Gift Hunt

Our friend K.M. celebrated a special day last week; it's her first birthday in L.A. after a four-year absence to complete her master's degree in Illinois. To celebrate her birthday and return, D. and I went shopping at the Promenade for her presents.

Before checking out the stores and shops, D. and I had a late lunch at the Wolfgang Puck Cafe. We wanted something light so we both chose the teriyaki salmon, his with mashed potatoes and mine with a trio of salads (cole slaw, spinach and assorted greens). We also ordered a side dish of ginger stir fried veggies, iced tea and Perrier.

The lunch surely hit the right spot; the salmon was moist and tender, the mashed potatoes creamy and the greens fresh and crunchy. D. raved about the stir fried veggies which were crisp and redolent of ginger and garlic. Our total bill was $26, which I thought was a good buy.



It took us a while to find the right presents. Nothing caught our fancy at Sephora or Swatch. When we asked K.M. for clues, she said she doesn't need any more books; that ruled out Borders. She instead wanted something fun and mentioned jewelry is always fun.

We hit one of the departments stores at Santa Monica mall and decided on three different trinkets: a red leather keychain with a dangling gold "K", a sparkly butterfly and baby butterfly pin combo and a watch with a "scarf" strap in different colors that K. can change to match her mood and outfit. D. also got her a henna tattoo kit (it's temporary) that she can play with.

Needless to say, D. and I were pleased with the selection of gifts we thought up. We think K.M. will be pleased, too.

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