INcognito: Gifting Mothers and Fathers
by The IN Mystery Shopper
O.K, so you’ve eaten your weight in king cake, finished off the Valentine bon-bons, and there is a chocolate bunny with your name on it! Relax. Your eating marathon is over for a while. Of course, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are just around the corner, but you have time to “shop it off” before the feasting begins again. We all know that shopping is one of the best aerobic exercises you can do. It does entail a lot of walking and, if you are really good at it, you will build up your arms by lifting and carrying all your purchases.
Not that I need an excuse, but Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are excellent reasons to exercise my shopping muscles.
This year, my good friend Alexis Driver decided to come along for the ride. Alexis has excellent taste and only likes to shop at the finest places. Lucky for her, the northshore has some elegant establishments.
Alexis can sniff out diamonds as a pig can sniff out truffles, so our first stop was at De Boscq Jewelry on Florida Street in Old Mandeville. Wow, did we hit the jackpot! The cases were filled to the brim with gold, platinum, silver and jewels of all shapes, sizes and colors. Alexis went right for the diamond tennis bracelets and exquisite encrusted fleur de lis pendants. I was delighted to find several delicate pendants in fleur de lis, cross and heart shapes that were very affordable. There were so many beautiful things to take in that I almost missed the strand of peachy pearls that I know would make my mother’s heart sing.
You can even find great gems for dad at De Boscq. On display were elegant men’s watches by such fine makers as Balmain, Bulova and Roven Dino. Would you believe they even carry handmade Italian knives by XIKAR? My brother, Bubba, would be beside himself!
At this point, Alexis was getting that high that only spending can give her. She was on a roll and ready for more action. It didn’t take long before we discovered James Napier Fine Accessories on North Causeway in Mandeville. Rodeo Drive, eat your heart out! The heady smell of fine leather engulfs you as you are surrounded by gorgeous handbags by Monsac, Sondra Roberts New York and Eric Javits—to name a few. Retta Wolff’s bags made of python, alligator and ostrich are so magnificent, I’m sure the critters gratefully sacrificed themselves. As I was contemplating an exquisite enameled picture frame by Jay Stongwater, Alexis, in ecstasy, was trying on pairs of imported silk shoes by Olivia Rose Tal. I finally got her attention by swiping a credit card through the machine. It’s more effective than smelling salts. I asked her what she was going to get her husband, Lars, for Father’s Day. Lars is a man who has everything. (He invented the “on-off” button and has sold a million of the things…) James Napier has a fine selection of silk ties, watches by Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction and Gino Franco. His men’s shoes are handmade in Spain and Italy, as are the solid leather and skin belts. Alexis, of course, bought some of each.
After watching her melt the plastic, I thought it was my turn. A quaint cottage shop called Daphne on Boston in Covington was our next destination. I love unusual home accessories, and Daphne really fits that bill. The little house has several rooms and each one is filled to the brim with wonderful things. Everywhere you look there are beautiful pieces of furniture laden with smaller gift items. You could fill your sofa with the shop’s colorful beaded and embroidered accent pillows. Adorn your table with candlesticks shaped like deer horns and lamps made of faux coral and shells. Or decorate your garden with whimsical blown-glass mushrooms and huge ceramic pecans. Maybe I’ll buy Mom a piece of their handmade jewelry or a bag of fragrant potpourri. What I really want is the antique red lacquered oriental armoire.
Alexis grabbed me by my ear, dragged me back to my car and asked, “What about your husband, Spud?” She was right, of course. I really want to find something special for Spud, but he is a hard man to shop for. I’m not saying he’s the consummate couch potato, but the only way I can get his attention is to slather myself in sour cream and butter. Actually, I look pretty tasty that way. Food is definitely the way to his heart, and I know just the place to look for something appropriate. The Outdoor Living Center on Highway 190 in Covington has a terrific selection of bar-b-que grills. The center carries everything from gourmet Holland and Napoleon gas grills to the smaller charcoal variety.
The gourmet grilling center has every utensil imaginable. And if you need something to sit on while hubby flips those burgers, the store carries several lines of beautiful outdoor and patio furniture. I finally decided to get Spud something called a Big Green Egg smoker. I can almost taste the hickory now!
It’s been a long day, and Alexis and her booty have been dropped off at her castle. (She calls it that, but frankly, I think the moat is a little small.) I’m exhausted by my shopping workout, and it’s good to be home. While Spud is asleep on the couch, I think I’ll watch a little HGTV. Oh heck, I think I’ll wake him and go get the sour cream. I wonder what he’d think about bacon bits?
