Heaven sent
"Angels: A Book of Ornaments" is a set of five angel ornaments reproduced from the 18th-century Neapolitan angels that decorate the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Christmas tree each year. The two-sided, gold-edged angels are made of reusable heavyweight paper and come in an accordion-style book. Punch them out, hang them up with the gold chord that is included, and then return them to the book for use at a later time. Offered by Chronicle Books, the angel set sells for $9.95 at bookstores and gift shops.
Fun's in the cards
If you're searching for rainy-day activities, cheer-up suggestions or ideas for romancing your significant other, look no further. A new series of "playing" cards created by Lynn Gordon offers a deck full of ideas. Suggestions on the 52 cards in each deck range from the slightly amusing to the outrageously original. For example, the "Silly Things to Do When You Are Blue" deck includes a suggestion for creating your own tabloid news stories and then sending your tabloid as a card to friends. The "52 Tokens of Affection" deck suggests that you track down your sweetie's favorite childhood book and present it to him or her as a gift. Each card is decorated with whimsical pastel borders and illustrations by San Francisco artist Susan Synarski. The 52 Deck series, as the cards are called, is available at area bookstores. Suggested price is $5.95. How far will you go for a bargain? With the help of a new directory, "Outlet Malls, USA," you could do your after-holiday shopping all over the country. Judy Colbert, a free-lance travel writer, researched and compiled the 11-page guide and updates it every year. The guide, organized by state, includes telephone numbers and addresses of more than 340 malls. Send a $3 check or money order to P.O. Box 3308, Crofton, Md. 21114.
This little light
Here's a product to enlighten your late-night reading, your reading on a train, or any place you have to confine the light to your reading material. NiteOwl is a slim book light designed to illuminate your page without shining on those around you. Its slight, thin body also doubles as a page mark that stays in place with the help of gravity. It uses two AA batteries or may be converted with an A/C adapter upgrade kit to run on electricity. NiteOwl can be purchased for $25 ($35 with the adapter) at any Sharper Image store or by calling Lumatec at (800) 776-7945. The A/C adapter kit may be purchased separately for $15.