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About Relationship Branding
Every year I make a new anniversary logo for my baby (I’m a graphic designer wannabe). This year is our 22nd Anniversary Logo reflects two 2s facing each other to make a heart out of the number 22.

This annual logo is part of what I call “relationship marketing” and creating one’s own “GREAT Relationship brand.” Each year the logo is different but the branding aspect that is always the same is the “I heart Kara” part of the logo. From a marketing and design standpoint it is important to maintain consistency and continuity in your brand and in your branding. I believe this principle holds true in our relationships. You don’t need a logo for your relationship, but do you know your relationship brand? Is it clearly identifiable to each other? What does your relationship represent? What does it mean to each of you? Every brand carries a promise. What does your brand promise to each other? Do you maintain the integrity of your brand?

Facebook link to prior anniversary logos.

22+ Roses
Every year: X # of red roses per year married for years loved; and one yellow rose in the middle symbolizing our friendship where our relationship began (we were friends for 5 years prior to dating) and the friendship that continues in the midst of it all.

22 Years Ago Today This Happened

22 years ago today was THE best day of my life. This beautiful girl, with the best legs ever, was one of my very best friends before we even started dating. Since then, for the past 22 years she's been THE best friend I've ever had. She's also given me the four other happiest days of my life: The births of our four children. How do you not want to honor a woman like that?

The Annual Playlist: Kara Songs

Every year I make Kara CD’s of songs for our anniversary and call them “Kara Songs.” While I love romantic songs, I typically am looking for songs with more of a committed feel than just romantic emotion, as I emphasize in my work with my clients the importance of behavioral love and committed love that both trumps but also generates emotional love. Here’s this year’s list with some comments follow below. Also, see previous years logos and playlists here ….

The Songs & Thoughts...

My Girls Is Red Hot
Robert Gordon

Well, she is.

Baby, I Love Your Way
Peter Frampton

I Just Do
Dear and the Headlights

Cookin'
Pete Townshend

"I didn't know how much I loved you until I tasked your cookin'"

When we married neither of us were much into cooking other than basics. However, Kara developed an affinity and passion for cooking not only good food but even fine food. She knows her stuff. It's fun to go to finer restaurants with her because she actually knows what all the fancy names means and can talk about how the food is prepared.

Wonderful (The Way I Feel)
My Morning Jacket

"A Bushel and a Peck"

Four versions are represented here by Perry Como, The Andrews Sisters, Doris Day, Homer & Jethro. Kara used to sing this to me when we were dating. I had never heard it before her. The last version is a silly one.

Naked As We Are
Iron & Wine

Falling Slowly
Glen Hansard & Marketa Iglova

This is a lovely, sad song that is also hopeful and redemptive. "I don't know you" to me means how the very person we live with and know for so long we sometimes don't really know, or forget, or never fully see. "Take this sinking boat and point it home, we've still got time" = It's not too late for us. We may be sinking but we can make it home and be safe and rebuild.

"Sing your melody
I'll sing it loud"
to me is about find your voice (your melody) and I'll join with you and sing it loud (support you).

The song reflects a period in the relationship when things are falling apart. The couple are going through the motions of being together but are slowly falling apart. The vessel that is their relationship is now a sinking boat. The love is still afloat...but just barely. Soon the inevitable will happen and the boat will sink unless a change is made and both parts work to repair that sinking vessel. By the time that person realizes they need to change it may be too late. But there's hope that their love can still be repaired. As I often say, "Mend it, don't end it."

The Love of My Man
Etta James

Fade Into You
Mazzy Star

I Never
Rilo Kiley

The Rigs of Rye
June Tabor

Your Arms Around Me
Jesn Lekman

In My Dreams
Josh Turner

My Best Friend
Tim McGraw

The Man I Love
Ella Fitzgerald

Gotta Have You
The Weepies

Us Against the World
Coldplay

Venus
Air

Northern Lights
Bowerbirds

I'd Like That
XTC

Fidelity
Regina Spektor

"It breaks my heart" to just think of what could've been missed if "suppose I never met you."

Green Eyes
Coldplay

"Honey you are a rock
Upon which I stand."

So very true. When all nothing makes sense and things fall apart I can always count on you believing all will work out. Your faith in me, in us, in our family, in God are always constant. 

Gorecki
Lamb

(My Baby Does) Good Sculptures
The Rezillos

My Wandering Days Are Over
Belle And Sebastian

Stupid
The Long Winters

In Spite Of Ourselves
John Prine with Iris DeMent

Better Dig Two
The Band Perry

Lovely Day
Bill Withers

The Story
Brandi Carlile, Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony

Till the Money Comes
Jonathan Coulton

I’m Your Moon
Jonathan Coulton

From JoCoPedia: "Coulton wrote this song after several people suggested Jonathan write about Pluto's new status as a dwarf planet. "I'm Your Moon" is played somewhat regularly at Jonathan Coulton concerts. Jonathan usually gives a full explanation of the song's origins and what it means before playing it, casually damning the scientists who changed Pluto's status.

"The song is written from the view of Charon, Pluto's moon. Because Charon is almost half the size of Pluto, the two do not have a traditional orbit where the small body basically moves around the center of the large body. Rather, both Pluto and Charon revolve around a point between them (the barycenter), like a bola or a spinning pair of skaters. In addition, the two celestial objects are tidally face-locked, meaning they keep the same "face" towards each other ("like dancers", according to Jonathan's blog of the song)."

Important Words
Stray Cats

Next To Me
Emeli Sandé

Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop
Landon Pigg

Hazy
Rosi Golan

I Will Stay With You
John Legend

Let's Stay Together
Al Green

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
Marcia Griffiths

This song has been covered a bunch, and they all sound basically the same. This however is a bouncy reggae cover that gives it a fresh vibe.

Safe & Sound
Taylor Swift feat. The Civil Wars, The Hunger Games Soundtrack

If Tomorrow Never Comes
Lucas Babinr

Bring It on Home to Me
Sam Cooke

Bring It on Home to Me
Otis Redding