19 May

Catalog of Love: A Perpetual Anniversary Gift

Handmade wedding toppers

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!

catalog-of-love-repurposed-library-card-catalog1

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!

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41 Comments

  1. 1 May 19, 2009 at 5:47 pm
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    What a lovely idea! A great way to keep all those beautiful memories safe and sound. :)

    http://itsheavenly.blogspot.com

  2. 2 May 19, 2009 at 9:34 pm
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    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. 3 May 19, 2009 at 10:03 pm
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    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. 4 May 19, 2009 at 10:59 pm
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    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. 5 May 19, 2009 at 11:46 pm
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    What a creative gift idea. Really fabulous!

  6. 6 May 20, 2009 at 12:19 am
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    Congratulations on your anniversary, and what a lucky husband you have!

  7. 7 May 20, 2009 at 7:23 am
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    That is so romantic! Our 2nd Anniversary is coming up too on 7/8th. Happy Anniversary!

  8. 8 May 20, 2009 at 1:18 pm
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    Happy Anniversary to you! What a perfect gift :)

  9. 9 May 20, 2009 at 2:15 pm
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    this is so sweet!

  10. 10 May 20, 2009 at 2:21 pm
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    I LOVE this idea! I might steal it!! Grace, you are so creative & romantic!

  11. 11 May 20, 2009 at 3:59 pm
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    You are absolutely brilliant! That is the coolest idea ever!

  12. 12 May 20, 2009 at 6:39 pm
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    amazing. romantic.
    and as far away from hi-tech as you can go.

  13. 13 May 20, 2009 at 8:42 pm
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    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. 14 May 20, 2009 at 8:54 pm
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    So sweet! I love how clever you are.

  15. 15 May 21, 2009 at 9:27 pm
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    Oh, what a lovely idea!

  16. 16
    Amanda
    May 21, 2009 at 10:39 pm
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    Wow, what an incredible idea. Congratulations to you and your husband and I hope you fill that box!

  17. 17 May 23, 2009 at 1:22 pm
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    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. 18 May 23, 2009 at 11:33 pm
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    Oh what a lovely idea! Anniversary gifts get more and mroe difficult to think of

  19. 19
    Grace
    May 25, 2009 at 2:48 pm
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    Thank you so much for all of your kind words and wishes! I always should have known my husband was a lucky man ;)

  20. 20 May 25, 2009 at 9:14 pm
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    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. 21 May 25, 2009 at 9:16 pm
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    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. 22
    amy r
    May 26, 2009 at 8:35 am
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    You are an old and lovely soul, Grace.
    What a beautiful concept!

    Amy

  23. 23 May 26, 2009 at 5:42 pm
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    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. 24 May 27, 2009 at 5:56 pm
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    you are a genius. i am so in love with this idea –

    oh, and happy day, year & lifetime of love to you both!

  25. 25 May 27, 2009 at 9:02 pm
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    Sorry a little late, but Happy Anniversary and Congrats!

  26. 26 June 5, 2009 at 6:31 am
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    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. 27 June 17, 2009 at 10:42 pm
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    Wow. This idea is so beautiful and creative. I am blown away! Thank you for the inspiration :)

  28. 28
    Nicola
    June 17, 2009 at 11:16 pm
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    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. 29 June 19, 2009 at 6:32 am
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    Idea is great and looks so romantic. I liked it.

  30. 32 June 30, 2009 at 1:02 am
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  31. 33
    kendall jade
    September 26, 2009 at 8:08 am
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    hi grace! brilliant ida, and you pulled it off so nicely! where on earth did you find the box though?
    xx

  32. 36 January 21, 2010 at 4:00 pm
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    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

  33. 38 January 22, 2010 at 6:48 am
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    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.

  34. 39
    tess
    January 22, 2010 at 7:08 pm
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    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?

  35. 40 January 26, 2010 at 6:09 pm
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    I’ve started our card catalog of love thanks for such a wonderful idea. I’ve got 24 years of memories to fill in.

  36. 42
    Cindi
    March 12, 2010 at 4:22 pm
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    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!

  37. 43
    Cindi
    March 12, 2010 at 4:28 pm
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    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!

  38. 44 May 2, 2010 at 10:59 am
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    Your blog is very interesting. May i write article for you, could you publish it here ? Please mail me

  39. 45 May 5, 2010 at 6:54 am
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    My Fiance and I will definitely be using the catalog idea! Too adorable!

  40. 48 July 1, 2010 at 7:14 pm
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    I loved this idea so much! I simply had to borrow it, and my wife LOVED it. Thank you!

  41. 49
    Janna
    July 27, 2010 at 7:37 pm
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    A really love the catalog of love idea — I emailed you a day ago to see if I can include this in a roundup of DIY ideas for ivillage.com but haven’t heard back. Can you let me know asap? I’d love to include this idea with a link back to your post!

8 Trackbacks

  1. [...] 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 [...]

  2. [...] 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 [...]

  3. [...] 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 [...]

  4. [...] 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 – [...]

  5. [...] 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 – [...]

  6. [...] Een schattig zelfmaak-idee van The Lettered Cottage en Poetic Home: [...]

  7. May 17, 2010 at 6:48 am

    [...] in love with this idea for months now and it seems like such a romantic gift.  It is your very own card catalog of your relationship and each year you would add more cards to it and then one day pass it on to [...]

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