Friday, December 11, 2009

A Bay Leaf Wreath – one of our favorite holiday decorations & perfect for the hard to please person on your list


It's Pink Saturday and Beverly of How Sweet the Sound, our hostess for Pink Saturday, has asked us to post about our favorite holiday decoration and to tell why it is special.

I’m sure you’ve had a hard to please person on your Christmas gift list from time to time. I know I sure have and I well remember the very person who always topped the list – my husband’s father’s late second wife Wanda, which would make her my stepmother-in-law if there is such a word. At the time she and my father-in-law lived in New York City and could buy anything imaginable whenever they pleased. Both were gourmet cooks and most especially Wanda. My husband referred to her as, “the best darn cook in the world that I’ve ever seen that wasn’t a professional.”

The trouble was at that time I didn’t know Wanda well, but I sensed that she could be hard to please. I’d met her once, earlier in the year during the fall, when my husband and I had flown to the city and stayed with them. I was a manger in the Saks Fifth Avenue store in Houston and, as a part of the trip, I had planned to go to the store and work with my buyer while we were there.

Before we left home Wanda called. “Sam, I thought you might want to know that in New York we don’t wear white shoes in the fall.” I was flabbergasted. I hadn’t worn white shoes since I was a small child and colored them pink, much to my mother’s horror. My entire career has been in fashion merchandising. Did she think I was some kind of country kid?

I wanted to reply that I planned on bringing my little Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress to wear with a soft shade of chestnut brown Bruno Magli sling-back pumps that look nice with my Vuitton bag, but I was so taken back by her call that I think I stuttered something like, “Thanks Wanda. I’ll keep that in mind when I pack.”

This is a time in life that thankfully I had been raised with good manners, because if I could have found a tacky pair of white heels, I would taken them to New York City and put them on in her apartment right before I left for Saks and asked, “Wanda, what do you think? Do I look all right?"

So now you know Wanda was hard to please and it’s time to buy a Christmas gift for her and my husband’s Dad. Knowing their love of cooking, I began flipping through the Williams-Sonoma catalog looking for ideas. How about monogram glasses – no, we got them that last year. Here’s a cute wooden acorn twine holder – nope, they gave that to us last year. I turned the page to find the fresh Bay Leaf wreath, shipped directly from the grower in California. We had gotten a bay leaf wreath for ourselves the previous year and were pleased with its elegant look and continued to use the leaves in cooking well into the year. Perfect. A bay leaf wreath it would be.

I worried that the wreath didn’t come gift wrapped, but I placed the order anyway and crossed my fingers she would like it. About two weeks before Christmas the phone rang.

“Sam, this is Wanda. UPS just delivered a bay leaf wreath.” Oh my, she’s going to tell me she doesn’t like it or, worse yet, she has two already and this will make three and they have a tiny apartment….

While I was lost in my thoughts, I heard her say, “I’ve never heard of a bay leaf wreath. It’s absolutely gorgeous; in fact I’ve never seen anything like it before. I adore it and I know Jim will too. Thank you and Meakin so very much. What a nice surprise. How long do the leaves stay fresh?”

“You’re very welcome, Wanda. I’m thrilled that you like it. Yes, we used our leaves until they began to dry up later in the year. If you leave it inside, it will last longer than if you put it outdoors.” Whew. I finally pleased her. I just about broke my arm patting myself on the back that year, but these kinds of things only happen once or twice in a lifetime for me – pleasing the hard to please.

Williams-Sonoma has been shipping bay leaf wreaths to happy people for thirty-five years, so if you’re looking for a lovely gift for someone that is hard to please, or even hard to buy for, I recommend this gorgeous holiday wreath. We hang one in our home each year on our early American chest on frame and I think it’s one of the most beautiful decorations we have. Every time I look at our wreath, I think of Wanda and how thrilled she was that year.

Be sure to visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound to see what other bloggers are featuring as their favorite holiday decoration. Happy Pink Saturday everyone and enjoy the holidays.

28 comments:

  1. I've always wanted one of those wreaths.

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  2. I love your Christmas remembrance. I have always wondered about those bayleaf wreaths. They really are beautiful, aren't they? Thank you so much for sharing.

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  3. you are such a good writer Sam so happy she liked it i bet it smells so good

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  4. LOL, Sam, I'm a step-mother-in-law! DOUBLE WICKED! Bwaahaahaaa!

    I used to get these wreaths when we lived in DC. I loved having them around, and the sweet subtle smell of the bay leaves was an added plus! I used them all year, because even dry the leaves were fresher than the dried ones I could buy at the supermarket.

    Sigh. I wish we could get them here. But we have compensations...

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  5. THis would be such a perfect gift for the foodies on our list Sam.

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  6. I buy one every year for our front door, the only thing the HOA will let us display outside...but I do have to keep it out there, as I am allergic to evergreens and these...I do love your sharing memories; it makes us all think of things I imagine :)

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  7. Ha! It's a good thing we have good manners to help navigate these situations! I've been enjoying your holiday memories. What an aromatic way to win someone over!

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  8. Wonderful story!

    We received one of these wreaths a few years ago and I just loved it. Actually, it's still hanging on our front porch -- all dried and beige but still beautiful.

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  9. How absolutely and positively WONDERFUL! You know, I ♥ Pink Saturday but when you can pair it with Christmas - my gosh, what could be better? And, you did a marvelous job☺ Loved your story - sadly, reminds me of my ex-mother-in-law (since deceased). Just a little too snooty for my taste.

    Loved your post today, just loved it. Wishing you a weekend filled with fun, family and friendship.

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  10. What a lovely story. Thanks for sharing that with us.

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  11. I am not familiar with the wreath, but sounds great. Most of all, I truly enjoyed your story and how well it turned out.

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  12. I've never heard of such and Alexis worked at Williams Sonoma. It's probably one of their mail order only items, they have a lot of those. Sounds like a really neat idea, edible decorations:)

    Loved the story, well played!

    ps: I'm wearing white shoes.

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  13. It really does look elegant, Sam It's a great and useful idea. Have a great Pink Saturday.

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  14. Sam, I loved your story! LOL! But I think I would have loved it more had you had worn white shoes to Saks and talked like a hick to boot! ;-)

    What was she thinking??? Obviously, the book: A SOUTHERN BELLE PRIMER had not been written at that point. In either volume one or two, the author mentions the fact that Princess Margaret wore white shoes after the permitted season. ;-) I mean, really.

    I will remember the wreath. As a matter of fact, I receieved one as a gift one year. Oh dear! Do you think that means I'm difficult to please??? ;-)

    Loved this post. Happy Pink Saturday...

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

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  15. Oh did I love that story. Everyone needs a Wanda in their life - if anything to test their boundaries of good manners. I've always seen them (bay leaf wreaths) in the Williams-Sonoma catalogues and have always been tempted. They are so very pretty. Grand post!

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  16. I think I am going to order one of those wreaths. Thanks for the wonderful idea and great story Sam.

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  17. What a lovely remembrance..I loved it and that you pleased Wanda at least once. :). I loved the wreath and now I know what I want for Christmas. Happy Pinks and have a wonderful weekend.

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  18. Funny story! One we can all relate to. Great wreath too. I can imagine the fragrance. Of, and in California we wear white shoes whenever we feel like it. In fact I am wearing a pair of white Addidas right now with red stripes! GREG

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  19. Sam, you have more grace and self-restraint than I do, I'm imagining I would have toiled endlessly over the white shoes comment.

    Bay leaves grow wildly in California, and most people in the area do not know it. I never purchased dried bay leaves when I was living in Sausalito, because I could just go to the back yard and pick fresh ones off of our tree. This wreath is indeed a great gift, and I remember reading on Williams Sonoma that you can use the leaves in cooking throughout the year.

    Thanks for sharing this story. It's a good lesson in grace and forgiveness.

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  20. Girls Raised In The South...GRITS...know all about White Shoe Etiquite, Good Manners and How To Wow SMIL's...Bless the Best Darn NonPro Cook's Heart! Great story! Now, I'm wonderin how I'd get that big ole wreath in that little can with the flip top lid. Girls Raised In Texas use a couple of Bay Leaves once in awhile when cooking a Roast! I'm gonna have to brush up on Bay Leaf Cooking before ordering a wreath!

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  21. THe wreath is lovely Sam, but the story is totally wonderful, xv.

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  22. Now that's a great idea. Perfect for the hard-to-please and especially perfect for the cook! Happy Pink Saturday!

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  23. Would love one of those wreaths on my front door.

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  24. Wreath from bay leaf? Simple but elegant :)

    Haven't put any x'mas wreath for such a long time.

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  25. Sam, you have me giggling about the white shoes. I like the way you think. ;-)

    I have always admired those bay leaf wreaths, and they smell fantastic.

    Happy Pink Saturday.

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  26. Bay leaf wreath is a wonderful gift idea, so unique! Sure to make everyone happy!

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  27. I was going to say that your bay leaf wreath looks just like Williams´Sonoma's! *giggles*
    I always drooled over them, but never bought one.
    Lucky Wanda! :-)

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  28. They do sell some beautiful wreaths~and this one, is useable~It is gorgeous! I carried a magnolia wreath in my store one Christmas .. it was also another gift to give for those hard to please persons. Nature can supply us with some beautiful gifts! Your decision was perfect for her-glad I didn't work for her......

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