Today is my Ralph's sixty third birthday, and this birthday he is actually out of town, so I slipped his birthday present into his carry-on bag for him to find.
We have a bucket list of sorts, filled with places we want to see around the US, and concerts we want to attend, and I was feeling pretty smug a couple of weeks ago when I discovered that Tom Petty was going to be in Seattle this summer. (Seattle is a mere three hour drive, and oh! How we love our little road trips!) I could not have found a more perfect birthday present for him.
(And, I get to enjoy the present too! It doesn't get any better than that, I tell ya.)
Anyhoo, after I got over the concert ticket prices sticker shock, I was thrilled to have secured two tickets for us that are not in the nose-bleed section.
My next big challenge was how to wrap and present the present. Do I give it to him before he leaves on his trip?
Or when he gets home on Saturday?
Or...do I have him find it while on his trip? Yes, that was the way to go, I decided.
My next hurdle was how I was going to wrap the present. I don't know about you, but I like to make the wrap job extra fun on presents like gift cards or tickets to events. I mean, they are flat, and they are not the actual gift, but a paper or piece of plastic that will lead to a present at a later time, so it is fun to make the presentation a little more exciting.
I ended up creating a little flip book of sorts, with a clever cover showcasing Tom's smiling face, and then the concert details, followed by the seating chart, and then a closing page with an appropriate song lyric.
I completed my little flip book by connecting it all together with a customized tag on a ring, and then popped it into a manila envelope with another song lyric personalized with a birthday greeting.
I placed the envelope in his carry on bag when he left the room for a minute, and then stashed a snickers bar in the side pocket of the bag, and it was all good to go.
I had so much fun creating all of this. I think it's much easier when you're working with a theme, because once you get going, the possibilities are endless!
I am quite happy with the way it all came out, and I can't wait to hear what the birthday boy thinks.
