Mexico residents may have recently done a double take when walking by the Hallmark display at Kate’s Hallmark Shop. And with good reason, because featured on one certain store display is a photo of Mexico natives Lauren (Miller) Gaynor and her grandmother, Patricia “Patty” Larkin Miller.

The two are part of Hallmark’s “Real Stories” campaign that was launched in January 2021. Featuring personal journeys of real-life Hallmark enthusiasts and consumers, Gaynor and Miller were a natural fit.

Asked if her grandmother came to the project willingly, or if she had to be coerced, Gaynor laughs.

“Grandma Patty is no attention seeker,” she said, “but she’ll do anything for her granddaughter!”

And Miller is a huge fan of Hallmark.

“She has always loved Hallmark,” Gaynor said, “and coming to visit the headquarters in Kansas City with me. She was even featured in Hallmark’s corporate newsletter when she expressed elation over the return of a Hallmark Gold Crown store (Kate’s) to the Mexico square.”

Hallmark even sent flowers when Patty’s husband, Jake, passed away.

“I love the way my Hallmark family has taken care of my real family,” Gaynor said. “My bosses would always ask, ‘How’s Grandma Patty’?”

As for the photo, it is a “selfie” that Gaynor took with her cell phone during a girls weekend in Kansas City. The photo struck a chord with Hallmark, which was looking for organic submissions, as opposed to posed and professional ones.

People have noticed, which has led to some organic responses.

“I think the funniest part has been my grandma’s own reaction to ‘being famous,” said Gaynor. “Barb Wilson, who is a dear friend of our family and owns the Hallmark store on the square, made my whole family blush and laugh when she featured my grandma and me in a recent Facebook Live event for her store.”

Friends have also shared photos they took while at Kate’s after recognizing the duo.

Hallmark’s multi-platform “Real Stories” campaign includes store merchandising, features on Hallmark.com, social media advertising on Facebook and Instagram and a printed mailer.

Lauren Gaynor is an editorial director and product developer and over the last 12 years has worked on both the corporate and creative side of Hallmark, starting out in public affairs and communications and later moving into the creative division. People may best be familiar with her voiceover work and her time as a co-host on the QVC network.

She is a 2004 graduate of Mexico High School and a 2008 graduate from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism. She currently lives in Virginia Beach with her husband, who is an officer in the U.S. Navy. They anticipate returning to the Midwest soon.

“Given how distant we’ve all had to be over the last year, it will feel amazing to be within easy driving distance of my family and friends — and Hallmark — again,” she said.

Lauren is the daughter of Mike and Leslie Miller, owners of Miller Tire; her paternal grandparents are longtime Mexico resident Patricia (Patty) Larkin Miller (of Hallmark fame) and the late Jake (Lester J. Miller Jr.). Lauren’s brother, Kent Miller, graduated from Mexico High in 2007 and from Mizzou in 2011. He now lives and works in Chicago.

Grandma Patty is now 97 years old and, as Lauren says, “still smiling!”