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Queen Darlene

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

The Gift of an Incredible Childhood Memory

Queen Darlene - July 3, 2014 - Experiences, Kids

When I was 12 years old, Herman’s Hermits were coming to Oklahoma City on tour. “Mrs. Brown you’ve got a lovely daughter” was my favorite Herman’s Hermits song. If no one was around, I always sang the song as if it were about me so I changed the lyrics by adding my mother’s name – “Mrs. Cathey you’ve got a lovely daughter.” LOL! I don’t believe I’ve ever told anyone that.

Oh, how I desperately wanted to go but it was a “want” and not a “need” so I didn’t think to ask my parents. Besides none of my girlfriends could go. We were too young for a boy band concert!

My mother and her favorite cousin, Bob, were very close and loved each other very much. Both of their parents were deaf so Bob was one of the few family members who knew sign language and could communicate with my mother. She always thought of Bob as her younger brother.

Bob and his wife, Ann, have four children. When we would visit, my younger brothers would play with their younger children and I was entertained by their oldest daughter, Beverly. I looked up to Bev and loved spending time with her. She was a few years older, so grown up and incredibly smart!

My mother and Bob worked together at NuWay laundry in Oklahoma City, and he asked her if I would be interested in seeing Herman’s Hermits. He had a ticket for me and would pick me up to spend the night with his daughter, Bev, and her girlfriends. I couldn’t believe it! What a gift! Not only was I going to see Herman’s Hermits, I was going with girls who were older than me and already teenagers! Continue Reading

Papa Bear, Mama Bear & Baby Bear Folding Chairs

Queen Darlene - June 26, 2014 - Birthday, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Kids

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When Princess Diana’s son, Aiden, turned one year old, I set out on a mission to give him something that most boys his age would not normally receive for their birthday.

Of all places, I found it in a Hallmark store – a crimson University of Oklahoma toddler folding chair. (Princess Diana and her husband both went to OU.)

With the chair, I also gave Aiden an OU “Start ’em Young, Raise ’em Right” toddler t-shirt and a teddy bear. A large stuffed bear wearing an OU t-shirt and sitting in the OU chair is so stinkin’ cute!

Since Aiden’s parents already have their own folding chairs, Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear now can all sit in a chair that is juuuust right for them whether they’re tailgating, camping, RVing, fishing or just hanging out in their backyard.

OK, I have to tell you prior to writing this post, I researched the correct name for the folding bag chair. I found out there’s not just one name for it because there are so many variations! Continue Reading

Unique Personalized Baby Shoes for Baby Shower

Queen Darlene - June 19, 2014 - Baby Shower

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When my oldest son Dustin was born 33 years ago, a friend gave me a pair of leather baby shoes with his name and date of birth printed in silver on the bottom of the shoes. I thought it was the best gift ever! So from that moment forward it has been my unique personalized baby gift to all of my friends and family.

When there is a baby shower, I print a photo of the shoes from the website to give the mother an idea of what the gift will look like. I also wrap cute baby socks to go with the mock-up photo.

Personalized Man Cave Photos for Father’s Day Gift

Queen Darlene - June 10, 2014 - Birthday, Father's Day, Gifts for Him

Men love their Man Cave – whether it’s in the garage, basement or a room in the house. When Mom passed away, my brother, Harvey, moved in to help care for our step-father Paul who has been deaf all his life and has macular degeneration.

To talk to Paul, who’s nearly 90, you have to sign real close to his face so he can see. Paul still cooks all of his meals but needs help with mowing the grass and driving to the bank, grocery store and the deaf club.

I’m so very grateful that my brother has taken on this task to help our step-father live his life as close to normal as possible. Paul is grateful too because otherwise he would be living in a nursing home without anyone knowing how to speak to him in sign language.

It has been somewhat challenging for two grown men to live together. They have their own ways! Know what I mean?

Their den sits right in the middle of the house, and you have to walk through it to get to the kitchen from the bedrooms. The den also contains the door to the backyard, which gets used constantly because of their little Chihuahua, Mickey.

Don’t kid yourself to think just because people are deaf that they are quiet. They are NOT. As a matter of fact, they are probably noisier because they cannot hear how loud they are! Well, Paul makes a lot of noise. My brother always has to turn up the volume on the TV to cover the banging and clanging in the kitchen and the slamming of the backdoor.

While Paul is happy to have someone in the home so he doesn’t feel so lonely, both men feel a loss of privacy. So to solve both problems of noise and privacy, my brother and I came up with a plan to convert the front room into Harvey’s Man Cave! Continue Reading

“Mighty Fine” | Remembering Gramps’ Personal Saying

Queen Darlene - June 3, 2014 - Birthday, Father's Day, Gifts for Him

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My father-in-law, Gene Drew, was a very kind and quiet man who would sometimes surprise us with his humorous wit. I always thought my husband got his wit from his mother but he also got it from his dad. Randy even laughs like his dad. There’s no denying it. We are our parents!

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When Gene spoke, the message was plain, simple and always thought through. There was never misunderstanding what he said.

He was a WWII Veteran and like so many of his time, they did not talk about the war. Instead, they got busy workin’, raisin’ families and livin’!

Gene could fix anything. Cars, motorcycles, lawnmowers – you name it, he repaired it! He could make anything out of left over stuff. He made a work table on wheels once out of an old air conditioning unit. In his later years, he helped his grandchildren make science fair projects. He was amazing!

Gramps, as we all fondly called him, passed away in July of 2011 just shy of his 90th birthday. At his funeral, his youngest son Kyle gave the eulogy. He spoke about all of the wonderful things he instilled in his children not by doing so much talking but by his actions.

When he did talk, Gramps had a personal saying he always used for anything good – “Mighty Fine.” Kyle reminded us that when he learned to ride his bike or came home with news of getting on the baseball team, Gramps would always say that’s “Mighty Fine.”

When as a kid he asked, “Dad, what do you think about Jesus returning?” Gramps slowly took his pipe out of his mouth and said, “I think it would be mighty fine!”

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.

Unique Money Gift for Graduates

Queen Darlene - May 15, 2014 - Graduation, Money

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Face it. Kids want money. Even though most people want to give a memorable gift, many times they end up giving money in a blah graduation card. I’ve come up with a fail proof “you will remember this money gift above all else” high school or college graduation gift.

Purchase the latest issue of Money Magazine which gives advice on how to save, invest and make money. Hide multiple crisp dollar bills (or higher!) within the pages. Now roll it up with tissue paper and tie it up with a ribbon like a diploma.

It never fails. When they open it, they say…”oh, thanks”… and this is where your part comes in.

You say something like, “There is a wealth of information in that magazine about how to manage money wisely. Now that you have graduated and you’re an adult, it’s important that you learn this skill.”

They usually say thank you and place the magazine to the side – without even opening it.

This is when you enthusiastically encourage them to open it and find an article to read. They will oblige but unwillingly. (I have yet to have one person open a page with a dollar bill showing. I have no idea how that happens!)

They usually have to thumb through and when they discover some of the cash money, they’ll quickly flip through page after page to look for more and when they do that’s when you’ve done it! You’ve made them smile really big. (And that’s hard to get teenagers to do you know.)

Then they’ll get smart and go back to the very first page and methodically turn each page looking for more dollar bills until they’ve found them all. This gift is as much fun to give as it is to receive! The only way this gift gets a backseat to any other graduation gift is if the graduate gets keys to a car!

The safe way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket. – Frank Hubbard

Matching Graduation Day T-Shirts

Queen Darlene - May 13, 2014 - Congratulations, Graduation

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My co-worker, Nikki, shared this wonderful idea that her family is doing for her son’s high school graduation this year. The family will wear matching Graduation Day T-Shirts. Just like a 5K race where a team wears matching t-shirts, friends and family attending graduation wear the same t-shirt in support of the graduate.

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The front of the t-shirt can have the graduate’s initials and their very own unique signature. Printed on the back of the t-shirt can be the class motto, a favorite quote or a personalized message to the graduate. Continue Reading

Mother’s Day Love From a Special Needs Daughter

Queen Darlene - May 8, 2014 - Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Mother's Day

My sister-in-law Nancy is an amazing mother to her daughter, Whitney, who suffered from a brain injury at the age of four months. The doctors did not give much hope on her survival but she lived. She lives by a mother’s pure love for her child.

Then the doctors said she would never walk but she did. Nancy taught Whitney how to walk forward as she walked backwards while holding up her daughter.

The doctors said she would never talk but she communicates in a way her mother understands.

I am in awe of Nancy. She makes me want to be a better mother. I have also never met anyone with as much faith in God as Nancy. She praises Him for her daughter’s gift of life.

When you have a special needs daughter who is legally blind with poor hearing, your life is not considered normal. But Nancy and Whitney have created a life that is normal for them.

Did you know one in every 12 children in America is physically or mentally disabled? Mothers of disabled children earn a particularly special place on Mother’s Day, and disabled children sometimes need a little help in celebrating and expressing their love for their mother. And that’s where you and I can come in!