Stephanie Langsner - A Collage Of Memories

I enjoy photo albums and memory books but lack the creativity to make my own.  My story recalls my 23rd birthday back in October.

I assumed Stephanie, my girlfriend, would find me a cool gift.  She’s a great gift giver as I’ve seen how attentive she is to the interest of each person that she buys a gift for.  I tried to imagine what kind of gift I might get- perhaps a new wallet, my favorite cologne, or any one of a hundred gifts I would enjoy.  Instead of going the normal route, Stephanie, without my knowing, worked diligently on a “shot book” for months prior to my birthday. 

The concept of a “shot book,” which I had never heard of, is something sorrority sisters tend to give each other.  It requires taking a picture of the birthday boy/girl after each “shot” (presumably of alcohol) until you reach the birthday age.  I guess I should have taken 23 shots that night but we all know I’d still be incapacitated if I had.  Each page is decorated in the theme of the birthday boy/girl.  The photos in the book get increasingly funnier as the people at the party get more intoxicated. 

As creative a gift as a shot book is, Stephanie went above and beyond.  The inside cover of the book was an “instruction page” to the party.  She included references to me that were funny and sweet.

The book itself was beautiful.  Stephanie customized each page to appeal to one of my interests.  I can’t begin to explain the effort which must have gone into each page of the book.  One page was musical (reference to my days as a cellist), another about finance (I work in finance) and one about New York.  The amount of time and effort that went into this project was incredible.  The best part was that I never even knew about it!  She kept the whole thing a secret.

I now have a photo album which will provide an amazing memory of that night forever.  What a perfect gift! What else should I have expected from such a wonderful person…