Pass the politics, please Want to serve something incendiary at your next dinner party besides shish kebab?
On the chance that none of your guests already discuss politics, you can juice the jawbone factor with "Election Topics 2008." Each of 40 cards is inscribed with a single politics-related question. Some are wonky: "How will China's rising economic power affect our national defense and our financial security?" and others decidedly less so: "What's the most embarrassing vote you ever cast?"
The $10 deck is encased in a 3-inch square plastic case, small enough to slip into the shadow of the salad bowl if the rabble-rousing gets too raucous. Order from Minneapolis e-tailer www.redstamp.com.
Notes Petunia's, a shop that mixes new and vintage home decor with garden pieces, is set to open Thursday in Excelsior.
Owner Betty Sorensen said "everything is for sale" in the 1,500-square-foot area, including the chandeliers and other pieces in the shop's many room vignettes she and her consigners have styled with a Paris flea market feel. Sorensen said the shop features upholstery from the Tinker Bellans' new Violet & Figs line, along with garden accessories and custom design services. 421 3rd St., Excelsior, 952-474-0461. Opening weekend hours 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Thu.-Sat.; noon-4 p.m. Sunday. The shop will be closed Sundays and Mondays during regular hours, which start April 1. A website, www.petuniasonthird.com, is under construction.
Mark your calendar for April 1; that's the day the Museum of Russian Art makes its gift store goods available for purchase online; check out "The Izba" at www.tmora.org.
