Play pens: Store shelves are bursting with pens to play. But keep them at home. They write just fine, thank you, but with all these bells and whistles they are guaranteed to push any teacher to the limit before confiscation. The “Official Super Soaker” pen squirts a spritz of water, $6.99 at Target, where we also saw a Twister Game pen, a Lite-Brite pen and a EndZone Z Screen game pen. The Gooze Flexogels from Bed, Bath & Beyond are squishy and neon-brite, three/$5.99. The Quasar pen lights in colors that continuously change as you write, $5.99 at Lazarus and Bed, Bath & Beyond. Franklin Covey stores have the pen for the ultimate Star Wars fan — 11 Lego connectible Star Wars character pieces for $15.95.

Garcia's art lives on: It's been 10 years since the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia rocked the suit-and-tie set with neckwear inspired by his art. The late rocker and former California School of Fine Arts student's work is the source of a new limited-edition line — 40,000 pieces — of the silk creations. Each tie carries its own hangtag depicting the original artwork that inspired the design, and each pattern includes a Collector's Proof edition, which mirrors the original artwork. $35. At Lazarus and Dillard's.


Patriotic hand: Playing cards have been a mainstay of the armed forces, with special decks produced during WWII with escape route maps on the interior of the cards that were revealed by a water soaking. So it's only natural that the United States Playing Card Co. in Norwood would issue a Patriotic Tribute deck with personal photographs from veterans of WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. The cards are made from 54 photos with the stars and stripes on the reverse side. “Most of the photos came from company employees and their relatives who served,” says USPC president Greg Simko. Priced at about $2.50, the decks will be in Wal-Mart, Kmart, Remke, Biggs and Meijers stores within the next week.


       

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