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Is sushi still "in" as a decorative motif? Back in 1998, the more modernist furniture stores in Manhattan all had sushi-shaped candles, and I've kicked myself repeatedly for not buying any.

(It's sad -- I can recall the candles more vividly than the location of the stores.)

The sushi's cool, but in Japan it's not sold as toys but rather display items for restaurants.

I'm coming down with an intense urge to do a dollhouse in sushi colors. Not today, though...

Santa brought our kids a sushi set this past Christmas. It included chopsticks with holder, soy sauce, plate, sushi, rice & bowl, and of course a tiny wasabi leaf. I forget the brand, but I, er, Santa found it at TJ Maxx. (Do you have those in CA?) Fantastic!

I just wanted to thank you for the comments. If you have any suggestions for the eBay Scavenger column, please let me know. My goal is not only to let readers know what's avaiable on eBay, but also to inspire them to take their decor in new directions.

I think sushi's probably over as a design concept, but I still see sushi-printed wrapping tape, sushi-printed plates, and sushi wind-up toys, and I find it all utterly charming. I guess it's a leftover childhood urge to play with my food. Has anyone seen the children's books _Food for Thought_ and _How Are You Peeling?_ by Joost Elffers and Saxton Freymann? I think they're brilliant.