What Do You Get the Man Who Has Everything?

Well, when that man is turning 91, memories are as good a gift as any. My husband's dad turns 91 tomorrow. He has been blessed with a long life and good health. Only in very recent years has he begun to slow down at all, and that is no doubt in part due to his meticulous care of his ailing wife and the tragic loss of a second daughter in February of this year. It's been a tough year, but he still grew tomatoes this summer.

During his long life, he has had many hobbies and interests. In his younger years, he loved to play guitar and sing with his brothers and sisters. Recently, our cousin posted a "throw back Thursday" picture on Facebook of his dad (Uncle Gilliam to us) and my father-in-law playing guitar together. Various family members pieced together that it must have been taken in the forties and told of how some of the siblings used to sing together in Atlanta on a radio program. With my father-in-law's birthday right around the corner, I did what any good papercrafter would do and stole the picture to frame for him.

I bought a frame with a mat and then cut an additional mat with my Silhouette. Before cutting, I printed the caption and then punched the little music notes right before putting it all into the frame. That's him on the right and his brother on the left. I'm happy to say he loved it!

After framing the picture, I was on a bit of a guitar roll and made this birthday card for him. I used my Silhouette on this one, too. I printed the guitar and had my Silhouette cut it out. I popped it up over my twine "guitar strings." I stamped the greeting using a stamp that belonged to that daughter he lost in February. She was my stamping buddy and the one who got me started in card making. I miss her so much, and using some of her things is very special to me. I thought it was especially fitting for this card.

We all celebrated together last Friday, but my daughter and I are hoping to see him for a few minutes tomorrow after school. We may pick up cupcakes!

Linked up at Silhouette School's Link It or Lump It Party.