Well...never found much to work with...But this is what we came up with... I went to Michael's, (they didn't have any at all) Walmart had none...and I went to 4 thrift stores and didn't find anything. I did find the little clear tiny vases at walmart for 59¢ The blue one is made from a small drinking glass...looks like he has a big sucky mouth. The other one is made from a light bulb. They were harder than I thought they would be. I had a hard time getting the wire tight enough to keep the wings on top. And the silicone II glue kept letting the half marbles slide. I want to try more...they were fun. patti

And the Westchester garden tour is the following day in Westchester/PDR. Sun., May 6 WESTCHESTER MENTAL HEALTH GUILD GARDEN AND HOME TOUR ght homes and gardens in Westchester and Playa del Rey will be featured on annual tour 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participants will also have the opportunity to purchase plants and Guilded Cage Gift Shop items. Complimentary refreshments will be served at one of the garden tour homes. Tickets are $25 per person, available at the Guilded Cage Gift Shop, 8917B S. Sepulveda Blvd. in Westchester. All proceeds benefit Airport Marina Counseling Service. Information, (310) 641-7850. ______________________________________________ A friend's garden will be on the tour and I am going down to help her get it ready. Wish we could go to the Venice tour, but will be busy beautifying her garden.

Chowhound is a good source for dining recommendations, as Ellen suggested. I lived in Venice for 15 years and still go back there for restaurants. We also frequently go to nearby Culver City (which is gaining a hip vibe) and Marina Del Rey, which is adjacent to my current neighborhood (as is Culver City). There are so many choices in Venice/Culver City/MDR that you really have to narrow it down to what you like or want to experience. The day before my birthday, we went to East Borough Fraiche Vietnamese in downtown Culver City (Washington Blvd & Culver Blvd), and there are a slew of new hip place clustered in that triangular block. It's next door to a sourdough pizza place that we want to try, and there are more great places around the corner and down the street. On my birthday, we went to Paiche in MDR, and it is a bit expensive, but extremely good if you are adventurous and want to try Peruvian Izakaya style food. Good for a group of 3-4 people (not children) who have small to medium appetites. Also in the area I mentioned, you have your choice many Middle Eastern restaurants, including Lebanese, Turkish, Persian, etc., and so if you are interested in that, I can recommend what I like. Also, if you like Japanese, you can go to the Sawtelle neighborhood on Sawtelle between Olympic and Santa Monica Blvds. Wharo is an excellent Korean Barbeque restaurant in MDR on Lincoln, just south of Washington Blvd, almost in Venice. Then there is Abbot Kinney Blvd, where Kevin and I used to live, which has several interesting restaurant and gelato shops. I highly recommend the French Market Cafe, where I have frequently seen TV stars dining on the patio, but the food is definitely worth it, if you like French Bistro style, and it is not expensive. It is one block from my old house and was our nearest market, and so we went there often. Further down the street is Joe's Restaurant - a great place for brunch, lunch, or dinner. I had another birthday brunch years ago when I still lived in Venice and a cooking forum member took me there. If you are interested in possibly seeing celebrities, you could try The Cat & Fiddle on Sunset in Hollywood. The food is British (not to my taste, but some people like it), and I have seen Keanu Reeves and Gina Davis there on the same evening, but that was 10 years ago. For better British food, I recommend Ye Olde Kings Head in Santa Monica, half a block from the Third Street Promenade. BTW, Abbot Kinney Blvd has been named the hippest street in L.A., taking over the title from Melrose Ave, which is still worth visiting. Another hip place on Abbot Kinney is Four Square Restaurant, about a block from Joe's. Another place to try for pizza is Pizzeria Mozza, but I also like Abbot's Pizza on Abbot Kinney - much cheaper and very good. For people watching on the Venice Boardwalk, try The Waterfront Cafe or The Sidewalk Cafe, which has a better view, although I prefer the food at the Waterfront. They are both good for boardwalk cafes. If you want, you can email me, and I will give you my phone number so that you or your sister could call if you want additional recommendations. It's really impossible to list all of them without narrowing down the selection. Lars This post was edited by publickman on Wed, Mar 5, 14 at 21:10

I prefer the flat version, but that's because I have a Craftsman kitchen where it fits right in. I will say that I believe the plain flat version actually collects more dust than the beaded -- flat edge versus rounded has a bigger "ledge" for gravity to work its magic, like settling flour when baking. I do have to wipe them weekly or more often. In terms of which is better, it's purely a matter of your taste, budget, and style preferences for your space. The beaded picture you show looks like it's beaded AND glazed, is that correct? Are you considering glazing? The trimmed shaker can look quite different depending on whether it's glazed or not. Here's an unglazed version: PS: just to follow up on Casey, I think that technically, the term "beaded inset" refers to this, where the bead is set into the opening rather than the door panel -- another interesting option: