…And The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon: A Valentine’s Gift Idea

You have made it one month into the New Year… You turn your wall calendar to a new page and there it is: Half way through the month of February is that special date. It leers at you like a giant fuzzy teddy bear wrapped up in lace doilies ready to pounce!
Valentine’s Day! The pressure is on. You have a mission and you cannot fail.
Few thoughts will strike fear into the hearts (or wallets) of men like the thought of buying gifts for their sweetheart for Valentine’s Day. Thanks in a large part to retail marketing executives, the pressure is on to supply the obligatory “Cards, Chocolates, Flowers and Jewelry” for the big day. You could buy a beautiful bouquet of picture perfect long stem red roses and a box of chocolates wrapped in cellophane (which will cost you approximately $80 to $120 online plus delivery) and be perfectly content. Roses and chocolates are very nice.
Then again, who wants “nice”? The real challenge is to find a special gift. Something unique and – dare I set the bar to SENTIMENTAL? (Guys, are you getting nervous?). Seriously, ask most women (or men) about their favorite gift (short of a new Mercedes) and they will most often spend more time telling the story behind a gift than describing the gift itself. That story gives meaning to a gift that far outweighs whatever cash value it may have had.

I was at a friend’s house for a small dinner party this weekend and saw the most extraordinary Valentine’s gift idea: A SPOON!
This wasn’t just any stainless steel soup spoon. It was a sterling silver antique teaspoon purchased at a yard sale. What made this spoon so magical that I suddenly dropped my dreams of diamonds and pearls for Valentine’s Day? My friend Christine Ernst had acquired this spoon, spent an hour hammering it flat in her little work-shed, bent it into a bracelet and stamped it with a few simple words: “Let Us Love”.
What I hadn’t realized was that Christine had been making these personal bracelets for several years. Trial and error has brought her to her new artistic outlet: Bespoke Bracelets… In her own words, each piece is “hammered in passion, stamped in love” – though she admitted sometimes they were hammered in utter frustration, but still stamped with love!

I watched Christine light up as she told stories about custom bracelets she had made from family silver spoons or pieces she found at garage sales or full sets friends had given her that were simply tarnishing in drawers in pantries. She told us about secret messages and special dates and words stamped into each one like anniversaries, names, places and phrases. It takes Christine about an hour to hammer each spoon flat, polish and stamp a unique saying, date or name on each one. I noticed she wore a pendant with the word “Speak” stamped into. What a perfect word for Christine, a woman I have known as a writer and an actress.
I understand that sterling silver spoons may not be the perfect gift for everyone, but if you have a unique love in your life, take the time this Valentine’s Day for a unique gesture. Sometimes daises are better than roses and sometimes a hand written love letter is better than a store-bought card. If you are interested in learning more about Bespoke Bracelets, which cost $40 each, send Christine Ernst an email by clicking here. – and tell her Cat sent you!

About Cat Wilson

Cat Wilson is "That Girl" on Cape Country 104 – a Cape Cod native and longtime Cape radio personality. She is a passionate supporter of Military and Veteran causes on the Cape and also hosts local music spotlight program, “The Cheap Seats” on Ocean 104.7.

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