The Oakland Press 5.29.07
Gift ideas for the graduate
pictured: graduation cards, ‘dream big’ tin bucket with posies, ‘dream’ wire word and ‘believe’ ceramic heart
by Jane Peterson
As area graduates prepare to receive their diplomas, friends and family members are pondering their options when it comes to giving gifts to celebrate this milestone.
Whether you’re looking for a gift that will be treasured for years, one that helps the graduate prepare for the next step in his or her life, or one that simply says "job well done," consider the following gift ideas for high school graduates:
School spirit– Graduates heading off to college will be thrilled to receive clothing and other items from the school they plan to attend. Sue Kutinsky, manager at Nancy’s Linens, said popular gifts for grads at the Sylvan Lake store include bath towels, bath sheets, throws and laundry bags in college colors personalized with the graduate’s name and school letters.
Be inspired– Inspirational canvases make great graduation gifts, said Dena Gillespie, manager at catching fireflies in Rochester. The store carries a collection of stretched canvases that feature inspirational quotes, such as Gandhi’s "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Not only can the canvas go with any decor, the graduate also will think of the giver whenever he looks at it, she said.
Keep in touch– Whether they are headed to college or starting a new job, graduates will want to correspond with friends and keep track of what’s going on back home. Make it easy for the graduate by presenting her with an address book, stamps and personalized stationery or a prepaid phone card.
On the road– Those moving away will appreciate the gift of luggage. For those popping home for a weekend visit, a personalized tote bag makes a nice gift that will be appreciated, Kutinsky said.
Make a wish- Another great gift is a money pot, Gillespie said. Once the first coin is dropped into the pot, tradition calls for feeding it until it’s full. At that time, the owner smashes the pot while making a wish.
Consider a card– If giving cash seems a little too impersonal, think about a gift card. Many graduates would be grateful to have them on hand for gasoline, a favorite store or the college food of choice, pizza, when running low on cash.
Treasured memories– Photo frames make great gifts for graduates as do a scrapbook or an album filled with photos.
Snack attack– Stock a gift basket with college food staples such as macaroni & cheese, peanut butter, crackers, candy bars, hot cocoa packets and microwave popcorn.
Technology rules– Fill the graduate’s college dorm room or first apartment wit high-quality sound, thanks to the i-Elegance Audio Systems offered by Sharp Electronics. The units feature Esound, a digital signal processing technology that improves the quality of compressed digital music.
Loads of fun– Laundry is a fact of life, but make it easier for the graduate who is moving away from home by stuffing a laundry bag or basket with basic supplies like detergent, fabric softener, stain remover and the like. For a special touch, tuck in a roll of quarters or two to lighten the financial load.
Timeless traditions– Some of the graduation gifts never go out of style. To express your congratulations, give the graduate a fine watch, an engraved pen or special piece of jewelry.
fancy-schmancy chicken salad
Like I mentioned before… I’m not the most proficient when it comes to cookin’ things up in the kitchen, but this recipe from Cottage Living Magazine looks fairly simple to tackle.
I love that it has slight gourmet flair which means it’ll most likely impress your guests which leads to many compliments which I always love… don’t you?
MAKES: 4 to 6 servings
PREP: 25 minutes
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup fruit chutney*
5 chicken breast halves, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces (about 6 cups)
2 celery ribs, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup red seedless grapes, cut in half
1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith or Pippin, peeled and chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup Spicy Pecans (see recipe, below)
Stir together first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add chicken pieces and next 6 ingredients, and gently toss. Sprinkle with Spicy Pecans, and serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 3 days.
*For testing purposes, we used Crosse & Blackwell’s Genuine Major Grey’s Chutney.
Spicy Pecans
This makes twice what’s needed for the recipe above; serve the extra at happy hour.
MAKES: 2 cups
PREP: 5 minutes
COOK: 15 minutes
2 cups pecan halves
2 to 3 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet, and set aside.
2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine dried rosemary and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl; sprinkle evenly over pecans, and toss to coat.
3. Spread pecans in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake at 350° for about 15 minutes, stirring often, until pecans are crispy and brown. Let cool to room temperature on baking sheet, stirring often to prevent pecans from sticking together. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.
This is just one of many fabulous recipes . Subscribe to our blog today and you’ll be sure to get the dish on many upcoming tasty treats.
delightful deb damboise designs
When I first spotted these scrumptious letters, I was immediately drawn in by the wonderful combination of colors, textures and patterns.
I had the chance to ask Deb a few questions about her lovely letters…
Where are you located?
I live in a small town in New Hampshire with my husband Steven and our kitty Peppermint! I love the changing of the seasons (although winter gets a bit long) and I love that we’re so close to both the ocean and the mountains.
How did you get started?
A year or so ago, my husband was telling me about a machine he wanted to design and build for a project he was working on. He started telling me about some of the things the machine would be able to do and I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if it could cut letters?! My husband really is amazing. He’s an engineer and he designed and built the entire machine by himself. I’m impressed with it everytime I see it in action.
So, we started by cutting letters and now we’ve added some funky shapes to our product line and we’re selling in several shops from NH to CA. Some stores will carry our unfinished letters so they can paint or alter them to their liking. Other boutiques carry my decorated letters, which really is my favorite part! I love designing pieces for people’s homes, especially children’s rooms. Customers will send me photos of their room and color choices or a style they’d like to see and I get busy creating something especially for them. I really try to create a "feeling" with each piece handpicking every detail used on their decorated set. I love how personal they become. Between the word and the thousands of lettering styles we offer, they are truly something from the heart.
What inspires you?
So many things.
Friends… I’m blessed to have wonderful and creative friends. A group of us ‘Crafty Chica’s’ get together on a monthly basis to work on a project, have some wine and gab. Sometimes we don’t get much done but it’s amazing how just talking with them inspires me.
Customers… A custom order can take me in a whole new directions I hadn’t thought of before.
Blogs… I’ve met some pretty amazing people through this funny blogging world. I started blogging just for fun and have met some of the most talented and generous people.
Magazines… I *love* everything about magazines! Not just the gorgeous and colorful spreads but I’m constantly reading the back of the magazine where you find the advertisements and website info.
Boutiques… I love visiting little shops. I’m inspired (and so grateful) to all the shops who are carrying our products – they’re all shops we love! I get inspired seeing their displays and also the unique products they carry.
Target (I love it there!) I love seeing new color combinations I may not have thought about before.
Deb also sells a few of her letter kits and letter blanks and on Etsy or you can see other pretty letter samples on her blog.
Happy Spelling!
our latest whimsical windows
Who says a little summer housework can’t be glamorous? Just slip on some snazzy dish gloves and a cute apron and you’ll be a cleaning diva!
We’re ‘slightly’ excited about being voted the BEST gift shop in HOUR Detroit magazine.
(can you tell?)
Hour Detroit – Best Gift Shop 2007
Trying to find that just-right gift has never been so fun or easy. With two locations, the whimsical catching fireflies has an abundant selection of original gifts. The store is filled with merchandise from local and national artists. Stock includes necklaces, bath and body, kitchen, and stationery.
Thank you Hour Detroit and all our wonderful customers who voted for us!
leon & lulu – hip homewares
If you live in Metro Detroit and are looking to retire some of your current furniture, I highly recommend a visit to Leon & LuLu in Clawson.
They have a fabulous collection of hip furnishings at reasonable prices AND they’re independently owned (always a plus in my book)
Steve & I just recently replaced our tired-old couch with this cute tobacco-colored leather set. We love it!
swap-bot sweets
I’ve recently taken up a new hobby – Swap-Bot (think of it as random pen pals, but instead of letters, you exchange goodies of your choosing!)
My first swap I signed up for was to select $10 worth of your favorite chewing gum. My package of sweets came all the way from Australia from a very stylish and generous swapper. She included many other Australian sweets in addition to gum… yummy! – I’m chewing the Juicy Fruit as I write.
(on a side note… don’t you think with all the long-lasting gum flavor technology out there, they’d be able to figure out how to prolong the wonderful sweet taste of Juicy Fruit past 3 minutes? — hmmm, time for another piece)
My swapper, Anastasia, also has a delightful blog filled with many pretty things. This is an Artist Trading Card she just created.
And look at this fantastic bedroom she featured.
Be sure to stop by her blog for a visit if you need a fix of fancy for the day.
attention all cool moms
We’re just a few moms that track down cool stuff so you can stay busy being fabulous. We know cool stuff doesn’t make the mom, but it certainly helps make life a little better.
Our focus is non-mainstream products and services, particularly those from indie designers and mom/women-run companies. We want to demonstrate that you can stay true to your dazzling design sensibilities and still support an entrepreneur, especially one trying to support her family through her work. 
We’re here to entertain as well as to inform so we hope you enjoy your time here, maybe laugh a little. Look, we know you don’t want to waste your valuable free time reading some boring blurb that looks like it was lifted right out of a press release. And that would be no fun for us.
Besides, you can’t take stuff too seriously. It’s just stuff. Even if we do love it with every fiber of our beings.
Here’s just a sampling of their recent hip picks…
save the date birthday bookmarks
PLUS… did I mention they give away a lot of their featured products when you participate in their contests?
I don’t even have children and enjoy reading about their fabulous finds. So hop on the cool mom train today and before you know it, your hipster meter will be off the charts!
keane concert = ear & eye candy
I’ve always really enjoyed Keane’s music, but they moved up a number of levels on my favorite musician’s list after I witnessed their amazing concert at the State Theater in Detroit the other night.
I didn’t bring my camera to the show, but I found some snips of other shows they performed at recently on wonderful YouTube.
This was their first release off their second album, Under the Iron Sea – Is it any Wonder
Bad Dream is a haunting song that I really love.
detroit free press – PLAY insert 5.10.07
Antiques, beads and the world’s coolest flip-flops
Downtown Berkley shops full of offbeat, irresistible treasures
Handmade soaps? Fabulous toys? Hip and happening shoes and sandals? Surprise! You’ll find all those things in once-sleepy downtown Berkley.
Long in the shadow of its glitzier south Oakland County neighbors, downtown Berkley – the portion of 12 Mile between Coolidge and Greenfield – is emerging as a shopping destination.
Several new stores have opened in the past year or so, drawing new shoppers and introducing them to some pretty fabulous longtime businesses, too. Berkley merchants say rents are less expensive than in some neighboring downtowns, which makes up for some shoppers’ lack of familiarity with the city.
Diners are more familiar with Berkley, home to Amici’s Pizza and martinis; Nippon Grille, which has tasty sushi; Mr. Kabob, a Middle Eastern carryout and gas station; and The Berkley Front, a bar that specializes in interesting beers.
Sprucing up the sidewalks – and keeping them clean, which hasn’t always been the case – makes the area look more inviting than ever.
"It’s gotten better," says Linda Kapolka, 56, who lives in Warren but travels to Berkley to shop for yarn at Have You Any Wool?, which opened three years ago and last year moved to a larger location. "You’re getting different shops… It’s like an old fashioned Main Street. You can just park and walk!" An added bonus: Parking is free! Intrigued? Let’s get started with 10 reasons to shop in Berkley.
Shopping here is fun in the way that shopping at an incredible garage sale is fun: You never know what you may find. The store has an interesting selection of new and used household items, including furniture. Check out the stuff from the 60’s! It also has the state’s only ArtOMat. Put $5 in the revamped cigarette machine, pull a knob and you’ll get a piece of original art the size of a cigarette package. 302 W. Twelve Mile. 10am-6pm Tue-Sun 248-691-1978
Whimsical and witty cards, decorations for walls and gardens, nifty household items and pet products. There’s also a small selection of indie clothing ranging from $24-$100. The store has been open for almost seven years. (frog tape dispenser featured) Free gift wrapping! 3117 W. Twelve Mile. 10-6 Mon-Sat 10-8 Thur 248 336 2030
3. City Style
Open just three months in a space that used to be a dry cleaning establishment, this store carries purses and shoes with a bit of hip edge for women and a smaller selection for men. (Check out the Havaianas; they’re the THE coolest flip-flops on the planet.) The store also has a selection of Made in Detroit shirts and jackets. 3017 W. Twelve Mile. 10-6 Mon-Fri 10-7 Sat 12-5 Sun. 248-548-2489
4. Doll Hospital and Toy Soldier Shop
A fixture on the city’s shopping landscape – it moved here from Detroit in 1953 – this toy store (and doll hospital) has only gotten better. Full of educational games, toys and baby dolls you won’t find at just any toy store. Barbie isn’t big here. The store also specializes in playscapes. 3947 Twelve Mile. 10-5:30 Mon-Sat 10-8:30 Thur 12-4 Sun. 248-543-3115
5. Garden Central
Shrubs, trees flowers, cute cement garden statues and iron accents. What’s great about this 11 year old business is the service – even at closing time, you won’t feel rushed; I know I didn’t – and the knowledgeable staff. Obviously the selection isn’t as great as that at a garden super center, but sometimes smaller is better. 2682 Twelve Mile. 9-6 Mon-Thur 9-3 Fri-Sat 11-3 Sun. 248-542-6640
The yarn store has been in Berkley for three years. The establishment which displays its yarns in bushel baskets, is friendly – knitters’ socials take place the second Friday of the month. Look for specialty yarns, too – including yarn made from corn, bamboo and organic cotton. Organic wool yarn is expected for fall. 3455 Robina. 11-7 Tues & Thur 10-5 Wed & Fri 10-4 Sat. 248-541-9665
7. Ida Belle Handmade Soap
Open just a year, the tiny – only 400 square feet – and charming store sells 25 varieties of all-natural handmade soaps wrapped in fabric or pretty paper. Among the most popular? Sweet Vanilla and Seaweed with Lavender. Prices start at about $2. Also: vintage linens, a few teapots, books. Owner Mei-Mei Zhao takes special orders. Her soaps are popular gifts for bridal showers. 3435 Robina. 11-6 Tues-Sat. 248-544-7699
8. Munro Crafts
In business for 37 years, Munro has morphed from a store specializing in macrame to the ultimate bead superstore. Prices range from a few cents to hundreds of dollars. The 7,500-square-foot store also stocks clay and twines and other art supplies. But it’s the beads – including Swarovski crystals – that lure shoppers from all over. 3954 Twelve Mile. 9-8 Mon & Thur 9.5 Tue-Wed & Fri 9-4 Sat. 248-544-1590
9. Odd Fellows Antiques Mall
Fifty vendors spread over two levels sell everything from retro planters (McCoy!) to gorgeous and very important antique chandeliers and furniture. (The "Christmas Story" – inspired lamp on the cover is sold, proof you need to act fast when something catches your eye.) Reasonable prices compared with what you might pay at a shop in Royal Oak or Ann Arbor. 3248 W. Twelve Mile. 11-5 Mon-Sat 12-5 Sun. 248-399-6098
10. Time Travelers
Expect to find about a quarter-million comic books in stock – including one featuring the first appearance of Spider-Man ($3,000). Comic books date back to the 1930’s, but owner Mike Lester says the biggest sellers are from the 1960’s. The crowded and overwhelming 4,000 square-foot store has been here since 1990. Lester says it’s only a matter of time until activity from surrounding hot spots- Ferndale, Royal Oak, Birmingham – trickles down to Berkley. 3277 Twelve Mile. 11-7 Mon-Sat 12-5 Sun. 248-548-7213
