Ideas to Get You Rolling
Unusual gifts can cost a lot or a little. Here are some, priced from $4.95 to $125.
Tiny guardian angel pin, $4.95. Attached card: “To sit on your shoulder and keep your spirits high.” C’est Apropos, Target Shopping Center, 211 S. El Camino Real, Encinitas, 944-7461.
Wallet Shopping Bag, $7.50. Save a tree or two with this little change purse that unzips to a 13 1/2 inches by 14 1/2 inches lightweight nylon shopping bag. John’s Fifth Avenue Luggage, North County Fair, Escondido, 480-6871.
Six terra-cotta garden markers, $8.50. Herb stakes imprinted with: sage, oregano, marjoram, mint, cilantro and chives, Adams, Harvest Ranch Shopping Center, Encinitas, 436-1234.
Beam & Read, $14.95. A book-light that hangs around the neck on an adjustable strap. Good for reading in bed or on a darkened airplane. Richard’s Lounge & Handbags, Plaza Camino Real (upper level) Carlsbad, 434-3116.
Photo Mug, $16.95. Your mug on a mug. Your favorite snapshot and personal message is absorbed into the glaze of a coffee mug by a heat process, making it microwaveable and dishwasher safe. Process takes about 10 minutes. Let’s Get Personal, North County Fair, Escondido, Plaza El Camino Real, Carlsbad. (Both in carts on lower levels, no phone.)
Eucalyptus Stonewear Basket $27.50 to $40. A locally made, hand-woven, glazed pottery bowl that is not only ovenproof but retains heat, keeping breads warm through dinner. It makes a good fruit bowl too, since its open weave encourages air circulation. Comes in various colors and shapes at The Silver Skillet at Flower Hill Mall, Del Mar, 481-6710.
Beeswax Candles, $17.40 to $32.40. More expensive than paraffin, but solid beeswax candles burn longer, are smokeless, dripless and glow translucently. Boxes of 12, in 6-inch, 10-inch, 12-inch and 15-inch sizes. Made and sold at Knoor Beeswax Products, 14906 Via de la Valle, Del Mar, 755-2051.
Native Scents of Taos, $29. A rustic wooden crate packed with three 4-ounce muslin bags of fragrant pinon pine, cedar, and cedar and lavender that can be used as sachet or slowly burned in the handmade clay pot. Also included are charcoal tablets and tiny bundles of sage known as “smudge sticks.” Cassidy West, 112 S. Cedros, Solana Beach, 755-2728.
Back-Hugger, $29.95. A contoured lumbar support pillow, 14 inches square, made for both bucket and bench car seats, Bodywork Emporium, 338 North Highway 101, Leucadia, 942-9565.
Lap Desk, $39. Cherry finished, hinged box with a compartment for writing materials. 3 1/2 by 11 1/2 by 14 3/4 inches, the Bombay Company, North County Fair, Escondido, 738-2316, and Plaza El Camino Real, Carlsbad 729-5315.
Turkish pepper or coffee grinder, $49.95. Nine-inch, brass, resembles a miniature minaret. Kitchen Witch, Ralphs’ Shopping Center, Encinitas, 942-3228.
Indonesian “Crib Angel,” $70. A mythical dragon, mystical mermaid or magical angel hangs from the ceiling to give good karma, or at least an interesting addition to a room. Hand carved and painted, about 14 inches long. The Coral Branch, 745 1st St., in the Lumberyard, Encinitas 436-6411.
Child’s wooden rocking chair, $75. Rush seat, hand painted by local artist Betsy Macier. Cottage Furniture, 267 North El Camino Real, Encinitas, 944-9278.
“Stumstick,” $75, an attractive mandolin-line instrument billed as “an instrument for those who can’t play anything.” Rich looking wood, nice sound. Comes with playing instructions and owner’s manual. (A larger model sells for $150.) Ocean Song Gallery, 14438 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar 755-7664.
“Bloomingbag” $125. A locally designed, light-weight women’s golf bag. Leather trimmed canvas-backed cotton in pretty floral prints in a choice of 10 color combinations. Water- and stain-resistant. Comes with a coordinating clutch bag. Rancho Santa Fe Golf Shop, La Granada, Rancho Santa Fe, 756-3094.
