Graduations, weddings, end of school and time for relaxation are all things that happen during the season known as Summer! Many of us long for this time of the year. This is the time that we shed clothing - no more boots, heavy coats, gloves or scarves. Sweaters have been laundered and stuffed away and forgotten (for the time being). Shovels and snow blowers are moved to the back of the garage only to be replaced by lawn mowers and water hoses. We see neighbors we have not seen since last fall and meet neighbors that have joined our community since last year. The smells of barbecue are wafting through our windows and children...the sweet sound of children fill the air. The lovely music of the ice cream truck is heard at least four times a day and smiles are abound.
So we just hosted a bridal shower for a local bride. Of course she was late to her own shower and announced upon arrival that she is the new and improved "bridezilla" so everyone has fair warning.
My antennas went up and I had to honestly think hard if I wanted to be part of this event or ask someone else to come relieve me of my duties. After contemplating, I came to the conclusion that this "monster" was seeking attention. I also came to the conclusion that I would not be the one to give it to her. The others could but not ME!
So as the evening progressed she became increasingly obnoxious. Some of her guests began to exit quietly never to return. I thought, "Would I be missed if I did the same?" Yeah...I would. If her bridemaids could endure the stupidity so could I. I began to think of ways to end this and came up with the idea that if the attention was taken off her and placed elsewhere maybe...just maybe the evening would come out okay. But then again she may explode. I had to take my chances.
So after the next game. I jumped up and made the announcement that the agenda for the evening is being slightly changed and was everyone ready for a suprise. You should have seen the way her face lit up! She sat up even straighter in her seat, a smile came across her face and her mouth finally shut. I announced the next event would be the acknowledgement and appreciation of the bridal party. Now her face became confused. Everyone began clapping and cheering and looked towards her to give her speech. Only problem is she had none. In order not to lose face she stood up went to the podium and began to give an impromptu speech. She was faltering and grasping for ideas and I found it ultimately refreshing that for once the attention was taken off her and she was forced to face the fact that without the bridal party her “special day” would be incomplete.
When she got to a point where her face took on a humble appearance and her thank yous sounded genuine, I stepped up with the gifts for each member of the bridal party.The bride placed her hand over the mike and leaned towards me asking me, “I have no idea what is going on. I did not have that speech planned and I have no idea what to do next.” I told her to call each member of her bridal party by name up to the accept their appreciation gift. As she did this, each member hugged her and kissed her and she began to cry.
Needless to say, after all the gifts were given, the evening took on a different somber ambience.
I am glad I stayed. I am glad I stuck it out. I believe a lesson was learned by the self proclaimed “Bridezilla”. Yeah, this is going to be a very special day for her. But that does not mean that she needs to make it the worse day for others. She selected each member of her bridal party for whatever reason. I am sure she had others in mind that could not or did not meet the requirements she had in mind. So when the focus was put on thanking those who will help her throughout this time and make her special day memorable she became more calm and reasonable.
As a sidenote, we jumped right back into the agenda for the evening and picked up right where we left off. And the evening went well.
Recently I was travelling and decided that my carry on would be the zebra print 20 inch upright with pink trim. Upon arrival, the TSA agent pulled me to the side and said she needed to speak with me after I got through screening. My heart started to beat faster as I ran every detail of everything in the suitcase through my mind. I made sure my lotions, mouthwashes and other stuff were all 3 oz or below. I had no unnecessary object like can openers or spoons or forks or anything in the luggage. I did not have any bottle water or granola bars or anything. I had all the toiletries in a ziplock bag...BUT WAITt the bag was bigger than the 8x4 allowed and it had a slide lock rather than the ziplock...shoot! I knew I was in trouble then! I had resolved to just throw the whole bag in the garbage and repurchase when I reached my destination. However, when the agent met up after I put my shoes back on, she said, "I must know where you got that suitcase! Write down the information." I breathed a sigh of relief!
All through the trip I received compliments and my bag was the bag to watch and could find it no matter what!
Okay, so it has been quite some time since any one has contributed to our blog! We are going to be updating it more frequently.
As many of you know, we added an "Angel" to our Queendom in December. So it is befitting that I take on the subject of diaper bags.
Diaper Bags??? you ask. What more can you say about a diaper bag? It holds diapers and bottles, duh-uh!
Well, we have come a long way from everyone having the same black vinyl diaper bag containing all the essentials. I figure the bag was black so it would not show much dirt and it was vinyl for easy wiping.
Today we have many varieties to choose from. Take for instance the three piece diaper bag ensemble. We have a gorgeous lavender set that includes a cosmetic bag, which I use to hold the lotions, oils, q-tips, fingernail clipper, etc. It also comes with a changing pad which comes in so handy when we are out and about. The pad actually folds in half and fits perfectly in the bag for easy access. I get so many compliments about the bag. Sometimes the comments are hilarious. One lady said, "Oh my goodness, what a cute purse that is!" I politely said, "Thank you, but actually it is a diaper bag." She gasped and said, "No way!" I said, "Way!" And proceeded to unzip the bag and show her the contents. I watched her face as she doubted me until I pulled out the changing pad. THAT sealed the deal.
She told me, "You know, if you wanted to, you could leave that changing pad out and it would be a cute summer purse." I said, "You're right. But when I want to change Angel, what should I use as a cushion and buffer?" She said, "Still. I say that is a cute bag." She wanted to know where I got it and I gave her one of Queen Diva Shops cards.
The exchange was funny because this woman wanted this bag so much to be a handbag! She could not fathom the fact that it held diapers! Well, I don't blame her. And she is right, when people first see it they assume it is a purse.
So moms??? There is no reason why you have to be ashamed to carry a diaper bag EVER AGAIN! Find one that is stylish, versatile and easy to use.
I think I would have really blown her mind if I would have told her...."And you can wash it in the washer too!"
We are unsure what caused the spike in the demand for the Obama Bible Cover but are trying our best to keep up! Please bear with us as per your demand the manufacturer is trying their hardest to keep up too!
Whatever the cause is whether it be that more people are reading their Bibles, people are wishing to protect their Bibles with a trendy cover or you want a piece of history, we appreciate you!
One day the old German Shepherd starts chasing rabbits and before long, discovers that he's lost. Wandering about, he notices a leopard heading rapidly in his direction with the intention of having lunch.
The old German Shepherd thinks, 'Oh, oh! I'm in deep doo-doo now!' Noticing some bones on the ground close by, he immediately settles down to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching cat. Just as the leopard is about to leap, the old German Shepherd exclaims loudly, 'Boy, that was one delicious leopard! I wonder, if there are any more around here?'
Hearing this, the young leopard halts his attack in mid-strike, a look of terror comes over him and he slinks away into the trees. 'Whew!' says the leopard, 'That was close! That old German Shepherd nearly had me!'
Meanwhile, a monkey who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree, figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the leopard.. So, off he goes, but the old German Shepherd sees him heading after the leopard with great speed, and figures that something must be up.
The monkey soon catches up with the leopard, spills the beans and strikes a deal for himself with the leopard.
The young leopard is furious at being made a fool of and says, 'Here, monkey, hop on my back and see what's going to happen to that conniving canine!
Now, the old German Shepherd sees the leopard coming with the monkey on his back and thinks, 'What am I going to do now?', but instead of running, the dog sits down with his back to his attackers, pretending he hasn't seen them yet, and just when they get clo se enough to hear, the old German Shepherd says... 'Where's that darn monkey? I sent him off an hour ago to bring me another leopard!
Moral of this story....
Don't mess with the old dogs... age and skill will always overcome youth and treachery! BS and brilliance only come with age and experience.
Our Mother's Day Contest/ Celebration is well under way! We have laugh, cried, cheered, sneered and been in awe. We will begin to share some of our entries.
This particular one made us laugh, cry, cheer, sneer, and be in awe: We are not editors and we wanted honest entries, so we will not be editing the entries or wordsmithing. We wanted raw emotion. We will provide excerpts of the entry:
"Greetings, I am a single mother of a honor roll daughter that's 13yrs old and in the 7th grade, Life has dealt me some unpleasant hands, I got pregnant at the age of 16 with my daughter,... I suffered tremendous mental, physical and emotional abuse, ...., I remember this man beating me like I was just some guy that came up to him and stole his wallet, I had a black eye and when the police officers took pictures of me I was in shock because of this tragic event that I really wasn't sure what my face look like, but the day we had to attend court the judge showed pictures of my face that were enlarged to show the massive degree of my injuries, at the time of this event ...... people often look down upon me and my daughter because I can't provide for her rightful but we may not have alot of things but there's these true things we have: we have each other, peace and love, strength, endurance and the will power to strive to change and keep our life intact no matter what curve ball life throws at us.... I have faith that my life will get better, because having faith and faith in God,.... I hope by me submitting this I will have a chance at winning but if not I have already won because by me typing this story I feel like a massive overflowing burden has been released from mr spirit, and hopefully this can be a inspiration to someone who's going through a battle in life,.......And if you are afraid it's okay to be that way but God puts no fear in our hearts and if you are feeling that it's okay just go through your situation afraid, you may have went in afraid but it doesn't mean your gonna come out afraid."
This entry was so touching and pointed out may attributes of a mother! This is truly a celebration of Motherhood! We thank you for sharing....
We will post the entry in its entirety sometime in the future....
April 22, 2009 Travelling with the Basic Black Luggage
Growing up, we always traveled with the basic black or blue luggage. Dark enough so it would not show the dust and dirt but just like everyone else’s.
So imagine trying to make a connecting flight and waiting for your suitcase to come down the conveyor belt. Okay, all these black large suitcases with the same front two pockets. The only way to tell which one was yours was to look at the luggage tag. Forbid the tag was the matching black tag like everyone else’s.
Well, today we have many styles, colors and variety of luggage and travel gear to choose from. From polka dots, to checkers, to lime greens to black, your choice of travel gear is limitless! You can actually choose a suitcase to match your personality. There are peace sign travel sets, zebra print suitcases with pink trim and houndstooth duffle bags with wheels.
No matter what you like, we are sure you will find something pleasing to you. Maybe you might want a red suitcase with a purple luggage tag or a leopard print carry on bag with a polka dot luggage tag. The combinations are vast.
Even if you choose the all black suitcase, you can choose any style luggage tag to set your luggage apart.
Queen Diva Shops has always valued your privacy and security. We have launched our secured site. While it has launched we have received numerous calls and e-mails stating that some items are out of stock. This has NOTHING to do with the updated site! LOL! The items will be updated once they become available again. If you have any questions or want to be notified when a certain item is back in stock, on a priority basis, just drop us a line!
However, seriously we have secured our site so that you can feel even safer when purchasing from us.
Should you experience any glitches in the system, are unable to complete checkout or have any questions please please please contact us. We are here to serve you!
By the way, the 16 inch Zebra Print Duffle Bags are back in stock!
Tonight we chose two winners of the large diva duffle bags! Yay-Ay!
This is exciting to us because these bags are selling so well and we have received wonderful feedback from our customers. We are sure the winners will be happy as well!
We are continuing giveaways for the month of March.. here is a preview of some of the gifts that may be given away. More details to come soon!
Some of you have expressed your shock when you receive a response to your e-mails, letters and notes. I am always amazed when I get a response back from one of the e-mails I personally respond to. Yes, when you get an e-mail from THE Queen Diva, it is me! LOL!
We listened to many of you who requested we expand our line of items that express pride, admiration and awareness of various cultures.
We are now offering African American Bible Covers and Puerto Rican Sling Bags.
As always, if you have any suggestions, comments, concerns or questions, feel free to drop us a line... You may even get a response from me.
If you did not know... Animal Prints are hot! They are one of our biggest sellers! Whether you like zebra, giraffe, leopard, paw prints, horse prints etc we have something for you.
It is amazing the quantity orders we receive for these prints. We have some unique items available in assorted animal prints. Take a look:
Remember, we offer quantity discounts if you order 10 or more of the same item, style of item and if the item is not on sale. Feel free to contact us with all your animal print orders! Perfect for bridal shower gifts, baby shower gifts or just because!
One day a man saw a old lady, stranded on the side of the road. Even in the dim light of dusk, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of he r Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.
Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry.
He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you.
He said, "I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson."
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty, and his hands hurt.
As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through... She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.
Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped.
Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.
He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, "And think of me."
He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.
A few miles down the road, the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat a nd take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan .
After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered w here the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.
There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: 'You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.'
Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.
Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard....
She knew how worried her husband was. As he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, "Everything's going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson."
There is an old saying 'What goes around comes around.' Today I sent you this story, and I'm asking you to pass it on. Let this light shine.
Don't delete it, don't return it. Simply, pass this on to a friend....
Good friends are like stars....You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.
The items will be updated once they become available again. If you have any questions or want to be notified when a certain item is back in stock, on a priority basis, just drop us a line!
