Wallet for the wise: You can't take these duct-tape billfolds apart to keep the plastic secured to windows in time of national emergency, but the Ducti line is a definite improvement on homemade creations that tend to be sticky lint-collectors. The Colorado upstart makes four styles with various straps and clips from specially ordered Polyken Tape for the toughness without tackiness. $15-$25 at www.ducti.com.

Spring in Provence: The table is set for spring at LeMistral in Mariemont - regardless of the snow on the step. But don't let the delicate hand-painting and soft colors of butter and sky fool you. This tableware is oven/dishwasher/microwave safe and made to last in patterns that smoothly mix and match with their glassware and luscious linens. And who says dishes need to be round? These square plates stack handsomely on any buffet or table. 6880 Wooster Pike. 271-5600.

Get lit: Imagine a Manhattan, cosmopolitan, martini or margarita that lasts 40 hours. That's what Chrissy Woerner, 31, has been whipping up - in scented candle form. The Mount Adams resident created a martini candle in November for an instructional speech class at Cincinnati State, and when her boss at the Latin Quarter requested a margarita to spotlight the Mariemont restaurant's specialty, a new business, I'll Have Another, took fire. Each candle burns about 40 hours and the glass can be washed and reused. $15 at the Latin Quarter or $19 (plus $4 shipping) from I'll Have Another, P.O. Box 54691, Cincinnati, OH 45254; 929-4106.