One of the master basket weavers of the Pomo Native American Tribe was Elsie Allen, the author of a number of how-to books in the art of Pomo basket weaving. She worked to preserve this art form that defines her people and Elsie’s descendants carry on that legacy today.

Born in 1899, Elsie was raised by her grandmother in the Cloverdale area of northern California. The young girl learned the art of Pomo basket weaving from her mother, Annie Burke, and her grandmother, Nellie Burke, as well as a number of other older Pomo women that congregated at the family home. These women spent hours weaving these items, which were given as gifts, sold, or kept as heirlooms.

At the age of eleven, Elsie Allen was captured by government authorities, who packed her off to a boarding school to learn the English language and American ways. She continued to practice her basket weaving craft while she was away to ensure that she would not forget the techniques that were taught to her by her family and people.

Elsie returned to her family as a young woman and took up weaving with her family right where she had left off. Once she had married, Elsie had to work a variety of jobs, such as a domestic and a farm laborer, which left her very little time to practice the craft that she loved. It was at this point that her mother Annie began to train Elsie’s children in this ancient craft.

An interesting tradition among the Pomo basket weavers included the burial of their baskets and weaving equipment and tools with them when they died. Annie begged Elsie to ignore this tradition as she wanted her daughter to have these items when she could begin her own basket weaving craft again. Upon Annie’s death, Elsie retained all these valuable artifacts and kept her promise to her mother.

In the 1940s and 1950s, Elsie Allen organized the Pomo basket weavers and began to write books describing the steps that are used in making these extraordinary items. The money raised from her writings and the baskets that the weavers sold was used to help Pomo families in distress, to set up Native American college scholarships, and to finance a large lawsuit on behalf of the Pomo tribe.

Elsie Allen also served as a Pomo activist, fighting for the reclamation of Native American land and struggling to establish equal rights for her people in a very biased 1950s California. She also began to teach Pomo basket weaving to anyone who wanted to learn, regardless of race. As many of her students were white women, her own people began to criticize her as undermining their way of life.

In 1972, Elsie wrote of her disappointment in her attempts to pass on the Pomo basket weaving craft. Very few of her students at this point were Native Americans, although the attention that her classes drew from universities did help the Pomo people to be accepted by the general population.

In 1980, Elsie Allen finally found an apprentice that could learn and pass on the art of Pomo basket weaving in the form of her great-niece, Susie Billy. This niece continues to teach Pomo basket weaving classes and has served as a collaborator on several books detailing this art form.

In 1990, upon Elsie Allen’s death, the collection of baskets and tools that belonged to Annie Burke as well as items that were added by Elsie passed on to Elsie’s oldest daughter, Genevieve Allen Aguilar. Genevieve has placed this valuable collection of Pomo artifacts on a long-term loan to The Mendocino County Museum, where the works of these incredible women can still be viewed.

Source by Beverly Sugarman

Whether it’s the Christmas holiday season or the middle of summer, the necessity of having to shop for a birthday or anniversary present is inevitable. While it’s always a thrill to find just the right gift for a friend or associate, sometimes issues such as lack of time or the difficulty of trying to find a unique gift: how many ties can you buy your brother in law, make the buying experience stressful and a hassle. Unique gourmet gifts: salmon, lobster, crab and steak There’s really no need to buy yet another tie because what your brother in law really wants is a unique food gift such as an assorted steak box featuring specialty cuts of premium beef. This is a gift that he can take outdoors and grill on a nice summer evening or enjoy dining indoors. If you have a seafood lover to please, you can send them anything from smoked salmon gift baskets to a crab bake, lobster bake, or lobster gram. The last two are really fun because your lobster gifts come with live lobster, a pot, lobster bib and other items for a delightful lobster dinner. Crab bakes are generally the same idea only with live crab. Gifts for the dessert lover With so many choices in gourmet chocolates: in boxes, themed gifts baskets and more, you can send anything from romantic, fine chocolates to elegant, hand made chocolates to a colleague. Another popular idea for the confection lover is tower gifts: chocolate tower gifts and cookie tower gifts. These gifts are delivered in the mail and can make quite a presentation. Cookie bouquets are also fun gifts and great if you weren’t planning to spend a lot. Gifts for the food lover If you have a gourmand, and they’re hungry to sample different kinds of wine, cheeses, chocolates, coffees, teas and such look for a good food of the month club online. These clubs tend to include interesting choices and include information for your recipient to learn more about different kinds of cheeses, for example if it’s a cheese of the month club (see http://www.a1-food-gifts.com/unique-gifts.htm ). Also, with a monthly food gift plan your recipient is not likely to forget you as there is a reminder each month.

Whether it’s the Christmas holiday season or the middle of summer, the necessity of having to shop for a birthday or anniversary present is inevitable. While it’s always a thrill to find just the right gift for a friend or associate, sometimes issues such as lack of time or the difficulty of trying to find a unique gift: how many ties can you buy your brother in law, make the buying experience stressful and a hassle.

Unique gourmet gifts: salmon, lobster, crab and steak

There’s really no need to buy yet another tie because what your brother in law really wants is a unique food gift such as an assorted steak box featuring specialty cuts of premium beef. This is a gift that he can take outdoors and grill on a nice summer evening or enjoy dining indoors. If you have a seafood lover to please, you can send them anything from smoked salmon gift baskets to a crab bake, lobster bake, or lobster gram. The last two are really fun because your lobster gifts come with live lobster, a pot, lobster bib and other items for a delightful lobster dinner. Crab bakes are generally the same idea only with live crab.

Gifts for the dessert lover

With so many choices in gourmet chocolates: in boxes, themed gifts baskets and more, you can send anything from romantic, fine chocolates to elegant, hand made chocolates to a colleague. Another popular idea for the confection lover is tower gifts: chocolate tower gifts and cookie tower gifts. These gifts are delivered in the mail and can make quite a presentation. Cookie bouquets are also fun gifts and great if you weren’t planning to spend a lot.

Gifts for the food lover

If you have a gourmand, and they’re hungry to sample different kinds of wine, cheeses, chocolates, coffees, teas and such look for a good food of the month club online. These clubs tend to include interesting choices and include information for your recipient to learn more about different kinds of cheeses, for example if it’s a cheese of the month club (see http://www.a1-food-gifts.com/unique-gifts.htm ). Also, with a monthly food gift plan your recipient is not likely to forget you as there is a reminder each month.

Source by Jitesh

Gift baskets are considered to be one of the most popular modes of gifting in western cultures and in recent times the manufacturing of gift baskets as gift items has given rise to a separate industry. Today there are innumerable manufacturers of gift items in the market and as a result increased competition has also ensured better quality production. In case of prominent corporate houses which function efficiently worldwide, presenting gift baskets have emerged as a popular practice. There are various reasons that can be attributed to this. It is well known that for corporate firms who work with multitudes of clients worldwide, it is extremely necessary to maintain healthy and pleasant relationship with their clients as not only it would benefit their current incomes and turn them into profits but at the same time it would increase their goodwill and therefore facilitate the overall growth of the company. In many cases it is found that in order to present foreign clients with gift baskets, the companies usually fill up the contents of the gift basket with indigenous items that are native to the organization. These corporate gift baskets usually beverages like coffee and tea along with cookies, biscotti and chocolate graham. However, it is not only chocolates but also pastries, munch bars, cheese sticks, wine biscuits that are included in the gift baskets but also various other confectionary items. In most of the countries having western culture, gifting of wines is a prominent and prevalent practice. One of the reasons why wine is considered ideal for such purposes is that there is a certain amount of sophistication and elegance that is associated with wines and therefore in corporate gift baskets wines are one of the most ideal components. Most of the organizations choose some of the best and superior quality wines to be included within the gift basket as while inferior qualities are less expensive and also easily available, they are more likely to leave behind an unfavorable impression on the client. Chocolate wafers and dipping pretzels are also popular in corporate gift baskets.

It has also been noted that kosher products are also very much in demand to be used as items in corporate gift baskets and they are often accompanied by delicious butter cookies and an assortment of some of the most famous chocolate brands. Candies, jelly beans, toffee almonds, smoked salmon and caviar are some of the other items that a corporate gift basket comprises of.

Source by Robert Baird

Chocolate corporate gift baskets are available at many different price points.

There are many different investment levels for your chocolate corporate gift baskets.Depending on your company’s needs these corporate gift baskets can range from smallimprinted mugs drop shipped to dozens of business associates to more elegantgourmet chocolate filled baskets you could personally deliver.Each basket is equally important and useful depending on your specific needs.Frosted gift totes filled with fine French Truffles, Ghirardelli milk chocolate square,Ghirardelli chocolate with caramel filled square, and a cocoa pack can be purchasedfor just more than ten dollars.  A small investment for something as important as yourbusiness associates.  To give a reward or a gift of recognition something more extravagantis much more appropriate. You can give gourmet chocolates in a fine imprinted copper tub.Anything you can give that will be kept long past the goodies are gone makes a bettercorporate gift.  And better corporate gifts make better promotional products.

Chocolate corporate gift baskets can be tailor made to fit any recipients.

Golf themed gift baskets are range baskets filled with chocolate golf balls and other goodies and have a custom imprinted ribbon.  Great for everyone that loves golf.  Thank you themed corporate gift baskets to show your appreciation with chocolaty treats are also great corporate gifts.  Give these to your clients that help build your business or your employees the drive your company on a daily basis.Christmas chocolate gift baskets are holiday favorites of most.  Give corporatechocolate gift baskets Christmas themes for the holidays.Don’t forget the custom imprinted mugs with hot cocoa to keep business associates warm during the winter.  You can even find Kosher Certification available by many manufactures.  Give fine custom molded Belgian chocolate centerpieces in window boxes filled with Belgian Chocolate truffles. Custom molded chocolate to fit any recipients.  Photo Chocolates are also available now for your clients.  A logo or an image can now be printed with a four color process imprint using FDA approved edible food coloring. These great gift sets come with chocolate velvet meltaways.  Choose a logo or an image specific to the recipients or your company either way this is sure to be an unforgettable chocolate gift.

Chocolate corporate gift baskets can be customized to be received by any size audience.

Give huge corporate gift baskets to large corporate departments.  Corporate giftbaskets filled with dozens of individually wrapped chocolate goodies to be shared by everyone.  Large gift baskets everyone can share, that bring people together are great corporate gifts.  If your business associates are all part of one large corporate department and it’s practical for you, delivering them yourself really shows you care and leaves a great long lasting impression.If you will be corporate gifting to individuals or more intimate groups you can evengive smaller chocolate themed corporate baskets.  Your company can drop ship dozens of individual chocolategift baskets at a much lower price point.  You may even want to give custom imprintedmugs with a few pieces of chocolate and a packet of hot cocoa.  A gift filled with sweet chocolate treats that can be kept long after the chocolate is gone. It’s a great treat for them and a usable item that keeps your logo around.

Chocolate corporate gift baskets are corporate gift baskets enjoyed by everyone.

These corporate gift baskets come in a huge variety and they’re certain to please everyone’s tastes.  These corporate gifts can include C. C. Winkle Chocolate Covered Popcorn.  Most people like popcorn and chocolate, C. C. Winkle Chocolate Covered Popcorn is a great combination of the two.More chocolaty delights include Allegro Plus Chocolate Filled Cookies, Brent and Sam’sGourmet Chocolate Cookies, Cherrington Chocolates, Chris and Larry’s Clodhopper Poppers, Ghirardelli Chocolates and too many more to list.  Corporate chocolate gift basketscan be made to include something for everyone dark chocolate, milk chocolate, whitechocolate, hot cocoa, and so much more.

See more Chocolate Corporate Gift Baskets and see how these great corporate gifts can help build your business.  These are perfect gifts for everyone and sure to help build your brand.

Source by Eric Luna

In our harried and hectic lives, it’s sometimes hard to justify taking time and spending money to treat ourselves to a little pampering. And that’s exactly why giving a gift of stress reducing self-indulgence is a perfect gift option for almost any occasion.

Of the millions of gift baskets given each year, spa gift baskets top the list as the most popular of all. It’s easy to see why. It’s hard to go wrong when offering complimentary R & R to someone special who deserves a little indulgent pampering.

Spa gift baskets can be general in nature, or may focus on a particular type of pampering. Use any of the five spa gift basket ideas below as options that will be sure to please:

Pampered Hands Spa Basket – Pretty much everyone uses and abuses their hands on a daily basis. To make those hands “pampered hands,” consider a gift basket that features an array of softening and soothing hand care items. Include items like moisturizing gloves, a nail brush, nail buffer, cuticle cream, and hand moisturizer. For an added touch, include a gift certificate for a professional manicure.

Bathe in Luxury Spa Basket – Turn an ordinary bath into a luxurious and relaxing experience. Include French milled soap, a loofah sponge, scrubbing mitten, Dead Sea bath salts, inflatable bath pillow, and spa quality bath towel. Add a body candle for ambiance while soaking and to use for moisturizing the body after a relaxing bath.

Grace Your Face Spa Basket – Bring a smile to any face with this pampering gift. Include a relaxing hot / cold eye mask, mud mask facial treatment, exfoliating scrub, day and night moisturizing cream, a terrycloth head band, and natural lip balm.

Treat Your Feet Spa Basket – Treat the tootsies to luxurious spa pampering. Possible inclusions could be a pumice stone, toe separator, nail polish, pedicure file, foot roller, moisturizing socks, and foot massage cream. A gift certificate for a pedicure would be an added treat.

Body Bliss Spa Basket – Give a special somebody a gift that anybody would love. Include exquisite French milled soap, a bath brush and massager, relaxing hot / cold eye mask, bubble bath, pumice stone, moisturizing body massage candle, and spa quality Egyptian cotton robe and towel.

Where do you find such baskets? Check local gift basket services or search for spa gift baskets online. You’ll find a wide variety of excellent options. Even better, make the basket uniquely your own by creating it yourself. Shop for bath and body items locally, or visit online retailers.

To make your spa gift basket extra special, select items that are slightly unusual. Select products that are hand-made, or those that are found in specialty boutiques. Hand selecting your gift basket contents with your recipient in mind will make your gift truly unique and especially appreciated.

Regardless of whether you select a ready-made spa gift basket, or one you create yourself, you will be giving a gift that is sure to please. May both you and your recipient enjoy less stress . . . and more pampering!

© 2007 Karen Loye Porter. All rights reserved worldwide. Reprint rights: You are welcome to reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, give author credit, and include the resource and bio information in its entirety.

Source by Karen Loye Porter

If you have ever hit a wall when it comes to gift giving you are not alone. It happens to even the most enlightened of gift givers. There are always gifts to be given and people to give them, but knowing what the right gift will be is what makes gift giving so hard and gift receiving so special. With people being so different and their tastes covering a broad spectrum gift giving truly is a task for those that don’t enjoy shopping. Yes it would be easy to send a gift card, but you don’t even like it when someone sends you one. It makes you feel like you weren’t worth the time to shop for. So why would you do the same? If you are stumped for a gift and want to give someone something special, you should send them a gift basket delivered by 1800Flowers.com.

If the internet makes it easier for people who dread walking up and down the aisles at store after store in search of something that is going to scream out “Pick me”, then 1800Flowers.com allows you to see the gift more clearly. You have the ability to search for the gift by many different categories allowing you to narrow down the gifts until you get to the perfect gift for the occasion. Although when you think of florists your thinking may be that all they do is offer flowers for any and all events, and in many cases this is true, but at 1800Flowers.com, they recognize that not all people enjoy receiving flowers, and not all people like giving flowers. But most certainly, people love getting deliveries. There is something to be said about being at work, school, or even home and being the recipient of an unexpected delivery.

With that in mind, 1800Flowers.com offers a variety of gifts that will please even the hardest to shop for people in your life. Please the health conscious friend with a fresh fruit basket, dripping with orchard fresh fruits, gourmet treats, and even a sparkling apple pear cider. Indulge the candy lover with an assortment of candy, the tea lover with an organic tea set, and even the wine lover with assorted gift baskets that promise to delight. 1800Flowers.com takes away the boring gift card and replaces it with something that shows you do care!

Source by Daniel Marcus Manson

Here are some well thought holiday business gift ideas. They are creative and unique ways to reward your clients and employees this holiday season.

Corporate gifts that are unique, usable, and long lasting are the best. Set yourself apart from others this season with well thought business gifts.

Corporate gift pens are great business holiday gift ideas due to the fact they are so useful. These are items that will be used over and over again.

When giving business gift pens you can make what’s extremely functional equally fashionable. That of course makes them more appreciated and more likely to be kept around after the holidays.

A huge variety of pens suitable for corporate gifts come from the Waterford company. One pen perfect for a business gift from Waterford is the Lismore. The Lismore has one of Waterford’s most popular crystal patterns. Classic Gothic Architecture of the Lismore castle inspired this pen’s design. Giving a holiday business gift with this kind of history makes something to be remembered.

Custom fountain pens also make great holiday gifts. Designed in Italy Romet Fountain Pens are ideal corporate gifts. They are made from rolled and layered resin. The way these pens are made form a unique pen where no two are exactly alike.

A tried and true holiday business gift idea is giving corporate gift baskets. Perfect for an office or department holiday gift baskets are a holiday favorite. It’s great to give a business gift that can be shared. Everyone loves to get gift baskets, they’re always well appreciated.

Easily shipped and enjoyed by everyone in the office Christmas business gift baskets offer the perfect holiday business gift idea for most.

Different than other gift baskets, Corporate coffee gift baskets are well received gift baskets. Remember, America runs on coffee.

A perfect gift everyone is sure to enjoy, Chocolate corporate gift baskets are one of my favorite types of gift baskets to give and receive.

Holiday baskets with aromatherapy candles are perfect for the stressed out over worked client during the holidays. You can even find baskets that have massagers, scented oils, relaxing compact discs, and other thoughtful items that will be kept long after the holidays.

When giving gift baskets make sure yours stands out. Look for gift baskets that have usable items that will be kept long after the holidays. Business holiday gift ideas should be unique.

Items that have a sport’s theme show your clients you know their hobbies. Golf balls, water bottles, and caps would all make great business gifts. Creativity is key to memorable holiday gift giving.

Callaway, Nike, Taylor Made, and Titleist are all fine companies to associate your brand with. Custom logo golf balls from any of these companies make ideal business gifts. Golf balls with your company’s brand on them are appreciated and usable. The recipients of these gifts get a fun item and you get repeated voluntary exposure of your logo during a very popular past time. Custom logo golf balls make relatively inexpensive holiday gifts. Using this business holiday gift idea will reward the recipients and you for a long time to come.

Sports bags, back packs, golf bags, or totes will all make appreciated corporate gifts. Custom imprinted bags should be specific to your clients. How many of your clients are golfers? A custom golf bag makes a great corporate gift. You can even give custom PGA tour bags. Custom imprinted Nike bags make great business gifts. Go even further with your gift giving and marketing fill the bag with custom logo golf balls.

Promotional bags are one of the most functional business gifts available. The fact they are so functional means a great gift for your clients. Repeated use by the client means exposure
for your business name, logo, or message.

Custom clocks are business holiday gift ideas sure to be kept and used years past the holiday they were received. These corporate gifts can decorate offices or homes. Your loyal clients will proudly show off your well thought gift for years to come.

You can have your business’ logo associated with such names as Bulova, Seiko, Thomas Tompion, and Waterford. A well respected name in clock making Bulova, would be company you could be proud to give. Seiko is a great name that has been around for years. Thomas Tompion was a master clock maker from England. Thomas Tompion is known today as the father of English watch making. The Waterford name has been associated with fine gifts for years. You can proudly have your clients associate your company with all of these names.

Watches make unique corporate gifts. Customized watches stand out in the minds of the recipients. They are also easily branded with your logo making them more personal. They are very usable guaranteeing repeated exposure of your brand.

Bulova, Charles Jourdan, Cititzen, Jean-Louis Scherrer, Movado, Tommy Hilfiger, and Wittnauer
all have watches you can customize and give as great holiday business gifts. Branding with one of these guarantees you will have a reusable and truly unique corporate gift.

Giving great business holiday gift ideas takes creativity and thought. If you wait until the last minute your customers, clients, and prospects won’t think you care for them like you should. The life blood of your business deserves something as great as themselves so be creative. Start looking now for your business holiday gift ideas.

http://www.my-promotional-products.com/business-holiday-gift-ideas.html

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Source by Eric Luna