This weekend we celebrated by going to our favorite restaurant in town, 18 Seaboard, located in downtown Raleigh. Ryan always gets the filet mignon and I always get the salmon; we really should try new menu items, but we go so rarely (in order to appreciate it more), that we can't miss out on our favorites! Not only are the entrees fabulous, but some of the sides are to die for, including the goat cheese smashed red potatoes and cheddar grits. How can you resist that? For dessert, the special creme brulee of the night was pecan pie. Again, how can you resist that?!? They also surprised us with a delicious cake with "Happy Anniversary" scripted in chocolate. I. love. this. restaurant.
Ryan and I both got crafty with our anniversary gifts to one another this year. He made me this awesome pinning board (that we've now hung in the front halllway), strung with hemp so we can pin mementos, notes, and photos on it as time goes on. How to pin them? Lovely farm red clothespins. I had a custom print framed for him of our beloved North Carolina. There's a white silhouette of the state on a storm-gray background, with a red heart marked on Chapel Hill, where we got married. I like to think the heart encapsulates this entire area: it's where our friends and family are, where we met, where we grew up together, and where we call home to this day.
Not only that, but he gave me a beautiful handmade bag that I had marked on Pinterest. I think he could tell how much I loved it after I screamed upon opening it. Bonus points!!
And finally, here's a few photos to look back on from that wonderful day, 10/17/09. I still get butterflies when I see them.
