I’ve been training in Tang Soo Do for nearly three years now and actually learning how to use a sword is still a few years away, but a girl can dream. This wooden Bokken would make an awesome training tool for when I finally reach my black belt. Until then, it will make a great outlet for my frustration against an unsuspecting pillow. It’s also much better than giving me a piece of sharp metal, which would most likely result in a few trips to the ER. It would also protect me during the long, scary walk to my car after work, which is often full of ninja-like action. A Bokken would really give me an edge against those nunchuck-wielding fiends. OK, I made that up. How about this: I want it; give it to me or I’ll kick your butt. Better logic?
Hand-Painted Buddha Necklace, $49
Unique jewelry is one of my girly outlets (yes, I can be girly), and A Shade of Silver has plenty. If it's odd-looking and not too bulky, I want it. The beads on this necklace are hand-painted glass. Not the outside of the bead, the inside. Dang. There are also some pearls (my birthstone) to make it a little elegant and definitely different. Although I really like this necklace, any piece of unique jewelry would do—just as long as it makes me feel pretty while I'm carefully compiling the music calendar. No one benefits from a depressed calendars editor. It should also be noted that I'm allergic to cheap metals, so sterling silver and 14 carat gold only, please.
Mah-Jongg, $39 Skull Die, $.50 Mini Die, $.10
It seems that everything I want falls into an Asian theme. I went to Out of the Blue with free reign to choose from fun science experiments, retro tin toys, giant stuffed animals and pretty much anything else the child in all of us could want. What did I choose? The ancient Chinese game of Mah-Jongg. This game is not like the version you've played online. It's complicated, the directions are hard to decipher and you have to convince three of your friends to play, too. Sounds like a load of fun to me! This game will not only create hours of entertainment; it will sharpen my attention to detail and expand my mind to new horizons. The dice would go nicely in the menagerie growing on my desk.
Chocolate Martini Mixer, $10.29; And Rimmer, $5.35
Hot chocolate is popular during the cold, winter months. Why not use a chocolate martini to warm up instead? At least, that's what I want to do. I already have plans to shake-up this mix with some girlfriends and a good foreign flick. Maybe I'll start a new social tradition to try wacky, new cocktails instead of the tried-and-true. Fremont's also has an apple martini mixer, but that's just not wacky enough. Honestly, I've just been looking for an excuse to try a chocolate martini without having to buy it for myself. I thought asking for it here would suit my fancy better than trying to ogle one out of someone at the bar.
Dragon'S Coat Singing Bowl, $47.95
I've been in my apartment for nearly six months now and I still have crap to unpack. This singing bowl would be a great addition to my décor and would provide me with just one more reason to get in gear and fix up my abode (I hope). Hitting this hand-cast bowl with the little wooden striker “teases out the sounds of the dragon's call.” The sound is calming, unless you are neurotic and can't stop striking it, which I am. I want it because it would look pretty on my coffee table and give me something to fidget with. Peacecraft also has a larger version, but my neighbors would never forgive you for buying it for me.
