Thanks for the suggestions. This looks like a shoe rack, but the shoes would have to be a size 18 or so. I looked at the store display businesses online and didn't see one. It may have been custom made for a particular business. There are lots of store display items that would work for something like this. The curves can be sawed off to use it for a bottle tree or something else. I'll probably plant some plants in it besides the empty pots, and hadn't thought of the coconut hair. It would work nicely. Thanks for the weed cloth tip. Sounds like a good idea for any of these basket type plantings. Storing dolls or animals on it would be fun. They could be climbing every which way on it. It would be a good clothes line also. If we can get it together soon enough we may light it up in the front yard for Christmas. I spray painted it green today and will post a photo tomorrow on this thread. It looks a lot better already. It comes apart just by unthreading it off the pole. There are 3 sets of 2 levels. They're pretty stable and could be used separately on posts or a tabletop. It's amazing how many great ideas people here come up with. Now who wants to go on a dumpster store rack hunt, lol?! Linda Here is a link that might be useful: Store display spinners

Party...sorry you saw your tree skirts for less than you paid... I have to say, that whenever I've gone there after a holiday, they kept reducing items lower and lower each time I went.. I did buy a tree skirt - a white aplilique one, that was originally $9.99, for $1.99 and earlier in the week it was $4.99 and was Glad I didn't buy it then. I have to say though, even if you don't get prices as low as the store, you'll probably have better luck finding it online than in the store ...which is hit or miss after a holiday. Ladies ..have faith that one will be opening near you. If you have a BB&BY....most likely a CTS will soon follow! jane

Great thread. My family gave up giving gifts to each other some when we were in our 50s - we all have too much stuff, so we visit each other instead. But I recently married a man whose family is into expensive presents of clothing and jewelry and expensive technology. He, and they, have given me some beautiful things which are not to my taste and I will never use. Some I have been able to exchange - the problem is that I have too much as it is and am trying to have less, not more. So exchanging doesn't work for me. My husband has refused to pass on my suggestions of more practical gifts (like an outdoor compost bin). I am going to try telling my husband that every time he buys me a piece of clothing or jewelry I am going to have to give away something I already have. He knows I am down to what I really love. We are also about to combine households next month, which means paring down even further. Maybe that will make him change his view!

No spouse - mine walked, over 35 years ago. Rarely talked, after. Died over 4 years ago. When there was talk of closing the psych. hosp. where she'd been head of food service for 20 years or so, she took early retirement and during the next ten years had a ball ... including a hobby of doing miniatures. Following her death (of colon cancer, within a year of what would have been her normal retirement age), our young ones disposed of many of her projects and goods ... but one, a miniature house about 3" x 3" remained (it seems that those guys like to build their own) ... ... and has been sitting on a table in my living room for about three years. When son and I went to Toronto this summer as daughter loaded her van to move to AZ, he returned to the car as we were about to depart, carrying a beautiful burgundy velvet bag with drawstring, holding a box, saying, "Mom's ashes". He left them in the car, where they stayed for a short while ... and now they sit in one of the rooms of her miniature house, a dozen feet from where I sit. An Iowa girl, she'd developed a liking for a little park in Detroit ... and I heard that she'd asked that (at least part of) her ashes be spread on the Detroit River. I'd hinted that when they made the pilgrimage, I'd like to go along ... but it has not happened: I know not the reason, if reason there may be. ________________________ No problem now about buying for a spouse. I've told my friends several years ago that rather than a number of gifts and cards - and in these rather prosperous days, it is difficult to buy something useful and wanted - I've been making a number of gifts to various charities. I feel that the different agencies, e.g abused women's shelter (where daughter worked several years ago helping raise funds for a home), United Way, London Food Bank, Salvation Army, Mission Services (hostel for homeless), Habitat for Humanity and Canadian Food Grains Bank and such are better able than I to choose where the need is greatest. In the case of several, the Canadian International Development Agency gives matching dollars ... and for some, other agencies do, as well ... so each original dollar grows to four going to work. I also give to several health and specific illness groups, plus my alma mater and seminary (on the Prairies). Plus half a dozen churches ... and our denomination's outreach and service agency. One of the nice things about current circumstances is that many people have email and one can catch up on the news with quite a substantial number easily, even altering parts of the message going to different individuals or groups. Have you ever had someone give you a swat as a result of your charitable gift? Last year when son and I were returning from a trip, I asked whether he had some extra time and went to the village where our family lived while I served as clergy in their church for a while, 40 years ago (near the end of our marriage). After I'd given a cheque to the treasurer, when son heard the reason for our visit, he gave me a minor cuff across the side of the head, saying, "They fired you - and you give them money?!". When I boarded in the village for a couple of years, not quite 25 years ago, I was still so bitter that I only attended that church a couple of times. I'd heard (on fairly good authority) not many years after our departure (and after our separation) that they feared that Sue and I would part ... and they didn't want us to part while we were in their church. Prior to my accepting their offer to serve there, a major clergyperson in the area suggested that I reconsider ... that that congregation had developed something of a reputation for being hard on ministers ... and I more or less replied that I'd been in tough spots before ... and would take my chances. I gambled: Ilost. Too soon old - too late smart, I guess. But ... usually a reconciliation requires some giving ... or at least some expression of appreciation of the situation ... on both sides. And institutions are not good at expressing regret. It has taken our denomination - and our Federal Gov't. - about 40 years to apologize to various native groups for the abuses perpetrated upon them when trying to assimilate them in residential schools. It's a bit hard for one hand to clap: let me know if you find out how to bring it off, O.K.? Good wishes to all of you who value it, for Christmas ... and to everyone, for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year, bringing the fulfillment of several of your good dreams ... and the birthing of some new ones. ole joyful