happy mother’s day!

Give your mom the beach for Mother’s Day! Here’s how:

If your mom loves jewelry, check out Chart Metalworks. Chart is one of my favorite gifts to give (and receive!) because it is sentimental and always a conversation starter. Out of their studio in Portland, Maine, they will invite you to choose part of a nautical chart and then customize the piece accordingly. You can also have them engrave the back with a message for your mom. Their selection of jewelry includes pendant necklaces, earrings, rings, and bracelets—they even offer cuff links, although mom might prefer a necklace? And check out their new Petite Collection; these pretty little pendants come with clever corresponding phrases perfect for the occasion. Whichever piece you choose, your mom will surely love being able to wear her favorite beach year round. Make sure to ask for their gift wrapping, which uses a nautical chart and navy ribbon to make the gift-giving as beautiful as the gift.

If your mom loves the spa, arrange the following in a beach bag, like J. Crew's Farmer's Market Tote, or pretty basket:

A CD (or iTunes gift card?) of beach sounds to send her off to a much-deserved sound night of sleep. Try  Ocean Waves: Maui, Hawaii or Tropical Night by Natural Sounds (love the tree frogs in the latter!).

Include a beach-scented candle. Much like music and sounds, scents can be a powerful way to evoke fond summer memories for your mom. One of my favorites is Yankee Candle's Sun and Sand because it smells exactly like a day at the beach, but there are plenty of them out there if you prefer another—Bath and Bodyworks has a good selection of beach-scented candles.

Add a sea salt scrub to help keep your mom beach-ready year round. My favorite is Lush's Ocean Salt  face (yes—face!) and body scrub because—like all Lush products—it is made with fresh and organic ingredients and ethical practices...and it leaves skin so, so soft and smooth. (Also be sure to check out their Coconut line of products while you’re there—the deodorant powder is a staple in my beach bag.) And a little bit of Bobbi Brown's Beach Body Oil will keep her soft and smooth and smelling beachy long after Lush.

Last but not least, toss in a jar of Clarins Instant Smooth Golden Glow, which will keep her looking sun-kissed sans the harmful rays of the sun, and minimize lines she may have from prior beach trips (or raising children).

If your mom loves flowers, remind your dad to buy her flowers, and consider giving her a Sailor's Valentine. These flowers (and other scenes) are made of shells and arranged in wall-worthy shadow box-like cases. They make for beautiful beachy art and will surely be an even hotter topic than the book at next month’s book club!

The following is one of many beautiful Valentines from the MermaidsBaubles store on Etsy:

If you are feeling particularly crafty and would prefer to arrange such a shell bouquet yourself, you can buy kits (like as the following) via Nantucket Sailors' Valentines and spend the time (quite a bit of time) to make it extra sentimental:

And, if your mom loves the Valentine as much as she loves the beach, consider signing-up for artist Sandy Moran's classes at her Cape Cod studio—the perfect excuse to plan a girls' getaway to the beach. Ms. Moran also tells the romantic history of the Sailors' Valentine on her website—it's worth a read.

Happy Mother's Day!

Enjoy!

Emilie