WINDFALLS

GET A WHIFF OF THIS . . .

One of the most beautiful gifts for the one you love, or even just like a lot, is fresh-cut flowers. So lovely to look at, so refreshing to smell. But have you ever considered sending flowers to someone you despise or maybe just mildly dislike? Not fresh flowers, but dead ones, of course. Flowers of Extinction offers just such a service for the person seeking revenge in a humorous way. For a mere $21, Jutta Cunningham, owner of the 5-month-old business, will personally deliver an elegantly ribboned box replete with dead flowers. Although most of her customers prefer to remain anonymous, Mrs. Cunningham will create a poem to fit the situation and include it with the delivery. Usually, though, the dead flowers are sufficient to get the point across. Flowers of Extinction. Mon-Sat 8-8. 270-0609. – Hancel Deaton

RAY-BANSRETURN

General MacArthur wore them during World War II. Everyone wore them during the Fifties. Now, after a few decades of semi-obscurity, Ray-Bans are back. Part of the credit for the return of black-framed Ray-Bans (MacArthur’s were metal-framed) must go to the success of The Blues Brothers, which introduced the heavy Fifties-style Ray-Ban to a new generation. Although there are several styles of Ray-Bans (which are made by Bausch and Lomb and have lenses made of a special glass that blocks out ultraviolet rays), these serious shades seem to have taken the summer fashion world by storm. They’re $25 and are available at Suburban Optical, 6108 Luther Lane, 363-4474, Mon-Fri 9-5:30; and Promenade Optical, 2325 Promenade, 238-0815, Mon-Fri 9-5:30, Thur 9-9.

IT’S CRYSTALCLEAR

A few years ago, Johnie Bratton, approaching age 60, decided she needed a little excitement in her life. So, to help supplement her and her husband’s income and to make her days a little fuller, she began cleaning crystal chandeliers – a job few people of any age would care to undertake. She started simply enough – by cleaning her own dining-room chandelier, and then later by cleaning those of her friends and family for fun. Before long, Johnie, a retired nurse, had created her own cleaning solution (a previous lab technician’s course helped), which enabled her to clean the chandeliers more effectively. Frequently, to really clean a crystal chandelier, an electrician removes it from the ceiling, it is cleaned and is then replaced. But with Johnie’s solution, she can clean them while they’re still hanging (she works atop a ladder or scaffold, depending on the size of the chan-lier). Her most monumental endeavor was an approximately 8-foot diameter, 4-to 5-foot-deep chandelier, which took her about two hours to clean. The cost of cleaning depends on the size of the chandelier; cost estimates are free. Chandell Exclusive. 386-0528.

DESIGNER POTTER

When you first glance at the hand-thrown, hand-painted pottery of Italian artist Giovanni DeSimone, visions of Picasso may run through your mind. That’s understandable; DeSimone was a student of Picasso, and the master’s influence-especially in DeSimone’s fish and naive-style human figures – is unmistakable. But DeSimone’s works are not limited to the glorification of his well-known mentor; his patterns and designs range from purely decorative to lyrically representative and extremely intricate.

Every piece (from coffee and espresso cups to salad and dinner plates, bowls, platters, pitchers, vases and teapots) is signed and dated, and is dishwasher-safe.

DeSimone is available at Coffee Co., Preston Center West, 369-5704; The Quadrangle, 748-1133; 5346 Belt Line, 960-1521. Mon-Sat 9-6.

WARDROBE UPDATE

Coordinating a wardrobe shouldn’t be all that difficult; it simply requires time, imagination and a lot of picking and choosing until you find several pieces that work well together. But most of us can’t afford to do that, which is one reason Susan Kaminsky opened her wardrobe-consultant business. Susan specializes in helping women update their wardrobes and then organize and plan future purchases.

She has had extensive training in fabric and clothing construction, has received several awards for her technical knowledge and sewing skills, and has even marketed her flower designs.

She charges $20 per hour for consultations and will shop for or with customers, as requested. (She works independently of stores.) Susan Kaminsky, wardrobe consultant. P.O. Box 383, Addi-son, 75001.828-3174.