Category "Christmas"

Custom Quote Canvas Art Gift

Princess Diana - November 15, 2016 - Anniversary, Baby Shower, Birthday, Christmas, Congratulations, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Gifts for Me, Graduation, Housewarming, Mother's Day, Retirement

Everyone has a favorite quote or words to live by. It’s something that inspires us and speaks to our soul.

My favorite quote since college has been “Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory” by General George S. Patton.

I now have a new favorite quote, “Thank you for playing with me” by my son Aiden Jaeger!

Aiden first said it to his grandmother. I told my husband what our son had said and weeks later after an enjoyable One Day Staycation together, he said it to me that night. I’ve repeated that quote myself too.

I love that quote for so many reasons! It shows appreciation to someone for spending time with you, and it’s a reminder to play like a kid again.

Family Motto

It’s not just a quote anymore. It has become our family motto that we say to each other.

I wanted the quote to hang in a permanent place in our home so I created a Custom Quote Canvas Art. It displays the quote in a stylized font on a cool background.

Jewelry With Special Meaning

Princess Diana - November 5, 2016 - Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Congratulations, Father's Day, Graduation, Kids, Mother's Day, Retirement, Valentine's Day, Wedding

It’s that feeling you get every time you touch the pendant around your neck or glance down at a bracelet, and you’re reminded of its special meaning.

A piece of jewelry with special meaning tells a sentimental story of who gave it to you and why.

It’s not just a fashion accessory. It symbolizes a relationship, a feeling, an event or a memory.

For my mother’s birthday, I wanted to surprise her with a new piece of jewelry since it’s not something she often buys for herself. I decided to browse on the Rustic Cuff website since it’s an Oklahoma company.

I came across this beautiful gold and silver cuff. The center is a gold hexagon with a smaller, silver hexagon inside it. Immediately, this thought popped into my head.

The six sides of the gold hexagon represent her six children. She is the silver hexagon in the middle because she is our center that holds us together. The other special meaning is her influence on us and the people we’ve become. We became a hexagon because she is a hexagon.

It’s what I will tell my mother when I give her the bracelet. Every time she wears it, I hope she thinks of her six children and how much we love her. Continue Reading

Home State Friendship Bracelet Gift Idea

Queen Darlene - October 27, 2016 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Business, Christmas, Graduation, Retirement, Teacher Gifts

For a unique gift, use your home state for a memorable friendship bracelet.

I’ve kept in touch with wonderful girlfriends I met while living out of state and friends who have moved away and live all across the country. Several of us have been exchanging birthday or Christmas gifts for 50+ years!

Our gifts are not expensive. Some are handmade crafts, homemade baked goods or something that reminds us of each other.

Through the years, we’ve exchanged gifts by mail or when friends have returned to visit family in our home state of Oklahoma.

My girlfriends and I all love to wear bracelets. My mission: Find just the right bracelet for each friend.

I came across designs of Oklahoma bracelets. That’s when the thoughtful twist came to mind, and I decided to give each of my girlfriends an Oklahoma bracelet. Continue Reading

Gift Card to New Store in Town

Queen Darlene - October 20, 2016 - $20 or Less, Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Experiences, Father's Day, Mother's Day, Teacher Gifts, Thank You, Valentine's Day

It’s fun to experience a new store in your town or city. The excitement and buzz of a grand opening is usually all over the media and the talk of the office.

For my birthday, my boss gave me a gift card to Trader Joe’s that recently opened its first store in Oklahoma City.

What a pleasant surprise! I’ve been to Trader Joe’s in other cities and have waited 26 years for it to open here because I love Trader Joe’s!

When we visit our friends in New Mexico, we always make a stop and purchase what we can haul back home in the car!

I like finding unique, interesting and delicious foods at reasonable prices and can’t wait to see if they still carry my favorite granola nut cereal, a Trader Joe’s specialty.

Monogrammed Duffle Travel Bag

Queen Darlene - October 13, 2016 - Birthday, Business, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Going Away, Graduation, Kids, Mother's Day, Retirement, Teacher Gifts

Over the years, I have received two duffle bags as gifts. A beautiful girly duffle bag monogrammed with my initials and the other is an animal print personalized with Queen Darlene in rhinestones. I love them both!

A monogrammed duffle travel bag is a perfect gift for overnight trips or a week long vacation.

They are so roomy and hold a ton of stuff! I use them as my go-to bag for quick trips and as a perfect carry-on bag for longer trips.

You can personalize the bags with a person’s name or the name of a college, fraternity, sorority, sports team, cheerleading or dance group, bride or bridemaids.

Jumbo Magnifying Glasses for PreK+

Queen Darlene - October 6, 2016 - Birthday, Christmas, Kids

Little ones are so inquisitive and love to explore. “What’s that?” is a question parents and grandparents hear all the time. Let children satisfy their own curiosity with magnifying glasses.

Magnifying glasses allow kids to see clearly in great detail butterflies, bugs, flowers, leaves, blades of grass, sea shells, rocks and a whole lot more. They will see the world around them like never before!

Pretty much everything under a magnifying glass is much more fascinating don’t you think?

It’s pure wonderment the first time a child sees an object through a magnifying glass. Just watch them place the magnifier over the object and then move it away, over and over again. They will be in awe and probably ask you, “How does that happen?” so be ready with your answer. 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.)

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!

Turn Favorite Photos Into Custom Jigsaw Puzzles

Princess Diana - August 30, 2016 - Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Housewarming, Kids, Retirement, Valentine's Day

Did you know you can turn your favorite photo into a custom jigsaw puzzle?

Custom jigsaw puzzles can be ordered in many different sizes and level of difficulty. Order one the size of a postcard or choose a giant floor puzzle.

You can also purchase them with less than 10 puzzle pieces or more than 1,000!

Both children and adults would enjoy putting a custom jigsaw puzzle together, which makes it a very versatile gift.

My son, Aiden, enjoys putting together puzzles so I ordered a custom photo jigsaw puzzle using one of my favorite pictures of him. (Kids love seeing pictures of themselves!)

Make a Splash With a Mermaid Tail Blanket

Queen Darlene - August 26, 2016 - Birthday, Christmas, Get Well

Most girls and women I know love to snuggle under a warm blanket on the couch to watch a movie, favorite TV show, or if like me, a Thunder game.

Instead of the usual boring blanket, make a beautiful splash with a mermaid tail blanket!

When I came across Mermaid Tail Blankets, I immediately thought of my cold-natured sister-in-law because she always has a blanket laying on a chair ready for use when watching TV.

I knew she would have fin (I mean fun) covering up under a mermaid tail blanket so I ordered one for her birthday.

If I had granddaughters, the mermaid blankets would definitely go under the Christmas tree!