Tired of flowers? Get mom a tattoo (or other equally odd ideas)!

Venice Gondolier ^ | 05/06/05 | staff

[Dashing Dasher]

Businews Columnist Roger Button went looking for some different ideas to honor the women in our lives. Here's some of what he found.

We have come a long way since 1858, when Mothers Day began in this country in West Virginia.

Church worker Anna Reeves Jarvis introduced Mother's Work Day to encourage better sanitation in her town. Twelve years later a Mothers Day Peace proclamation was introduced and two years later modified to Mother's Day of Peace.

Jarvis's daughter dedicated her life to honoring mothers. In 1908 she introduced the use of the carnation, a tradition still honored today, with white carnations to honor dead mothers and pink or red the living.

In 1912, West Virginia became the first state to adopt an official Mothers Day, which later became nationally accepted as the second Sunday in May.

Get wild

What will you buy mom for this Sunday? Ideas range from the traditional bouquet of flowers to more strenuous, fascinating and luxurious options.

Looking for unusual gift ideas? The Pampered Princess theme includes model makeovers and massage; becoming a pop star and recording your own CD; dinner cruising and rally driving.

For adventurous moms, adrenaline-addict gifts will appeal: becoming a firefighter for a day; off-road intensive driving; aerial aircraft aerobatics; and quad motorbike scrambling.

An unusual gift for moms is to get a glance at their future with psychic help.

Different presents include a magical gift for Mickey Mouse fans or chocoholics: Disney or Cadbury's stock certificates.

Venice and Nokomis merchants offer something different. Consider Mothers Rings, a longtime popular favorite at Classic Creations in Diamonds and Gold, 1846 South Tamiami Trail, Suite 13.

Owner Chuck Duke said, "Your imagination is your limit."

More than 100 styles of rings and many pendants custom designed with colored precious and semi-precious stones representing children's birth months set in yellow or white gold are priced from $80-$90.

Alternatively, a big, bold and striking Mothers Day topiary of lilies and astromerias representing little colored balls with birds and butterflies on top of a tree pedestal starting at $40, is an increasing annual favorite at Always An Occasion, 249 S. Nokomis Ave. Owner Debbie Phelan commented, "You only have one mommy so everyone wants their own design order."

A sentimental mother's pillow decorated with flowers and poetically printed messages such as, "I smile because you are my mother, I laugh because there is nothing you can do about it," are among popular presents priced from $14.95, according to store manager Linda Hirter of the Island Gift Nook, 227 W. Venice Ave.

Mothers Day baskets with Vera Bradley bags, bath and body products priced from $50 are sought after gifts at Fraser's on the Avenue, 237 W. Venice Ave., reported owner Linda Fraser.

"It's a day when she gets what she normally would not buy for herself," said Jon Marcus, who offers free consultations with his team will working with any mom for as long as it takes to give her the glamorous looks she desires. Mothers Day packages start from $50, and clients often bring photographs, and even friends with hairstyles they want copied, to his John Marcus Salon, 328-A South Tamiami Trail on the island.

For chocoholics, there many specialties at Backstretch Sweets, 276 W. Miami Ave., where owner Susan Pattison is helping customers celebrate both the Kentucky Derby on Saturday and Mothers Day with handmade chocolate horses, horseshoes and jockeys on horses, plus flowers, truffles and Happy Mothers Day bars.

"Bring your mum in and find something as special as she is from our selection of boats, cars, Teddy bears, dogs and musical instruments," said Pattison.

Painted lady

Perhaps mom is looking to chart her path to love, a new business career, reunite with love ones or solve her present problems. Local psychic and clairvoyant Rachel Mitchell offers a Mother's Day special 50 percent discount on tarot card, crystal ball and psychic readings. Robert Mitchell, manager of the location at 109 South Tamiami Trail in Nokomis, said readings start from $25.

A tattoo portrait of mom with her children has been a popular gift offered at Acme Tattoo Company, 201 South Tamiami Trail in Nokomis. With 10 years' experience as a tattoo artist, Gypsy invites moms to come in, even with the slightest idea, which will be worked up into a design on paper then customized.

Tattoos start from $200 and take around 90 minutes to complete. This week there is a 25 percent discount when they include mom, or are in memory of mom.

These are just a few of the many opportunities, along with eating out, barbecuing, going to theme parks or the beach, you can use to surprise your mom and show your appreciation on this special weekend.

[Feiny]

I sent my mon a HOT HANG UP....and she called me today to tell me how much she LOVED it.

http://www.hot-hang-ups.com/

[Dashing Dasher]

That would be a GREAT gift!

[Dashing Dasher]

That would be quite handy!

Good idea!

[newgeezer]

Ping.

Have you made those appointments with your dermagraphologist to ink each of your chilllllllllllldren for Mother's Day? I bet he'd give you a volume discount (even more so if they're all the same ;).

[stylin_geek]

My mom is 72, so, I'm not sure which would be worse, giving her a tattoo, or her being excited at the idea of getting a tattoo.

I'll stick with flowers, thank you very much.

[Dashing Dasher]

Wise choice.

[Dashing Dasher]

Another idea!?

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Get her a dashed line around her neck with the words "Cut Along Dotted Line".

[Dashing Dasher]

You've met my mother?

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

LOL
I was going to add that a many mothers would prefer a small string of pearls.

[Dashing Dasher]

Ouch....

LOL!

[NRA2BFree]

My mother died in 1986, and my dad remarried a couple of years later, to Satan's spawn. What would you recommend I get her? LOL

[mtbopfuyn]

I got a whistling gorilla today!

[Dashing Dasher]

Hmmmm....

My father married her sister.

I'll think about it and respond after my next meeting....

[Dashing Dasher]

I nearly married one!

LOL!!!

[ishabibble]

The pleasure of your company for two solid weeks. Trust me, this works like magic! Also, do you have any children? The little tykes need bonding with Cruella...24/7.

You'll be given quite a wide berth in the future. My father-in-law never even noticed. Good Luck.

[NRA2BFree]

Hmmmm....

My father married her sister.

I'll think about it and respond after my next meeting....

Oh no, I was afraid of that. I had hoped it was a single birth, but I see I was wrong. I wonder how many others there are? LOL

[NRA2BFree]

The pleasure of your company for two solid weeks. Trust me, this works like magic! Also, do you have any children? The little tykes need bonding with Cruella...24/7.

You'll be given quite a wide berth in the future. My father-in-law never even noticed. Good Luck.

In 17 years I've only been invited to their house one time, so that's never going to happen. I've only seen my dad about 10 times, as a result. I've continued to get her things for her Birthday, Christmas and Mother's Day, but this past year I didn't get so much as a phone call, card or anything, so I'm not going to get her anything. After all this time, I have had to accept the fact that my Dad doesn't care, or he would contact me.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Are you my husband's brother/sister? Same situation here - Satan's right hand woman is the mil - we just simply quit calling about 10 years ago and haven't heard from them since............

Had I known all I had to do was NOT call, I'd have done it 10 years sooner..........;^)

[ishabibble]

I'm so sorry. That is what would have happened to my husband, but I decided to be a "presence".

My poor f-i-l can be summed up in one word, after the death of his beloved wife. BEWILDERED.
Cruella saw it too. She sunk her claws in, and has never let go. I am simply more of a threat than she is now, and that witch (hopefully) will go to her grave, cursing the fates that she ever messed with this family.

I am a shameless freeloader, I stay at their oceanfront home for weeks at a time, I made her take my kids and now grandkids everywhere, they run riot in her perfect home, I never kick in a penny, I leave wet towels everywhere, I don't lift a finger, and as bad as this sounds, I do it in memory of my wonderful Mari, who loved her husband and all of us beyond limits. So sad, I know, but this cheap little broad has had her foot on the shovel since the day she married poor, bewildered Poppy, and she's not going to get away with it. I have three sisters-in-law, and we run her ragged all year round.

I don't know the verse but it says that if evil is met with good in the house, evil will stay. Well, she certainly has, but I like to think that the Almighty might choose loyalty over opportunity.