PEOPLE, PLACES & EVENTS Cont’d

Crafts for Charity –Gifts from the Heart

By Fran Morgan, photos by Darrell Holdaway

Restaurant Review: Love Sushi

By Leona Brimmer

Since Love Sushi opened several months ago, I’ve frequented it about once a week.

Their food is excellent, with special rolls, such as, “Tom’s Special,” which is a baked roll with salmon and cream cheese. Their crab is fresh and delicious, and is featured in the California rolls.

Do not be deterred if you do not like raw fish as I, too, do not eat it. There are bento boxes with an assortment of, say, teriyaki chicken, a fried dumpling, salad, miso soup, a California roll and rice. Yummy!

the circuitous driveway one takes to Tutto Fresco, and across the street from the new Lulu’s café.

Try it! You’ll like it!

The Crafts for Charity ladies who meet twice a month in the Heritage Room have one trait in common: the desire to be of service to others. Their projects of paper crafting, jewelry, and centerpieces are made with love to give away to the residents of domestic abuse shelters, assisted living facilities, military families, and those receiving meal delivery service.

The leaders of the group are Jessica Hollowell, Lucille Naves, and Marlene Kazen. Jessica’s interest is in paper crafting. She designs about 30 sets of materials to fashion into a finished project to send to one of their charities. The week I visited, they were making journals to send to a women’s shelter. Lucille creates beautiful centerpieces to take to residents in assisted living facilities. “It gives them something beautiful to look at,” says Lucille. Marlene’s specialty is beadwork, made into jewelry. “A new piece of jewelry brings joy,” says Marlene.

The designated leader for the project of the day gets all the pieces ready to assemble and leads the group through the process to create beautiful, finished projects for others. “The first 30 minutes are quiet,” says Jessica. Everyone are listening and concentrating on getting the instructions right. Then, conversation breaks out and the rest of the meeting is spent talking and sharing with one another as they work. Sometimes the projects are for a holiday, sometimes the gifts are for children, such as finger puppets or pencil toppers, and sometimes they

Crafts for Charity Logo are just to bring joy to the recipients.

The current leadership team has been organizing the group for more than ten years. Attendance can be anywhere from six to a dozen women who show up ready for a new project. There is no need to invest in any tools or supplies, everything is cut, assembled and ready for the volunteers to turn the materials into beautiful gifts. “Anyone can join us,” says Jessica. “We welcome anyone to help or bring new ideas.”

Each project is sent with the group’s logo: two hands holding a bunch of hearts with the words "From the Heart. Made especially for you by the Craft Ladies @ Casta del Sol."

There are also a variety of noodle “Udon” soups, which warm the body and the heart.

But the most important virtue of this shop is the service. The owners are sweet as can be, very helpful, and I’ve often been given “on the house” treasures, which are always most welcome.

Love Sushi is across the street from

Love Sushi is located at 22245 El Paseo in Rancho Santa Margarita. Telephone (949) 888-0888.

Do you have a restaurant review to share? Please email to Fran Morgan at fmorgan17@cox.net