Last-Minute Mother's Day Gift Suggestions

You knew Mother's Day was coming but somehow you ended up waiting until the last minute to get mom a gift. To give you some ideas, I've provided a few suggestions to help you celebrate:

-- If your mom is the Sporty type: buy her a couple of tickets to her favorite baseball team. Let her know you will take her out for a pre or post game meal to go along with the gift.

-- If your mom loves Flowers: instead of buying mom the traditional roses (unless they're her favorite), opt for different blooms such as Lilac, Sweet Pea, Lilies, Tulips or Orchids. If your the DIY type you can make your own flower arrangements and give it to your mom in a beautiful vase.

-- Mom keeps eyeing your new Coffee Maker: buy her one. Make it special by including her favorite coffee and also a new coffee mug.

-- For a mom who loves a bit of Culture: surprise her with brunch and a day at the museum or you can buy her tickets to an upcoming play she's excited to see.

-- For a mom who really enjoys Relaxing: A book or DVD she's interested in, lounge or sleepwear, a scented candle and a box a dark chocolate.

-- For the Sentimental Type: give her a digital picture frame with uploaded pictures of you (and of your siblings, if you have any) or a traditional framed photo of the two of you. Maybe include a bouquet of flowers with a future invite for lunch or dinner.

-- Mom who's into Fashion: buy her something really chic (that's in your budget) like an amazing bag or really great top. You could also plan a shopping day with mom complete with lunch or dinner.

-- For the mom who Doesn't want you to buy them any gifts: invite her over for a home cooked meal and also give her a bouquet of flowers and a nice bottle of wine.

-- For the mom who loves to Garden: buy her a new garden tool set, gloves, a kneeling cushion (in a bright color) and a beautiful potted plant.


I hope these suggestions work. Got a last-minute gift idea to share? Leave me a comment or an e-mail at styleandfocuspr@yahoo.com

Exhibit: Heart and Soul: Art from Coretta Scott King Award Books

How was your Valentine's weekend? It was a nice relaxing weekend for me. I did go to see Valentine's Day. I thought it was really cute and funny. Did anyone else see it? I really liked it.

----------- S&F ---------------

Bryan Collier, 2005. Illustration from Rosa. Written by Nikki Giovanni. Published by Henry Holt and Company.

What: The Hearts and Souls of musicians and poets, great eats of Bravery and Risk, and Spiritual Uplift are some of the memorable messages portrayed in this collection of picture books.

Heart and Soul features original illustrations by artists who have won the Coretta Scott King Award or Honor Award, presented annually to recognize the contributions of African American illustrators and authors whose stories promote an understanding and appreciation of the culture of all peoples and their contributions to the American dream. The winners are selected by the Coretta Scott King Committee of the American Library Association's Ethnic Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT).


When:
November 21, 2009 – April 18, 2010
Gallery 10 and Ryan Education Center


Where:
The Art Institute of Chicago
111 South Michigan Avenue,
Chicago, Illinois, 60603-6404
General Information: (312) 443-3600


Price:
Free General Admission for the entire month of February
Adults: $18
Children, Students, and Seniors (65 and up): $12
Children under 14: Free
Members: Free


Hours:
Mon,Wed and Fri 10:30am – 5:00pm
Thurs 10:30am – 8:00pm (Free Admission 5:00pm – 8:00pm)
Sat – Sun 10:00am – 5:00pm

Exhibit: See The Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato

Let your inner archaeologist out by visiting the Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato exhibit. This 10,000 square-foot exhibition will begin it's three year tour in six U.S. destinations (from 2010-2012) with a debut at the Detroit Science Center on Saturday, October 10, 2009.

About the exhibit:

It features 36 accidental mummies on loan from the Museo de las Momias de Guanajuato, the exhibition combines science, history and cultural anthropology to immerse the visitor in the world of a Mexican city over 100 years ago where deceased residents naturally mummified in their crypts. This will be the very first time these mummies have been seen outside of Mexico.

Where:

Detroit Science Center
5020 John R Street
Detroit, MI 48202
313-577-8400

Price/Fee:

Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato: Includes Admission to Accidental Mummies exhibit, Hands-On Exhibits + Planetarium shows.

Adult (13 & over): $24.95
Senior (60 & over): $22.95
Child (12 & under): $19.95
Members: $19.95

Fall Hours:

Mon - Fri: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Sat - Sun: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Has Calvin Klein Gone too Far with Ad?

From my Marketing POV, Calvin Klein is a great brand with amazingly chic clothes and I feel like they don't have to go out of their way to create controversy to sell the brand. I'm all for creative expression but you don't always need to use sex to sell everything. It gets old rather quick and it kind of suggest that their marketing and advertising people couldn't think of anything else to promote the clothing, so they fall back on using sex to sell. Let the product sell itself.

This type of advertising gets in the way of successfully communicating the product by distracting the audience from the purpose of the ad, which is to promote the product. With ads like this, the product gets lost amongst the blatant sex appeal.

With so much pressure on young women (be it directly or indirectly) to be sexy and to do things they might not be emotionally ready for, are ads such as this contributing to the pressure to be sexy? Although in this new day and age, sex is viewed in a different way than in the past and people are less judgemental but despite the changes there is still a double standard applied to women compared to men when it comes to sex. It's a porn-inspired or centered aesthetic that sends the message (mostly teen girls) that if they dress or act that way, they will be accepted.

Some questions that have arise from these ads are: "What is Calvin Klein's social responsibility for these types of ads?", "How are they contributing to society's well-being?" and "How far will companies go to out-sex each other to try to get consumers attention?"

Has Calvin Klein gone too far? What is your opinion?

Culture: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater @ BAM

A must see of summer performances. You will see why Alvin Ailey is one of the best. If you live in NYC this is a great time to venture out of Manhattan and see this absolutely unforgettable ballet show.

What: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)

Following its triumphant return to BAM last spring, Alvin Ailey® American Dance Theater comes back to Brooklyn with two new programs that celebrate the artistry, grace, and vitality that have distinguished the Ailey company for 50 years.

The "Best Of" program showcases selections from the Company's diverse repertory, including a new production of Judith Jamison’s award-winning tribute to Ailey entitled Hymn. In episodes ranging from quiet solos to explosive full company dances, Hymn reveals Ailey’s genius and humanity through narrative recollections from past and present dancers in text conceived, written and narrated by actor/playwright Anna Deavere Smith.

"Classic Ailey" features excerpts from many of Alvin Ailey's most popular and beloved ballets. Spanning every decade of his impressive career, this retrospective illustrates the range and resonance of one man’s legacy with rarely-seen gems and favorite works, including his quintessential masterpiece, Revelations, in its entirety.


When:
June 9-14

Program A: Best Of
Jun 9 & 11 at 7:30pm
Jun 13 at 2 & 7:30pm

Suite Otis – George Faison
Hymn – Judith Jamison
Revelations – Alvin Ailey


Program B: Classic Ailey
Jun 10 & 12 at 7:30pm
Jun 14 at 3 & 7:30pm

Blues Suite with live music – Alvin Ailey
Anniversary Highlights – Alvin Ailey
Revelations – Alvin Ailey


Where:
Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Howard Gilman Opera House
30 Lafayette Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
11217-1486
718-636-4100

Prices:
Jun 9 & 10: $20-$70
Jun 11—14: $25-$85

Culture: San Francisco Ballet Performs George Balanchine's Jewels

What:
The San Francisco Ballet presents George Balanchine’s Jewels, a beautiful three part evening-length performance of "Emeralds," "Rubies", and "Diamonds". The ballet is a celebration of the golden age of dance and showcases Balanchine's expert choreographer skill and vision. Balanchine said that his gemstone-themed ballet with jeweled costumes was inspired, in part, by his introduction to jeweler Claude Arpels, whose collection of precious stones he admired.

Composers: Gabriel Fauré, Igor Stravinsky, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreographer: George Balanchine

When:
Jewels runs from Saturday, April 25 through Sunday, May 10th


Where:
War Memorial Opera House
301 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102


Price:
Tickets range in price from $20 to $225


For more information about the San Francisco Ballet visit their website (sfballet.org)