April 29, 2008

How I Met Your Mother

2008 Mother’s Day Guide

When it comes to gifts for Momma (or Madre or Mamá or Moeder), take a cue from the zeitgeist — think globally, act locally.

In homage to “eat your veggies!” hand over gigantic porcelain artichokes. In homage to her timelessly great taste, reincarnate her old scarf as a lush throw pillow at Grove (617 Hudson Street; 212-673-8300).

Dapper mums with a naturalist bent will swoon over a 1920s butterfly wing brooch or something especially antique from Erie Basin (388 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook; 718-554-6147).

From the Greek Island of Chios hails Mastihashop, a boutique for well-packaged vinegars, chocolates, and soaps starring mastiha, an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, natural antioxidant that ensures your Mitera can go on breaking plates (with gusto!) at all family occasions (145 Orchard Street; 212-253-0895).

Dexterous fingers at Kaas Glass Works (117 Perry Street; 212-366-0322) cut and paste pictures for plates, trays, and paperweights with a precision that makes you say pish posh to Mod Podge. If there’s time to spare, have your favorite 35mm photo of Mom decoupaged for posterity.

LemLem all natural, fair trade cotton scarves are handmade and embroidered in Ethiopia. Mommies with a thirst for coordination will appreciate a matching one for baby (Auto, 805 Washington Street; 212-229-2292).

Just like you, Ma loves her some prefixes and packaging. Ecoethical-holistic German beauty line Amala partners with organic farms around the world and makes body butters and moisturizers packed in cylindrical paper containers with cork stoppers.

“Home makeover” is a universal phrase for moms. Bond over interior design boards when you treat her to a Home Refiner decorating session. Then build a tower of Whoopie pies from newly minted Brown Bag Industries for a little extra frosting (to skip on shipping, pick ’em up at the Brooklyn Flea on Sundays).