Tattoo a Banana

Tattooing a banana, burning with pride and making scents

I started small with a paper clip point and tattooed my first banana with my husband’s name. Just poke holes in the skin and wait a bit for them to darken. You clearly get an outline. Quick success convinced me to try the template and create the statue of David, or perhaps poke “The Last Supper” onto my banana.

Am I nuts? As nuts as Phil Hansen, who wrote “Tattoo a Banana and Other Ways to Turn Everything into Art.” It’s a perfect kids, parents and summer book, though I think a girls’ night out planner could have some fun with Phil’s ideas, too. He’ll get you playing with food to make art and secret messages from potato peels, marshmallows and toast. Make a Pastafarian with uncooked macaroni. Some ideas are so simple that you can’t wait to try them. Have the kids rake a big picture or word from fall leaves, take a picture, then finish the fun that used to be a chore. Carve a phrase on the sole of your shoe, walk through water and leave your message behind. Follow a flamingo’s shadow. Phil is a fun guy, and now I’m more fun. Visit Philinthecircle.com to learn his “shocking stories.”

All-American candles

Here are some new finds to brighten your summer:

If you are burning with patriotism, consider that Bridgewater Candles are made in Spartanburg, S.C., where makers believe in “supporting American jobs while sharing our blessings with the world.” I’ve got a red one warming my thoughts with the knowledge that the Light a Candle, Feed a Child program supports a Rice Bowls non-profit donation to feed a child for a day. Sweet Grace is that fragrance. Bridgewater offers a well-made candle in an attractive jar with a vintage-styled lid. Even in the middle of summer, these candles made me jump the calendar envision a warm, cozy Thanksgiving scenario.

TasselAire

I wonder if the court of King Louis XIV had the same idea as TasselAire. Now our tassels can look good and serve another purpose, holding in a scent. I’ve always tried to anchor a liquid scent by dropping it onto a wine cork in a bowl of potpourri. Tht’s the idea for TasselAire’s success. There’s a fabric “carrot” under the fringe of my silky green tassel that I can drop lemon verbena scent onto. Hang it on the doorknob and a waft of scent rewards everyone who opens and closes the door. I think I’ll try it on a closet hook, too. I’m just going to say, it’s degrees more stylish than the plastic cones of air freshener from my youth.

ddoiron@panews.com