Our Top Five Mother’s Day List

Elizabeth and Liza give their top 5 gift list for Mother’s Day:

* Remember to continuing checking out Nashvillest’s blog for continuing updates on our flood and what you can do to help.

Liza’s Top Five Gifts:

1) A leather and pearl Kelly Joseph necklace from Caldwell Collection.  I know I’ve mentioned these before, but I think they are gorgeous.  This month’s Glamour has some shots of similar necklaces so they are right on trend (but when would they not be?)  I love the understated elegance of the leather and pearl combination.  And, I kinda feel like these pieces of jewelry represent this country’s ails right now: leather representing us in TN and the pearl the coastal communities threatened by oil.

2) Ten passes to a yoga studio here in town. Sanctuary, Hot Yoga, and 12South Yoga are all ones that I can highly recommend but I’m sure there are other great studios as well.  (I just haven’t been able to try them all!)  The spiritual element of yoga, combined with the exercise, makes it the perfect way to center yourself in this turbulent time.  Add a pair of yoga pants from Lululemon, or a gift certificate to Athleta and moms everywhere will smile wide.

Groove Crop Pant $86.00

3) Plant a tree to commemorate Mother’s Day 2010. My husband planted a Japanese maple for me a few years ago.  He got it at the Belle Meade Gardener and when it died, they did replace it although it had been a year.  The replanted tree, which is gorgeous, continues to be my favorite present yet.

4) An indoor garden from Flower Mart. These are gorgeous and the price, most under $100, is right on.  Unlike a bouquet of flowers, which of course is lovely as well, these indoor gardens will shine in your home for much time to come.  Flower Mart also happens to have a huge assortment of orchids right now – everything from teeny tiny ones (think bonsai orchids….if there is such a thing!) to huge double and tripe stalked orchids.  My pictures do not do these arrangements below justice, they are stunning and well worth the price.

5) A piece of coral from The Iron Gate in Franklin. This store has an incredibly varied array of coral available in all sizes and prices.  If you go to their website, the pictures there will convey why I am lusting after a piece of their coral.  Gorgeous.  Coral, while pretty to look at, also reminds you daily of the bounty and beauty of our oceans.

Elizabeth weighs in:

Three things always happen for me in the beginning of May: my birthday, Mother’s Day and the anniversary of my Mother’s death.  It is a bittersweet time, yet one filled with wonderful memories.  One gift I always received from my Mother on my birthday was a simple card that read, “Happy Birthday, Dear Elizabeth, I am so glad you were born (fill in the blank, as I am not going to fill in the blank) years ago.  This gesture on her part meant so much to me and as a Mother of three, I continue the tradition on my daughters’ birthdays.  Being a good Mom is far and away the most important work we will ever do on the planet.  The job didn’t come with a manual or even simple directions.  Motherhood takes every life skill we have ever learned — patience, creativity, empathy, discipline, responsibility.  The list is endless.  Even though Nashville is going through an incredibly tough time, MOMS enjoy your day.  Really enjoy your day.  You deserve it.

Elizabeth’s Top Five Gifts:

1) Gifts from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh.  This book is a rare jewel and speaks so compassionately to Mothers everywhere.  I gave this book to my Mom on Mother’s Day many years ago after a friend gave it to me.  Lindberg speaks so poignantly about simplicity, caring for the soul and a woman finding her place in our hectic world.

2) A composter. Once a friend of mine told me I reminded her of Andy McDowell in the movie Sex, Lies and Video Tapes. It wasn’t that I was gorgeous or anything, it was that I was obsessed about trash.  I still am.  As I saw a man load up his truck with a brand new composter from Costco, I thought, “I want one.”  The flood has created tons and tons of debris, now I can do my part to reduce trash by composting and recycling more.

3)  More Ben Caldwell. As I slogged up to the Harding Art show, I spied Ben Caldwell loading up his treasures in a van.  His gorgeous collection of ladles, spoons and serving pieces caught my eye.  Once again my inner voice said, “I want one.”  Actually, what it was really saying was, “I want another one.”  Ben Caldwell amazes me with his craftsmanship and originality.  He continues to evolve as an artist adding gorgeous hammered copper bowls and metal sculptures in patriotic themes to his collection. Ben’s work is available at the Caldwell Collection on Bandywood.

4) LL Bean Bag. Call me boring, but every couple of years, I order a new LL Bean bag.  They are versatile, durable and darn affordable.  To me, my new LL Bean bag screams, “It’s time to go to the beach.”  Since I am heading to Destin (please let the oil slick miss our beach), I need a new bag.  I would like an extra-large bag with my initials in a snappy summer color.  I am loving the Cornwall blue one below.  Maybe because that was my favorite crayon in the Crayola box! (Don’t let her pants distract you…..)

5) Niven Morgan’s candles. You may have picked up on this from prior posts – I hate scented candles, with the Niven Morgan exception.  What a wonderful surprise I had while in New Orleans to discover his new collection, Jean Baptiste 1717.  My-oh-my, this scent is captivating and beguiling.  Niven Morgan’s Jean Baptiste 1717 celebrates New Orleans past and present and its founding father, Jean Baptiste le Moyne de Bienville, the aristocrat who established the city in 1717 as the capital of French Louisiana.  There are so many combinations from oak to jasmine that it is hard to describe.  I bought the body wash and lotion, now it’s time for more!  Available locally at Hot Pink in Brentwood and The Cotton Mill in Nashville.

Happy Mother’s Day

xxoo

Liza and Elizabeth

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