TheCleaners.net

We all know it's wedding season, but that also means its Anniversary Season.  You've probably got lots of special people you know who are celebrating their anniversaries at this time of year and if you're like me, you're stumped about what to get them.  So, this week we've cooked up a selection of ideas to help you celebrate and show you care about their milestone, and do it with flair.

It's also the time of year when you're and your family are dressing up more than usual -- weddings, graduations, prom, awards banquets.  It's essential that you have that formal gown or tuxedo properly cleaned before you store it away again to prevent fiber deterioration, stain-setting and the attraction of fiber-eating insects. 

Hope to see you soon!
Jim Nixon,
The Cleaners

Thank You
I want to thank my good friend Chris Baggott of Sanders Cleaners for doing my newsletter last week while I was on out of town. 

A Very Formal Coupon!

It's the season for formals!  Whether it's a gown for the prom, a Mother-of-the-Groom dress, a tuxedo for the awards dinner or wedding, you're having to get dolled up a lot right now.  That gorgeous outfit will last longer if you have it cleaned before storing (or wearing again, of course!)  This week, take 50% off the cost of having any formal garment cleaned.  (Limit two per household.) (Include first page of this e-mail newsletter with your order.  Offer expires June 19, 2004.  Cannot be combined with other offers.)

Paper or Crystal?

Traditional wedding gifts by year.

A first anniversary means a gift of paper... or is it cotton?  Twenty-fifth anniversary is silver, everybody knows, but what about thirtieth?  If  you can't keep it all straight in your head, here's a list of Traditional and Modern wedding gifts by year to help you.  Keep it handy when selecting a gift for friends who are celebrating, or when you are exchanging gifts with your spouse on your special anniversaries.

Traditional Gift                       Modern Suggestion

First Anniv.           Paper                                        Clocks
Second                 Cotton                                       China
Third                      Leather                                     Crystal/Glass
Fourth                   Fruit/Flowers                            Appliances
Fifth                        Wood                                         Silverware
Sixth                      Candy/Iron                                Candy/Iron
Seventh                 Wool/Copper                           Desk sets
Eighth                     Bronze/Pottery                         Bronze/Pottery
Ninth                       Pottery/Willow                          Linen/Lace
Tenth                      Tin/Aluminum                           Leather
Eleventh                 Steel                                           Jewelry
Twelfth                   Silk/Linen                                  Pearls
Thirteenth              Lace                                           Textiles/Furs
Fourteenth             Ivory                                            Gold/Jewelry
Fifteenth                 Crystal                                        Watches
Twentieth               China                                          Platinum
Twenty-Fifth           Silver                                          Silver
Thirtieth                  Pearl                                           Diamond
Thirty-Fifth             Coral                                            Jade
Fortieth                   Ruby                                            Ruby
Forty-Fifth               Sapphire                                    Sapphire
Fiftieth                     Gold                                            Gold
Fifty-Fifth                 Emerald                                     Emerald
Sixtieth                    Diamond                                    Diamond

Get creative with your Giving!

It's great to have a list like the one above, but it doesn't really solve the problem, does it?  OK, you're supposed to give something paper for a first anniversary, according to the traditional list.  But WHAT?

Think outside the box.

Have some fun with gifts!  They should be a joy to buy and give, not a drudgery.  Using your imagination and the internet, you can find gifts for just about any occasion that will be memorable and fun.  Here are some examples.

Traditional First Anniversary -- PAPER GIFTS.

• Have a prized photo of the couple, their home or something else that is meaningful to their life together turned into a pencil drawing, a watercolor painting, or other form of artwork.  Lots of styles available, and prices are reasonable.  Check out My DaVinci for details.
• Take them down Memory Lane with a book specially created for them that has events, songs, TV shows, movies, statistics and much more from the year they were married.  Check out When We Were Married for details.
• Make their romance famous!  Have their names and characteristics inserted into their own personal Romance Novel.  Choices include Vampire Kisses, Pirates of Desire, Medieval Passion, Tropical Treasure and Love's Next Door.  Check out Romance By You for details.

Traditional Second Anniversary -- COTTON

• Give them a cozy gift -- an embroidered afghan with their names and date of marriage on it.  A lovely, usable keepsake.  Check out A Special Gift or Things Remembered for details.
• Give the Gift of Textile Care with a gift certificate from us (or, if they are not local, check the internet for a quality cleaner in their area and purchase a certificate through them.)

Modern Second Anniversary -- CHINA

• Why not fill the china they already have with a Romantic Dinner for Two, featuring soup, salmon, sirloin and dessert!  Check out Delightful Deliveries for details and other ideas.

Modern Third Anniversary -- CRYSTAL/GLASS

• Forget the glassware, go for something really neat like a stained glass panel to hang in the window or a glass sculpture to commemorate their love.  Check out Love is a Rose for the Marc Chagall stained glass shown in the row of photos at the top of this newsletter, or Personal Creations for the Circle of Love glass sculpture.

Traditional Fifth Anniversary -- WOOD

• Be literal about it! If they've got a fireplace, buy them a supply of wood for it, deliverable in the Fall when the weather gets crisp and they want to snuggle by the fire.  Consult the Yellow Pages for a source in your (or their) area.

Modern Sixth Anniversary -- CANDY/IRON

• They say that smell and taste are the two most nostalgic senses we have, so tickle their sweet memories with a gift of Nostalgic Candy (photo in line of gifts at top of this newsletter.)  Each selection of Retro Candy is selected from a decade that had significance to them -- 1940s, '50s, 60s, 70s, or 80s.  Remember Boston Baked Beans and Necco Wafers?  Wax Lips?  Smarties?  Bubble Gum Cigars?  (You're dating yourself now!)  Check out Retro Candy for details.

Traditional Tenth Anniversary -- TIN/ALUMINUM

• They've made it ten years, and that deserves some commemoration.  How about a metal house plaque like those you find on historic homes along the East Coast and elsewhere stating their names and the "year established" to let everyone who comes and goes know this marriage is for keeps.  Check out Outdoor Decor for details.

Out of this World gifts for any Anniversary!

• Name a Star after their star-struck romance.  There are billions of them out there, and you can name one, have it registered with star catalogs and give them a packet with their Star Deed and a custom star map to help them locate their own star.  Check out Star Wishing for details.
• Buy them a piece of the moon!  Described as a great gift, a "potential prudent investment" and an excellent and interesting conversation piece, their own moon property will certainly spark some moonlit nights of romance.  Check out Lunar Landowner for details -- you've got to read it to believe it.

STILL STUMPED?  Well, no worries.  Go to Find A Gift --
they've got 5681 ideas for anniversary gifts!