This should not be the year you forget Mother’s Day.
Yes, the economy is shit and your mom doesn’t want you to spend lavishly, so you don’t need to hit her with an extravagant display of appreciation. Instead, go the thoughtful route with a local purchase.
Additionally, let's say the mom in your life really could be summed up by the famous line in Mean Girls, "I'm not like regular moms; I'm a cool mom." What does that mean? It means she doesn’t want a sign that bears some stupid cliche like “Live, Love, Laugh” or a fragrance by Estée Lauder.
Cool moms are hard to shop for because they don’t seem to follow any of the logic that the pushy salesperson swore by when she talked you into buying that necklace. To help, we put together a list of original, cool gifts from local vendors, so you can also help the local economy while you’re at it.
Is your mom the witchy type? You know what I mean; she's given you more homeopathic medicine than Robitussin, never grounded you but made you meditate instead, and uses the word "energy" to describe what other moms would call your "attitude."
Fort Worth artist Choke has an online market called Brōōha sourced from international artisans. Our favorite pick is the Lotus Collection package, which comes with a Prince candle, a vegan and sustainable Blue Egyptian Lotus bag, Soul Star tea, ceremonial sage bundle and Sacred palo santo.There’s also a similar version with a Frida Kahlo candle.
If your mom is a glam hippie type, a free spirit who goes to concerts more than you do, always seeks out new art and seems to turn every mundane bit of small talk into a connected cosmic encounter, then she'll love the work of Shamsy Roomiani. We named Roomiani the Best Jeweler in Dallas last year, and that's because her stones are truly precious. Her glow-in-the-dark creations are otherworldy and shine just like yer ma.
If your mom is into nostalgic pop culture and into collecting weird things — like a box with a panda on it that says "Puff, puff, pass," a Dolly Parton jewelry box, an Orville Peck prayer candle (fringe and all) and pillows that are Freddie Mercury or Wes Anderson-themed, then you'll definitely find something to fit her fancy at the Shiny Penny Workshop.
If your mom is an unabashed stoner, get her the proper glassware at Erykah Badu's shop, Baduworldmarket.com. The Badoobie humidifier is consistently sold out, but there are other stylish options still available: Grinders, ashtrays, stash jars, rolling paper. All products are approved, and blessed, by Badu.
If your mom loves Deep Ellum, cats and tattoos, she'll love the tattoo-inspired art by Kat Freedman from WeekendWithWednesday. The Dallas artist also sells pins of cats that look like David Bowie and Princess Leia through Etsy. No mom could resist this gift.
If your mom has a green thumb (and not from rolling all the joints like stoner mom above), then the Jade & Clover plant bar is the best gift. The shop says it's like "Build-a-Bear, but with plants." You pick the planter, plants and accessories and sand and rocks are included. The Deep Ellum shop also has Mother's Day gift baskets available, and they're filled with the kinds of things cool moms like. We wouldn't steer you wrong.
If your mom is less old Chanel and more of a young-at-heart Ms. Dior type who loves spring and French music and spontaneous picnics, then order some fanciful arrangements from Jade & Clover's sister store Petal Pushers, which are delivered on their pink vans or scooters. Let's be honest, most of us know nothing about flowers, and the shop won't expect you to either; instead they'll ask you the occasion and size and not whether you want daisies or roses. They know that you don't know.
If your mom is Latin and has a legendary sense of humor, she'll probably be into the work of Fort Worth artist Jessika Guillen, who makes playful signs that say things like "Chingona" or "No bitchin in my kitchen" (you know, your mom's slogan), as well as quirky gifts like avocado earrings.
There are many vintage shops around town, but Dolly Python Vintage has stunning jewelry pieces, furniture, collectibles, and retro cat eye sunglasses. Browse the inventory online, and request curbside pickup.
Vinyl records are a great keepsake (may we recommend the new Fiona Apple album?) so pick a record you know has meaning for the mom in your life (we can't help you there), and contact classic record shops like Mad World Records in Denton or Good Records in Dallas to make your order.
If your mom is a devout reader who uses words so big you hardly understand her (Seriously, what did she mean by "Leave the toilet seat down" and "Here's where the recycle goes"?) and regularly quotes ancient philosophers in random conversation, then chances are she'd love the books by local publisher Deep Vellum Books. A gift of this sort lets her know that you appreciate her intellect and that you're sorry you don't help around the house more. Another gem of a local bookstore with rare finds is The Wild Detectives in Oak Cliff, which is also accepting online orders.
Candles can be a bit played out, but you can never have enough of them in Dallas, since you never know when a massive storm is gonna wreak havoc and leave us without electricity. Dallas couple Leah and Francisco make candles with irresistibly original scents, like fig and musk. If your mom is a hipster, say no more — get her the Topo Chico candle. All hipsters love Topo Chico.
If your mom is into pin up culture and loves Bettie Page, red lipstick, anything leopard, old-timey hairstyles and taking burlesque lessons with her friends, then she'll love all the clothes at Dallas Pin Up, which has sales on all items, including jewelry and dresses, every Friday on Facebook and Instagram.
If your mom loves independent, old and foreign films, get her the home survival kit from the Texas Theatre, which comes with candy, popcorn, a T-shirt and other merch. Then buy a movie online and watch it, without looking once at your phone.