mother’s day ideas | 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

EVERYDAY SAINTS, THE VIRGIN DE GUADALUPE & MOTHER’S DAY!

by studiotullia | May 2, 2020 | STUDIO NEWS, THE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR

THE EVERYDAY SAINTS PROJECT

The EVERYDAY SAINTS project has evolved out a sense of gratitude toward many individuals who have impacted my life or the life of others with their unique talents, inherent goodness and generosity. Having studied art history and countless saint images over the years, I can’t help but associate saint-like qualities with certain “everyday” people I have encountered. Do you have any such everyday saints in your life?

THE VIRGIN DE GUADALUPE is our very first EVERYDAY SAINT.

Why? LA VIRGIN DE GUADALUPE is iconic, universal, and relatable to everyone. Why not start with an everyday saint we can all relate to and honor: our MOTHER!

THE IMAGE OF THE MADONNA & CHILD THROUGHOUT HISTORY

If you go to The Metropolitan Museum of Art website and type in Madonna and Child, close to 3,000 images come up in their collection alone.

Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints, Taddeo Gaddi, Ca. 1340.

Madonna of the Catacombs, Rome, 3rd century (one of the earliest known images of the madonna and child)

Madonna & Child, C. 1280, Master of the Magdalen, Italian/MET

The Virgin of Guadalupe, Extremadura, Spain, late 12th Century

Carlo Crivelli | Madonna and Child Enthroned,1472| The Met.

IMAGES OF THE MADONNA & CHILD IN CONTEMPORARY CULTURE

This iconic imagery is just as relevant today in contemporary art.

From Gangs to Art, Fabian:Dora, 2013

“La Virgen de las Calles” by Ester Hernandez, 2001. | Courtesy Of Ester Hernandez.

“Margaret F. Stewart: Our Lady of Guadalupe” by Yolanda Lopez, 1978. | Courtesy Of Yolanda Lopez And The Chicano Studies Research Center At UCLA.

My EVERYDAY SAINTS have included neighbors, friends, hairstylists, colleagues, nurses, doctors, therapists, teachers, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers. The list goes on and on.

We all encounter these people in our lives. Someone that showed you extraordinary kindness in a time of need, or acted as a mother or a father to you when you did not realize that’s what you needed. So, I have created these EVERYDAYSAINT pillows as tokens of gratitude.

My mother-in-law found a Virgin de Guadalupe saint pillow in Mexico and when I saw it, while visiting their home in Puerto Vallarta, I sought to find one just like it.

After searching for quite some time with no luck, I decided to create my own. My talented assistant, Amanda, and I came up with our own saint, that honored this already iconic image, yet was our own unique version.

So here she is. We have created two versions: one with and one without roses.

STUDIO TULLIA’S VERSION

Roses play a part in the legend of the Virgin de Guadalupe and is also relevant to Portland as our city is known as The City of Roses. If you ever come to Portland in the summertime, it will all make sense.

IS THERE A GREATER LOVE?

Is there a greater love and generosity of caring than that of a mother? She seems like the ultimate saint that everyone can relate to in their own way. The Virgin de Guadalupe has become a universal maternal icon for Mexico and beyond for a reason.

I had fun searching for modern V. de Guadalupe images in all sorts of formats. Here are just a few…

SAINTLY GIFTS

How cute is this dress by ArtesaniasCamila, on Etsy.

Or this lovely t-shirt by ModernMayaDesign, on Etsy

I own these fun notecards, available through www.abramsnoterie.com.

How fun is this Virgin of Guadalupe Lapel Pin by www.opensky.com.

These are miniature saint candles by Pixie Hill Studio, on Etsy. I have these on my alter in my home office!

A great backpack available through CatholicCreativity, on Etsy

As seen on www.saintkitsch.blogspot.com.

Courtesy of www.thefolkartgallery.com/

If our Virgin de Guadalupe saint lady speaks to you, I hope that you will purchase one from STUDIO TULLIA for yourself or give one as a token of appreciation to someone else.

Enjoy 20% off La Virgin de Guadalupe EVERYDAY SAINT pillow or any of the PILLOWS from the ST. LORENA COLLECTION, good now through Mother’s Day! SHOP HERE

If you are interested in reading more about the story and symbolism behind THE VIRGIN DE GUADELUPE, go HERE.

If you would like to take a virtual tour of my in-laws’ fabulous home in PUERTA VALLERTA, go HERE.

#BESAFE, #STAYHOME, #STAYSANE

Thanks as always for following along!