$12.00

If your dad is the BBQ man, the chief, the host, the prankster or all of the above we promise you will find something he will love, and most important, find practical (practical with humor of course).

Switchblade bottle opener anyone?

$20.00

Whether of the alcoholic or non- alcohol variety, summer’s coming and pop is gonna want to keep his drink nice and cold, but why use boring square ice cubes when you can have some shiver yer timbers bones?

$7.00

Does your dad like robots or pirates? UFOs or crazy unexplained carvings shrouded in mystery and conspiracy like the statues of Easter island? Well, whatever it is he is going to be 40 times happier with some robots or stone cold ice cubes cooling his lemonade.

$9.00

Chillbots™ or Stone Cold™ offer some cool for your dad’s drink, cause sometimes our dads need help in the cool factor.

$8.50

Your pop is all about class, right? Well what can be classier than a clean plate olive tray. It has its very own trash can for the pits, uh, super class, right.

$20.00

You want something even classier? Well that would be the Port-A-Pint. The collapsable pint glass. That next beer tasting event? Why buy the glass when your pop can just bust out this port-a-pint and show all those other beer snobs how a real connoisseur roles.

$8.00

He BBQs and he’s a rocker? We’ve got you covered with these horns. He’ll be flipping the steaks, singing Judeas Priest and throwing horns with his BBQ fork.

$20.00

He hates to use potholders? Not these potholders. He’ll never be rushed to the hospital with second degree burns ever again.

$8.00

He thinks he wears the pants in the family and you can help further his delusion by giving him this Salt & Pants™ shaker. Salt in the mind and pepper in the pants, he can take his pants off around the house, and in front of the t.v., and no one will object.

$10.00

If he considers himself a musician he can jam the percussion on the pots while simultaneously cooking the spaghetti; your dad is actually that rad.

$10.00

And, if he is a kick-ass baker why not show the world by giving your dad ninja cookie cutters. He’ll make cookies so good it’ll be like geting a Kung Fu punch to the taste buds.

If your father is into fine wines he will need this wine opener because nothing says class, wisdom, and sophistication like a mustache. There is no need to say more.

$12.00

Father’s day is June 17th, get the grill goin’ and let the cook off begin!

One evening after the kids had be put to bed this mostly happy dad walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth. As he stood in front of the sink, and looking into the mirror, and holding his toothbrush up like a microphone, the toothpaste just beginning to slide off the bristles, he felt a familiar empty feeling wash over him. He heaved a deep sigh. He stared at himself in the mirror. He looked at his mouth, at his lips, at his nose, at the space between his nose and his mouth, and suddenly it hit him. He knew exactly what was missing from his life!

“A mustache!” He exclaimed, “I must grow a mustache!” From that very moment in the bathroom as the children slept, and as the glob of toothpaste plopped into the porcelain sink, he stopped shaving the space between his mouth and his nose.

It grew and it grew ’til it was thicker and darker than Tom Selleck and Burt Reynolds’ mustaches combined. It was longer and curler than Wild Bill Hickok‘s! It was the rodeo of mustaches, the Cirque du Soleil of facial coiffures, the monster truck of monster ‘staches. It was beautiful!

It didn’t stop there, oh no. Dad needed to have everything in the shape of a mustache. He started mowing his lawn in the shape of mustaches, he detailed the family car, he poured the spaghetti sauce in the shape of a big burly Grizzly Adams style moustache sans the beard.

He started calling the mustache moustache with a french accent because he thought it sounded sophisticated. The children did too, and soon they were calling it le moustache.

Le moustache! Le Moustache! The dad just kept letting the mustache grow and grow, and quickly everything was turning into the shape of a mustache. There were candy, and presents, and cakes all in the shape of mustaches. It was almost out of control!

“Dad! Dad!” The children cried, “Your le moustache is almost touching the floor!” It had indeed grown as long as Crystal Gayle’s hair at its longest. “We are afraid you will trip and fall, and your le moustache is always getting caught in the swing set!”

The dad was shocked. He had no idea that his le moustache was frightening his children. He loved it so much, but he loved them more, and didn’t want to do anything to make them scared or unhappy.

“Do you not like it children,” he asked, “because if you do not I will shave it off immediately.”
Even though he said the words, and he did mean them, truly he did, he felt a tinge of pain in his heart because the le moustache did complete him, and filled that tiny emptiness that he had felt inside, but if the children were appalled than the ‘stache would be history.

“No father,” they sang their little voices ringing like bells,” we love the le moustache. We just think you should trim it up some.”

“Oh children!” He cried as he pulled them into his arms and wrapped them in his long mustache like a warm winter blanket, “I am the happiest dad ever!”

And he was.

The dad kept his mustache but now it was as trim and neat as any 1970′s television star’s.

Late one evening after the children had been put to bed, and he had just finished trimming his mustache, he smiled at his reflection. I’m happy, he thought. Then after a pause in his thinking he rubbed his chin and pondered, hmmmm, “maybe I’ll try growing a beard” he said.

And he did.

The End.

Father’s Day is June 17th and we have all the mustache fun for your pop! Check back for more great father’s day gift ideas!

And, check out this hilarious trailer to the movie Mansome!

Desert Falcon Earrings $53.00

Ten years ago Katie and Garnet’s beginning may have been as unique as much of their jewelry, but in today’s media-technology age, the birth of Scarlett Garnet is becoming the way of the world. These ladies created a business before even meeting in person! Scarlett Garnet was launched in 2006 over the phone and internet, and it wasn’t until 2007 that the two co-owners and co-designers actually met in person.

Desert Falcon Necklace $64.00

They continue to have a long distant collaboration owning two studios, one in Kansas City and the other in St. Louis. They release a few lines a year, and their designs are inspired by art nouveau, Egyptian motifs, South western style, 1940′s Hollywood glamour, 1980′s neon, and upcycling.

Diamondback Bracelet $77.00

The compositions are asymmetrical, intricate and detailed with draping chains or bold chevrons. You also can find the use of taxidermy and animal bones combined with uncommon gem stones, copper, steel and other earthy metals. Really. Just. Stunning.

The Gun copper bracelet $ 55.00

We are delighted to be carrying their latest line and we are even more delighted to be offering this line to folks here in Portland, Oregon.

If you can’t make it into the store in person we do offer the beautiful jewelry pictured in this post on our website, but if you can make it in you should because we have many more amazing Scarlett Garnet designs on the floor.

Also, check out this short documentary teaser trailer on Scarlett Garnet by Ambitious Pixels

We are happy to announce the Official Grand Opening Party for the Gemini Lounge  is this Saturday May 19th!

Following in the same tradition of Presents of Mind as a go-local store,  Gemini Lounge is committed to supporting local and eco-friendly options. They are committed to the continued support of local businesses and artists, and to support the growing communities and neighborhoods within Portland. Their food is purchased locally from companies like Painted Hills Beef and Colman Farms Chicken. The taps are filled with local brews (but of course are there other brews? Sorry, Portland beer pride, you know). The walls are covered with local, handmade, and vintage art. Even 75% of the building materials were purchased locally!

Louie dog! Presents of Mind and Gemini Lounge's mascot! Painted by local artist Tripper Dungan

It is an adorable gem in an up-and-coming neighborhood. The flocked walls and hanging lights are inviting and warm. The layout of the bar has been designed to create conversation and community with standing tables to allow people to mingle more freely.

But it didn’t start out looking as cute as it does today.

You could say that it needed a lot of love.

It needed, oh, a couple of touch ups here and there.

Maybe a paint job or two…

And as much as the Kolls want and do support the local art community… they were thinking maybe to organize it little bit more. Not that the bathrooms didn’t look great, but they lacked, uh… flow.

Yes it was a work in progress, a diamond in the rough, basically they had a lot to do.

As is the custom of being a Portland start up family, Seasons and Richie rolled up their sleeves and got busy tearing that place up!

Through the hard work of friends and the support of the community they cleaned, scrapped, dusted, and painted- they gutted the place!

These photos bring back memories of the images of Cinnamon and Seasons in Presents of Mind in the early days. As a young girl Seasons took a giant sledge hammer  to tear down a wall when Presents of Mind expanded. Things haven’t changed.

 All that hard work paid off! It looks beautiful!

You can see work from Portland artists Trish Grantham, Brenda Dunn, Emily Martin, and more (you can also find their work at Presents of Mind). It’s almost a little local art gallery watering hole where chic meets west.

EEEEts real nice!

You have too see the amazing mural by Presents of Mind’s resident artist Jen Smith. It’s gorgeous! See it in person to experience the detail and magnitude of this piece. By looking at it you can tell why people are rushing to ask Jen to do their murals. Girl’s gonna go places! And, we’ll be able to say we knew her when.

Look! Even the bathroom is an art gallery! That Seasons and her inner interior designer! See what we meant by flow?

Tah Dah! And there you have it the Gemini Lounge!

Come by tonight May 19th for the Official Grand Opening Party. You can try the Cinnamon Chaser named after our own momma!

They are open Wednesday through Saturday 4:00 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Sunday 4:00 p.m. to Midnight.

Check out their Facebook page and website for menu details, happy hours, music, and up and coming happenings like the Grand Opening.

Stop by 6526 SE Foster and say hello to a couple of nice people who will be workin’ it at the bar.

Follow us on Pinterest!

Attention Presents of Mind has a Pinterest board!

If you are not familiar with Pinterest we encourage you to check it out. It is a great place to make your wish boards, dream boards, show things you like, and share what inspires you! We’ve made it our wish board and our what’s new board. Check us out, and sign up if you haven’t already, and follow us!

It’s fun and we can share!

Fashion and pretty things!

Oh, mother. She birthed you, changed you, fed you, held you, and fixed your boo-boos. She made you cookies, or she taught you how to cut the cookies from the pre-made cookie dough, and sometimes she just let you eat the cookie dough. She took you to school, or she taught you herself from home. She helped you with your homework. She made your clothes, or she took you to the store for the coolest fashions, or she didn’t because she had no taste in fashion, but you forgave her (20 years later). She cheered you on at games. She drove you to the dances, and picked you up too early. She told the best jokes, or she told the worst jokes. She never slept so she could spend time with you, she worked when you slept, or she came home late from working, but always made sure to kiss you good night before she had to go to bed. She knew the best way to take care of you when you were sick. She created comfort food. She was your best friend. Every mom is different, and every upbringing is different, but we all have mom’s, whether she is here with you today or in your heart. Today we pay homage to the day of saying, “thank you”, and celebrating the woman (biological, adoptive, step-parent or guardian) who was, and is your mom.

Cinnamon and (baby) Seasons the mother daughter team behind Presents of Mind

Mother’s Day 101…

Procession in Honor of Isis by Frederick Arthur Bridgman. Credit wikimedia

The celebration of the mother goes back as far as ancient Egypt, and most likely earlier. If the Earth or all that is giving of new life is the “mother” than you can imagine that humans have been celebrating and honoring the mother since the dawn of our existence. Granted, the mothers that humans were honoring were not your run of the mill mamas, they were honoring Goddesses and deities. Yes, we know some of us grew up with mom’s that pretty much believed they were a Goddess, but that’s not what the Egyptians were thinking when they were honoring Isis, the mother of the Pharaohs. The Greeks honored Rhea, and the Roman’s took Rhea and renamed her Cybele, but these celebrations have little to do with how and what we celebrate today.

In the 1600′s England declared Mothering Day. This day was to be observed during Lenten (Laetare) Sunday. It was mainly focused towards the lives of the working classes. On this day servants, and trades people, and those who had to work far from home, could return to their homes and spend the day with their families (although it was meant for everyone, those who had to work often had only this time to see their mothers). The mother was the guest of honor and she was given cakes and flowers.

Mothering Day did not cross over on the Mayflower nor did it journey on any vessel that traversed the Atlantic to the New Americas. It wasn’t till 1870 that Julia Ward Howe called for a day of mothers. Julia Ward Howe, was so concerned and appalled by the sheer number of deaths and the violence of the Civil War, that she called on mothers to create a day of peace, and to protest, “son’s killing sons.” It caught on for a bit then quickly died, but her call for peace and the strength of mothers to protect and create peace did not go unheard.

Julia Ward Howe. Credit wikimedia

Anna Reeves Jarvis began to celebrate the day that had been previously set on June 2nd, in attempt to re-unite families who had been torn apart by the Civil war. Anna Reeves Jarvis was an active member of her community who spent her time (in between raising her eleven children) organizing groups to help combat poor health most likely caused by poor sanitation. She created the Mother’s day work clubs where mother’s took a neutral stance on the civil war and nursed wounded soldiers.

Anna Marie Jarvis. Credit Wikimedia

Anna Marie Jarvis, daughter of Anna Reeves Jarvis, admired and loved her mother, and after her death in May of 1905, Anna Marie decided to create a day to honor her mother, and her efforts for peace. She started small at first by approaching the local churches. She later decided that the day should be expanded to all mothers. By 1908, in West Virginia the tradition of bringing white carnations (her mother’s favorite flower) to the church began. In 1910, she had petitioned for the second Sunday in May as Mother’s day, and it was at this time that the State of West Virgina recognized the day. Anna Marie began rigorous petitioning, and eventually in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed the holiday into national recognition.

Mother’s day, the second Sunday of May, would be spent in church and then afterwards boys and girls, men and women would sit and write letters to their mothers and bring them a carnation. Soon carnations shops began showing up everywhere. The carnations were in the colors of red and pink for mothers who were living and the white carnation was for mothers who had passed away.

Vase with Carnations by Vincent Van Gogh. Credit wikimedia

By the 1920′s the greeting card companies began creating greeting cards centered on the celebration of mother’s day. This was appalling to Anna Marie Jarvis, who believed that greeting cards were a lazy approach to the letter writing, but the mother’s day greeting card business took off and everyone started buying cards for their mothers. By 1924, Anna was so upset by the greeting card explosion that she began to petition to have the holiday abolished. In 1930 she was arrested for disturbing the peace at a carnation shop, during a mother’s day sale. Sadly, and somewhat oddly, Anna M. Jarvis spent her entire life and her family’s inheritance on trying to abolish the holiday that she had worked so hard to create.

The tradition of giving cards for mother’s day has survived for nearly seventy years along with celebrating the day that Anna M. Jarvis created. We no longer see a mass amount of carnation stands on the street corners, and the day is not often spent in church, in fact families have adopted their own ways of celebrating their mother.

Regardless of how Anna Marie Jarivs had it in her mind, we still to this day celebrate her mother’s day. We celebrate to recognize the women who birthed us and raised us; better yet, we acknowledge not only birth mother’s, but all the women who were and are mothers.

Presents of Mind is a card shop, and we hate the idea of Anna M. Jarvis rolling in her grave at the thought, but if she could know that this store is a mother/daughter store and that we carry so many handmade cards, and gifts from people who are at home or in their tiny studios pouring all of their love into each item.These artists and crafters help us to find something unique and special, made lovingly for our unique and special mothers. Perhaps if she could know how the very craft industry that many of our cards come from help to keep mothers self-employed and created an industry for mothers that allows them to spend more time at home with their kids, maybe she would have a change of heart.

Happy Mother’s day!

If you want to know more about mother’s day, you can check these sources: Mother’s Day History, Story of Anna Jarivs and the History Channel.

If you come into Presents of Mind and purchase $25.00 or more worth of Tokyo Milk items, we will wrap it in this beautiful golden Tokyo Milk box or Tokyo Milk cosmetic bag along with two free Tokyo Milk triple milled soaps.

It makes a wonderful mother’s day gift that you don’t even have to wrap because it’s so pretty just as it is. And, the best news is that this gift box or cosmetic bag is available with any $25.00 purchase of any Margot Elena products meaning classic Tokyo Milk, Tokyo Milk Dark, and Love & Toast.

Tokyo Milk soaps are made from Shea butter.

We have limited supplies of Tokyo Milk gift boxes and cosmetic bags so be sure to stop in this week while supplies last.

Don’t forget to come in before May 13th, (we are open on Mother’s Day in case you are a last, last minute shopper -shame-shame) and pick up some Tokyo Milk for mom. She will love it!

Today’s post is only a sneak peak into what jewelry lines we carry to get your ideas pumping for what mother’s day gift you plan on surprising your mom or your best friend (or both) with this May 13th.

Stop into the store and see all the lines that we carry or check out our website and see what you can order online.

Ladymade

Ladymade has brought the wonder of shrinkable plastic back and made it wearable. This locally designed jewelry is fun and light hearted. These necklaces will pull out the kid in you, while showing off whimsical details of flowers, plants, and cute birds.

Ladymade

The pendants are light and hang from 18″ chains. Each one is hand painted before being shrinked into the perfect necklace size. Thin and light they can fit into your mother’s day card, and she’ll never suspect.

Ladymade

Jen Smith is a local artist. You can find her murals around town. Check out the Gemini Lounge where you can find her beautiful mural of the zodiac Gemini or swing by 82nd avenue to visit Cartlandia and see her giant whale on a bike mural.

Jen Smith

Jen has a natural affinity for drawing animals and in particular ravens. These intelligent birds are captured in charcoal and transferred to pendants to be worn.

If your mom loves horses, whales, and the movement of nature she’ll love Jen’s work. Stop by the store and see her prints and jewelry or you can view our website and see what prints and necklaces we carry online.

Jen Smith

Sweet Evie is a new line that we recently began carrying. Sweet Evie designs unusual body jewelry and uncommon pieces like this golden beetle.

Sweet Evie

Yeah we love Plume!

Plume

Plume creates fun vintage looking jewelry that makes you feel like you’re wearing a little piece of history. From bold bright colors to subtle warm and cool colors Plume has something for your mom.

Come into the store to see all the different flowered rings, and designed earrings, and fashionable hair jewelry or see what we have online.

Plume

From the Reliquary makes jewelry out of base metals like copper and brass, and raw stones. Each piece looks antique but has a contemporary feel.

From The Reliquary

Every From the Reliquary piece is hand wrought and each one is truly a one-of-a-kind.

From The Reliquary

If you took Egyptian, Native American, Southwestern, and art nouveau, and meshed them together you would get Scarlett Garnet.

Scarlett Garnet

Scarlett Garnet’s designs are for the bold and daring mom that isn’t afraid to express her inner Goddess. Each necklace, earring and bracelet  is quirky and unique making them perfect for your quirky and unique mother that loves to show of her jewelry.

Scarlett Garnet

Scarlett Garnet is one of our newer lines and we have had a blast carrying it and talking about each piece and watching them fly out the door.

Scarlett Garnet

For many Tasi is a favorite line, and we have been carrying them for many years and for obvious reasons. Classic and bold this jewelry line is beautiful.

Tasi

A popular choice as a gift for mother’s day. A lovely piece of jewelry can make its wearer feel wonderful and adored.

Tasi

As we mentioned this blog only shares a smidgen of the jewelry lines that we carry. Stop by our store and see what other fantastic jewelry we carry or see what we have online. Our online sales website is switiching over to new lines and designs so be certain to check before and after mother’s day.

Don’t forget May 13th. Come in to see our large selection of cards because you are going to have to get a card for your mother, and we have the best selection of cards in town.

Cinnamon Chaser, mother, artist, and healer, she is also the woman and dreamer behind the creation of Presents of Mind. Five years ago she began handing the control of the store over to her daughter Seasons Koll, and now mother and daughter have formed a partnership. After 20 years of hard work Cinnamon has begun to branch out into new mediums, like Reconnective healing®, and creating flower remedies. After taking a  course with Linda Womack, Cinnamon found a new love with encaustic wax mixed media art.

Cinnamon was gracious enough to show us around her studio in the basement of her home, and shared with us some of the pieces she has been working on. Later, we headed upstairs, sat down on the couch, and chatted.

1. You opened Presents of Mind twenty years ago. Can you tell us what inspired you to open a small retail store? Also, can you tell us a bit about the atmosphere on Hawthorne during that time?

What inspired me was I was a frustrated card shopper. I’d had run a store before and I had a booth at the Portland Saturday Market, where I used to make herb pillows, bath mixtures, stuff like that, and it was successful, but I was more like a little factory. I liked the idea of having my own business. I guess it was always my dream to have my own store. I remember I was in NW and that was where all the shops were at the time, and I had to go to three or four different stores in order to find any decent cards, and I thought, I could do this better. I really started it as a card shop, the bulk of the store was cards, then people started asking for more.

As for Hawthorne, there wasn’t a lot of stores back then. People were really happy that I opened. From day one, we have had loyal customers that still come in, their kids come in. At the time the only store that had a good amount of cards was Essential oils, other than that you had Fred Myers or Safeway. We have people come in once a month from Lake Oswego or Beaverton just to buy cards. I’ve even had people from L.A say that they don’t have anything like our store down there.

2. Why do you think that is? I mean you would think that people could have a good selection in cards.

Well one huge thing is that I always, always, hand pick the cards. A lot of companies want to send you their bulk cards and best sellers, but I said no, you don’t know my customer base. This all started because I am a card buyer. I bought cards for years and years. I collected them. I still have a box of cards. I love cards that’s what I did.

3. When you had thought of opening Presents of Mind did you envision that it would still be around after 22 years?

I guess I had always assumed that it would always be here, but I never envisioned that’s what it would be like. Once I opened it I never wanted anything else.

The way it started out, I went to this practice management building seminar with my husband, Bruce, and I sat in on this class about setting goals. This was in the summer of ’89, and I remember I wrote on a piece of paper, “I want to open a store on Hawthorne between 34th and 37th and I want to open it on October 1st, 1989″. That is the day that I opened.

4. Had you already started building up the store?

Oh no, I didn’t even know how to go about ordering. I just got my box of cards out and I started calling the companies. I had a friend that got me a pass to go to a trade show and I started meeting vendors and reps, and that was when things really started going. Like the reps would tell me, and this was during the summer, “okay now you need to start ordering cards for Christmas.” I’d say, Christmas, its only July.

5. It must have been challenging running a business which took up all of your time, plus raising a teenage daughter. How were you able to balance your time?

Seasons was a teenager and very independent. When I was opening the store she was off doing things on her own. I was always at the store, I had to be, and in the first two weeks before the store opened we got [custody] of Bruce’s daughter. She was seven, and we would all work at the store getting it ready. Bruce built the displays and his daughter would unwrap the cards. It was easier to balance [being a mother] because she [Seasons] was so independent, but in that first year there was a lot of family trauma, I had lost both my parents in that first year. I remember when Seasons was little, I did crafty sales, I always had to work while raising her, I mean I was a single mom until she was eleven.

6. The store has a genuine feel of family and also a real concern for community and the planet. The benefits for employees are a rare find in a small business and show that the owners truly care in the health and wellness of people. There are political stickers on the door like no tolerance for bigotry, and roughly 30% of the products are created and designed locally. When you opened Presents of Mind was it in your mission statement to include such things or do you recall having a mission statement? Also has the store always been a big supporter of independent and local designers?

The independent and local artist aspect is all thanks to Seasons. Whenever local artists came by I was always open to carrying their stuff, but she really searches them out.

I never wrote a mission statement I just want people to be happy. I want people to have a good place to work. I want people to feel good about where they are shopping. You know you can’t assume if someone is having a bad day that they are a bad person, I like to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, that’s why I want my employees to be happy so that they are friendly to the customers. I remember when 9/11 happened, and we were open, and we were playing up music, people came in and said “we are so glad you are open”. I want people to feel happy. You know I want to offer people what I want when I go into a place, what I like. I like to be acknowledged, and greeted, and treated with kindness and respect.

7. Seasons has been working on and off in the store since she was a teenager, and now you two are business partners, which has allowed you to step back and let her take the reigns, so to speak.

She was fifteen when I opened the store and she started working there a bit when she was sixteen, but it was by the time that she was seventeen or eighteen that she really started working, and she was a manger. She helped me order, she probably could have run the store at that point, not everything of course, there’s a lot people don’t know that goes on in a store like the book work. Back then I did it all myself and there was no computer I had a ledger. It was like she was born to do it. It came really naturally to both of us.

8. Did you imagine this mother daughter team from the beginning or did it grow organically?

It just grew. Then she left and I didn’t know if she’d come back. I’d wished she’d come back, but I didn’t know.

9. Now that Seasons has mostly taken over it has freed you up to pursue some of your own art. Have you always felt you were an artist or did it come later in your life? Can you tell us a bit about your encaustic wax pieces and what you enjoy about the process as opposed to other mediums.

I never felt I was an artist. I still have a hard time believing I am an artist. I started making  it and then a friend of mine wanted to buy a piece and I was like, what? Then I got a chance to do a show and I had all these pieces, and it was Seasons’ idea to show them, and she helped me put it together and name the pieces. But it was when I got a call that someone had bought my work, a stranger bought one of my pieces, I couldn’t believe it, I was like,oh okay… I guess I am an artist, but I still have a hard time believing it. Its just my nature I guess. Even at the store, it would be Christmas time and the store would be packed and I just couldn’t believe that all these people were at my store, buying their gifts, in my store, I can’t believe it.

As for working with Encaustic wax, I have to say it is a love hate thing because I never know what it is going to end up like. It is like this unveiling. I can have an idea but it often changes. The wax does what it does. You have  layers of color and you add one to the other and you heat it and the wax starts moving and bleeding. I’ve tried to duplicate pieces but you can’t. I wish I did something I could make prints of to sell. You spend all this time making something and then you have to let it go and it’s emotional. Every piece is a lot of work. But you can’t keep them all. It’s really fun. My first class was so fun. I really had the most fun in that class. I went out and got everything I needed. Selling it kind of changes it a bit.

How so?

You kind of feel a little pressure to perform, or trying to duplicate or streamline, you know.

10. If you could do it again what would you do differently, what would you keep the same?

I don’t know if I would do anything differently. I think things happen for a reason. I am not a very organized person, I ran this business by the seat of my pants. I had no training just life experience and I was always good at math.

11. Now that you have a grown and independent woman as a daughter and you can look back on your life as a mom, what can you say the strangest thing about being a mother is and then what is your favorite thing?

The strangest is feeling separate. Having this person grow up to be so different (from me). I am proud of who she is, all her accomplishments, and her independence, her strong mind and will, but you spend so much of your life loving this being and feeling she is such a part of you.I remember when she left for Germany, I couldn’t even take her to the airport. I had never been out of the country at that time, she might as well have been going to Mars. I was happy for her, but it was hard to let her go.

My favorite… there are so many favorites. Whenever she was happy. It was such a struggle to be a single parent- one of my favorite things was the first Christmas that I could give her everything that she wanted- I mean we weren’t rich, but you know how it is to feel so wealthy on so little. I just loved to give her things, things I didn’t have as a kid. I remember her just dancing around. I just loved when she was happy.

12. What were you like as a young girl? Do you remember what you wanted to be when you grew up?

I always wanted to have a store. (She laughs) I made a lot of things when I was little. I was crafty because we were really poor and I made a lot of things. I remember I had this small doll and I would make hats for her out of bottle caps. They were cork back then and I would attache fabric, my mother was a seamstress, so I’d get the fabrics and make little hats. I was always making spaces for myself. But, I remember I used to love to play store.

13.Now that you have raised a child, started a business, and started a new business as an artist- what do you want to be when you grow up?

(She laughs) Oh, I still don’t know. (She laughs again) What I want to be is happy and more evolved as a human being. It is interesting, you look at “mistakes” in the past and present and inappropriate reactions and sometimes you get this clarity and say oh that’s happening so I can evolve this part and learn something about myself. It helps you learn something about other people to understand them and not be judgemental. It’s funny I just turned 60 and I think, huh, I’m still dealing with that? You never get it done. You have these contrasts in your life, you have to have things to make you want more and better or you wont grow. But you’ll never get it done, never not till you’re dead. You learn from contrast and conflict. That is the only way to evolve.

Cinnamon holding up her first piece.

Thank you so much Cinnamon.

Mother’s day is May 13th

If you are at a loss for gift ideas stop by Presents of Mind and see what wonderful gifts we have waiting for your mother.

Everyday we get new items in. If your mom is a tea drinker she’ll love this tea for one teapot and cup. It is perfect for that single mindful sip of her favorite tea.

This fun teaset can be stored together or apart and the lid fits both the teapot and the cup.

If you are planning on getting your mother a bouquet of her favorite flowers stop by and pick up a unique vase for her flower arrangement. Something she can keep for years to come, and many, many more flowers.

 We have several styles and motifs for vases. There will be something for your mom whatever her style.

 If your mom loves coffee or prefers her tea or drink in a mug we have one that will be perfect for her. Why not pick up one of these adorable mom mugs?

She knows you love her!

We have fun home and garden items like this tiny teardrop hanging vase. You can add flowers, plants or a small terrarium whatever you mother would love the most.

Of course, you will need a card, and Presents of Mind first and foremost is a card shop, we’ll even be so bold as to say we have the best selection of cards in the city.

Stop in and our friendly staff can help you find that special gift and just the right card for your mother.

Check back to our blog see what else we have for your mom: awesome jewelry, fun aprons, hilarious books, baby bags for the momma to be, photo albums and picture frames. and so much more.

Find some of the items pictured here on our website or come into our store. We are open everyday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

We’ll see you soon, before May 13th, right?