Monthly Archives: April 2015

Weekly Deliveries of a Rose With a Blessing

Want a new thoughtful twist in sending flowers? On Mother’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries or really any occasion, send a rose on the day of celebration along with a blessing.

a-rose-for-the-lady-thoughtful-gift-ideaThen send a single rose with another blessing to replenish the vase every week for a month. WOW! You’re sending happiness and inspiration for four weeks in a row!

I learned of a local business in Oklahoma City, A Rose For The Lady, that delivers roses with blessings by the Fairy Rose Princess. When making deliveries, she drives a Red Lady Bug named “Rosie” with a huge red rose on top of the roof. It’s definitely an eye catcher and certainly will bring smile to the recipient. Continue Reading

Hands-On Furniture Painting Class for the DIYer

Some things are harder than they look. Case in point – those BEFORE & AFTER photos on Pinterest where people take hideous, dull brown furniture they find at a garage sale and with a few coats of paint transform them into colorful, vintage chic furniture.

painted-furnitureIt’s amazing how distressed furniture can look so beautiful and modern! See the photo on the right for a perfect example.

You can spend hours reading or watching the tutorials online to learn how to do it yourself. But that approach can sometimes leave your more confused because you realize just how many options you have when it comes to paint, materials, and techniques. Arrgh!

What type of paint should I use? What’s chalk paint? What’s milk paint? Which is better for my project?
Do I need to sand my furniture first? How much sanding is even necessary?
What should I use for my topcoat? How do I apply antiquing wax?
What’s the best method for re-creating the gorgeous, distressed looks I see in online photos?

furniture-painting-class-diy-thoughtful-gift

A furniture painting class allows you to learn by doing with help from an expert.

After reading about milk paint, I really wanted to try it because it’s completely free of any harmful chemicals. In fact, it’s made with only five all-natural ingredients. Milk paint also has the reputation of being easy peasy to use to get a chippy, antiqued or distressed look.

BUT… because milk paint comes in powder form, I was intimidated to try it myself. Plus, what a strange name!

So I decided to take a local Milk Paint 101 workshop. In the furniture painting class, we painted our own step stool using milk paint. I learned how to mix it and the different methods for applying it to get various distressed “looks.”

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Glamour Shots Makeover for 90-Year Old Grandmother

How do you celebrate a 90 year old grandmother’s birthday that she can see over and over again? Take her to Glamour Shots!

glamour-shots-mother's-day-birthday-thoughtful-gift-ideaTo say the least, my family is very visual. Growing up in a deaf family, the “eyes” have it! The deaf members in my family may not be able to hear but they SEE everything!

Visual – Visual – Visual was a huge motivation for gifts to my mother, step-father, and grandparents.

I made an appointment at Glamour Shots to have my grandmother’s picture made for her 90th birthday.

The most make-up my grandmother wore was rouge. That’s what they called it in her day. We call it blush.

So when they styled her hair, applied eye make-up, foundation, and lipstick, and put her in fancy clothes and a cowboy hat, she thought “what a big fuss.” She had no idea how to “strike a pose” but they showed her and made it a big deal of how beautiful she looked, especially at 90 years of age.

She loved it and began to have fun being made up like a movie star! The final product? She looked like the famous actress Mae West!

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“Love You Forever” | The Perfect Book for Mothers

I read a book in which the author recommended the book called Love You Forever by Robert Munsch.

love-you-more-book-mothers-day-gift

The book “Love You Forever” makes a wonderful Mother’s Day gift.

When I read it for the first time, it made my cry three times. Each time I started to cry I put down the book to catch my breath only to continue crying once I started reading again. Let me mention, the book ONLY has 14 short pages of text!!

This timeless story of a mother’s constant and enduring love for her child puts into words the emotions that mothers feel.

I say it’s the perfect book for mothers because if I had read “Love You Forever” before I became a mother, I know I would not have reacted to it the same way.

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A Clock Design to Match A Hobby or Interest

Isn’t it wonderful when someone knows what they want for Christmas or birthdays? My brother said he wanted a clock with a face that had bar bells to put in his workout room. He wanted to create an atmosphere of motivation.

gym-clock-motivation-thoughtful-gift-ideaI was thrilled to have a gift in mind and immediately went on-line to search. I googled gym clocks and as you can imagine there were lots of sites.

What helped me narrow it down was his request for bar bells. There are many awesome fun clocks to choose from that have words of motivation and pictures of different gym equipment.

I found a gym clock with bar bells that spelled out the word LIFT. Perfect! Not only because that is what he wanted but it is one of his favorite exercises – to lift weights. Continue Reading

A Written Letter to Your Child on Test Day

- - Kids

Fear. Anxiety. Stress. Pressure. Worry. Children feel some or all of these emotions on test day. These “yucky” feelings can also have a negative impact on their performance. Parents, you can do something about this.

letter from parent to child on test day

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By writing a letter to your child on test day, you can replace these emotions with confidence and positive thoughts. The letter can tell them how much you love them, believe in them and are proud of them.

When your child reads your letter, they will go into the test with a positive mindset that will encourage them to try their hardest and prepare them to succeed. In essence, you’re giving your child the invaluable gift of self-esteem!

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Rare $2 Dollar Bills | Birthday Gift

Want to give an affordable and rare gift at the same time? A $2 Dollar Bill will certainly fit the bill!

$2-Dollar-Bill-thoughtful-gift-idea

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My friend, Karen, was turning 60 on her birthday and really not looking forward to it. I wanted to give her something totally unique and definitely something fun. I decided to give her 30 two-dollar bills to equal her age.

When I gave the gift, I explained the rarity of the $2 dollar bill equals the rarity of her beauty inside and out and her qualities to overcome insurmountable odds, to always be the rock for family and friends, to express incredible kindness and a giving spirit, and to find the good in everything. Continue Reading

Easy Peasy Money Umbrella Surprise

At Sunburst Gifts, we love coming up with creative ways to give money. This time, shower someone with cash with a Money Umbrella!

money-umbrella-thoughtful-gift

Money umbrellas are a fun and creative way to give cash gifts.

When they open the umbrella, they’ll be completely surprised by all of the cash that falls out from the inside!

If you give the Money Umbrella gift in person, watching them open the gift and seeing their reaction is half the fun so make sure they open it in front of you. And get your camera or video camera ready!

You can attach a note to the umbrella that says “Open Me” but I prefer say something like,”Open it up so you can see that it’s a lot bigger than it looks. It will really protect you from the rain!”

Yes, little white lies are completely appropriate in these situations.

If you’re mailing the gift or you won’t be there when it’s opened, definitely include a note that says “Open Me.” You don’t want the gift recipient to miss out on their big surprise and, even worse, lose the umbrella and the cash because they had no idea what was inside!

Th Money Umbrella gift idea is so much fun to give and receive, and it’s easy peasy to create!

HOW TO CREATE A MONEY UMBRELLA

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April Showers Bring May Flowers | Rain Boots

If you need a gift for a female friend or loved one whose birthday is in the spring, keep in mind the classic rhyme “April showers bring May flowers.”

rain-boots-as-flower-vase-birthday-thoughtful-gift-ideaAs a matter of fact, it’s two gifts in one!

Give her rain boots for those spring rains and, for that “thoughtful twist,” the rain boots double as flower vases. Place her favorite flowers in a hidden vase inside each boot! Voilà!

Paired together, the rain boots and flowers make an eye-catching combination!

It’s also easy peasy to put together, and there are many choices of rain boots with various colors and designs in stores or on-line.

Your friend or loved one will be glad to have cute rain boots to wear during downpours, and the beautiful spring flowers will bring a smile to her face!

I remember as a kid wearing rubber rain boots and splashing through puddles after a big rain. It was just pure fun!