Monthly Archives: September 2016

BlankieGrams Send Hugs & Healing Wishes

Queen Darlene - September 30, 2016 - Condolence, Get Well

Don’t know what to say or do when friends and family are going through long serious illnesses, injury, or loss of loved ones? Wrap them in hugs, love and healing wishes by sending a BlankieGram.

blankiegrams-hugs-love-caring-thoughtful-gift-idea BlankieGrams are soft cozy blankets printed with loving and supportive words to describe how much you care and that you are thinking of them.

Words like hugs, bear hugs, strength, lots of hugs, healing wishes, good thoughts and positive attitude.

I love the idea of wrapping them up in a warm blanket, like a hug, especially if you cannot be there.

I experienced this first-hand as our sister-in-law made a blanket for my brother during his lengthy stay in the hospital. It featured his favorite basketball team logo – the Oklahoma City Thunder!

He loved her thoughtful gift and wrapped up in the warmth of the blanket every single day. Continue Reading

One Day Staycation

Princess Diana - September 27, 2016 - Anniversary, Birthday, Experiences, Valentine's Day

Couples who are also parents often don’t have much alone time together, especially during the day.

Recently, I talked my husband into a one-day staycation. We both took off from work on a Wednesday so we could hang out all day while our kids were at day care. Our own version of a play date!

Finally, we could do the fun things we’d been wishing to do but could never find the time with our busy schedules as working parents of a baby and a toddler.

As we planned what we’d do that day, we felt that long lost feeling of freedom slowly come back. We can do what we want, when we want! Woo hoo!

Our daytime date definitely had a different vibe compared to our evening dates. For one thing, we had a lot more choices about what to do. Forget about the usual dinner and a movie date.

Just Sayin’ Quotes, Sayings & Phrases

Queen Darlene - September 22, 2016 - $20 or Less

With a smart phone or computer, you can send free thoughtful gifts anytime from anywhere by sending just sayin’ messages with quotes, sayings or phrases for any occasion.

You probably already do this for birthdays and anniversaries without even thinking it’s a gift. But it is! You’re letting the recipient know you are thinking of them.

Send encouraging messages, inspiring quotes and funny sayings to brighten anyone’s day.

You can do this by email or by text message.

There are literally thousands of picture quotes to choose from on Google.

Or do as I do and save your favorites from Facebook to share later. I even take pictures of things or places that remind me of a friend or family member to send to them later. Continue Reading

Wine Bottle With Custom Label

Princess Diana - September 20, 2016 - Anniversary, Birthday, Business, Christmas, Congratulations, Family, Father's Day, Food & Drinks, Host, Housewarming, Mother's Day, Party Favors, Retirement, Teacher Gifts, Thank You

We’ve all been guilty of buying wine at the store because of how pretty the bottle and label looked, especially if it’s going to be a gift.

What if I told you that you could create your own custom label and attach it to any wine bottle of your choosing?

Not only will the bottle look amazing but it can also display a personalized message.

I received the coolest wine bottle from my boss. She purchased a bottle of Riesling wine (my favorite!) and attached a custom label that read “THUNDER UP” and “Happy Birthday Diana.”

The label also featured a picture of me in a blue wig and wearing an Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team shirt and sunglasses. (She knows I’m a big OKC Thunder fan and that I wear that blue wig to every game I attend.)

I really loved my personalized wine bottle so much that I almost didn’t want to drink it. Almost. (Riesling doesn’t have a long shelf life in my house.)

& Happily Ever After | Anniversary Gift

Queen Darlene - September 15, 2016 - $20 or Less, Anniversary, Retirement, Wedding

I wanted to do something in honor of my dear friends’ 45th wedding anniversary but didn’t have a clue. A thoughtful gift for a couple who has been married a long time.

While walking through the craft store, I noticed there were large alphabet letters in a variety of materials such as metal, ceramic, wood and some with lights. I also saw an ampersand sign – &.

How these ideas infiltrate my mind is a mystery but my first thought was And… to our next anniversary! Several more sayings popped in my head of what couples can look forward to doing next.

And…

to our next anniversary
to our next dinner and drinks
to our next dance
to our next sunset
to our next adventure
to whatever we want it to be
Happily Ever After! Continue Reading

Custom Selfie Gift Wrap Paper

Princess Diana - September 13, 2016 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Congratulations, Father's Day, Graduation, Kids, Mother's Day, Pet

For when you want the recipient to love the packaging as much as the present…

You’ll want to use Custom Selfie Gift Wrap Paper. Ever heard of it?

It’s custom designed wrapping paper that features photos of somebody’s cut-out head. It could be the gift recipient’s face, their pet’s face, or your face. Or the whole family’s faces!

Everyone who sees the Custom Selfie Gift Wrap Paper will get a good laugh! The designs are just so silly!

Grape Stomp & Wine Tasting at Vineyard

Princess Diana - September 9, 2016 - Birthday, Experiences, Food & Drinks

This gift is for wine lovers. You start with grapes and end with a favorite bottle of wine!

For my mother-in-law’s birthday, I took her to Tres Suenos Winery & Vineyard for a one-of-a-kind experience. Together, we participated in a grape harvest, a grape stomp and a wine tasting.

Grape Harvest

We arrived at the vineyard at 7 a.m. What a gorgeous piece of land! After checking in, we grabbed some buckets and shears and started snipping bunches of grapes off the vine. They looked so beautiful, round and plump!

I must say it was a gratifying experience to see grapes growing in nature. Before this, our only experience with bunches of grapes was buying them in the clear plastic bags at the grocery store.

We plucked some grapes with our hands and popped them into our mouths, enjoying the sweet juice while spitting out the seeds.

Birthday Adventure With Adult Siblings

Queen Darlene - September 8, 2016 - Birthday, Experiences

A Birthday Adventure! Doesn’t that sound fun? Especially if it is with your siblings.

To celebrate my sister-in-law’s 64th birthday, I suggested my husband and his brother take their sister on a secret trip. They both thought it would be a great idea as the three of them had never-ever been on a trip together as adults.

Road Trip With Siblings

Randy and Kyle picked up Lesa and drove 1 1/2 hours to Tulsa. They teased her all the way about what was waiting for her at their destination. Did she like ink and pain? A hint of tattoos. It’s so like brothers to try and scare their sister!

They arrived at their destination — Rustic Cuff, a one-of-a-kind jewelry store phenomenon. Continue Reading

Stuffed Animals Displayed as Art

Queen Darlene - September 1, 2016 - Baby Shower, Birthday, Christmas, Kids

Most of us have grown up with teddy bears or other beloved stuffed animals. Many of us still have them.

They are tucked away forgotten until we come across them stored away in the attic or closet. Oh… that warm fuzzy feeling of seeing your childhood companion!

I have a beautiful gift idea to display the lovable teddy bear and other favorite huggable animals.

Place the stuffed animal in a picture frame to look like art!

You can purchase frames, use frames you have around the house or look for frames at garage and estate sales at bargain prices. If you don’t like the color of the frame, simply paint over it.

I love DIY projects only if they are simple!