etsy gifts for mother’s day | A WELL LIVED HOUSE

How do handmade mugs, fine crystal, creature comforts like tea and gin, all while supporting handmade artisans selling on Etsy, sound for Mother’s Day?

by studiotullia | Apr 27, 2024 | DESIGN TRENDS, INTERIOR DESIGNERS THAT INSPIRE, STYLE TIPS FOR DIY, THE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR

Have you shopped for Mother’s Day? What do you usually do on that day?

As a mother of 17 year old twins, I pretty much just don’t want to have to lift a finger come Mother’s Day. I want to put my feet up, maybe take a bath. No thoughts about meals, dishes. We usually make an effort for the awesome Mom’s in our lives – a fancy brunch with crepes, a trip to a beautiful garden or the beach. How about you?

I don’t need much, just a break from the daily burden of life. As I write this I am home alone for the weekend, which is rare. And such a treat. I’ll be melancholy for them by tomorrow. Just me, the cats and the dog. My husband took the kids to the coast to visit his parents. I wanted to buckle down and get some work done. I stocked up on food to make food prep easy. I watched 2 episodes of Dream Home Makeover with Studio McGee in bed with coffee until 10:30 AM. Dreamy it was. I am coming to appreciate the subtleties and freshness of white, neutrals, earthy accents. It’s all new builds, with few antiques, and in Utah, a world away from Oregon so it is an escape.

Now, I’ve got Brandi Carlisle on, a little more writing to do, and then a movie of my own choice. No science fiction, Avengers, Star Wars or action packed movies for me. Most likely an historical drama.

In fact, this song about being a Mother, ‘I am the mother of Evangeline’ by Brandi Carlisle brings me to tears every time. Check it out:

Mother’s Day. A day to treat one’s self as a mother, whether of children or furry ones. And/or a day to honor your Mother, Grandmother, Aunt, or any other divine being kind enough to treat you in a maternal way. When I think about it, there have been many: neighbors, friends, colleagues, teachers, relatives. It’s also a day to feel honored for the opportunity to be a Mother. Now that is a cause for celebration.

Need gift ideas? There are so many great artists/vendors on ETSY if you know what to search for. We all need to support small businesses and makers more than ever.

So here are just a few that seem extra special, with a few other sources thrown into the mix, to get this party started. What are some favorite shops for you? If you have any, please comment and let me know.

Here is my round up in a nutshell…

Here we go…

1.CALHOUN & CO. COCKTAIL PARTY TEA TOWEL

You need to check out this New York based boutique. The towels, throws and other graphic gifts are so whimsical and fun.

2. JULIUS ROBERTS THE FARM TABLE COOKBOOK

I discovered this British gent on Instagram and love the way he cooks. He started out in a posh London restaurant where he was soo burned out by the stress and long hours. He ended up moving out to the country where he now has a farm, hunts and fishes, raises pigs and goats, and grows fresh herbs and vegetables. The cook book is divided into the four seasons and it is beautiful. I am once again inspired to cook as he keeps it simple with a gourmet touch.

3. SPECIAL LEATHER GIFT

How cute is this? Send in your photos, pick your leather color and have a custom gift back to you in no time.

4. LINDA RENEE POTTERY

This potter makes beautiful pottery and also reinvents vintage mugs with her touch. So cool, don’t you think?

5. MOTHER HOPE

I love this concept of asking your Mom to recount family history and stories of her life in a beautifully cohesive way. If you are lucky enough to find a time to do this, these are the kind of questions one might want to ask. And this can be personalized with color choice.

6. HENRICKS GIN

A personal favorite; always a nice treat. The different gins and the cocktail recipes that can be found on the website are super inspiring for Summer time gatherings.

Boodles is also a favorite.

How festive are these?

And if you want to add lovely crystal barware, Williams Sonoma is always a great place to look…

7. CELERIE KEMBLE, ISLAND WHIMSY

One of my favorite designer’s latest books. Pretty exquisite.

Paradise by the Sea is right.

8. FLORAL LINEN PILLOW, STUDIO TULLIA

Shameless plug for decorative pillows by STUDIO TULLIA.

And you know there are many more where these come from.

9. JOYE MADE CLAY

Love her aesthetic – modern and lovely.

STEVEN SMITH TEA MAKER TEAS

By the way, a few teas that I really love, by a company from Portland, are also available online. These make great gifts with beautiful mugs.

10. CALHOUN & CO. PATCH WORK THROW

Again, the same NY company I mentioned before. Great colors and design.

That’s a wrap of some nice ETSY finds of late with a few other items thrown in.

Thanks for following along!

All the Best,

Suzanne

Honoring Mothers and their Children Around the World…MOTHER’s Day is May 8th. And a STUDIO TULLIA SALE!

by studiotullia | May 1, 2022 | CURRENT PROMOTIONS, DESIGN TRENDS, INTERIOR DESIGN, NEWS FROM THE STUDIO

While Honoring mothers is nothing new,

ANNE JARVIS who had no children of her own, conceived of MOTHER’s DAY in the U.S. as an occasion for honoring the sacrifices individual mothers made for their children.

According to History.com:

In May 1908, she organized the first official Mother’s Day events at a church in her hometown of Grafton, West Virginia, as well as at a Wanamaker’s department store in Philadelphia, where she lived at the time. Jarvis then began writing letters to newspapers and politicians pushing for the adoption of Mother’s Day as an official holiday.

By 1912, many other churches, towns and states were holding Mother’s Day celebrations, and Jarvis had established the Mother’s Day International Association. Her hard-fought campaign paid off in 1914, when President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill officially establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

I’ve been obsessed with Madonna and child images, since my studies in art history in Italy.

The Madonnina by Ferruzzi.

Love this vintage image of a woman and her children in East Harlem, found in Harlem World Magazine

A turn of the century photograph of a Ukrainian mother and child.

For more images like this and a Ukrainian lullaby …check out this ARTICLE:

1930’as Native American mother and child, “colorized”

And this vintage image of a Chinese mother and child form Oldarts.info

The other day my Mother stopped by and brought over a stack of handmade cards made by yours truly, she had collected over the years. The appreciation and love expressed in those cards was pure adoration. All hand painted or drawn. Clearly she has treasured them.

Curious as a middle aged woman, to realize how much more easily I expressed my love for her as a kid.

I know the items that I have most treasured over the years, are the handmade ones.

I did a quick Etsy Round-up of fun gifts below.

STUDIO TULLIA

Fabric Gift bags dress up otherwise ordinary items – you can throw in a candle, some chocolate and it makes for a unique, thoughtful gift! And it can be reused later as a travel bag or whatever.

We have some citrus garden bags for sale right now on the Etsy Store

I thought this personalized blanket was a very unique gift, if you want to wrap a loved one in your loving words.

This company, FRANKIE PRINT CO, which I found on ETSY, can print your letter exactly as it looks or use script font that they have.

FRANKIE PRINT CO

ABIT Stitches

If you’re feeling crafty there are all kinds of pdf downloads of needlpoint, cross stitch, embroidery these days that can be personalized to your liking…