WINDFALLS

CROISSANT CRAVINGS

Start the day Francais-style with a hot croissant delivered fresh to your house from Croissant Bon-jour. The owners of Croissant Bonjour -Dominique Aubert, Thierry Clercx and Chris Crespin -who migrated to Dallas from France last August, first offered their French pastry expertise to the residents of the Park Cities, but have now expanded their services to include all of Dallas. Also available from Croissant Bonjour are brioche (butter and egg pastry), petit pain (the classic French roll) and pain au chocolat (butter roll with chocolate inside). All are baked fresh each morning, contain pure butter and can be frozen and reheated later. Try one – or several – of each. A minimum order is six pastries in any combination. Six small items, $6; six large items, $7.20. Orders should be made a day in advance; deliveries are made Monday through Saturday between 6 a.m. and noon. Croissant Bon-jour. 659-0121.

RADICAL

SEATING

You might assume that this strangely shaped piece of furniture is the newest rage in gym equipment, but it’s not. It’s a chair, and its creators claim that it’s perfect for your back. The Balans Activ, made by Hag, was designed to bring the body into natural balance without the constraints of a conventional chair. And one thing the Hag chair is not, is conventional. The premise is that by sitting on the slanted seat (at right) with your feet straight down, and by resting your knees against the knee cushion (at left), your body weight will be properly distributed to align your spine in an ideal sitting position, with less pressure exerted on the lumbar region -which means reduced strain on your back, neck and shoulder muscles. Sitting on the Hag chair may seem a little awkward at first, since most people are accustomed to propping up their feet, but for people with chronic back problems or who work hunched over a desk all day, it could be a real blessing. Available at Rush Co., 3209 Fitzhugh. Open Mon-Fri 8:30-5:30, Sat 9-5. 522-0610.

A FLORAL ADVENTURE

Exotic tropical flora used to be tough to find this side of Honolulu, but thanks to A Floral Adventure, a florist specializing in exotic flowers, many rare and previously unavailable flowers are cropping up all over Dallas. Stepping inside A Floral Adventure is a bit like setting foot on Fantasy Island: You’re immediately engulfed in a sea of orchids, gladiolas, amarillis, bear claws, Hawaiian ginger, gloriosa lillies, tulips, an-theria, calla lillies, South African protea and, of course, birds of paradise – to name but a few. Unfortunately, unless you’re a real horticulturist, you may have a rough time matching the unusual names with the equally unusual blooms. But, for the time being, there’s an easy solution: Just pick out the flower you like, point to it and say “that one.” Fresh shipments arrive three days a week – Monday, Wednesday and Friday- from several different countries (via California). Prices range from 75 cents a stem to $5 a stem. A Floral Adventure, 3901 Cedar Springs. Mon-Sat 9-6:30. 651-0025.

STRINGS ATTACHED

Windy May days seem to bring out the child in most of us – with each blustery gust of wind we are reminded of the carefree days of childhood when we escaped all earthly bounds by flying a kite. But perhaps you’re past the age when time and circumstance allow you much opportunity to unravel the string and let ’er fly. Then let your imagination do a little soaring: Get an executive kite (see photo below, right), a miniature paper kite that works great in front of a portable fan. Available at The Sky’s The Limit, executive kites ($3) are hand-painted by local artist Lawrence Kaster and have a hand-spun yarn tail. Also available at The Sky’s The Limit are Chinese wind-socks and paper kites, huge ribbed-nylon “octopus” kites, wind-up birds that fly by themselves, “flippy fliers” (nylon Frisbees that fold up and can be carried anywhere) – even an Aggie “box” kite (a box with a string). The Sky’s The Limit, 3910 Cedar Springs. Tue-Sat noon-5. 522-8440.