Memorial Day Weekend is upon us. It’s the unofficial start of summer, but more important, it’s also the weekend when many of you normally make a beeline for the Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton to savor the pleasures of the Paradise City Arts Festival.

A great “gift match” is so satisfying. It can be something you know they need – or an amazing find they don’t even know is their heart’s desire until they receive it. This curated selection of gifts covers a wide range of occasions, from weddings and graduations to birthdays, baby showers, and even just a “thank you for being my friend” token.

Cherry blossoms float through the air, baby lettuces are nestled in the soil and spring’s first blooms beg for a vase. If you’re from the Northeast, you crave lush greenery and joyful flowers this time of year. We start planning summer’s gardens, setting out birdbaths and outdoor furniture, bringing inside breathtaking, improbable bouquets of forsythia, crabapple, lilac and quince, and gathering nosegays of daffodils and tulips.

What is so very irresistible about running your fingers along a polished piece of wood? In the hands of a master, wood comes alive.

Its solid nature takes on many beautiful forms; its fluidity is accentuated by carving, sanding and rubbing. Our homes and furnishings are largely built of wood, and we find solace in natural woodlands. Even fire, the very source of civilization, comes from wood.

A new pair of earrings is an almost irresistible purchase at Paradise City, even when you can’t attend a show. Whether you are participating in digital workplace conferences, Facetiming with your family, or “meeting up” with friends for a Zoom cocktail hour, a new pair of earrings conveys a buoyant attitude, a colorful accent and a fresh perspective when you look in the mirror or show your face to the world.