Category "Anniversary"

Wedding Coffee Table Photo Books

Princess Diana - September 11, 2014 - Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Wedding

When I planned my dream wedding, I tried my hardest not to overspend. It’s sooo easy to do. So I found creative ways to cut costs (like doing my own flower arrangements) or just eliminated things (like renting a limo). But one area where I was willing to pay top dollar for top quality was my wedding photography.

I knew that I would have only have my memories and the photographs by which to remember all of the special moments that happened that day.

The moment when he first saw me in my wedding dress.
The moment when we shared our personalized wedding vows.
The moment when my best friend made me cry with her funny and heartwarming toast.
The moment when I “dropped it like it’s hot” on the dance floor – still in my wedding dress – with my champagne glass held high above my head.

Memories fade over time but my wedding photographs never will – thanks to digital copies!

My talented wedding photographer Kristen Edwards did an amazing job capturing all of the details, the people, and the emotions that made up my wedding day. Kristen ended up providing me with a CD filled with nearly 800 beautiful photos – and she was able to make me look damn good in almost every one. God bless her and Photoshop!

Ordering the 25th Wedding Anniversary Special at Sonic

Queen Darlene - September 9, 2014 - Anniversary, Birthday, Experiences

My husband and his best friend, Curtis have been friends since they were 16 years old. They played on their high school tennis team and were known to be pretty salty players. They even won a state championship in doubles their senior year. When Curtis started dating Susan, the four of us became best friends.

Curtis and Susan’s daughters were planning a 25th wedding anniversary for their parents and asked if Randy and I would “distract” them while guests were arriving to their parents’ home.

Through the years, the four of us have celebrated birthdays and anniversaries together by going out to eat. So Randy and I made plans to take them out for a 25th wedding celebration dinner. That way it wouldn’t look suspicious.

Susan wanted to know what to wear and I told her the place we were going was a surprise but to wear their Sunday best. Afterwards, we would return to their home to change into more comfortable clothes for the second event of the evening.

That gave us a reason to go back to the house! Continue Reading

Birthday Card Blitz | 80 Cards for 80 Years

Queen Darlene - September 4, 2014 - Anniversary, Birthday

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My mother was turning 80 years old. After 80 birthdays, how could we make this a unique birthday for her?

I came up with the idea of family and friends sending her birthday cards. That’s nothing new, but for that thoughtful twist the goal was for her to receive 80 cards by her 80th birthday! My brother and I called family and friends to put the birthday card blitz in action.

If you have been following my blog, you know my mother was deaf and I’m all about giving her gifts that are visual experiences. Like the year I popped out of a box.

On another birthday, I treated her and several of her deaf friends to a local diner that cooked fried chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans just like her mother, my Grandma, used to cook. Afterwards, I took them all to the Science Museum Oklahoma for fun hands-on-experiences. Mom and her friends loved her birthday party!

Mom knew my boss and several of my co-workers so I purchased birthday cards ready with stamps so all they had to do was to address the envelope, sign the card, and mail it. I asked my co-workers, who my mother didn’t know, to wish Mom a Happy 80th Birthday anyway. So that there was a connection, I requested they write in the card they worked with me and something nice about me – anything that would thrill a mother to read about her daughter.

“I Love You” Jar Filled With Handwritten Notes

Princess Diana - August 26, 2014 - $20 or Less, Anniversary, Birthday, Family, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day

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During a family reunion this summer, my family wanted to let my Grandma Anna Marie (our amazing matriarch) know just how much we love her and to thank her for bringing the whole family together. I came up with the idea to surprise her with an “I Love You” Jar.

jar and notes written on leaf-shaped paper

Fill any container with handwritten notes to create a sweet and sentimental “I Love You” jar gift.

I bought a beautiful glass jar (this one happened to be made of mercury glass) and some die-cut paper in the shape of leaves. The leaves represent our family tree.

During the family reunion when my Grandma was out of earshot, I asked everyone – even the little kids – to write Grandma Anna Marie handwritten notes on the leaves that said something along the lines of:

I love you because…
I remember when…
Because of you…
Thank you for…

That was just to get them started because really they could write anything that conveyed “I Love You.”

Gather the Family to Celebrate in a Limousine!

Princess Diana - July 29, 2014 - Anniversary, Birthday, Experiences, Father's Day, Mother's Day

Besides being fancy and having seats that face each other, do you know what else is awesome about a limousine? It holds a LOT of people!

The adults will have just as much fun as the kids riding around town in a limo!

My co-worker Sandra took advantage of all that space and coordinated an eight-hour limousine excursion for her parents, her brother, her other brother and his wife and their two sons, and her own husband, son, and herself. That’s a total of 10 people!

They had a lot of reasons to celebrate – Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, her father turning 75 years old, and her parents’ 50th wedding anniversary!

One by one the limousine picked them up at their houses and drove them to Bricktown in Oklahoma City. Sandra’s parents hadn’t been there in years, not since it’s revitalization into a popular dining and entertainment district.

Surprise Someone By Hiding Gifts Inside a Balloon

Queen Darlene - July 24, 2014 - $20 or Less, Anniversary, Baby Shower, Birthday, Christmas, Congratulations, Family, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Graduation, Kids, Money, Mother's Day, Thank You, Valentine's Day, Wedding

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Presentation! Presentation! Presentation! We are always trying to find new ways to be creative in gift giving, right? Here is one that is easy, inexpensive, colorful and makes a noise that goes POP! Gifts inside a balloon!

Pop-the-Question-Wedding-Proposal-Gift- Idea-Sunburst- Gifts

Hiding an engagement ring inside a balloon is a creative way to “pop the question!”

In a previous post, I talked about a unique wedding proposal idea. Get a decorative box that has an attached lid that will perfectly fit a blown up balloon. Write or type a note that says “POP ME” and attach it by using a stick pin to the inside of the lid.

She can use the pin to pop the balloon. Place the engagement ring inside a blown up balloon, put it inside the box and close the lid. When she opens the box, pops the balloon and sees her beautiful engagement ring, that’s when you get on bended knee to “pop the question.”

Gift cards have become a common way to give a gift. Usually it is placed in a card, an envelope or a gift bag. BOOOORING!

Make a Trip Unforgettable With Gift of Cologne or Perfume

Princess Diana - July 22, 2014 - Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Gifts for Him, Valentine's Day

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When my husband and I visited Las Vegas for one of his work conferences, I spent the day entertaining myself by shopping. One of my purchases that day happened to be a bottle of cologne. My husband wore it that night and everyday for the rest of our trip.

We enjoyed many wonderful memories on that vacation because it seemed like we did it all – gambling, fine dining, all-you-can-eat-crab, clubbing, shows and a pool party.

What happened when we got back was really cool. Every time I smelled the cologne on my husband, I immediately thought of that trip to Vegas and all of the things we did.

It made me feel happy all over!

It’s no secret that research has proven that scents and smells can trigger powerful and vivid memories.

Worth Every Penny | Pennies From Birth Year

Queen Darlene - July 11, 2014 - $20 or Less, Anniversary, Birthday, Money

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On my 50th birthday, my dear friend, Susan, gave me 50 pennies all made in 1952 – my birth year!

The pennies came in a small heart box. I cherish that gift because it was so unique and thoughtful.

I have used the penny idea many times for birthdays and anniversaries. I use the pennies on significant birthday years such as 30 – 40 – 50 – 60 year old and up.

By the time a couple has been married for 50 years or more, what can you give that they do not already have or that is unique? Fifty pennies from the year of their wedding placed in a heart box is a for-sure-keepsake gift! Especially seeing and remembering those wheat pennies! They bring back the memories of simpler times. Continue Reading

Hunger Games Inspired Wedding Anniversary Surprise

Princess Diana - July 8, 2014 - Anniversary, Experiences

My friends Desi and Peyton love a good adventure. It’s no coincidence I first met them at a “Dirty 30” mud obstacle 5K race, and I’ve borrowed their snowboarding helmets. They not only love that kind of thing but they love experiencing it TOGETHER.

They also love The Hunger Games and Peyton used their shared interest to surprise Desi on the night of their third wedding anniversary.

Desi came home to find a letter taped to her front door and two weapons – a gun and a bow and arrow – leaning up against it.

(No, the gun and bow and arrow weren’t real. I was just trying to be dramatic. Gotcha!)

The letter read:

Love Connection | Personalized Etched Glass Wedding Gift

Queen Darlene - May 29, 2014 - Anniversary, Wedding

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Our dear friends’ daughter is getting married. We met Stuart and Karen when we moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. We became family and when Kelsey was born we were thrilled. It was fun to buy girly things as she was the only girl among our four boys.

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She is all grown up now and Cinderella has found her Prince Charming. I received the wedding announcement and cannot believe our baby girl is getting married. Since we moved back to Oklahoma, time flew by especially when we did not get to see her on a regular basis.

Even though I enjoy art, I was rarely exposed to it in Oklahoma unless I went to museums or the art festival once a year. “Art” is everywhere in New Mexico. There are mini-art festivals all year long. “Old Town” in Albuquerque and “The Governors Square” in Santa Fe explodes with art all around you with beautiful paintings, unique jewelry, and colorful pottery that can be used as a decorative piece or for everyday ware. Truly amazing artists.

So true to her culture, I wanted to create something that would be considered art. Since I cannot draw, paint, make jewelry or mold clay, I had to think outside the artist’s pallete. I’m always looking for a “thoughtful twist” and came up with the idea of etched glass.