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Will You Be My Valentine?

Queen Darlene - February 11, 2014 - Valentine's Day

Remember when we were kids making Valentine boxes with the slit in the top for the upcoming class party and placing your Valentines in everyone’s boxes? I couldn’t wait to get home to look at every single one and see who had given me a Valentine. Very sweet memories.

It was Valentine’s Day when I visited my friend, Orean, who lived in an assisted living center. I brought her a heart shaped box of chocolates. I also brought her other Valentines I had made to share with her friends.

Orean said, “It has been a very long time since I handed out Valentines.”

After Orean read the Valentine attached to the heart shaped lollipops, she couldn’t wait to hand them out. She was on a mission as I watched her walk the halls into the dining room handing them out along the way and asking, “Will you be my Valentine?” Continue Reading

POP the Question Wedding Proposal Idea

Queen Darlene - February 6, 2014 - Experiences, Valentine's Day, Wedding

Survey says….six million people are planning or expecting a marriage proposal for Valentine’s Day. Ohhh…..the pressure of how to propose? Ask the love of your life to marry you in grandiose style? Or just pop the question?!

Every girl has the “dream” of how the proposal will happen and it is never what we expect when it does. My husband, Randy, and I had many talks about getting married one day. We even looked at rings at the mall jewelry stores where I showed him my favorite.

But we were broke! Randy had one more year of college. I was graduating high school and planning to attend the same college. So I was not expecting a ring any time soon.

For the Home Brewer – Personalized Beer Bottle Caps

Princess Diana - February 4, 2014 - Birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Housewarming, Valentine's Day

My father-in-law Greg began brewing homemade beer a few years ago – and man! – has our family enjoyed the benefits! While he’s brewed all sorts of kits, types and flavors, my favorite is still the batch of peach ale he specially made for my wedding rehearsal dinner.

Last year, my husband Kevin started brewing beer with his father. It gave them a fun way to spend father-son quality time together. They have fun making it together. They have fun drinking it together.

They also enjoy brewing different types of beer and sharing the fruits of their labor with friends and family. Each batch yields about 50 bottles so there is plenty to share!

Valentine’s Day Gift – Mail a Handwritten Love Letter

Queen Darlene - January 30, 2014 - Anniversary, Birthday, Gifts for Him, Valentine's Day

We email. We text. We phone. Everything is short and to the point. Many of us think we have lost the art of writing. I think we just need a little practice.

I remember in elementary school we would write and pass notes that would say, “I LIKE YOU.” In junior high, the note writing would become a little more sophisticated to something like, “I LIKE YOU VERY MUCH!” And in high school my boyfriend would write a three page love letter detailing how pretty I was, how he couldn’t wait to see me after school, and of course the three words I always wanted to hear, “I LOVE YOU!”

Well… your perfect opportunity for writing a love letter is coming up – Valentine’s Day! This year, don’t spend 30 minutes in the card aisle at the store looking at Valentine’s Day cards that most of the time don’t say what your heart would say anyway. Instead, spend that 30 minutes writing a heartfelt love letter.

Cute Way to Give Earrings

Princess Diana - January 28, 2014 - Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Graduation, Kids, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day

It’s boring to give someone jewelry in those cardboard gift boxes they come in. Plus, it’s super obvious what the gift is when you use wrapping paper.

Sometimes the jewelry doesn’t even come in a box. So what do you do?

You find a cutesy wutesy teddy bear or stuffed animal. Put the earrings through the teddy bear’s ears and BA-DING!

You present a popular gift in a unique way!

Presentation is everything.

Just What He Needed – A Plastic Flask

Princess Diana - January 23, 2014 - $20 or Less, Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Gifts for Him, Valentine's Day

My husband Kevin loves his whiskey and Coke.

So sometimes when he goes out with his buddies he takes a flask of whiskey with him.

He uses a flask I bought him as a present in college. It’s black leather and stainless steel and has his Delta Upsilon fraternity’s Greek letters engraved in the top and the words “To the Best Ever…” engraved on the front. Obviously, it has sentimental written all over it, and we (okay, probably just me) would be terribly upset if he ever lost it.

Well, Kevin told me that a security guard at an Oklahoma City Thunder basketball game almost confiscated it. He had the flask in the inside front pocket of his blazer when he got wanded!

But thankfully, the security guard’s wanding skills were about as good as Dwight Howard’s freethrows and the wand never beeped. Whew!

How to Make Sure Your Man Never Disappoints You With His Gifts

Queen Darlene - January 21, 2014 - Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard my female co-workers, friends and family members say things like, “He better remember it’s our anniversary (or my birthday, etc.) and have a gift and know what I want.”

Ladies – don’t set up your husbands and boyfriends for failure! Do what I do. I learned early on to help my husband with picking out my gifts and in doing so I’m never disappointed with my gifts!

I’ve been married 43 years and the first gift Randy gave me after we were married was an electric can opener. Yes, you read that correctly.

I blew a gasket! Seriously? A plug-in appliance? I cried, screamed and told him I could NOT believe he thought such a thing could be considered a GIFT. What was he thinking??

In his defense, many months later when he felt safe to talk about it, he explained that the hand held can opener that we received for a wedding gift was cheap, dull and difficult to turn. So he thought it would be nice to make my life easier by getting an electric can opener.

Awwww… but still there is NO EXCUSE to give your wife, girlfriend, or significant other any sort of appliance unless she asks for it as a gift. Period. End of story.

My girlfriend’s husband once purchased her an electric weed eater. Believe me when I say that’s much worse!

So ladies – how do you make sure your man never disappoints you with his gifts? What is the secret to making sure you love the gifts you receive for Valentine’s Days, birthdays, Christmases and anniversaries? Continue Reading

1 4 3 – Secret Code for I Love You

Queen Darlene - January 16, 2014 - Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Wedding

I love surprises, unique gifts and secret messages that are just for me. The best part is my husband, Randy, knows it!

Several years ago, my husband had a necklace made for me for Valentine’s Day. It reminded me of the “drop” he gave me when we began dating. That’s what they were called in the 1960s.

This time, it did not have his initials RED. It was 1 4 3. I was puzzled.

“What is 1 4 3?” I asked Randy. He told me it’s a secret code. One is for I, four is for L-o-v-e and three is for Y-o-u.

So sweet! It was a great surprise with a special unique message and now you know our secret code! Feel free to borrow this gift idea for your loved one this Valentine’s Day.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. – Elizabeth Barrett Browning

The Most Romantic Present A Guy Can Give to a Girl

Princess Diana - January 14, 2014 - $20 or Less, Anniversary, Birthday, Valentine's Day, Wedding

Men – read closely. This Valentine’s Day gift I am about to reveal is THE most romantic present a guy can give to a girl. I’m not joking.

When my husband Kevin and I met in college, he gave me a Valentine’s Day present that completely melted my heart and made me fall in love with him all over again. Here’s what he wrote in his Valentine’s Day card to me:

… The box is the most special present. Inside it, there are 67 cards, one for each week we have been together. The blue ones are special memories, the red ones are things I love about you, and the blank ink ones are quotes, some of which are from yours truly. Also, there are give coupon cards which are special surprises. I hope you like them all, and may the future hold many more amazing memories together.

Your lover,
Kevin

Sign With Favorite Saying or Quote

Princess Diana - January 9, 2014 - Anniversary, Baby Shower, Birthday, Business, Christmas, Condolence, Congratulations, Gifts for Him, Graduation, Housewarming, Kids, Valentine's Day, Wedding

Starting www.SunburstGifts.org from scratch has been such an exciting and rewarding project. It’s like I’ve given birth to a second child without the nine month wait and the whole alien-taking-over-my-body thing.

I definitely get even less sleep now because I stay up writing blog posts but I’m having a blast watching our subscribership grow each day!

Joining me on this incredible journey is my blogging partner Queen Darlene (Darlene Drew). We seriously go together like chips and salsa (my favorite snack btw!).

We have so much fun sharing our passion of giving thoughtful gifts with the world that working with her on our blog is not “work” at all. I wanted to celebrate our new blog and partnership by surprising her with a – you guessed it! – thoughtful gift.