Melt Mom's heart with a thoughtful gift

ALISA SLOAN
Special Sections Editor

It's just so easy to give Mom a bouquet of flowers or a bottle of wine for Mother's Day. Perhaps, gift-less, you take her out for a meal and pick up the bill.

Or maybe some of these sound familiar: Earrings? Shower gel? Her favorite fragrance? A card and a kiss?

If you find that year after year you endow Mom with any number of perfectly nice but perfectly plain gestures, it's time to get creative. This Mother's Day, May 11, "wow" Mom with something unique or unexpected.

Traditional Chinese clothing

Does Mom have a yen for the exotic? Pearl River Mart, which was the first Chinese-American department store established in New York, has been a fixture in that city for more than 30 years. Its extensive collection of Chinese merchandise - from chopsticks to window coverings to handbags - is sure to please a mom with a taste for adventure. One of our favorites from the Web site, www.pearlriver.com, is the sleeveless silk mandarin top ($39.50). It comes in red, black and white and is perfect for a night on the town or a dim sum lunch.

Indulge in a facial massage

Does Mom want to look and feel youthful longer? Treat her to a facial massage. The Belavi Facelift Massage System promotes revitalizing, toning and strengthening of the underlying muscles of the skin.

"This system incorporates several modalities: lymph drainage, Swedish Massage, acupressure and hydrotherapy into one amazing and beneficial treatment," says Kyle Bonorden, a Scottsdale-based licensed massage therapist and Belavi Facelift practitioner.

When incorporated with cleansing, toning and gentle exfoliation, the metabolic processes that go on beneath the skin are enhanced, giving Mom's face a beautiful glow.

A one-hour and 15-minute facelift massage is $85, or $95 when coupled with a 15-minute back massage. Call 602-505-1825.

Explore her inner artist

Hacienda Frame Shop and Art Gallery in Phoenix houses a respected art studio where owner Judy Spitz guides neophytes into artistic nirvana. Oil painting, pastel painting and drawing are taught to students of all skill levels. Classes are also offered in portraits, landscapes and still lifes. Mom will learn about color, composition value and other aspects that will open a new world of art to her.

Classes are $12-$15 each and gift certificates are available. Class times vary, and run Monday-Thursday between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Is Mom more of a spectator than a doer? Spitz also offers family portraits in oil or pastels, precious keepsakes that can be passed down to future generations... even if the portrait is of the family pet.

Call 602-943-8971 or visit www.judyspitz.com.

Feng shui for the home

What could be more unique than a feng shui consultation for the home? Arrange for an expert in the philosophy of feng shui to evaluate Mom's house and teach how the harmony of her environment can affect her life.

Feng shui nourishes the soul and allows those who practice it to connect with their inner, peaceful selves, says author Joy Abrams, M.A., FSII, of AAA Feng Shui in Phoenix. According to Abrams, feng shui activates positive energies so positive changes can occur in one's life.

Abrams will balance the energy in Mom's surroundings for a nominal fee. A two-hour consultation is $350 for up to 2,000 square feet and $500 for 3,000-4,000 square feet. She will address entrances, lighting, colors, furniture, property, the history of the space, cures, and the hopes of the client.

Call 602-957-4818 or visit www.aaafengshuiandyoga.com.

Oscar-worthy chocolates

The words "heart-healthy" and "chocolates" seem to be polar opposites, but with GivŠre chocolates, based out of Nashville, Tenn., creator Ellen Williams combines them with delicious results.

Using natural, kosher-certified ingredients, GivŠre chocolates contain up to 70 percent less fat and 15-20 percent less calories than conventional chocolates, so Mom can indulge without guilt.

They also have a bit of star quality. GivŠre was selected as the exclusive chocolate at the last two Academy Awards and also at the Tony Awards, Independent Spirit Awards and Country Music Awards in 2002.

Flavors include French Chocolate Bombe, Raspberry Rouge, Hawaiian Heaven and Peppermint Passion. They range in price from $4.99-$29.99 and are available locally at Wild Oats Markets or online at www.givere.com.

A day of pampering

Treat Mom to a day of luxury in the Spa at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale for Mother's Day. Consider "The Pinnacle": for $210 Mom will receive a 110-minute treatment that begins with exfoliation of the back, lower legs and arms, followed by an application of lavender oil. Her hands will be warmed by a Sonoran Honey Dip, which penetrates and conditions the skin. Finally, she will receive a champagne and collagen facial.

If you'd like to partake at the same time and choose a 50-minute massage, body treatment or facial on May 11 or 12, Mom will receive complimentary aromatherapy facial oil and a gift certificate for 25 percent off a future spa treatment.

Call 480-513-5145 or visit www.fourseasons.com/scottsdale.

Extraordinary linens

Jan de Luz, located at The Shops at Gainey Village, 8787 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, features extraordinary fabrics for the home.

Its linens are modeled after 18th-century French fabrics that were, surprisingly, used to cover cattle. In Southwestern France, ranchers took such good care of their livestock that they covered them with "mant‚s a boeufs" - "cattle coats." The coats were also symbolic. They were decorated with stripes (larger stripes denoted a wealthier farmer), and the colors were representative of different regions of the country.

It's not likely that Mom has a favored cow to cover, but she is likely to appreciate high-quality linens for the table, the kitchen and the bath. Jan de Luz is also known for intricate monogramming, and can embroider Judaica symbols or initials on any item.

Call 480-778-0255.

Family calendar

Just about anyone with a home computer or in proximity to a copy shop can whip up an adorable and sentimental calendar in no time flat. Choosing the just the right photos can be a group project, with everyone involved selecting their favorites and voting on the winning 12.

If you're proficient with Photoshop you can add backgrounds, captions or graphics or even create a collage.

Add important dates such as family birthdays, anniversaries, national holidays, National Pancake Week - whatever strikes your family's fancy.

And why not start the calendar on the month of May?

Jewelry makeover

Help Mom assess her jewelry style with a half-hour personal consultation at Niessing in Scottsdale Fashion Square. Niessing will help update and coordinate her wardrobe with matching jewelry. Appointments can be scheduled through June 31.

For an added touch, send Mom along with $100 pinned to her shirt that she can apply toward a new bauble.

To reserve an appointment, call 480-945-5540.

A history of the hanky

"Hanky Panky - An Intimate History of the Handkerchief" by Helen Gustafson (Ten Speed Press, $29.95 paperback) is a lovely option for moms who enjoy fashion, art or even just nostalgia.

Gustafson details the history of the hanky with a look at the handkerchiefs of famous people (Itzhak Perlman, J.P. Morgan Waltz, Marlene Dietrich and others), as well as the uses of handkerchiefs over time (coronations, Jewish weddings, non-verbal communication).

Large color photographs of delicate and whimsical handkerchiefs appear on almost every page. In their own way, the photographs alone tell a compelling story.

Sacred Jewish music

Cellist Nina Kotova released a compact disc of sacred Jewish music that is sure to satisfy Mom's taste for emotional, meaning-ful expression.

Kotova's new CD, "Nina Kotova: Bloch, Bruch, Kotova," features performances of Ernest Bloch's "Schelomo," "Prayer From Jewish Life, No. 1" and Max Bruch's "Kol Nidrei," as well as Kotova's own "Concerto for Cello and Orchestra."

Visit www.ninakotova.com or check local Judaica shops.

A concert in the park

Surprise Mom with a free concert in her honor. The Mesa Symphony Orchestra will present "A Mother's Day Musicale" 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 10, at the Mesa Amphitheater, 201 N. Center St.

The orchestra will perform a wide variety of pieces, from the theme from James Bond ("Themes of 007") to "The Washington Post March" and themes from "Lord of the Rings."

Admission is free, but bring a lawn chair. Call 480-827-2143.

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