I’m not sure if it’s because it feels like Spring around here or I was Irish in my past life but I am really digging the next thoughtful pinch that I want to share with you.  Since St. Patrick’s Day is not a high traffic, gift-gifting holiday, buying your pal a green beer is pretty darn acceptable if you wanted to do something thoughtful.  However,  if you’re heading to a St. Patrick’s Day party next Thursday night and you know they will be hosting with Two Gingers, Guinness or Irish Creme - you may want to skip bringing another bottle of alcohol.  Instead, consider showing up with a fun plant as your host gift! Yes, I did say plant. 

Three years ago, I invested in a shamrock plant from Trader Joe’s that couldn’t have been more than $10 (That’s a safe amount right? Items are rarely over $10 at TJ’s).  I still have the shamrock plant because it blooms all year long.  Talk about getting a return on my investment!  With a good amount of light, these suckers are hard to kill even if you don’t have a green thumb. 

Two years ago, I picked up some baby toes in a “blarney stone” vase at a local grocery store (Jerry’s in Edina).  I loved how fresh the green looked against the distressed stone. The arrangement was my compromise between going nuts decorating my house with Irish themed decorations like I used to or putting nothing out at all, like I wanted to.  It still shows a little whimsy and also brings in some Spring. I keep the vase and replenish it every year with a new bloom of baby toes (think: little leprechaun footprints). 

I’m not sure if you have a local florist as “KICK-ASS” as mine (Arts & Flowers) but I walked in to get some pinches and came out with two gifts 15 minutes later!  You may not be the biggest fresh flowers fan around.  Or Trader Joes, Costco and/or the grocery store are where you get your fresh cuts.  That is beside the point -  just get to know a local florist shop.   It’s worth your time to go in and explore. Florists always have great ideas for any occasion and it doesn’t have to cost you an Armani or leg. When you want to give something different, small, thoughtful, quick or easy, florists usually have one or all of the above. I do recommend checking out florists when you’re not under the gun because it always happens when you are in a hurry that everyone and their mother has the same plan. The five minute stop turns into thirty minutes. Argh!

For added thoughtfulness, include an Irish blessing, proverb or saying on a piece of stock paper secured to a plant pick and display it with the shamrocks or in the blarney stone. These angels hang on my children’s doors during this holiday with two of my favorite sayings.  Appropriately fitting for each.

If you’re not feeling the leprechaun footsteps or you refuse to rock a shamrock, you can always refer back to my first three blog posts to see my other thoughtful pinches. I’m pretty sure there are no other places to find St. Patrick’s Day gift ideas. Cough, cough (Pintrest)

Pinches,

Barb