Nine years ago, I visited Angkor Wat with my husband — completely spellbound by its scale, history, and how time and nature had reshaped its beauty. This year, I returned — this time with our kids. Watching them explore those ancient temples felt like stepping into Indiana Jones. They clambered over stones draped in moss, wandered through tree-rooted doorways, and whispered in awe at carvings still alive with spirit. In a moment of play, we hid small coins among the temple grounds — and then, moments later, our kids found them again, shrieking with delight as if they’d uncovered ancient treasure. Nine years earlier, I had found my own treasure there: @theamsgallery an artist’s studio tucked among the palms of Siem Reap. It was my first encounter with the work of Lim Muy Theam, a Cambodian-French artist who blends traditional Khmer craftsmanship — lacquer on wood, gold leaf, and layered pigment — with modern storytelling. On that first trip, I brought home a three-panel Tree of Life with three elephants in different stances — a symbol of wisdom, strength, and grace. Returning now, I selected three new treasures to commemorate this journey 🕊️ A Myna bird piece surrounded by golden frangipani, symbols of rebirth and devotion. 🙏 A serene Buddha, radiating peace and presence. 💫 An Apsara, the celestial dancer of Angkor, embodying joy, creativity, and transcendence. Each piece, in its craft and symbolism, reminds me why I do what I do — finding not just objects with meaning, but artisans whose mastery becomes part of the story itself. That’s the heart of my company: storytelling through gifts that transcend time, culture, and intention. Pieces that endure — just like the temples of Angkor. #grandunveiling #storytellinggifts #heritagegifting #culturaldiplomacy #artofgifting #meaningfulgifts #legacygifting #travelstories #angkorwat #cambodia #theamshouse #mayaart #symbolicgifts #familytravel #storydriven

One rainy afternoon at Blair House, the official guest residence for visiting heads of state, I found myself face to face with a portrait of the Dowager Empress Cixi. It was haunting. Part photograph, part painting. At first glance regal, but on closer look almost illusory — her features softened with painted details, her nails long (so long I gawked) and deliberate, every stroke calculated. In portraits, Cixi’s striking nails weren’t vanity; they signaled imperial authority, wealth, and distance from ordinary life. The portrait and her expression haunted me much like The Last Emperor haunted me 20 years ago. I learned it was the most valuable yet most overlooked gift in the collection. Several portraits of Cixi were created and sent to foreign leaders between 1903–1905; all but this one were destroyed. After being presented in 1904, the portrait slipped from prominence. During a survey by the Freer Gallery of Art in the 1970s, it was found in the Blair House attic — 70 years after it was gifted! Wrapped once in imperial yellow silk, it carried not just artistry but strategy. Sent to President Theodore Roosevelt, the portrait wasn’t a whim — it was part of a calculated gesture when China sought favor, legitimacy, and relief from indemnities. Gifts like this were instruments of statecraft, designed to shift relationships and influence decisions. And in this case, they did. 121 years later, standing in that room, I understood it on two levels: on the surface, hauntingly beautiful and deeply human. But underneath, it called me into the story, beckoning me to uncover its threads and feel its impact more than a century later. That’s what a gift does. It endures. It changes how people see each other. It provokes curiosity, connection, even action. Its impact lasts generations. As one great storyteller put it in her lyrics: I’m married to the hustle — the thrill of chasing that perfect story, weaving it into a gift, and watching its meaning unfold again and again. Allow me the honor of doing the same for you. #grandunveiling #storytellinggifts #culturaldiplomacy #historythroughgifts #heritagegifting #legacygifting #empresscixi #diplomatichistory #artofgifting

✨ For those of you who’ve ever thrown yourself fully into something you loved — do you remember those early days?✨ When you spent every ounce of energy chasing work and clients because you knew you were onto something? You believed in your unique offerings and expertise — and you knew, so deeply, that it would change the way a business operated, how relationships formed, the way an idea was viewed. You felt your business had to be in the world. That your services could change how people connected, how they saw each other, even how the world worked. That’s where I am right now. After 20 years in consulting, living abroad, performing, and yes — designing Presidential gifts for world leaders — I’ve taken a leap. A leap into the one thing that lights me up every time: storytelling through gifts. Why? Because I discovered I’m good at disrupting what has become a monotonous gesture — and transforming it into a strategic tool that does what it was always meant to do: build connection. I love learning histories, what makes a business unique, the small details often overlooked. I love weaving threads into a gift so it’s meaningful, clever, layered — something the recipient treasures, returns to, discovers more in. A gift that shifts their relationship with the giver — and even changes them. When I find the right gift, I don’t just know — I feel it in my body. And I’ve seen its power firsthand at the highest levels. As one great storyteller recently put it in her lyrics: I’m married to the hustle. That’s how I feel about this work — the thrill of chasing that perfect, layered story and imbuing it in gifts. I’ve seen gifts shift relationships, spark connection, and endure. I cannot unsee their strategic impact. It would be an honor to harness that same power for you: your business, your organization, your clients, your most meaningful milestones. Next, I’ll share a story from my diplomatic gift days that captures this truth better than I ever could: the tale of a haunting portrait, lost in an attic, overlooked yet world-shifting. #storytellinggifts #strategicgifting #luxurygifts #giftconsulting #corporategifting #brandstorytelling #storydrivenmarketing

From Pepsi commercials in Mexico to Swan Lake at the Kennedy Center… from raising my mini Indiana Joneses to curating gifts for Presidents and world leaders… my journey has always been about storytelling. At Grand Unveiling, I transform those stories into gifts that connect, inspire, and leave a lasting impression. #grandunveiling #storytellinggifts #luxurygifting #presidentialgifting #heritagemarketing #giftingstrategy #corporategifting #weddinggifting #brandstorytelling #legacygifting #bespokegifts #thoughtfulgifting #luxurygifts #historythroughgifts #heritagebrands #giftingwithmeaning #curatedgifts #artdecodesign #timelesselegance #businessgifting #philanthropygifts #executivegifting #meaningfulmoments #celebrationgifting #giftexpert #giftconsulting #giftingwithpurpose #luxurybranding #storydrivenmarketing