erin
4 corine // May 19, 2009 at 10:59 pm
You’re lucky your husband plays along, which shows that you have paired up with a matching soul. My husband would totally make something for me, because he is a true romantic. I, huh.. would have to go to a store,
5 Julia // May 19, 2009 at 11:46 pm
What a creative gift idea. Really fabulous!
6 erin@designcrisis // May 20, 2009 at 12:19 am
Congratulations on your anniversary, and what a lucky husband you have!
7 Stacy // May 20, 2009 at 7:23 am
That is so romantic! Our 2nd Anniversary is coming up too on 7/8th. Happy Anniversary!
8 Krissy // May 20, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Happy Anniversary to you! What a perfect gift
9 ljcadv // May 20, 2009 at 2:15 pm
this is so sweet!
10 gracieK // May 20, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I LOVE this idea! I might steal it!! Grace, you are so creative & romantic!
11 Amy // May 20, 2009 at 3:59 pm
You are absolutely brilliant! That is the coolest idea ever!
12 carol // May 20, 2009 at 6:39 pm
amazing. romantic.
and as far away from hi-tech as you can go.
13 The Deco Detective // May 20, 2009 at 8:42 pm
You’re all unbelievably cute standing on top of the cake! Happy 2nd anniversary – seems like there are a lot of 2nd anniversaries in blogland at the moment =)
The catalog is a brilliant idea!
14 Rachel (Heart of Light) // May 20, 2009 at 8:54 pm
So sweet! I love how clever you are.
15 Lynne, Tea for Joy // May 21, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Oh, what a lovely idea!
16 Amanda // May 21, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Wow, what an incredible idea. Congratulations to you and your husband and I hope you fill that box!
17 CrimsonCrow // May 23, 2009 at 1:22 pm
A great idea, gorgeously executed! I’ve had my own spin on it for several years.
A tip: If you put year, month, day: 09.05.23, you will be able to file them in order with no fuss, no muss. I date stuff on my computer this same way. Always in order.
18 pixelhazard // May 23, 2009 at 11:33 pm
Oh what a lovely idea! Anniversary gifts get more and mroe difficult to think of
19 Grace // May 25, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Thank you so much for all of your kind words and wishes! I always should have known my husband was a lucky man
20 Suzanne // May 25, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Hey My Friend,
Happy Anniversary to you and I hope you have one hundred more! I was here a few days ago, but did not have time to leave a comment. You, once again, have created a beautiful and unique gift. I think of you everytime I go antique shopping now!
Talk to you soon. Ciao bella,
Suzanne
21 Suzanne // May 25, 2009 at 9:16 pm
PS
We just got rid of an AT&T wall mount telephone that was in this old house (actually in my husband’s bathroom ~ long story) and I tossed it last fall. I should have sent it to you to sell on Etsy! I think it still worked perfectly too.
xoxo
22 amy r // May 26, 2009 at 8:35 am
You are an old and lovely soul, Grace.
What a beautiful concept!
Amy
23 Susan // May 26, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Congratulations on two lovely years! I SO heart your idea. We have two weddings this summer and this will be the perfect gift for both couples. Thank you! (I found you via Tea For Joy’s blog.)
24 wide open spaces // May 27, 2009 at 5:56 pm
you are a genius. i am so in love with this idea –
oh, and happy day, year & lifetime of love to you both!
25 Jess@noelmarie // May 27, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Sorry a little late, but Happy Anniversary and Congrats!
26 Minnie // Jun 5, 2009 at 6:31 am
Aww, this is so sweet. One of the best ideas. It totally appeals to the writer in me and as someone who adores old stuff, especially card catalogues. A terrific way for you to stop along the way and note the special moments, while also leaving something for your child(ren) so they can know how much love you had for each other.
27 Leigh // Jun 17, 2009 at 10:42 pm
Wow. This idea is so beautiful and creative. I am blown away! Thank you for the inspiration
28 Nicola // Jun 17, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Great idea! I’m pregnant too (hang in there through the m/s- mine just went away at 17 weeks!)- and I must say I love this idea as a way to capture kidlet/family memories. After a family vacation or birthday party or an ordinary day at the park, I can see making a card, showing it to our little one and letting her file it in our family box. Thanks!
29 Dizi izle // Jun 19, 2009 at 6:32 am
Idea is great and looks so romantic. I liked it.
30 sweet idea: diy catalog of love | Design Website // Jun 19, 2009 at 8:52 am
[...] light of poetic home recently celebrated her two-year anniversary with her husband and decided to make him a gift by hand, rather than pick up something at the [...]
31 VivifiedHOME » Blog Archive » sweet idea: diy catalog of love // Jun 22, 2009 at 6:02 am
[...] light of poetic home recently celebrated her two-year anniversary with her husband and decided to make him a gift by hand, rather than pick up something at the [...]
32 Fat Ninja // Jun 30, 2009 at 1:02 am
i love this idea!!!! i had to blog you
http://fatninjainyoface.blogspot.com/2009/06/diy-catalog-of-love.html
33 kendall jade // Sep 26, 2009 at 8:08 am
hi grace! brilliant ida, and you pulled it off so nicely! where on earth did you find the box though?
xx
34 The 9 Most Popular Posts of 2009 | Poetic Home {pH} Living in Vintage Poetry // Jan 6, 2010 at 1:21 am
[...] love be considered the most popular blogging topic? Yes, if you count the fact that the Catalog of Love I made for my husband for our second wedding anniversary was the most popular post of [...]
35 DIY Valentine’s Day Gift – Library Card Love Notes – The Sweetest Occasion // Jan 21, 2010 at 2:29 pm
[...] noted with special moments and occasions and penned with little love notes based on an idea from Poetic Home. It’s even complete with Dewey Decimals. (Well, a play on the Dewey Decimal system – [...]
36 Lisa // Jan 21, 2010 at 4:00 pm
OH.MY.WORD.
I saw you over at Laylas place and came over to check it out. Your quite the gal!
This idea is just so sweet. I have been married for 19 years and have 3 kids, thought I would make up a memory box for all of us. I better get bizzzzy!! Im sure I will be a bawling baby while I do it, too. Im not sure why, but my 44th Birthday turned me into some kinda cry baby!
What a wonderful idea filled blog.. Thank you!
Lisa
coastal nest
37 DIY Valentine’s Day Gift – Library Card Love Notes | Weddinic - Wedding Articles // Jan 21, 2010 at 7:28 pm
[...] noted with special moments and occasions and penned with little love notes based on an idea from Poetic Home. It’s even complete with Dewey Decimals. (Well, a play on the Dewey Decimal system – [...]
38 Personalized Valentines gifts // Jan 22, 2010 at 6:48 am
Wow….. that’s really great idea. I think it is one the suitable way to keep your memories fresh. I love this idea. Thanks for sharing with us.
39 tess // Jan 22, 2010 at 7:08 pm
love, love this idea! thanks so much for sharing. I would love to follow your blog, but do not see the option to do so. help?
40 Deborah Miller // Jan 26, 2010 at 6:09 pm
I’ve started our card catalog of love thanks for such a wonderful idea. I’ve got 24 years of memories to fill in.
41 Valentijn – bewaar je liefste herinneringen — LIVLIG // Feb 2, 2010 at 9:09 pm
[...] Een schattig zelfmaak-idee van The Lettered Cottage en Poetic Home: [...]
42 Cindi // Mar 12, 2010 at 4:22 pm
This is such a wonderful idea! This would be a fantastic gift for newlyweds too. Thanks so much for the link to the library card generator. I just made my first library card. I plan to use them for cards and scrapbook pages. I mainly rubber stamp. I am just so thrilled with your site. I found you through a link on PaperFriendly. I’m saving your page on vintage suitcases as well. I have one in the garage my husband keeps trying to throw out!
43 Cindi // Mar 12, 2010 at 4:28 pm
Edit : well, I found you through a roundabout series of clicks that started with PaperFriendly, wound through Easter cards and somehow found you here. I will be sure to share your site. Hope it’s ok!
Leave a Comment