Best Buy

Greer Wylder

If you’ve always wanted to make a bracelet or necklace, you’ll have to

stop by The Bead Shop. The bead selection is amazing. You can find beads

from all over the world and from just about every material you can

imagine. The endless assortment of beads includes trade beads from

Africa, vintage beads, horn, shells, coral, Bauxite, beads from Ghana,

abalone, bone, Mother-of-Pearl, blue coral, hand-pained Oriental glass

beads, 1950s and 60s German beads, bugle beads, Onyx, Quartz, Malachite

crystal, Turquoise and Amethyst. The beads range in price from 2 cents

for a kids’ bead, up to $70,000 for a fancier style. If you’d like to

learn how to make jewelry there’s a beginning wire-wrapping class taught

in the shop. The shop staff can also custom make a piece for you, for a

labor cost. It’s at 899 S. Coast Highway.Information: (949) 494-2115.

Best little wine shop

Laguna Beach has the best wine shop, Len’s Wine Cite. Co-owner Steve

Ricker says that all of the wines in the shop have to pass two tests,

first they have to taste good, and secondly they must be a reasonable

value relative to the quality. The wine shop also carries Champagnes,

beers and cigars. It’s a great place to get hard-to-find wines including

a nice selection of Italian Brunello’s and the official Champagne of

French embassies at $21.99 a bottle. Len’s also has a wonderful wine bar

that opens at 5 p.m. daily. You can taste all eight wines for $25, or pay

by the glass. The next addition planned for Len’s is the best cheese

store in Orange County, hopefully to debut in about six months. Len’s

Wine Cite is at 303 Broadway #105. Information: (949) 376-2215.

Community yoga

Now’s the best time to try a yoga class. You’ll love the bargain

offered at Laguna Yoga’s community classes at only $5 per class. The new,

90-minute classes are for all yoga levels and includes a relaxing session

of stretching, breathing and toning. The classes are offered Wednesdays

at 10:40 a.m. and Fridays at 12:30 p.m. Barbara Templeton, a graduate of

the Kripalu Center in Lenox, Mass. is the instructor. Laguna Yoga is

known to be Laguna’s only yoga studio entirely devoted to yoga. There are

more than 40 classes taught weekly for all ability levels. It’s on the

second level of the Village Faire shopping center, 1100 S. Coast Highway

between Brooks and Oak Street, Suite 217. Information: (949) 497-2022; on

the Web its www.lagunayoga.com.

Day at the spa

The Sue Marie Day Spa was voted No. 1 spa in Orange County, and its

known for its wonderful facials, massages, manicures, pedicures and day

of beauty treatments. Sue Marie’s is at 384 Forest Ave. Information:

(949) 494-7637.

Everything you need to know about stitching

Strand & Stitches is the consummate place to go for needle arts. It

offers a beautiful selection of knitting and needlepoint materials,

custom needlepoint designs and workshops and classes. You won’t believe

the array of fibers for knitting and needlepoint that includes velvets,

traditional cottons, silks and variegated wools. Upcoming classes

include: Learn to Knit a Beautiful Hat, and the use of fairisle knitting

(two colors carried across) from 5 to 8 p.m. July 25; Elegant Face Cloths

-- learn several types of stitches, while making a beautiful heirloom for

generations to come from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 1. Classes are for beginning to

intermediate knitters. All yarn is included, please bring a small

notebook and knit essentials. It’s $25 per person per class, or you can

take all four for $80. Strands & Stitches is at 1516 S. Coast Highway.

Information: (949) 497-KNIT.

Casual designs

LaLa carries great casual clothing from some popular labels including

the new Lix jeans, Juicy Couture and Petite Bateau. Although its biggest

standout is the owner’s Kerry Cassill’s designs made out of lightweight

cottons from India. Cassill designs bedding, children’s clothing, curtain

panels with beads, baby doll dresses, slip dresses, robes, bathing suits

and sarongs. LaLa is at 1143 S. Coast Highway. Information: (949)

464-9220.

* BEST BUYS appears Thursdays and Saturdays. Send information to Greer

Wylder at o7 greerwylder@yahoo.comf7 or P.O. Box 248 Laguna Beach, CA

92652, or via fax at 494-8979.