A Gift To The Greenbrier!!!

This year for Darren's 38th birthday, I thought it would be nice to give a gift that lasts a lifetime, through an experience and a memory! Darren received two blazers for Christmas and he's been anxious to wear them. He kept mentioning the possibility of going to "The Greenbrier", but now that we have a puppy, he thinks traveling, at least right now, is unfair to Sadie, and next to impossible.  Uh-- whoever said a puppy stops your life is crazy! Ever heard of a dog sitter or a kennel? Granted, I do NOT prefer to ship my pup off on a regular basis, but if it means treating my hard-working husband to a nice weekend somewhere, the puppy is not going to stop us, especially if 3 kids do NOT.  

I didn't know how I would present this gift, but of course, I didn't just want to wrap up a picture of the Greenbrier or write it in a card. That's dull and oh so NOT me.  So, I went on a hunt to Michael's Craft Store.  As I walked around the store, I was able to brainstorm.  I knew I wanted to present this gift to him in the form of "hints".  I found the below patch of plastic grass.  This would be the FIRST clue.  Clue #1 GREEN, GRASS, GREENERY = GREENBRIER.  Eventually, I came up with the idea to hide the rest of the clues in the patch of green grass.  You can see the other clues below.  These clues are in NO PARTICULAR order. 

In the jewelry section, at Michael's Craft Store, I found these little circular storage containers.  I assume they are for beads, but I chose to use them to hide the clues, in the grass.

Clue #2: "We are going to be celebrating your 38th birthday!" I found these "Happy Birthday" craft buttons, at A.C. Moore, and used them to create another clue.  They're so pretty and festive.

 Clue #3: You hold the key to my heart AND a key will get you into the room! I found these keys at Michael's Craft Store: four keys for $1.00. 

Clue #4: I won the jackpot when I married you!  AND, A casino exists where we are going. I personally am not a gambler, but I think the casino will be really fun to have at arms reach, especially for the guys.

Clue #5: You will be treated like royalty.  This location is known for it's luxurious structures and elegance.  

 This crown was found in the dollar section, at Michael's Craft Store.  It is actually a photo holder.  

I placed a sticker on the base of the crown, which read, "Memories are perhaps the best gifts of all."  So true and basically, Clue #6.

 Clue #7: Silverware Miniatures AKA Fine Dining! PERFECT! Now you can wear your fancy blazer.  

I used to be a scrapbooker, so I was so excited to find a menu sticker, in my sticker collection.

Clue #8: Where?  WEST VIRGINIA!  It's where the venue is located.  I found these license plate stickers at Michale's Craft Store. This clue was the clue that sealed the deal for Darren.  It was a "dead giveaway" or so he said.

Clue #9: Cocktails.  We will be able to act like adults and sip on an adult cocktail. Maybe we can enjoy the winery tour.

Clue #10: "Laughter, Good Times, Friends!"  We are going with FRIENDS!!!!! We invited Aaron and Lisa Fernandez to go with us.  Darren really enjoys Aaron a lot.  He has recently said, "I love how Aaron is always laughing and happy It's such a cool characteristic/quality!" It's a good friend to have when you are so uptight.  YES, Darren and I are pretty Type A peeps! It should be a "Good Time!"

 Clue #11: Our nest  home away from home! I purchased this little guy at A.C. Moore.

Clue #12: We will be able to sit back, relax, and BREATH... as we leave our responsibilities in the hands of others.  I have really enjoyed these $2.00 trinkets from Hallmark.  You can find them at the check out counter. I also bought them for the kids at Valentine's Day, but theirs said, "I Love You!"

Clue #13: Your gift involves traveling aka road trip. #map #road stickers

Clue #14: Our night will end with "fireworks".  LOL!!!! Time for the married couple to reconnect. 

 Almost every clue fit PERFECTLY inside the containers, except for the bird's nest and key! 

Then, I just hid all of the "hints" in the patch of green grass!

I presented the patch of green grass to Darren and said, "Here's your BIG gift! Inside the patch of green grass are clues. You will have to piece them all together to figure out what your gift is."  

Darren wasted no time peaking through the grass and opening the containers, searching for hints.

He's pretty QUICK!  It didn't take him long to figure it out.

If the hint, "West Virginia" wasn't one of the hints, I think he might have been stumped or it would have taken him a tad longer to figure it out.

I LOVED how Darren was so into putting the clues together. He took the time to look at each clue and carefully consider his final answer.

I think it's safe to say, from the below smile, Darren was happy to receive this unique gift.  In 22 plus years, I don't believe I have ever surprised him with the gift of a vacation. There is so much to do at The Greenbrier. We've already started seeing what interests us that we can "sign" up for.  Our dinner reservations are set and I really hope we will get to enjoy the SPA while we are there! I also suggested maybe signing up for NOTHING and just winging it.  Sometimes those are the best vacations. No structure.  No appointments.  No bedtimes. No alarm clocks.  Sounds pleasurable.   We are going March 27th.  WE CAN'T WAIT!!! 

I will post on the rest of the Birthday Boy's day soon!