Learn to make a cake

If you’ve always wanted to make the perfect cake here’s your

chance. Let Them Eat Cake is offering extensive cake decorating

classes that last eight weeks starting Sun., Sept. 1. The three-hour

classes are offered from 9 a.m. to noon, and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays.

You won’t believe what you’ll learn at these classes. Martha Stewart

watch out. Examples of techniques and instructions taught at the

Beginning Cake Design Class are: Week One -- introduction to tools

and equipment, ice making and coloring; Week Two -- practice pressure

piping, where you’ll learn how to pipe stars, shells, lines, basket

weaves and drop flowers; Week Three -- work with frostings and

fillings, texturing and stenciling, skinning, leveling, filling and

crumb coating; Week Four -- advanced piping, including ruffles,

various animals, borders and decorative motifs, writing and printing;

Week Five -- flower making with royal icing, which includes piping

roses and rose buds and creating different leaf styles and sizes as

well as fern, vine and grape clusters; Week Six -- how to transfer

designs on cakes using a piping gel technique and rice paper

technique; Week Seven -- piping borders and flowers including ropes,

zigzag, string work, pansies, lily of the valley, apple blossoms,

sweet pea and daisies; Week Eight -- a review and a design

competition. There is an intermediate class and an advanced class and

one-day classes are available. Beginning cake design is $375,

intermediate cake design is $400 and advanced cake design is $425.

It’s at 2346 Newport Blvd. A -- 3. (949) 646-0542.

Back to class

Nordstrom carries great back-to-school fashions and supplies gifts

with purchases while supplies last. With Sketchers purchases you’ll

get an AM/FM headset radio. With Merrell purchases, an aluminum

carabineer. Reaction purchases offer a jeweled mirror compact or

stopwatch/compass carabineer. New Balance purchases come with a logo

T-shirt. Fashions for boys includes: Quiksilver plaid shirts

($34.50), long sleeved logo T-shirts ($20), jeans ($39.50) baseball

caps ($18) and boxers ($12). Tony Hawk fashions includes:

long-sleeved T-shirts ($22) and hats ($22); and Hurley fashions

includes: polo shirts ($35) and imported cotton cords ($42). For

girls there are: 2HIP peasant tops ($24) Paris Blues jeans ($30),

Doki Geki moleskin skirts ($28) and Tyte denim skirt ($28). Trendy

accessories for girls include: peasant jewelry by Carole Inc. ($8),

High IntenCity bracelets ($5), Super Trader denim bag ($16) and

Tri-Coastal Design suede patchwork belts ($14). Roxy is having a Roxy

Girl T-shirt design contest. The winner of the contest will have her

shirt featured in the Spring ’03 Nordstrom Kids’ Wear catalog. To

enter, just pick up an entry form in the Kids’ Wear department. The

deadline is Sept. 16.

More back to school

South Coast Plaza has hot tips on the latest in back-to-school

gear. At the Disney Store, there’s a Princess lunch box with canteen.

(714) 751-8080. At Roxy, there’s a Roxy three-ring binder ideal for

organizing school papers. (714) 540-4555. El Portal carries rolling

backpacks. (714) 668-9580. Abercrombie has the popular varsity look

sweatshirts with zip fronts and hoods. (714) 432-1330. The Levi’s Store makes custom jeans. (714) 429-0150. Rampage carries trendy

hippie belts. (714) 540-0060. The Apple Store carries tons of tunes

on the Apple iPod. (714) 424-6331. Crate & Barrel Home Store has dorm

life furnishings. (714) 825-0060.

Casual clothing

American Eagle Outfitters is a specialty store at South Coast

Plaza for quality, casual clothing for men and women. It also carries

shoes, accessories and a personal care line. The company got its

start in 1977, specializing in sports apparel and outdoor sports

equipment for hiking, mountain climbing and camping. Ten years ago it

moved away from equipment and focused on its own brand of apparel. It

has four lines a year: holiday, spring, summer and fall. It has some

great back to school finds, and September promotions at 40% off. It’s

on Level 1, near Robinsons May. (714) 556-8602.

Web cards

Ronni Lasky, a local entrepreneur, started a Web site for people

who want a “greeting card alternative.” Lasky provides personalized

poems for any occasion through his fill-in-the-poem site. It’s so

simple to use. You choose

the occasion, name the person you’re writing too, then

choose from a list of words, or insert your own words. In an

instant a custom poem with a special font and border is ready to

print. www.Fillinthepoem.com.

* BEST BUYS appears

Mondays and Fridays. Send information to Greer Wylder at

greerwylder@yahoo.com or

330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627, or via fax at (949)

646-4170.