Shoes you’ll love, and vice versa

Maybe it’s the frilly floral ribbon treatment or the bling. Or the shave-ice syrup palettes. Whatever the appeal, the folks at Serenity and Massage in Hawaii Kai have flipped over OKA b. slippers, and I’m hooked, too.

The cool thing about loving these sandals is that they love me back. Really. The proof is on the sole, which says: "SHOES THAT LOVE YOU." They’re made of nonabsorbent material so they stay odor-free and are washable. But wait, there’s more: Massage beads mimic reflexology with each step, and the American-made slippers are recyclable.

They’re available in basic thong, mule, slide, 2-inch heel styles and more. They’re a bit pricey at $40, but they last forever. I bought a pair called "Lucy" then went back the following payday to pick up one with crystals.

Serenity and Massage is located at 377 Keahole St., Suite 207; call 396-7594. You can also order online for the same price at Shoesthatloveyou.com, but you’ll have to pay shipping. — Ruby Mata-Viti

Make your own monsters

What’s not to love about the creepy yet adorable creations featured in Nicola Tedman and Sarah Skeate’s new book, "Zombie Felties: How to Raise 16 Gruesome Felt Creatures from the Undead"?

From an evil pumpkin head and dead ducky to a Michael Jackson zombie, these miniature felt dolls are so appealing they’ll haunt you long after Halloween. The book provides step-by-step stitching instructions. The fine details, such as oozing sequin brains, dangling eyeballs and Dracula’s monocle, are what I like best.

Find "Zombie Felties" (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $14.99) in bookstores and at www.amazon.com. — Nancy Arcayna

Clowning around

I was too old when I first encountered Bozo the Clown to think of him as my "old pal," and if I thought of Larry Harmon’s iconic alter ego at all in later years, it was in responding to someone’s ill-considered behavior with a dismissive "What a bozo!"

This book is a fascinating introduction to the titular "man behind the nose" that will make you rethink use of the word "bozo." In the first chapters, Harmon, who died in 2008, describes how hard work, persistence, luck and the ability to fake it when necessary helped him achieve his childhood goals, advance his entertainment career while serving in the Army during World War II, and make the connections that got him started in Hollywood after the war.

He then recounts how a generic clown character was made over into "Bozo the Clown" and then franchised across the globe. That was more than 50 years ago, but many of Harmon’s business principles are timeless.

Anyone who loved Bozo, and anyone with an interest in how successful people succeed, will enjoy "The Man Behind the Nose" (It Books/Igniter, $25.99). — John Berger

Ben and Jerry’s 2-in-1 treat

Should I have a candy bar or should I have some ice cream? Why not both? Ben and Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk ice cream is rich chocolate ice cream with "white and dark fudge chunks, pecans, walnuts and fudge-covered walnuts." The frozen fudge chunks are really just slabs of chocolate, but there’s nothing wrong with that! Available in the ice cream aisle at local grocery stores. — Donica Kaneshiro

Add pizzazz to your presentations

So you’re planning a presentation, but the last time you made one, your PowerPoint slides made your bosses so sleepy they slid off their chairs. Prezi will keep them on the edge of their seats. It’s a Web-based storytelling application that uses a single canvas that stretches onto infinite space. From there, you can put text, images and videos anywhere, at any size.

Once you’re done, you create a story path that can go upside-down, all around and even zoom in and out.

It allows for a nonlinear map of your ideas that doubles as creative expression.

It’s on Prezi.com, and it’s free for the first 100 MB. For more storage, you can pay $59 a year for 500 MB, or $159 a year for 2,000 MB and access to a desktop application. — Gene Park