A Bunch of Really Good Mother's Day Gifts.
plus everything I loved from Amazon this month, a favorite new serum, the best spring basics!
Happy Friday, pals!
I fell behind with work for a few reasons and am slowly digging myself out of a hole and getting back on track. The first reason is period related migraines (getting older is so FUN) but the second was a fun thing: I took a half day on Wednesday to go to a luncheon at The Gibbes Museum (Charleston’s art museum) with a few of my girlfriends and hear the creative director of De Gournay speak! I loved the talk and my biggest takeaway was to really relish in those little details in every single thing you do.
In a world where everything seems fast-fast-fast, more-more-more, it was a good reminder to slow down a little bit and focus on the little details that make something special and unique. That “thing” could be a dinner party, a blog post, or a product. Applicable to everything we do.
Earlier in the week, I did an interview for
Sunday Series. Talking about how I fell into this world, what makes a book an “A,” how I find so much time to read, and more. Thanks for having me Kayla :)Anyway, I have somehow failed you in not getting up a Mother’s Day Gift Guide for the blog. To be honest, it just sort of slipped through the cracks and now it’s just around the corner! I thought I’d share some quick picks here in today’s letter. Everything featured will get to mom in plenty of time as long as you order it soon!
But first, a little sponsor thing:
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I have not been able to stop burning this candle since I got it. I actually got one for my own mother for Mother’s Day (lilacs remind me of her, growing up she had a few big bushes and the whole backyard/house smelled amazing every Spring!). She reads here so… sorry for the spoiler, mom!
Something Sparkly from Dorsey
Loads of Dorsey’s products are wait listed with longer lead times but not these! They are all able to ship immediately and in my experience Dorsey ships very quickly so you’ll get it in plenty of time. Five pieces I have and love (BTW - I got my mom a tennis bracelet for her birthday and she lovvveedddd it! Get the 3mm as it looks more delicate). If you are new to Dorsey and the world of lab grown, read this post.
The James tennis necklace (love the round bezel; it feels fresh and special).
My favorite earrings ever - they look like a family heirloom in classic silver or emerald. And YES they are lightweight. Also! A slightly late addition: I just found out that the gold pair ships immediately too.
The Kate tennis bracelet. Get the 3mm, I think it looks more like fine jewelry.
The Clemence necklace. I love this for layering, it’s delicate and goes with everything.
Paper Flowers from The Green Vase
These are my absolute favorite, and a very cool small biz. I am continually blown away by their creativity! And while paper flowers are more expensive than fresh cut flowers (also a great gift!!), they are a true work of art that lasts for years to come. I have been collecting their flowers for a few years now and flowers from three years ago are still in perfect shape. So beautiful.
Theraplush Overnight Hand Cream
I am spoiling things for my own mother, yet again (going to text her to just delete this letter!) but I recently bought this LUXE overnight hand cream for myself and love it so much that I had to buy one for my mom as well. I have really dry skin and my nails and cuticles really were a mess. I love this because it really works but the packaging is so pretty that I keep it on my nightstand. So I never forget to use it. And! It’s refillable!
Other ideas:
Last year, I bought my mom a robe from Lake and she loved it. I have 4 of them so it goes to say that I love it too. I love the scalloped details on this one.
Kate McLeod is a favorite and we have an ongoing code (GRACE20). Her body stones are the bestttt (think: ultra luxurious, rich, solid moisturizer that melts into your skin upon contact) and you know how much I love the eucalyptus breathe pebbles!
On The Stripe this week.
A big round-up of my favorite raffia & rattan pieces.
In collaboration with Evereve, a refresh of spring basics (every single piece in this post is so great!).
Great white dresses. Aka my summer uniform.
Everything I bought (and loved!) from Amazon this month.
This Week in Reading:
On the audio front, I finished Get the Picture by Bianca Bosker. I highly, highly recommend this - I loved it. A must if you want to better understand art and the art world, want to refine your eye, or just really love art. (Added bonus: it’s very funny too! If I can learn while laughing, I’m all in).
I DNF’d something else and felt that I needed a true home run and grabbed an ARC of One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware (this comes out 5/21). It was a wild ride. Truly. Scary at times! A young woman is persuaded by her actor boyfriend to sign up for a reality TV show. When they arrive on the island with four other couples, they’re hit by a storm and chaos ensues. It’s worth the pre-order if you can do a scary thriller.
And then: Emily Henry’s newest. Probably no surprises here but it is TRULY EXCELLENT so far. And a newish trope: a young woman’s fiancé leaves her for his (female) best friend. She fake dates the best friend’s ex-boyfriend but… sparks fly. I’ve seen fake dating but not with this angle. I am not done with this but I love it so much. Like almost enough to cancel plans. I’ll be finishing it tonight. On that note, it seems that Emily Henry never misses. Even as someone who is more thriller > romance, I devour every one of her books. She is such a talent.
Grace I wanted to recommend a book to you which I believe is about the art world -The Work by Bri Lee. She also wrote Eggshell Skull. An Australian author receiving critical acclaim. It’s on my TBR list! Thanks for the Mother’s Day ideas.
Hi Grace. Mother's Day isn't until the 12th - so you have more time then you thought!! :)