We entered May with hope in our hearts, ready to celebrate and appreciate life and those who give it - our mother’s. What’s in a name? The month of May originates from the Latin Maius, short for Maius mēnsis meaning “Maia’s Month.” The Roman goddess Maia Majesta was the goddess of fertility and Spring, while the Greek name Maia comes from a root meaning “mother.” Never has a month been named so appropriately as the buds of April turned to magnificent blooms and we all came together to honor the great matriarchs in our lives.
Mother’s Day looked a lot different for most of us this year with social distancing still in effect and thus the inability to gather. These circumstances did give us an opportunity to engage our ingenuity and find special ways to show our love from afar. GTG curated a beautiful selection of unique fine jewelry to do just that; shower mom with appreciation with delightful packages of 14K gold and sterling silver pieces adorned with diamonds and gemstones from Adel Chefridi, Meira T, and Liven Co., and inspirational quote jewelry honoring family from Kathy Bransfield. We also offered insightful, elegant home decor from Creason and Houston Llew as a distinct, but just as stunning, alternative to physical adornments.
Speaking of Houston Llew, we were proud to offer his American Heroes Spiritile, a surprise release dedicated to all American heroes, from frontline workers to veterans, from doctors to community leaders. We saw a wonderful response to this important release and were truly inspired by its success, especially knowing that proceeds from this piece will be donated to the Gary Sinise Foundation Emergency COVID-19 Combat Service.
As we reached the middle of the month we turned to acknowledging the achievements of all our graduates. We introduced graduation gift sets as a special way to honor the class of 2020 with each gift set featuring life affirming quotes spelled out on passports, luggage tags and notebooks. Quote necklaces from Laurel Elliott DVB, Pyrrha, and Kathy Bransfield were also popular ways of marking this important milestone while also encouraging students in their next steps of further education or entrance to the workforce.
We teamed up with New York designer Susan Alexandra to create a collection of handbags that celebrate New Orleans and the Mardi Gras spirit! They are bright and fun, just like the city that inspired them, and they are available exclusively through The Giving Tree Gallery. Want to snap one up? You’ll find them on sale for a limited time, so quick, go get ‘em!
We introduced Kinetic Sculptures to our collection - these pieces are a truly incredible way to make a statement in your home at an affordable price. Constructed of solid wood and powered by springs, you simply wind them up and sit back to watch the intricate patterns unfold as they spin continuously for 4-6 hours. They are, quite literally, mesmerizing!
There are new maps to enjoy in the Nautical Wood Maps collection. You can now find Scandinavia, New Zealand (in original and coastal blue grey), Kauai, the California Coast (in original and coastal blue grey), Golden Gate/San Francisco (in original and coastal blue grey), Carmel/Monterey, and Flathead Lake live on the site.
The featured blog of the month was a how-to guide for choosing the perfect earrings to compliment your face shape.The goal was to provide a quick resource to help you pick pieces that enhance what you want to enhance and to soften what you don’t. We provided instructions for identifying your face shape, examples of celebrities who share that shape, and links to actual pieces that would look best on you.
Our Giving Hope Campaign continued this month - our way of sharing hope and gratitude during this period of confusion. Congratulations to our winners thus far:
Annette C from Naples, FL
Lisa A from Spotsylvania, VA
Maria L from Pearl River, LA
Susan B from Norridgewock, ME
Nancy S from Bloomington, IL
Amy G from Lynbrook, NY
Our stores remain closed as we continue to navigate the uncharted waters of this global pandemic. We are monitoring things closely as we consider the best time to reopen our physical locations with the safety of our employees and you, our treasured customers, in mind. For now, we continue to be available to take your orders or answer your questions online and by phone. We are also scheduling appointments to meet in store at either Royal Street in the French Quarter or Sarasota, on St. Armands Circle.
We are so grateful for your continued support - here’s to a joyful June!
