Beauty and the Beast

Beauty need not be expensive. A little imagination can take your food, your clothes, your hair, and almost anything else to stylish heights. Take this simple salad in the never used martini glasses your sister gave your husband for Christmas 10 years ago. When I had my yard sale a few weeks ago I realized that I was selling things that could have been made into any number of eye pleasing delicacies.

Here is the mundane Bento Box. A staple of Japanese cuisine since the 14th century. Look what's in it. Some pasta shells, some edamame, some salami, maybe cheese, an egg. A perfect lunch! How tres chic to show up at the office and eat that at your desk. Your co-workers will be jealous, amazed, and generally won't know what to make of you. The bento boxes themselves are available in any large Asian market or on line. Almost makes you want to diet. Besides, sushi rolls are now available in most American supermarkets. As long as you don't buy ones with raw fish they will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator. I was recently in a small rural town in Massachusetts, where my mother insists on shopping at the local Price Chopper, because she can get .10 - .20 off a gallon of gas if she buys enough Stouffer's Macaroni and Cheese. Even there there was a Japanese woman making fresh sushi. Add a roll to your bento box and stick it in the fridge. A cheap and beautiful lunch.

Now for the Beast. Last night I was on my way to a meeting and found myself with some time to kill so I stopped into the Sears store that was next door. I freely admit that other than appliances, I have never shopped at Sears. In fact the appliance dept. even has a separate entrance so I never saw the hideous and over priced clothing that they carry. I think most of it was designed by the same guy who designs the vacuum cleaners. They had horrible looking print blouses for $50, when the saps who were shopping there could have just walked across the parking lot and found something stylish and well made at Marshall's for $16.99.

I briefly considered telling them about Marshall's or at least posting some signage, but common sense got the better of me (a rare occurrence). Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder, but some eyes need corrective lenses.