Citrus PowerThey’re a little bit ‘70s, a...

Citrus Power

They’re a little bit ‘70s, a little Fruitopian. Best of all, these place mats wipe clean.

$4.99 each at Bristol Kitchens.

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More Than Skin Deep

Gift shoppers may have seen these boxes made from orange peels--they’re one of those gifts that keeps on giving; the orange scent lasts three to four years and the boxes last decades--but few know the story behind the dried fruit. Alexander and Elena Deutsch--he was once a contractor, she a pediatrician--were political prisoners in their native Argentina during the ‘70s who were freed in part because of the intervention of then-President Jimmy Carter. They came to Southern California after their ordeal and found themselves with a new obsession: creating a box made of orange peel. While visiting Pompeii, they saw a 2,000-year-old piece of orange skin that was still recognizable; since oranges are obviously abundant in their new California home, they set about trying to make an orange peel box. After several attempts, they got what they wanted and began selling the boxes all over the country. Their most famous customer: another president by the name of Bill Clinton. The boxes are now made out of several citrus fruits.

Available at the Craft & Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles.