The Gift that Keeps on Giving

September 24, 2024

For those of you who do not know about my past career, I have been a professional gift designer for over 25 years and prior to this I was an interior designer. Recently, I met-up with a few friends and we were discussing my 2024 art calendars and several creative ways to use them for gift giving once the month has passed. My friends encouraged me to share our conversation.

Originally, I created them for office spaces - they are meant for desks or tabletops (especially since so many people have home offices and not enough wall space!) My calendars are also great for those cozy spaces to sit and reflect, like a kitchen table or nook. After I released my first calendar last year, I received comments from delighted customers saying that they loved sitting down with a cup of coffee while gazing at my colorful artwork. They also said the colors and my whimsical style were uplifting and brought them much joy. This makes me so happy to hear!

While my 2024 limited edition “Daisy Art Collection” is no longer available, I created a new collection for 2025 called the “Flowers of the Month”. It is in keeping with my bold color combinations and cheerful, whimsical style. It too, offers colors reflective of the seasons and will add a festive whimsy to your holiday décor.

Here is the calendar on display in Virginia at the home office of my former business partner and friend Pam Grimes. Check out those fall leaves in the background they make the ideal picturesque backdrop, which further conveys the fall season. This was Pam’s comment on Instagram “I couldn't wait until 2024 to display Melinda's Art Calendar, so I immediately turned to November's floral. It provides a beautiful complement to my workspace - it's like having a fresh bouquet of flowers on my desk! Love it - thanks so much, Melinda!”  

photo credit ~ by Pam Grimes

Once the month has passed, there is no need to store the cards away. Here are four creative ways to utilize the cards.

Make a gallery wall or bookshelf grouping with a few, or all the calendar cards. This will add interest to your home environment. However, be sure to crop-off the date information before mounting them.

For a stunning focal point mount several together in a generous size frame. Also, you could frame the specific flowers of the month that correspond to your family birthday's.

The interior designer in me is always in the forefront when applying my art with items that will be on display in the home or office space.

Seen here in my home studio is one of my favorite tabletop frames that I purchased from a local craft store. It makes a great birthday gift, too! I personally put my cards on display using this frame, but you could use any small frame to your liking.

You could also attach one of my calendar cards to the front of a blank greeting card and give them as either birthday, get well, or note cards. Just crop off the date information first. You can purchase folded cards and envelopes at a local craft store as well. 

Here is an example of my friend Teresa with a birthday card I created for her using this method.

photo credit ~by Gabriella Alsup

If you were not able to purchase my 2024 calendar, do not fret! My “2025 Flowers of the Month” calendars are available now, but don’t wait, they will be sold only for a limited time, and currently several have already been sold. So be sure to get them while the supplies last. Click HERE to purchase or for more info.

Thank you so much to my friends Pam and Teresa for sharing their pictures with me and to my friends Vicki and Dianna for encouraging me to share with you how to turn my calendar into the gift that keeps on giving.

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