Mike’s Surprise Party – A Basket of Memories

One of the things I love most about my husband is that he’s such a guy’s guy (thus the sports-themed birthday party) and yet he has a quiet sentimental side that I adore. (Read: I am complete sap and I appreciate that he understands that nostalgic, emotional side of my personality.) One of my favorite bits of inspiration that served as quite a driving force behind the details I pulled together for his party were the dozens of baseballs Mike keeps in old shoe boxes. He was a pitcher for most of his fourteen year baseball career and he kept balls from nearly every important game or tournament in which he pitched, all neatly marked with the date, occasion, and final score of the game. I dug out those old shoe boxes and dumped the balls in a wire basket I had lying around the house. Our friends and family loved digging through the basket of Mike’s memories and I know it thrilled him to no end to see those balls find a purpose.

For me this party was all about celebrating Mike. He’s a tremendously selfless person who gives so completely of himself to me, the students that he teaches, the athletes that he coaches, his family and his friends without condition or reservation. I wanted simply to honor who he is and the things that make him unique without much fuss. It was all about the things that he loves, the things that others love about him, simple casual foods I know he secretly craves (even though I jokingly try to convince him he wants to be a pseudo-vegetarian like me), and a group of the people most special to us. And that, to me, is what the best celebrations are all about – a handful of great personal details to make it truly special without worry about extravagance or unnecessary fuss.

{Photos by Cyd Converse for The Sweetest Occasion.}