November is a special month — because it’s the month B and I finally tied the knot! As you may or may not know there are “traditional” anniversary gifts for each year with a specific theme. There is a list that has the traditional gifts paired with modern twists, and personally I like to try and stick to the traditional. Last year I gifted B with papers sharing that I was finally going to change my last name (yes, after almost a year!). So if you’re like me and on the hunt for something original, unique and spoiling your loved one, here are some Cotton-themed 2nd anniversary gift ideas with shop-able links!
The meaning for Cotton for an anniversary gift is “Cotton’s woven threads symbolize how you become more interconnected as time goes on and learn to be more flexible.”
Handmade Cotton Bud Ornament from Etsy. Etsy was the first spot I went to for inspiration, especially looking for something a little more unique and personalized. One of the first things that caught my eye was this ornament — not only is it on theme, it’s also something that could easily be DIYed and even more customized as a anniversary keepsake. But for $14 with customization, you can’t beat it and I love ornaments to capture moments throughout our lives.
Custom Embroidered Socks. This was another Etsy find that gives endless options to customize and make special for your man! With so many different patterns and the ability to provide your own embroidered text with your wedding date, inside joke, wedding hashtag, or monogram — you really can’t go wrong with this.
His & Her Robes. Honestly, this was my first thought when I saw the second anniversary traditional gift was cotton. I jumped on Pottery Barn to see what was available — and even customizable. I liked the Vincent’s Men Robe, but it couldn’t be customized in the size I would need to get for B. I also loved this Bambo Waffle Robe from Williams Sonoma which also has monogram and different length options plus its on sale – not to mention there is just something about the waffle pattern that is so luxurious! Lastly I was searching on Land’s End for his and hers which had some other more holiday specific robes that would be perfect for Christmas pajamas!
China is the modern gift theme which could be anything from a trip to China — a nice China dish to add for service — or even ordering Chinese food for a fun date-night in. The color is red, could be a ruby ring (hint-hint guys for the ladies) red garnet is also an option since garnet is the gemstone for two-years.
Have you already celebrated two years — do you stick to the anniversary gift themes? Or not?
So with all the things happening, some amazing and some stressful, I’ve tried to focus on the positive, with a side of pumpkins and a bit of love.
The last two weekends consisted of more festive October/fall gatherings! Our friends hosted a pumpkin beer themed party and then we went to a Halloween party this past weekend — B and I don’t typically Halloween, as the Clam Bake is more our speed, but we had fun and finally figured out a cute and clever couples costume that felt like us! We were Jim and Pam from The Office, during Season 4’s episode featuring the 
Weekend #2 was a little less busy? We hosted dear friends on Friday night, grilled out and enjoyed a beautiful evening on the patio, we even had 
Radiant Defense – Liquid Perfection. I was super excited to give this foundation a try, because it also happens to be SPF30 on top of giving you flawless coverage. I used three of the colors, since typically I would probably be the lightest one on the chain – but given my summer glow and abundance of freckles, I thought the two second lightest colors might work well on my skin too. I think the Beige was the perfect shade for me, not to light and not to dark – also the coverage of this sample was the perfect amount and gave a good base. It covered up imperfections like my little color patch in the top of my forehead, plus it was light and airy and I didn’t feel like I had a pound of make-up on – which I feel like is just as important as everything else. I felt flawless and effortless all in one and that feeling carried on into the day.
Overall all the products had super light or no scents, which is important to me with a routine, so it was very refreshing using each of the different products. The Radiant Defense is a product I would definitely love using especially for special occasions or those days I need a little extra umph to get me going – I did feel super beautiful using it. I think it’s also important finding a good cleanser to exfoliate the face every now and again and R+F definitely offers a variety of options for all skin types and ages!
the bee life 