Melania Trump Launches $245 Mother’s Day Necklace
The announcement comes as opening statements start today in the former president’s criminal trial.
Former First Lady Melania Trump Sunday launched a $245 customizable Mother’s Day-themed necklace to add to her online business venture days ahead of the holiday and on the eve of opening statements of her husband Donald Trump’s New York hush money criminal trial.
Melania Trump took to social media saying “Let’s honor and celebrate all mothers with love and gratitude” followed by a link to melaniatrump.com. There, the former first lady presents the “Her Love & Gratitude” necklace, which is described as a customizable flower pendant necklace designed by Melania Trump.
“Each necklace can be engraved with names, initials, or significant dates to create a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry,” the website says. The necklace, the first piece of jewelry she has offered, is made in gold vermeil, features an adjustable chain and includes Melania Trump’s signature. Each purchase also comes with a limited-edition digital collectible, according to the website.
The former first lady offers other collectibles for sale from her website including several USA Memorabilia brass Christmas ornaments that were also being sold with corresponding digital collectibles.
The announcement had a wave of critical responses on social media including from Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney, commenting, “Just like the @vancleefarpels frivole; except not made of gold. Melania Trump Is Now Selling $245 Mother’s Day Necklaces.” And others calling it the latest grift.
Calendar
April 25, 2024
History Happy Hour: Three First Ladies and Four Great Speeches
At the turn of the 21st century, experts in public address were asked to identify the top 100 political speeches of the 20th century. Over 100 scholars submitted their choices and among the final 100 were four by first ladies—two by Eleanor Roosevelt, one by Barbara Bush, and one by Hillary Clinton. This upcoming History Happy Hour program explores the entrance of first ladies onto the public speaking platform with Lou Henry Hoover and what made the four speeches stand out for the critics.
History Happy Hour takes place on Thursday, April 25 at 6 pm EDT and will feature Dr. Diana Carlin, speak about this fascinating history, alongside Chief Education Officer and historian Dr. Matthew Costello, who will moderate the episode. Read more
Stories of Enslaved People at Tudor Place Now Extended
Tudor Place Historic House & Garden’s special installation and guided tour Ancestral Spaces: People of African Descent at Tudor Place, will now be open through October 13. Ancestral Spaces tells the stories of the individuals and families of African descent who lived and worked at Tudor Place.
“The public response to Ancestral Spaces has been tremendous,” said Executive Director Mark Hudson. “It has opened opportunities for partnerships and programming that we could not have imagined when it opened in February,” he added. Earlier this year, Tudor Place was re-imagined, allowing visitors the chance to see the site through the eyes of the enslaved and free individuals for whom the historic house was both home and workplace.
The tour makes use of audio recordings, maps, artifacts and photographs to reveal how these individuals found ways to practice resistance and activism while navigating the irreparable traumas that came from the institution of slavery. Tudor Place staff collaborated with descendants of the enslaved and free Black people who worked there to develop this innovative historic house experience. Tudor Place preserves the stories of six generations of descendants of Martha Washington, and the enslaved and free people who lived and worked here for nearly two centuries. Read more
April 26, 2024
Betty Ford to Be Honored at FLARE’s First National Conference
FLARE’s First National Conference will feature “First Lady Betty Ford: 50th Anniversary Celebration” on April 26 at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The conference is being held in partnership with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum and American University’s School of Public Affairs. The half-day conference begins at 2:15 p.m. EDT. It features two panels: a panel on Mrs. Ford’s leadership as first lady; and a panel on the historic 1984 conference, the first-ever on First Ladies, convened by Mrs. Ford. Colleen Shogan, the Archivist of the United States and FLARE member, will welcome guests in a special video presentation. Read more
April 27, 2024
National First Ladies Day "First Look" Annual VIP Champagne Reception
Celebrate National First Ladies Day on April 27 and be among the first to view the National First Ladies Library & Museum's 2024-25 Featured Exhibit, titled "Leaders in Literacy: First Ladies as Teachers, Educators, and Librarians" at its exclusive annual First Look Champagne Reception. The exhibit features more than a dozen first ladies who have advanced the cause of literacy and education, including Barbara and Laura Bush, Eleanor Roosevelt, Abigail Fillmore and Helen Taft.
The First Look Champagne VIP Reception will feature introductory remarks by President & CEO Patty Dowd Schmitz, a talk by our curator Michelle Gullion about the exhibit, as well as short remarks by first lady descendant Patricia Taft, the great-granddaughter of Helen Taft, who was a schoolteacher. In addition, the winner of the Mary Regula Memorial Scholarship will be announced. It will be awarded to a Stark County, Ohio, high school junior or senior who has written a compelling essay telling the story of significant historical events in American history through the eyes of the first ladies. Read more
April 27, 2024
3rd Annual Rosalynn Carter Luncheon
This First Ladies Day luncheon further celebrates the Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival’s sister festival relationship with the Peanut Festival in Plains. Relatives and longtime friends of former President Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter will be interviewed as part of the program for the luncheon that will take place during the festival in Marshfield, Missouri. Andrew Greer, eight-time Dove Award-nominated singer/songwriter, and producer will moderate. The fried chicken luncheon will reflect a southern menu. Read more
April 27, 2024
14th Annual Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival State Dinner
The 14th annual State Dinner will feature Clifton Truman Daniel, grandson of President Harry S. and Bess Truman, as the keynote speaker. His speech will be in honor of National First Ladies Day. This is a pink tie event. Doors open at 6:30 pm. Read more
April 27, 2024
Bush Family Home to Celebrate National First Ladies Day
The Bush Family Home State Historic Site will be commemorating the important role and contributions of first ladies in U.S. history by celebrating National First Ladies Day on Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Bush Family Home, located at 1412 W. Ohio Ave., in Midland. There have been 46 first ladies in the United States and they have had a major impact on American history, society, and culture, including two who called Midland home. Read more
Through April 28, 2024
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Spring Native Plant Sale
Our spring plant sale features a variety of beautiful, resilient Texas native plants. Select your favorites and get gardening with help from our experts. Read more
May 3, 2024
Clinton Presidential Center Presents “Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women”
On Friday, May 3 at 6 p.m. CDT, The Clinton Presidential Center will present “Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women,” a conversation with authors Diana B. Carlin, Anita B. McBride, and Nancy Kegan Smith. Register here to attend the program in person at the Clinton Presidential Center or to tune in live online. Read more
May 6, 2024
Remember the First Ladies Book Talk
Join co-authors Diana B. Carlin, Anita B. McBride and Nancy Kegan Smith as they discuss their book Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women. The in-person event takes place from 7 to 8 p.m. PDT at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. It is in-person and free.
The three authors write and lecture extensively on first ladies and are founding members of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education (FLARE). Remember the First Ladies will be available to purchase at the Nixon Library Museum Store and all three authors will be available to sign copies following the book talk. Read more
May 10, 2024
Virtual Legacy Lecture: Helen Taft: Millennial First Lady With Patricia Taft
Could a first lady of the United States who lived more than 100 years ago influence today’s generation? Helen Taft’s millennial great-granddaughter Patricia Taft seeks to prove just that. Helen became first lady of the United States in 1909, yet her trailblazing practices, tactics, and policies remain directly applicable to today’s historical, cultural, and political climates. Most well-known for bringing the beloved cherry blossom trees to Washington D.C., Helen Taft was an especially progressive and political minded first lady. Join the National First Ladies Library & Museum for a virtual legacy lecture about First Lady Helen Taft’s lasting legacy and influence with her direct descendant in this engaging program. Read more
May 11, 2024
The First Lady of World War II, A Conversation with Author Shannon McKenna Schmidt
Learn how the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt supported troops in the Pacific in ways that until now have been largely overlooked. Author Shannon McKenna Schmidt will be joined by the Franklin D. Roosevelt Museum and Library’s Deputy Director, Kirsten Strigel Carter. The in-person conversation will be moderated by ERVK’s Board Chair and Eleanor Roosevelt’s great-granddaughter, Anna Eleanor Fierst. Read more
May 14, 2024
The 28th Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum
The Carter Center hosts the annual in-person Georgia Mental Health Forum from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on May 14. Established in 1995, this event addresses timely mental health policy issues facing the state. Attendance is free, but pre-registration is required. Read more
May 14, 2024
Laura Bush Book Club with “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” Author Heather Morris
Mrs. Bush is excited to welcome Heather Morris to the Bush Center for the sixth “Laura Bush Book Club” edition of Engage at the Bush Center. Morris is the author of three novels, including The Tattooist of Auschwitz, a No. 1 international bestseller that sold more than 12 million copies in 47 languages and will soon be an original series on Peacock. Anne Wicks, the Don Evans Family Managing Director, Opportunity and Democracy at the Bush Institute, will moderate the conversation. Read more
Through May 14, 2024
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Presents Tuesday Twilights
Seasonal happy hours featuring live music, food trucks, art installations and more. Read more
May 16, 2024
Third Thursdays Night Out with the First Ladies
The National First Ladies Library & Museum invites participants to enjoy a girls’ or date night out with appetizers and drink as it delves into what Abigail Fillmore, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Laura Bush all have in common—the fact that they were all teachers! Get an inside look into the newly opened 2024-25 featured exhibit, “Leaders in Literacy: First Ladies as Teachers, Librarians, and Educators” at our Third Thursdays Night Out with the First Ladies. Read more
May 18, 2024
The First Lady’s Hidden Hand: Mamie Eisenhower’s Approach to 1950s Politics with Dr. Stefanie Basalik
Mamie Doud Eisenhower was first lady from 1953-1961. Like many first ladies, Mamie Eisenhower took her job as the nation's hostess seriously. What sets her apart from other contemporary first ladies was her subtle use of political strategy as a way to support her husband. Join Dr. Basalik to learn about how Mamie's marriage, her relationship with her grandchildren, her interactions with staff, and her influence on consumerism demonstrated her knack for the same hidden-hand approach to governing as her husband, General Eisenhower. This program will begin at 9:00 a.m. EDT in the Ford Room at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center in Gettysburg Pennsylvania. Read more
May 19, 2024
First Ladies Fine Dining: Jacqueline Kennedy
Jacqueline Kennedy was one of the most intelligent and elegant first ladies of all time. This carried over into her entertaining and her cooking. No one knew the right dish to serve at the right occasion like Jackie. Come cook and learn about this incredibly influential first lady and some of the recipes which contributed to her success as a hostess and becoming one of our most popular and researched first ladies. This is hands-on cooking classes with a lecture by Andrew Och, “The First Ladies Man.” Read more
May 20, 2024
Virtual First Ladies on the Page: Helen Taft: Our Musical First Lady
Whether they’re writing memoirs, digging into a novel, or promoting literacy, reading has been a big part of many first ladies’ lives. Join the National First Ladies Library & Museum for a discussion of a different first lady inspired book each season. We’ll explore fiction and non-fiction and examine some of the historical connections and issues highlighted in each book. We'll meet on Zoom for this discussion based, live program. This interactive program will not be recorded. Zoom info, questions, and pertinent links will be sent out to participants before the meeting. Read more
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