1999 - M.S. Elation Life Preserver

My parents wanted to go on a family vacation, and so they gave Cruise
tickets to everyone for Christmas in 1998.  We actually went on the
cruise (down the Mexican Riviera aboard the cruise ship M.S. Elation)
in January of 1999.  It was a great trip, and I made life preservers for  
souvenirs.  (We also went to Italy in 1999, but it was late in the year 
and we had just moved to Austin, so I didn't have time to do anything
for that trip.) 

The preserver is carved out of a block of wood, with candle wick ropes, 
held on by many windings of thread.  (These actually took a lot longer 
to make than it would appear.)