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We made a list and checked it twice * finding cool Christmas gifts that are awfully nice * the Chaldean GIFT GUIDe By Joyce Wiswell What to get the Fashionable Tots Any female toddler is instantly transformed into a prima ballerina upon donning a hand-made tutu (-) from Sassy Savannah. Store owner Eva Shammami has been selling her fanciful frocks online and at area shops (including Divine Apparel in Troy and Haute Couture in Sterling Heights), and just opened her own space in July. She crafts the tutus out of 100 percent USA-made tulle – using as much as 100 yards in most designs – then adds accents of cloth flowers or Swarovski crystals. Don’t feel left out, boys – the store also carries nifty fedoras to jazz up pint-sized heads (). Sassy Savannah, 7414 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield; (248) 325-9246; SassySavannah.com. * with everything Cook This small silver hawan is surprisingly heavy. “My mother had one that was brass that was about 10 times bigger,” said Faye Jamoua, who owns Palm Fruit Market with her husband Kelly (Khalil) and son Brian. “It’s great to grind food for dishes like kibbee.” This set goes for .99. Palm Fruit Market, 5814 15 Mile Road, Sterling Heights; (586) 264-1321. Girlfriend There’s never a worry about getting the wrong size when giving a pocketbook. Though it carries mainly bridal items, Angel’s Boutique has a lovely selection of affordable small bags (-) for fancy occasions, such as this organza clutch enhanced by an oversized flower. “Men like to give purses as a gift – and women like to get them,” said owner Angel Mansour. Angel’s Boutique, 36881 Ryan Road, Sterling Heights; (586) 274-4424. Devotee Colorful prints (), such as this one of the Sacred Heart, fit into standard 11 x 14 frames, saving you a fortune on custom framing. Others available depict the Virgin Mary, the Last Supper and guardian angles. Saints is a great spot for religious-themed stocking stuffers too. Saints Gifts & More, 32806 Ryan Road, Warren; (586) 939-9457. Animal Lover Who ever dreamed polyester could feel so luxurious? It’s hard to believe your eyes – or sense of touch – with the fashionable faux fur coats from Cartise. Sue Loussia Hickey, owner of Eleganza Boutique, said the cruelty-free duds are gaining in popularity: “When it feels and looks like this, why not?” A double-breasted jacket is 0 while the reversible raincoat (pictured) goes for 5. Eleganza Boutique, 6393 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield; (248) 737-2666. Cigar Smoker While it’s possible to buy cigar accessories for just a few bucks, the true aficionado yearns for quality. Make his (or her) day with a cigar cutter () and matching lighters from Tonino Lamborghini (5-5) that come in bold colors, just like their namesake sports cars. Or consider a giant porcelain ashtray from Avo Uvezian (), oversized enough to accommodate even the fattest cigar. Churchill’s, 6635 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield; (248) 855-0300. Home Decorator Gleaming gold-plated tea sets, vases and other decorative pieces add sparkle to any dining room table. This fruit bowl (0) makes the perfect centerpiece. Fabric House owner Terry Asmar said the pieces are hand-made in Dubai. Fabric House & Design, 52825 Northwestern Highway, Farmington Hills; (248) 757-5900. 32 CHALDEAN NEWS DECEMBER 2011
These Chaldean-owned stores are worth a try * When looking for something unique to buy Active Woman Who has time to wash and dry their hair everyday? You don’t have to with Finley Hair Powder (), an ingenious spray that revives dull and oily hair. It comes in four color varieties so blends perfectly with natural tresses. “I use it all the time and have given it to my friends as stocking stuffers. It works like wonders and it lasts forever,” said Val Semma, who carries it at Be Free Apparel. (It’s also available at Alex Emilio Hair Salon in Royal Oak). An added bonus: The product was invented by Sandi Gappy, a Chaldean who lives in Los Angeles. Be Free Apparel, 6718 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield; (248) 626-3411. Social Drinker Chaldeans love their arak – the anise-based liquor from the Middle East – and all nine varieties available in Michigan can be found at Whigville Market. Women especially favor the 60-proof Skinos brand (.97), which tastes just like mastic gum from the old country, said owner Carol Naimi. “It’s sweet, smooth and not as strong as other araks. It’s a nice way for Chaldeans to get back to their roots.” Whigville Market, 6039 Dort Highway, Grand Blanc; (810) 694-3566. A High-Tech Christmas There’s nothing naughty about these hot gifts By Weam Namou Amazon had already sold millions of the Kindle Fire before the product was ready to ship, and it’s likely they will be in short supply this Christmas. Seeing as to how Chaldeans love their electronic gadgets, the time to buy these gifts is now. Groovy Gadgets The iPad2 The iPad provides the best e-reading capabilities available with multi-media ebooks and magazines available. It has access to thousands of apps and allows you to play movies and music. With iPad3 coming out within a month or so, the iPad continues to improve with a better touch screen, more battery life and a vast and growing library of applications. Starts at 9. Kindle Fire The Kindle Fire does most of what the iPad does for less than half the price. It’s the hottest Christmas gift since the Nintendo Wii. It is an excellent little gadget and an ideal alternative especially for children and teens, with access to streaming movies, ebooks, music and Amazon’s apps. But keep in mind that it does not have a camera or microphone, so you can’t take pictures, shoot videos or record audio like you can with the iPad2. 9. Microsoft Kinect Kinect brings games and entertainment to life in surprising ways – no controller required. Kinect responds to how you move. If you have to kick, then kick. If you have to jump, then jump. Coming this holiday Kinect will allow you to use your voice. In the year since Microsoft launched Kinect for Xbox 360, its uses have expanded to include helping stroke victims recover and children learn new skills. Starts at 5. Sony PS 3 Move Sony PS3 is a cross between Microsoft Kinect and the Nintendo Wii controller – you still use a hand-held controller wand but also have a camera to track your movement in 3D. It’s touted as one of the most accurate sensor controllers on the market. Starts at 0. Nintendo 3DS Nintendo 3DS allows players to play the latest games in 3D without using special glasses. The 3DS has two cameras on the outside of the device, capable of taking 3D photos and capturing 3D video, as well as a camera (positioned above the top screen on the inside of the device that faces the player) capable of taking 2D photos and capturing 2D video. The system also has 3D movie playback capability and Nintendo has made deals with Warner Bros, Disney and DreamWorks to deliver 3D movies. Starts at 0. iPod Touch, 4th Generation iPod’s latest version takes the device one step further by adding a cool touch screen, making it far more intuitive than previously. A built-in camera on the front is perfect for making FaceTime video calls. It features a second camera on the back, which lets you shoot 720p HD video. This is the 64 gig with capacity for about 16,000 songs, 80,000 photos or 80 hours of video. A single charge gives 40 hours of audio playback or seven hours of video. The iPod has become a pocket computer, with some great games and apps. Starts at 5. Fashionable Phones Samsung Galaxy Nexus Just released in November, this is the first phone to run the new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system — intended to be a huge improvement and makes things a lot easier and quicker for the user. The screen on the Nexus is bigger than most phones so it is harder to fit in the pocket, but the extra screen space is useful for those who want to play games and watch movies. 0. Samsung Galaxy S II Considered the best phone for quite some time and offering speeds faster than home Internet, the Galaxy lets you stream movies and watch live TV with virtually no waiting. Plus, HDMI output lets you watch movies, shows, video or photos on your own TV, right from your phone. It is also a little smaller and easier to carry than the Nexus. Starts at 0. Sprint HTC EVO Design 4G For the price conscious as well as power users, HTC EVO Design 4G is Sprint’s latest attempt to tackle the mid-range smartphone market. It offers solid performance and 4G speeds at a good price. While this phone is ready for most common tasks, gamers should look for something more. . iPhone 4S While the outside looks the same as last year’s model, the 2011 iPhone 4S has the new Apple A5 processor for double the speed and seven times the graphics performance. It’s also got a new 8MP, F2.4 camera for great pictures and 1080p video. But the big difference is Siri, Apple’s artificial intelligence voice control system that allows you to call a cab or find a restaurant — and will even have a conversation with you. Starts at 9. Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S This very durable and beautifully designed android phone focuses on making everything work to its optimal capabilities. It is unlocked so can be used on your choice of carrier. The money it costs gets you the best camera of any smartphone on the market. It can take 3D panoramic photos with its 8.1 megapixel camera, and it’s got touch focus, smile detection and a video stabilizer. 5 to 0. Verizon Motorola Wireless Droid Razr This phone is being touted as the world’s thinnest smartphone, and it is quite slim at only 7.1 mm. Motorola’s been really pushing the Droid RAZR as a battery life preserver that promises up to 30 percent more power (an estimated 12.5 hrs of talk time). There’s a ton of entertainment and business-centric features preloaded onto Moto’s handset. The new MotoCast app can stream media files (even iTunes and Windows playlists) from the phone to any compatible PC or laptop. There’s also the exclusive option to view Netflix videos in HD quality, making it the first phone to support high-def playback from the streaming service. 0 with a two-year contract. DECEMBER 2011 CHALDEAN NEWS 33
