Surviving Maycember: Boxwood’s Guide to a Calmer Month
“Maycember.” You may have seen this word begin to pop up again on social channels. It describes the madness of the month of May, compared to the month of December – but without the presents, holiday lights and sparkle. May is host to Mother’s Day, end of year school events, field trips, graduations, recitals, sports tournaments, school plays, summer prep, Memorial Day. Need I go on?
I feel this in my bones, as my son will be graduating from University of Colorado next week. So when people step inside Boxwood and ask us what would make a great housewarming/Mother’s Day/end of school year/”hang in there” gift – we’re here to help!
If you’ve walked past 1205 King Street recently, I hope our beautiful display made you pause. Created by Mickey Sauls of Shop md, she has transformed our window into a magical picnic landscape complete with retro bicycle, outdoor blankets and Somewhere Company picnic coolers.
And this sparked an idea. Take your mom outside this year! No, she doesn’t need to prepare her own lunch on Mother’s Day. How about a luxurious picnic at Jones Point Park, along the Mount Vernon Trail or on the Alexandria Waterfront? We have the coolers, the melamine dishes, acrylic glassware, the soft outdoor blanket…everything you need to pull it together quickly and unpack a delicious day. And the best part, the humidity is bearable right now. This is a gift that keeps on giving, mom can reuse the cooler bag, dishes and the glasses at home, and you don’t need to even put it back in your own car!
Not the outdoor type?
Here’s our recommended Gift Guide for the Women in Your Life:
For those who have copies of beautiful photos still sitting in an envelope or need a pop of color when entertaining:
Addison & Ross picture frames, lacquered scalloped trays, Bobbin and Chubby salt and pepper shakers and more…
For the women who love to entertain, we also just received new shipments of Mario Luca acrylic glassware:
For those who want to learn a new activity and pick up a new hobby:
Introduce your mom to the ever so popular Mahjong. We just released our May schedule, and this is a fun way to learn, in a small group setting. Attend a class and all Mahjong products are 20% off the night of the class. Do it with her, or send her to make new friends! Depends on your mom.
For those who love flowers, but are sustainable-minded:
We suggest silk flowers in a Vietri bud vase. Or a Boxwood wreath or topiary.
For those who don one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces:
Meg Carter of Meg Carter Designs has created gorgeous jewelry that you will never see on another woman. You can also meet Meg in person this Saturday, May 10 as she will have a table front and center at Boxwood showcasing her jewelry line with some exclusive pieces, including a bangle that features a beautiful illustration of Old Town.
For those who prefer to write a notecard rather than an email:
Mary Tobias from Carland Collections shares a splash of color, creativity, and joy in her new collection of notecards, tea towels and tote bags, featuring exquisite watercolor illustrations by Aurelie Baudry Palmer.
We’re also offering a fun DIY project all week up until Mother’s Day: “Paint a Frame for Mom.” We’ll have our workshop table all set up in the back to paint, though not recommended for those under 7, as we’ll be using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.
And if you really like us, and want to hang out at Boxwood even longer, we’re currently looking to fill the role of Store Manager. More details here.
We hope to see you in person soon, but of course, you can order these fabulous items for the women in your lives online, whenever is most convenient for you – because you need a break, too!
