Map of our Love

It's that time of year - the time of love. For me, I have never been crazy about Valentine's day. In my opinion, you should love each other every single day of the year - not just one day in February. However, Luke and I's anniversary falls on February 12th, so we end up celebrating our love at this time each year. This was our first anniversary apart. I was busy with student teaching and Luke was busy with work, so we didn't talk much during the week. We have learned to cherish the time we do have since it is so limited.

One of the many things Luke and I enjoy doing together is traveling. We like to plan trips and explore new places together. In the 5+ years we've been together, we've traveled to Florida, Minnesota, Missouri, Illinois, and obviously, Iowa, where we both live. I wanted his gift to be thoughtful - so I decided to incorporate our love of traveling.

I purchased a map online from Amazon for $13. It is HUGE! 5 feet by 3 feet, but it was exactly what I wanted. I looked through our collection of pictures and chose my favorites from each state. Make sure you check the size of the state before printing your pictures; I had to order 5x7 for some since my map is so large. I ordered the pictures from Walmart for $6, and waited for the map and pictures to be delivered!

I used tracing paper to get the state's outline. I traced the outline on the pictures and cut them out. They aren't exact, but close enough.

I used spray adhesive to attach the pictures to the map. 

I used permanent marker to write "our adventures" on the map.

I can't wait for more adventures to come!

Next step: framing. I was a little naive for this portion of the project. I didn't want glass, just the frame, so I thought it wouldn't be too expensive. Wrong. Because of the map's size, it was still costly, even with Hobby Lobby's 50% off custom framing. The Hobby Lobby expert also suggested I have it dry mounted (around $24), meaning it will be attached to foam backing to give it support. Since I was spending so much on the frame itself, I figured I better just go all out. The whole frame and mount cost $100. More than I was expecting, but very worth it. This is something that will be hung in our future home for years. 

This will motivate us to travel more in future years together!