We’ve been so busy, we haven’t given all the gifts we’ve had in mind to give to friends and family. Our fridge is still stockpiled with mason jars of Prunes in Armagnac we plan to give friends we meet up with in the next few weeks. And our favorite gift for this year, the extraordinary book Tantra Song by Franck Andre Jamme, sold out of its first printing after we’d gotten to send only two copies out. So we’re going to wait a month or two until it’s back in stock, THEN we’ll give it as a Christmas – or anytime – gift. The book is a rare collection of powerful modernist Tantric paintings from Rajasthan, done on salvaged paper: “things of beauty used to awaken heightened states of consciousness.”  The book, and the story behind it ia SO remarkable that it is a well-worth-waiting-for-bargain at around $25. (It will be available here from Amazon, or through the publisher.)

We’re just following our Philosophy of Late Celebrations: that it’s much more fun to drag out a holiday or birthday, giving the RIGHT gift after the hoopla of the actual day has blown over. Who wouldn’t like to get an unexpected gift in mid-January?  We also famously celebrate birthdays NOT on the actual date, but on several random and perfect days during the year…

Tantra Song is a gift we’ll give for many overdue occasions, and just for the heck of it.

franck andré jamme

We find it illuminating and useful on many levels. We use the images for meditation AND as inspiration for color combinations for painting our space.

franck andré jamme

And the story behind how the book came to be reminds us how seemingly bad events in life often yield unexpected gold years later.

franck andré jamme

Read more about Tantra Song, and see more images, here.

If you need ideas for gifts during the year, click the All Categories drop-down list  to the right and select “gifts”.

Related posts: leaving secret (or surprise) presents
oddly brilliant gifts + following your own odd brilliance
our favorite homemade food gifts to d-i-y
just in time for the holidays: canal house cooking vol. 7
six great children’s books to give as gifts

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