Gift Idea -- Nora Fleming

 

That's our elf, JJ, sittin' pretty on a pile of cinnamon-scented pinecones in the middle of my Nora Fleming salad bowl.  Nora Fleming, you say?  Tell me more.  If you are seeking a gift for a woman who loves to entertain and collect, a woman with a soft spot for cute stuff, consider Nora Fleming serving pieces.  All the pieces are simple and cream colored with a little beaded detail.  There's a little hole in each (I should have photographed this) where you can stick an adorable mini--like the woody wagon with tree on top featured above--to suit the occasion.  Having made it known that I am a woman who likes to entertain and collect, I have received some Nora Fleming pieces (platters, bowl, napkin holder, cheese board) and minis over the past five years.  I have also treated myself to some more minis now and again.  They are so cute that it's hard not to.

See what's I'm talking about?  So stinking cute.  

 

Fun, fun, fun.

Where to find Nora Fleming platters and minis?  I'm lucky because the best gift shop here in Pleasantville (Uptown Shop, Elmhurst, IL) sells them.  I believe they are also available at Von Maur.  Nora Fleming lives in a neighboring suburb, I think, and must be a generous lady as I have also seen Nora Fleming gift collections on auction for good causes (one of which I won -- woo hoo!).  

I totally get it that this kind of thing is a "me me me!!!" for some and an "eyeroll" for others.  Some like the idea of basics that can be jazzed up.  Others are not at all tempted by more stuff.  We all like what we like and do what we do.  I'm just sharing this gift idea in case you need something to add to your own Christmas list or need inspiration for someone you love.  I seem to have aged out of the wedding shower circuit and didn't know about Nora Fleming back when I was on it, but for the "me me me!!! I love cute stuff" bride, I think a basic platter and a couple minis would make a great gift.

Gift Idea -- Out of Print Clothing

A dear friend bought me this library due date card tote bag for Christmas last year.  It was a perfect gift:  useful, cute, reflective of my personality, and something that I'd feel guilty buying for myself.  Plus, a inter-generational conversation starter or intra-generational nostalgia/bonding piece.  I've used it for toting books to and from the library (surprise, surprise) and also hauled my laptop around in it a bit.  It's pretty sturdy.  If you visit the Out of Print Clothing website, you'll see this tote and many other cute ones (Nancy Drew, Pride and Prejudice, Gone with the Wind, and classic children's books).  Had I posted this earlier in the day, you could have benefited from the Cyber Monday 30% pricing that expires in a couple hours.  Kicking myself over here.

Decorative Tape Notecards

I am not good about buying the greeting cards I need in a timely fashion.*  I learned a few years ago that the best way to be ready with beautiful cards when I need them is to make them myself.  I buy blank notecards in bulk at Michael's or Hobby Lobby.  I continually add to my collection of washi tape and decorative masking tape when I visit office superstores, the Target dollar bins, and craft stores.  I have a decent collection of stamps as well, but I'm usually satisfied with the final product before I need to employ any stamps.  With the supplies at hand, I can make a card in less time than it takes me to drive to the Walgreens that is less than a mile from my house.

The cards pictured above are from the first wave of teacher end-of-year thank yous.  Take a blank card, layer several strips of cool tape, and cut off the excess on the sides.  Voila!

End-of-year teacher gifts are a whole other discussion and Pinterest makes it seem as if you need to do something super cute and clever.  I don't.  I usually go with gift cards, but as a former teacher, I know I appreciated any gesture of appreciation, any way that parents and students took five extra minutes to acknowledge that I was good or even okay.  I do my best to write a thoughtful note of thanks to each teacher and to have my kids write inside the thank you cards as well. 

I enjoy projects and crafting.  I enjoy making my own cards.  Not everybody does.  A thoughtful note on a pre-printed card or a piece of looseleaf is also worth writing.  If you're "not crafty" or detest little projects, don't apologize for that.

Couch Commencement

Last week was a busy week, and by Friday, I was feeling a bit depleted.  I had checked out Mary Karr's Now Go Out There (and get curious) several weeks ago and knew it was due the next day.  I opened it up, hoping for a shot of inspiration.  This slim volume is Karr's commencement speech at Syracuse (where she has been a professor for many years) on one side and a cool sunburst flip book on the other.  I read most of it on my couch before leaving to work at a kindergarten picnic.  I finished the rest in my minivan.

If you have fifteen minutes and the desire to be inspired, I suggest you read it.

Some of my favorite insights:

"But don't make the mistake of comparing your twisted-up insides to other people's blow-dried outsides."  

Perfect advice in these days of curated life moments on Facebook, Instagram, and the other scary social media spots I don't even understand.

"'This hard spell might be the start of something truly great I can't foresee right now because I'm scared shitless.'"

Mary Karr wants you to tell yourself the above when times are tough.  This lesson is definitely one that you understand more fully as you age, but it's also one that is so easy to forget when you're in the midst of a hard, scary time.

"Being smart and rich are lucky, but being curious and compassionate will save your ass.  Being curious and compassionate can take you out of your ego and edge your soul towards wonder."

Who can argue against curiosity or compassion?

Please don't think that I've cited all the good stuff here and that you don't need to read Now Go Out There (and get curious).  There are a couple great anecdotes, plus honesty, humor, and a message you can take with you.  And, again, it's only fifteen minutes.

Get it at your library or buy it as a graduation gift (though great advice is often wasted on the young) and read it first.

Last year around this time, I read J.K. Rowling's commencement speech book, Very Good Lives:  The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of the Imagination.  I think commencement speech reading will be a new May tradition for me.  Why not listen to what great thinkers have to say to newly-minted grown-ups?  It's never too late to change course or to at least see your journey or mission in a new light.  Sometimes we all need a little help to light our fires.


P.S. -- Another May pick-me-up has been wearing the floral-printed Pumas in the photo above.  Found them at Kohl's on one of the only days of the year an extra discount was not on offer, but bought them anyway because I heart them so.

Secret S'Mores

I ordered some campfire roasting forks (and these with the gingham bag) last week so that we could use them for a Cub Scout bonfire and s'mores party.  My secret hope is that our family will eventually have a fire pit of our own, around which we can use these adorable and useful sticks.  I was also thinking that campfire roasting sticks would make a cute gift for a housewarming, a family present, or a grab bag -- all packaged up with the s'more fixings.

I don't actually enjoy s'mores, but I do love a nice roasted marshmallow.  Melty on the inside and carbon crusty on the outside.  A burnt marshmallow, if you will.  This culinary delight is easy to produce if you have a roasting stick, a gas stove, and a husband who's out of town (and might give you some grief about this sort of thing were he around).  I'm not sure you could get a golden brown marshmallow with this in-house method.  Even when I thought I was giving my giant marshmallow some clearance, it was igniting.   Ignite.  Extinguish.  Rotate.  Repeat.

One bonus to charring your marshmallow at home:  you can plate it and eat it with a fork.

Do not tell my children about this menu item.


Disclaimer:  The above links go to Amazon, but I don't get a thing if you buy these items because I have no idea how to set up affiliate links and no clarity about whether I'd even want them.