I first became a mom on Mother’s day weekend and so this time of year holds a special place in my heart. With mother’s day just around the corner, I've been thinking of all the great gifts my kids have given me over the years and about what it means to be a mom and daughter. Here’s some great gifts to give (or to get) and some things you might want to do with your children or mom this season.
JEWELRY - FEW THINGS ARE AS CHERISHED BY A WOMAN, EXCEPT PERHAPS HER HANDBAG COLLECTION.
I always purchase my jewelry with the thought of passing it on to my daughters - probably largely due to the fact that most of my first necklaces and earrings came from my mom's jewelry box.
When I was a little girl I remember the rush of joy and excitement I experienced when my mom would let me poke around in her jewelry box. I loved everything. It was so grown up and beautiful! I used to finger the rings, hold the earrings to my face and pretend I was all grown up and as beautiful as my mom was. I still remember how I couldn’t believe it when my mom kissed my forehead and handed me her collection of small gold charms. They were given to her on her 12th birthday and immediately became my most treasured possessions.
Just thinking about them today makes me smile. Is it any wonder my love affair has continued? I'm a woman, a designer, a curator and a collector, and there's a lot of jewelry I get excited about. Shimell + Madden's creative, geometric shapes are timeless and beautiful in an almost elusive way, and remind me of old Hollywood. Knobby has a clean point of view and its modernist shapes and great price point can't be beat - the pieces go with almost anything. And Ann Lightfoot's rich, chic stone and cord necklaces are some of my absolute favorites.
Another artist whose work I adore is world-renowned Canadian jeweler, Janis Kerman. Janis has been making jewelry for 45 years, and it shows. Her pieces are flawless, the backs just as meticulously detailed and tended as the fronts, and some of the most comfortable I've ever worn. Her pieces speak to the idea of balance instead of symmetry and are each a work of art and passion.
A few years ago, Janis’ daughter Erin, started a boutique jewelry line. Each design is a collaboration: conceived by Montreal-native Erin Wahed and hand-crafted by her mother (don’t you just love that?!) Since Erin has relocated to Manhattan, the two meet several times a year and mail each other cut paper diagrams of the innovative pieces to be made. Sophisticated and elegant, Bande des Quatres is stylish and modern, and already has a cult following. Since its launch in February 2011, Bande des Quatres has been featured in Vogue, Elle Magazine, Refinery29, InStyle Magazine, and many, many more.
BEAUTIFUy your mom's home- a trick of the trade:
People bring me in to envisage their spaces and stylishly pull them together. One great trick I love pulling out is something you and your family can try this Mother's Day.
Pick up your favorite magazine this weekend, and you are sure to find a slew of airy, welcoming rooms. If you’re looking around at your stuff wondering ‘where do those people put it?!’ try this trade secret. Elegant, breezy spaces often starts with uncluttered horizontal surfaces. Dining and family rooms in particular seem to be our families’ home bases for a mishmash of frames, photos, and mementos. Heartwarming and dear, I would never suggest you get rid of them. Instead, group and hang your favorite photographs & items on a wall. Hallways and staircases are my favorite places to do this - intimate and typically unadorned by art, they’re a perfect spot to dress with your best-loved faces and things.
Getting your family photos off your horizontal surfaces and putting them together for a fun, dramatic moment is a no brainer. Trust me, you'll see more of them this way too!
To hang an art gallery like a pro, start the cutting out paper to the exact size of your frames and do a quick sketch inside it. Carefully hang the artwork on the hooks for the nails and touch them to to the paper to determine the correct height to hang the art hook. It's an easy, elegant solution to hanging lots of art at one time without costly mistakes. Here we hung almost 20 frames in just a few hours.
Here’s the final result. High gloss walls are a great idea to bring in additional light and interest to a narrow, back stairway. How nice would it be to see your own family’s gallery come together this mother’s day?
vase + fresh flowers
There's a reason this works! Pair one of these beautiful vases with fresh flowers you or your children pick (...or pick up!) and give mom a fond memory, and a stunning vase to enjoy for years to come.
Try one of our beautiful vases by Two | One, a husband and wife ceramics studio, or Teroforma's porcelain vases. Each comes in several sizes and colors.
Breakfast in bed...
These Asher Israelow trays — are stunning and deceptively simple in appearance. These delightful black walnut and brass boards can be used to serve up coffee & muffin, or to dress up your nightstand (see them here with earrings). Bring mom breakfast in bed this Mother's day and earn extra points.
Throw
If none of these seems just-right, don't throw in the towel! Pack a picnic and go to the beach with your mom. These Japanese towels from the Imabari region in Japan have to be experienced to be understood. Ultra-soft and plush, each towel is made from fine, garment quality thread that’s loosely twisted for maximum softness and gently woven on traditional low-speed machines to maintain the integrity of the thread.
Another great choice for mom might just be a blanket! Cuddle up with your mom and a good cuppa this mother’s day and remember why you love to spend time together. My favorite thing to do is snuggle with my kids on weekend mornings. Safe bet that your mom would love it too! Four layers of ultra-soft gauze get softer with each wash.
Pamper
Pamper your mom or yourself with a body scrub towel. This Japanese body scrub towel is such a great idea, that you may want to pick up more than one. With its exfoliating nature and 8"x36" dimension it's the perfect size to exfoliate your face, knees, elbows and even your back with ease. At $18 a piece this exfoliating towel is a steal!
easy & fun - Yoga towel!
Whether this towel is a gift for your mom or yourself, these delightful towels are a Japanese large size. We think they’re the perfect yoga or travel towel, fantastic to have on hand to wrap around your hair - and we can see them hanging just as easily in your kids bathroom adding a splash of sophistication, at a quality we bet your kids have never seen before.
A great price point to be introduced into the world of Japanese towels, these quick drying towels are a sure thing.
Get outside!
It's Spring! Finally, gloriously, thankfully, it's Spring! Enjoy the season and go outside with your mom or kids. Plant a few herbs, a tomato plant or two and make sure you have a reason to visit soon. Summer will be here before you know it, and nothing will taste quite as nice as food made with herbs from mom's own garden.
Sigal
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