Valentine’s Day Surprises… and a little blue box!

Surprises tend to make me anxious.  Anyone who is close to me knows that my personality is all about knowing what’s going on, what the plan is, where the emergency exits are located.  That’s just who I am.  So when Justin told me to be at his house Saturday afternoon by 3 o’clock without telling me where we were going or what we were planning to do, my mind started racing.  What does he have planned?!  Should I eat before we go?  What time will we get back?  Will there be time to make it to our dance?!?! Oh geez.  I know.  Poor Justin.  I’m literally the hardest person in the WORLD to surprise because I tend to overanalyze anything and everything.  But this past weekend, he got me good…. he had planned the most romantic evening at one of my favorite places with a ton of little surprises thrown in… including something that was packaged in, oh, just a normal little normal blue box that looked something like this.

But before I get there, let me start at the beginning!  This year was Justin and I’s fourth Valentine’s Day together.  Now, after four years, you would think that at least one of these V-days we would have gotten to celebrate together on the actual holiday.  Unfortunately, every year there’s been something going on.  We’ve either been at different schools, been out of town, or just too plain busy in high school to go out on a week night (senior year… we’re talking about you).  This year was no different.  I had class from morning to night and Justin was working.  So we picked our celebratory date like we do every year as close as we could get it to the actual day… Saturday.  But the night before Valentine’s I surprised Justin with his favorite meal, and Justin surprised me on Friday with a beautiful bouquet of orchids and tulips delivered to my door.

Orchids are one of my favorite flowers and these were just so pretty when they started to fully bloom.  His thoughtfulness just made me even more excited for what he had planned for the weekend!  On Saturday I arrived at Justin’s at 3pm (okay, more like 3:15…), hopped in his car, and started driving to an undisclosed location.  I began to recognize where we were when I saw this:

For some reason or another, we were in DC to do SOMETHING.  My thoughts were churning.  There was a box in the back with our names on it that Justin had told me to watch out for when I laid my coat on top of it.  Was there… bread inside?  Were we going to feed the ducks somewhere in the city?  Maybe we were going out to eat… no, we’re eating at the dance tonight.  Going to a museum?  No, museums are all closed by now…. what is going ON?!

He started to drive around to take us on a scenic tour of the city.  In case you didn’t know, I love D.C.  The history, the architecture, the monuments… it’s all so pretty and makes me feel like I’m traveling the world, not just driving 20 minutes away from home.  Every building we passed I ooh’d and ahh’d at and pulled my iPhone out to try to snap a good picture.  I particularly loved this building (no idea what it is…. but isn’t it pretty?!)

I kept pointing out certain alleyways and statues, saying things like, “Doesn’t that just remind you of when we were in Madrid?!” and “That doorway looks like something we saw in Morocco!”  Certain parts of D.C. really look a lot like Europe and can make you feel like you’re not in North America anymore.  It was so much fun just driving around, marveling at the artwork of the buildings, waving to Obama as we passed the White House.  But then Justin parked his car & grabbed the box, and it was time to walk to wherever he had planned for us to go…

I began to realize where we were going when we passed the Reflecting Pool.  I was telling Justin all about the times I had been up here, with family and friends, to watch the city light up and the monument shine across the water.  I told him how some of my favorite memories happened here at the memorials.  I even told him about how many amazing engagement stories I had heard that happened on the steps of a certain memorial.  Even in the dead of winter, the National Mall is just gorgeous with the Capitol, the Washington Monument, and….

…The Lincoln Memorial!  Walking up to this is so breathtaking.  I always forget just how big it is and how pretty the marble details are.  It reminds me of something you would find in Greece, and again, it doesn’t quite feel like I am only a few miles from home when I’m sitting there on the steps looking out over the city!  He asked where I wanted to sit and I immediately said “on the ledge.”  Justin hasn’t been to this memorial quite as many times as I have, so I showed him where I always sit with friends or family when we come to visit.  We climbed the many stairs and took a seat beside on of the giant pillars.  “Can I see what’s in the box now?!”  I was so eager to know what was inside.  I was also getting pretty hungry and at this point was really kind of hoping it was something edible.  So when I finally got to open the box as we were sitting on the ledge looking out over the water I was pleasantly surprised to find that inside was….

….a few of my FAVORITE desserts!  I’m slightly obsessed with anything lemon, coconut, chocolate, or peanut butter.  But particularly lemons.  And look how huge that lemon bar was!! Justin had researched over 15 local pastry shops to find one had the best reviews and offered everything he knew I would love.  That chocolate-dipped peanut butter mousse truffle was seriously the best thing I’ve ever tasted.  Well, maybe the Neapolitan flaky layer cake wins… or the lemon bar… or the chocolate-dipped coconut macaroon!  I was eating chocolate with the love of my life sitting at one of the most romantic places in D.C.  To our right we were watching a man propose to his girlfriend with a giant bouquet of roses… and watching the same thing happen again to a different couple just a few minutes later!  I was happy to my heart’s content.  What more could a girl ask for?!

The sun was starting to set (!!!) so we headed back down the steps and took a seat closer to the water.  That’s when Justin started to  pull something out of his pocket… but I didn’t notice because I was too busy staring out over the pool and people watching.  He tapped my hand a few times before he got me to look down and see what he was holding…….. a bright blue box…. and I knew right away what it was!!

Can you tell I was excited?!?!  I have never owned anything from Tiffany’s & Co. (I haven’t even been inside a store… or even had the courage to browse through their stuff online) and I couldn’t believe Justin was sweet enough to surprise me with something silver and blue!  I know I’m probably the only girl who gets this excited over a little necklace… but it’s my first one and blue is my favorite color and I accent everything with silver.  Needless to say I was SO happy… =]

The necklace is a throwback to their 1960’s collection.  My favorite thing about it is the bright blue enamel heart… if I wasn’t completely in love with the color blue before, I am now!  Especially this gorgeous teal shade.  If everything in my life could be this color, I wouldn’t complain….

AH. It’s just perfect!  I think I might be more excited to keep this little box in my room than I am to wear the necklace! (Just kidding Justin…. :p)  I put the necklace on as soon as we got back to the car, careful to replace the heart necklace with my diamond key necklace Justin gave me on our first Valentine’s Day.  I haven’t take it off since!  Here I am taking pictures of myself wearing my new favorite piece of jewelry…

So yes, I am now officially obsessed with Tiffany’s and their beautiful blue.  I also have another wonderful memory to add to the great times I’ve had at the Lincoln Memorial.  We watched the sun set and headed back home where I wrapped my box back up just to look at it again.  The pastry shop Justin went to is also now on my list of favorite places to indulge.  Thank you Justin for making this Valentine’s Day one for the books… (or the blog). You really do make me fall more in love with you every day.