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friday finds: for mom

Mom, you’re officially banned from reading this! Move along…

…

Anyway. Friends, I’m feeling so behind this year – I can’t believe it’s already nearly Mother’s Day! More importantly, I haven’t nabbed my mom a gift for Mother’s Day yet. So, as I wander the world wide web searching for ideas, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite finds, just in case you’re in the same boat. A note, though: I’m skipping jewelry this year. I feel I’ve tapped that well too many times. Plus, it’s just not hard to find a mom-friendly necklace…you don’t need my help with that.

These gorgeous candles are a collaboration between Jo Malone and the work of legendary interior designer David Hicks. I’m in love with each of the scents, as I always am with Jo Malone fragrances, but it’s really the packaging that shines here. Best of all, they come in a box so beautifully pulled together, gift-wrapping would just be gilding the lily.

{Jo Malone limited edition David Hicks candles, $65 each}

And, as long as we’re talking gorgeous patterns, I’ve fallen pretty hard for Jonathan Adler’s new Carnaby collection. The collection includes mugs and serving trays that are all pretty wonderful, but I’m especially fond of these vases. They’d be particularly lovely presented with a big bunch of peonies or tulips inside.

{Jonathan Adler Carnaby collection vase, $68}

What mom can’t use another tote? These are a couple I’m loving at the moment. The cotton twill is a perfect weekend/market/go-anywhere bag, but that leather travel tote? It’s destined to be your mom’s new favorite…I’m sure of it.

{Jesse Kamm classic tote, $135}

{Clava Bags leather travel tote, $220}

In the category of the sentimental, I love the idea of finding an art print that reminds you of a special memory you and your mom share. For me, a lot of my best memories with my mom are of traveling together. So, I’m thinking of a print that would help us both remember a city we explored on a girls’ trip.

{London or Paris print by Blanca Gomez, $30; Portland, Oregon print by JHill Design, starting at $25}

One of my most treasured possessions is my grandmother’s recipe box. Every sauce-stained card is a dear memory, and the box holds a prize spot in my kitchen. If your mom’s cooking is second to none, I love the idea of surprising her with this gorgeous recipe box, complete with letterpress recipe cards and dividers. It’s a splurge, but it’s not something you replace.

{Charles Fradin letterpress recipe card set & box, $100 ($80 this weekend, with code FRIEND3)}

And of course, if all else fails, beauty products are always a sure hit with moms – they’re often something she’d never treat herself to. The new Citrina fragrance sets from Space NK are a favorite of mine – the clean, light citrus scent is the perfect thing for spring. You can pick up pieces from the line starting at $12 for the beautifully-wrapped glycerin soap (I love the idea of wrapping a trio of them in twine for giving).

{Citrina body care fragrance set by Space NK, $58 (or $30 without eau de toilette); Citrina glycerin soaps, $12 each}

Yes, I think there’s a winner here…for my mom, at least. Have you picked out your Mother’s Day gift yet?

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beauty buzz: wei beauty pomegranate buffing beads

i know…buffing beads. sounds utterly fascinating. that’s why these wei beauty pomegranate buffing beads sat in my “to test” box for nearly a month, dear readers. but then, i went looking for a little something to buff and polish my sad, tired-looking face, and decided to give them a try. when i touched my face after i was done, my hand to god, my first thought was “wow, this is what your skin must feel like after you get a chemical peel!” you know, minus the whole toxic chemicals/burning/skin-peeling-off thing.

yes, they’re that good. so good, in fact, that i was actually nervous to try them a second time…after all, it couldn’t have been as good as i remembered it. so i used a packet again this morning, and lo, it was every bit as wonderful.

to use, you just open a packet, sprinkle the powder into your hand, add a bit of your favorite cleanser, blend and massage into your face for 30 seconds or so. unlike a lot of exfoliators, these are not at all rough or jagged. they’re very soft, and feel like they’re not doing much, actually. but then you rinse, and you touch your face, and it’s magically more taut, more smooth, and so, so much more happy than it was before you started.

once i was head over heels in love, it came time to check out the price. this is typically the part where i wince, and decide how to gingerly tell you all that my new favorite face product is more expensive than its weight in cocaine. so, imagine my utter delight when i found that these miracle buffing beads are a very, very budget-friendly $20 for 20 single-use packets of these buffing beads. that’s easily several months of buffing goodness for your poor, neglected skin, and it’s worth every single penny.

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fragrance buzz: laughter by space nk

a quick disclaimer: i tend to dislike most summer fragrances. they’re just a little too peach/apricot/vanilla/rainbows/fairies for me. but when i spied space nk’s fragrance, laughter, i had to give it a try. doesn’t the name just make you curious? sure enough, the moment i got a whiff of space nk’s laughter fragrance, i knew my tune was about to change.

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if you’re into complex scents, you’ll love this one – the top notes are citrusy and clean, with a bit of juniper. but the bottom notes are packed with woody amber and ginger, for a sharp, clean finish. in other words: a fresh, unique blend that doesn’t linger long after it’s welcome (that victoria’s secret pear lotion we were all wearing five years ago comes to mind…).

because i like to go easy on scent during the summer, i’m happy with the light-as-air body lotion (which also happens to be packed with lovelies like almond oil, green tea and vitamin e). okay, and the candle…there just aren’t that many home scents i can stomach in extreme heat, but this one makes me instantly feel calm and pulled together, even when the a/c’s out. but if you’re a more classic fragrance connoisseur, you’ll definitely want to pick up the eau de parfum to add to your collection.

if you’re jonesing for a mini-splurge this week, this might be the perfect way to go. check out the entire line at space nk – just don’t get too lost in the rest of their fabulous offerings! it’s a dangerous place…

resolution shortcut: ina white gold detoxifying crystal salts

personally, i’m pretty thoroughly opposed to health-related new year’s resolutions (ie, “i’m going to lose 20 lbs”, “i’m going to stop smoking”, “i’m going to stop having random relations with strangers in bars”…) – though i love the idea of the results. it’s really the effort i have an issue with.

so, when this fab cheater-style shortcut crossed my desk, i couldn’t resist. these ina white gold detoxifying crystal salts are to be added to a luxurious bath soak, and shoudl have the same results as a 3-day detox. wait….i can get all of the benefits of those crazy juice-fast things i’ve seen friends go on a million times, all by just taking a bubble bath? sign me up!

according to the company, ina’s white gold salts “detoxify and add luminosity to skin. the salts and essential oils are absorbed by the body’s cells to emit toxins that have accumulated over time through pollutants and the digestion of alcohol and processed foods.” sounds perfect for a little mea culpa to remedy the holiday indulgences, don’t you think?

i’ll be honest: i didn’t do the full detox, in which you’re supposed to dump all 35 ounces of the stuff into a bath. i did the light version, in which you use a scoop at a time. and i can tell you it definitely does lovely things for your skin…and i felt pretty seriously refreshed when i was done. just sort of an overall “oh, that feels better” kind of feeling. if i got that much from a scoop, i’d guess the full bag does some pretty serious work.

to get your “feel better” feeling, you can pick the ina detoxifying crystal salts up at space nk.