Lori Line Photography: The Blog: Just Let Me Have This Moment . . .

It is said that for your first year anniversary, gifts made of paper are to be exchanged by the newlyweds. As the date of our one year approached, I kept hearing this "theory" more and more. When I asked, "Why Paper?," my friends replied, "Because newlyweds are generally poor."

Although my friends advised that I should ask for a gift certificate, I thought, "BORING!" Seriously, I am married to Nathan Line and as his wife it is my duty to send him on random scavenger hunts for things that I require. So . . . after much thought and consideration, I decided that I wanted and just HAD TO HAVE a pinata :)

When I finally told Nathan that I would like a pinata for our anniversary, he smiled and said, "Alright."

Cue car screech

"Arg! Why isn't he getting frustrated with my request?!" I thought. Annoyed that I couldn't shake him, I quickly interjected, "AND . . . I want you to make it."

"Well," he sighed, "I don't know if I'll have enough time to make you one but I will get you a pinata nonetheless."

"Good!" I replied. "I have a lot of pent up aggression that I need to get out and I really need to beat something. You know, Nathan, there aren't a lot of things in this world that you can beat that will give you candy afterwards."

Although I made my request several weeks prior to our one year, Nathan accepted the challenge and did not forget my one PRECIOUS request. On the eve of our one year, I was out photographing a wedding. While I was gone, Nathan pulled out the Yellow Pages and started calling around to find a pinata. To his dismay, NO ONE had a pinata. "People simply don't ask for them anymore," the store clerks said. Torn as to what to do, Nathan took it to the streets. As he drove up and down Kingston Pike, he suddenly saw a store called "If It's Paper."

"A pinata's paper!" he thought. As he pulled into the parking lot, his spirits were suddenly lifted by the sight within the shop's window. There it was. With one eye and half a smile, a snowman pinata stared back at him. Excited that he had finally found a store with pinatas, Nathan went in.

As he browsed the aisles looking for a "first year anniversary" pinata, the store clerk asked if she could help.

"Uh yes, I'm needing a pinata for my wife," he said.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she replied, "we don't carry those anymore."

"But I saw one in your window," he replied.

Laughing, she said, "Oh that old thing! He only has one eye and half a smile. He's really not for sale."

"I really need that pinata," Nathan pleaded. "How much?"

With her best poker face, she replied, "Make your best offer."

"I don't know," he replied. "25 cents?" he shyly asked.

"SOLD for 22 cents plus tax!" she exclaimed.

For 22 cents plus tax, plus candy, plus a little effort to complete the snowman's face, Nathan had found the perfect gift. On the morning of our anniversary as I burst out of the bathroom rushing to get to church, I rounded the corner to find two men smiling at me. One was Nathan and the other my snowman pinata. Completely surprised, I squealed with excitement! Nathan had completed his challenge . . . for me, which was the best gift of all. Here are a few pictures that Nathan took of me beating the snowman for all its candy:

Meet the only pinata in Knoxville! You can see where Nathan added the other half of his smile. hehe!