Semi-Homemade Holiday Gifts

It’s cute when your child gives you a lopsided sculpture or a drawing so out of proportion you’re not sure who – or what – it is. It’s not so cute when adults hand out handmade offerings of similar quality. Using items that are already available and attractive, you can make gifts for family and friends, and even the children on your list, that are classy and fun. They are easy on the wallet – and help meet that hefty expectation we all lug around this time of year to come up with the perfect gift.

The trick is to buy some of the components at discount stores or thrift shops, on sale or online, embellish them, and wrap them like precious jewels. You’ll end up with projects that even you didn’t know you could make.

Why not frame something special that someone already owns? One year I gave my husband the flag that draped his father’s casket, in a special frame made just for the purpose, and included his dog tags and photo ID. This is also a great idea for football jerseys, old army jackets or almost anything they might want to display. You don’t have to pay someone to frame them for you. Instead, check out arts and craft stores like Michael’s and Aaron Brothers. I was amazed at the number of pre-made frames they have for displaying keepsakes. They have shadow boxes in every imaginable size and shape as well as “collage” type frames for photo collections. So easy and so personal!

Last year my friend Jan gave everyone on her list big stainless steel mixing bowls purchased at a restaurant supply store. She customized each one with products appropriate for the recipient – pasta and sauce for one, oils and vinegars for another, Chinese noodles and chopsticks for another and baking ingredients for yet another. I love it when the containers are part of the present! Other possibilities are flower pots or vases, hat boxes, or treasure chests with locks (especially great for kids who love a secret). Get any or all of these at Big Lots! or you favorite Thrift Store.

Mixes in a jar, like spiced tea or gourmet hot chocolate, are more special when they are in attractive reusable containers and include a measuring spoon or scoop and a mug. If the mix is for cooking or baking, throw in the bowl, the pot or the cookie sheet – whatever. There are books of instructions for just about anything in a jar, but hey – I just type “gifts in a jar” into my search engine! You will make a friend for life if you can find a recipe that’s low fat, low sodium or sugar free for those with medical conditions. PS: Don’t forget to include the directions.

I thought it would be fun to dress up a plain sweatshirt, so I went to visit one of my favorite “Las Vegas’ Best Kept Secrets”, Heddy’s Fabrics. All I had to do was show Heidi (Heddy’s daughter who now owns the store) my sweatshirt and stand back. She ran around pulling out trim, buttons, and iron-on appliqués until my head was spinning. And then she gave me the “Tip of the Month”. She told me about The Ribbon Store.

Open by appointment only, Carole Sidlow’s Ribbon Store is located in the five-car garage formerly occupied by her husband’s antique auto collection. Don’t let that fool you – this is no small time operation. Carole brought her ribbon business here from Studio City, CA, but found there wasn’t enough traffic for a storefront. Now she sells ribbons from all over the world both in person and through her eBay store or at www.ribbonstore.com. She has ribbons from France, China, Italy – you name it. She has new ribbon and vintage ribbon. Ribbon to sew with, ribbon to knit with. Lots and lots of ribbons. If you are a regular Sensible Shopper reader, you may remember that last year I wrote “sometimes the present is in the box, sometimes it’s on the box and sometimes it is the box”. Carole and I experimented with creating a box that is the present – gluing ribbon to the lid so that you don’t have to untie the bow to open it. With less than a yard of fabulous ribbon, you can create a box that becomes a special place for keepsakes. The present inside is just extra.

I like to wrap a gift with solid colored paper, run a single piece of heavy ribbon (like velvet, satin or grosgrain) around it, and then put a sparkling holiday pin on the ribbon. Fabulous! (And pretty darn cheap, but don’t tell anyone.)

Let this be one holiday season when the best gift you give is yourself. If it can’t be homemade, let it be “semi-homemade”.

Do as I say, not as I do.

Why is it that my cupboards are full and yet I can’t find anything to make for dinner? It’s the same reason my closet is full but I can’t find anything to wear. I buy things for the wrong reason and then hang on to them ’til death do us part.

Yesterday I got tired of juggling cans while looking to see if there’s any tuna so I took every single item out and only put back what I knew I would use. It was about half of what had been in there originally. I threw out things with long past expiration dates. That was two Trader Joe’s bags full. Another bag full went to my friend Laurie. (I do the same thing with clothes and my friend Caroline. Swapping is a wonderful thing.)

One of the things I “always buy when it’s on sale” is Duncan Hines cake mix and complementing flavors of Jello Instant Pudding. I used to make a lot of cakes, but now I don’t so why do I keep buying mix and pudding? I found four – count ‘em, four – boxes of lemon pudding and only one box of lemon cake mix. Three packages of cornbread mix had gotten pushed to the back, so I bought some more. Now I have A LOT! (I only buy cornbread mix made in Southern states – it’s a G.R.I.T.S. thing.)

There are a lot of sobering statistics on wasted food. A study at the University of Arizona found that about 14% of our household food purchases go to waste. Other studies claim that in this country we throw out almost 100 billion pounds of food each year, but that includes restaurants and grocery stores. Whatever – these days I can’t afford to waste ANYTHING!

Earlier I was bragging about the bargains I found at the $ store. Well, here’s what happened to them: we never ate the raspberries and they went down the disposal, most of the bananas spoiled before I could finish them, and I didn’t eat all the watermelon either. I got caught up in the thrill of the find and bought stuff just because it was cheap. I should have served those raspberries that very evening and shared the bananas with my neighbor. I actually ate most of the watermelon, so we won’t count that. Every time I had a craving for something sweet, I grabbed a slice from the ‘fridge instead of a cookie and ate it standing over the sink. Only a couple of slivers went to waste. I also tossed out a large container of lettuce because we were never “in the mood” for a salad. (Moral to that story: don’t ask your family what they want for dinner, just make it and serve it.)

Years ago I knew a young woman who planned her meals for a week and only bought what she was going to serve. By the end of the week, her refrigerator was virtually empty except for maybe some catsup and mayonnaise. I’ve never been able to do that. I wonder if it’s too late to learn …

Meet Me at "The Mart"

There are a lot of fabulous things about Las Vegas and most of them are pretty obvious – being all lit up and such. Downtown, across the street from the County complex (red rock pyramid) is another complex that is fabulous without the neon. It’s called the World Market Center which tells you nothing about what’s inside. When it’s completed in 2012, World Market Center Las Vegas will have more than 12 million square feet of state-of-the-art exhibit space in 8 buildings on 57  acres. All segments of the home furnishings industry will be together on one giant campus, making it the largest, most comprehensive, most accessible showroom and convention complex in the industry.

Those who know of its existence still don’t necessarily understand what “The Market” is all about. Well, for one thing, “The Market” isn’t a building, it’s a happening. Las Vegas Market takes place twice a year in January and July and is open only to members of the retail furniture and design trades. There is no fee to attend but you will be required to provide a Resale/Tax ID Number or Interior Design Certificate Number to register.

So how does one get into this fabulous place if one is not an Interior Designer? Short answer – you don’t and frankly you probably don’t want to. Most of it is totally geared to buyers from furniture retailers.  BUT, there is an area you can visit in the company of your own designer and that is the Las Vegas Design Center. Open Monday – Friday to members of the trade and their clients, Las Vegas Design Center is a state-of-the-art combination of creativity, innovation and selection in more than 400,000 sq. feet of permanent showroom space on two floors of buildings A & B

A couple of times a year, the local chapter of American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) hosts a Pre-Market Inventory Clearance Sale open to the public which serves as a fundraiser benefiting The Nevada Aids Project, Opportunity Village and Habitat for Humanity. There is a small entrance fee of $10 (cash only) which goes to the charities. The next one is Friday and Saturday, June 13 & 14, 9 AM – 5 PM. You can “shop like a pro” or just gawk at the amazing displays.

I totally scored at the $ store this morning!

Actually, it was the 99 cent store, but let’s don’t split hairs. I went to get some paper goods for a party tonight. I refuse to pay full price for stuff like that. Ditto gift bags that cost more than my gift. So that’s why I was at the $ store. I left with five bags of groceries. Here’s what I bought:

• A small seedless watermelon (delicious)
• A can of corned beef
• A package of Armour hot dogs (the ones kids love to bite)
• Two cans of anchovies for my husband’s half of the pizza
• Two boxes of Oh Boy frozen stuffed potatoes (the best and hard to find)
• A six-oz clamshell of fresh raspberries
• A package of zucchini (about a pound)
• A bag of frozen hash browns
• A package of Farmer John’s sausage links
• Several liters of Crystal Geyser Sparkling Water, lime & orange
• Lean Cuisine “brick oven” pizzas – mushroom and garlic chicken
• Lean Cuisine paninis, Tuscan Chicken – my favorite
• A loaf of some kind of “whole wheat” bread called Olympic Meal
• Some tiny bananas that I remember from my days in the Philippines
• Stouffers frozen stuffed green peppers
• Two bottles of spicy V-8 juice
• And of course the paper plates and napkins plus a cute melamine serving tray.

Whenever I go to that store for paper goods I always check out the fresh produce and the freezer case. You just never know. Today was exceptional. Frequently there isn’t anything worth even a dollar. If you’re into canned fish however, there’s plenty of that. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many kinds of canned fish and I’m not talking about just tuna. That’s why I always look there for anchovies. Ditto canned crabmeat. It’s good in the Snow’s corn chowder that they always have.

If this recession we’re not having goes on for much longer, I may become a regular at the dollar store. I call this “going back to my roots”. My first husband and I were married while he was still in college. When I tell you I pinched pennies, I’m telling you they actually screamed for mercy. A lot of my old standby tricks are coming in handy once more. I’ll be happy to share a few of them with you if you will return the favor!

Cutting Edge Technology

Las Vegas: When I was a young bride (the first time) my mother-in-law gave me the greatest present – a good, sharp kitchen knife. She told me, “This will make your life a lot easier.” Understand that back then a major part of my life was spent in the kitchen. I was a full time housewife, and a damned good one! When my son got married I gave his wife a similar knife for the first Christmas present. When she opened it she squealed with delight. My son and husband (second one) were mystified at her enthusiasm, but she and I exchanged knowing looks. If you spend any time at all in the kitchen and you do anything there besides heating soup in the microwave, you need a really good knife.

You could go to a department store and get totally confused by the bewildering array of sharp objects. You can ask the clerk which one to buy and I’ll pretty much guarantee he/she will point to the one that is most expensive. OR you could go to Bonds House of Cutlery at Valley View & W. Sahara where an experienced and knowledgeable staff will spend time answering your questions. There are lots of knives for lots of uses from de-boning a chicken to skinning a – well, whatever you might want to skin. Shop owner, Lynn Bonds, has made a living selling “knives & more” for over 20 years. When you own a really good knife, you want to have it professionally sharpened. They do that, too, off site because it’s messy. Bonds also has the largest selection of cigarette lighters I’ve ever seen. Don’t smoke? Check out eBay to see what classic Zippos are selling for these days!

And here’s a “scoop” of sorts – Lynn recently purchased the entire inventory of a California business and rented extra space near her shop to serve as a clearance center. Given the choice between picking out the best stuff or buying it all, Lynn said it was easier just to take the whole lot. She let me in while they were still opening the boxes. Just to give you an idea of the variety there are darts and dart boards, Lord of the Rings collectibles, ceramic figurines, wind chimes and a plethora of other items – including knives. My favorite was the Knight Light. Cute, huh? You just have to see it for yourself. It might be a good opportunity to do some early holiday shopping. Just don’t be like me and forget where you hid the stuff.

Technorati Tags: knives,Lord of the Rings,knights,darts,Bonds

Shopping Sensibly

When I created this blog, it was an extension of my work with the now defunct Southern Nevada Home & Garden Magazine. I had such a good time shopping and writing and developed such a nice loyal following, I hated to give it up. The philosophy behind sensible shopping was just to get the most for your money and have fun doing it.  I wasn’t looking for cheap – I was looking for unique and interesting shopping opportunities. Well – that was then and this is now. All of a sudden, “sensible shopping” is a way of life and a necessity for survival. The economy is in the toilet, prices of almost everything have risen, and not many people I know are spending money like they used to.

Aren’t we the smart ones! We already have a bargain hunting mind set. We just need to kick it up and notch. Starting today I’ll be posting more often and I hope you will chime in whenever you find a great deal you can share.

Tell all your friends!

This and that …

It’s time to catch up on a few loose ends. When I wrote about my search for the “perfect” purse, I promised to report back when my order arrived from eBags. That was months ago – sorry! I can’t say enough good things about my experience with eBags. The site was easy to navigate, the purchase easy to make, and my bag arrived in just a few days. It was totally worth the price – under $50 including shipping. I’m still using it. I was warned in a post on The Closer blog that the tote had some white stitching and that if I didn’t care for it I could color it black with a Sharpie, which is exactly what I did! The bad news is that the new model on eBags has lots of white stitching. The good news is that J.C. Penney has the original one for even less money. I don’t usually skimp on purses, but I’m not going to pay hundreds of dollars for one just because it has some designer’s logo printed all over it. My “Closer Bag” has three sections, lots of pockets, holds file folders, and it works for me and that’s all I care about.

The pack is back! One of the best things I ever bought for entertaining was a Party Pack of wine glasses from Costco a couple of years ago – 18 glasses for just under $20. You can buy decent, inexpensive wine glasses at Cost Plus and sometimes at Pier 1, but they don’t come in a handy storage box like this. Something I learned from the Costco management is that Las Vegas is a “test market”. That’s why products come and go and then, if they make the cut, return several months later.

I’ve been waiting anxiously for the first Martha Stewart food product to appear in the freezer or refrigerator case at Costco. You won’t believe what finally showed up – a ham! Of course it was tastefully cloaked in muslin with her name all over it, but it was still  a ham.

Hard to believe, but it’s been two years since I covered Las Vegas outlet malls. Last week I spent some time at the Premium Outlets at Grand Central Parkway and Charleston. There is more parking (thank goodness) and there are new stores including Burberry, Kate Spade, Diesel and more coming throughout the summer.

Next week I’ll be shopping in Washington, D.C. Keep the light on for me.

Technorati Tags: Las Vegas,Martha Stewart,Burberry,Diesel,Kate Spade,Outlet Mall,Costco

Green is the new … um green!

As Kermit the Frog has said on many occasions, “It’s not that easy being green.” It’s easier to talk green and look green than it is to be green.

The world is totally out of kilter right now. We are (or are not – depending on who you ask) in a recession. The economy is in the toilet, companies are laying off workers, and the stock market is taking a nose dive. In the past that usually meant lower prices but smack in the midst of this mess we also have astronomical energy prices which are effecting everything else. And don’t get me started on the housing market.

Enter the “green movement” which should be so welcome at a time like this. It should mean that instead of buying something new every whipstitch we re-use, re-furbish, or re-tool. We should be demanding the most economical vehicles technology can produce. Keeping up with the Joneses should mean a contest to see who can buy the LEAST new stuff. But that kind of thinking is “bad” for the economy – unpatriotic even. Just as less fat products usually cost more than the regular ones, you need more green to buy green. Is this or is this not the rip off of the century?

My mother was an absolute poster girl for getting the most out of everything she bought. She took out trash about once a month – and it was a very small can! I used to look at a photo album that had a snapshot of her in a wool bathing suit (yes, wool) when she was a young single secretary. All the time I was growing up she used it on the end of a dust mop to buff our hardwood floors. I finally threw it away shortly after she died. I probably should have kept it. And surely I’m not the only one whose mother washed and re-used “tin foil”.

Okay, enough ranting about not buying anything new. This is, after all, a shopping blog. The green movement is not just about paper vs plastic. There are some great side benefits, like all those fun shopping totes that only cost around $1 each at almost every supermarket. Some of them are pretty darn cute. And with any luck at all, this could spell the end of the most vile substance on earth – the Styrofoam peanut.

My favorite environmentally friendly product is the Cedarwood & Sage multi-purpose cleaner sold at Trader Joe’s. It smells good, it works and it’s cheap. Perfect!

This is a blog, you know. You can comment anytime – don’t hold back. Today is Earth Day. What are you going to do for  our Mother?

Raise a glass – or not

Technorati Tags: sensible,shopper,glass,wineglass,wick,floating candles,thesensibleshopper

In a recent post I mentioned using a large all-purpose wine glass to display cut flowers. Wine and cocktail glasses have lots of uses besides the obvious. Years ago my husband sent me flowers for no particular reason – okay, there was a reason – we had an argument the night before and he was trying to get back in my good graces. It totally worked. Here came this pretty little arrangement delivered to my office and I enjoyed it for days. When it came time to dismantle it, I was amazed at how many flowers were stuffed into what was actually a very small glass. The trick is to cut the stems quite short so that the blossoms are just above the rim like a cloud of color.

I love to serve desserts in balloon wine glasses or brandy snifters. My favorite is just good vanilla ice cream (Breyer’s Natural) served with a selection of liqueurs to pour over. Get a little fancier by crumbling a brownie in the bottom first and serve with Kahlua or chocolate syrup. In the summer a refreshing dessert is whipped Jello and I’ve never had a guest identify it correctly. Stir up any flavor of the gelatin and chill until almost firm. Then get out your little hand mixer and whip it. If you have some fresh or frozen fruit you can stir it in and maybe add a dollop of whipped topping.

There’s just something about a stemmed glass that adds a touch of elegance to the ordinary. You don’t have to be a caterer to put out a mashed potato bar at your next party. Use martini or margarita glasses or both, a big bowl of mashed potatoes, and a variety of toppings.

One fabulous flower floating in a martini glass or brandy snifter is so pretty and you can decorate a whole room with just one grower’s bunch of African daisies.

Does anybody besides me remember those “floating candles” we used to make with a wick and some vegetable oil? You could turn almost any container into a candle holder. I found them online at www.WickStore.com. You can buy a box of 50 clear plastic floats and 500 wicks for $19.99.

Things I always buy when they’re on sale …

This time of year I always look for bunches of daffodils in the floral departments of supermarkets. This week a bundle of ten stems was $1.29 at Trader Joe’s so I got three of them. I picked out some that were still tight buds, knowing they would be in full bloom by the weekend. Even though I took a class in flower arranging a while back, I’m really not that good at it. I just grabbed a large all-purpose wine glass, cut the stems short, and stuck the flowers in it. They will blossom into a tight yellow mass and brighten the corner where they are.

Trader Joe’s is a great place to buy both cut flowers and potted flowering plants like miniature roses, hydrangeas, azaleas and their specialty – orchids. Orchid plants make wonderful gifts. At first glance they may seem pricey (not at T.J.’s where they are a deal) but the blooms last ten times longer than any bouquet of roses and each one is unique. You can grab a gift and a card and be out the door and on your way to the party in less than ten minutes – fifteen if you pause to choose a bottle of wine.

Another happy surprise was the selection of Easter lilies, azaleas, mums and roses at Food For Less. I don’t think I could stand that powerful fragrance for long, but for a few days the scent of an Easter Lily brings back some very pleasant memories of simpler times. I grew up in the South where dogwood and azaleas were in full bloom this time of year. At the First Baptist Church of Rome, Georgia, Easter was a very special occasion and the sanctuary would be filled with lilies and little girls (like me) in their new shoes and dresses.

Even out here in the desert, a bright bouquet or a flowering plant indicates a promise of Spring and a new beginning. Enjoy!