SATURDAY SCOOPS
Make a table trendy

Advertiser Staff and News Services

It's a long weekend. You need something to do. Maybe you even have loads of chopsticks sitting around, just waiting to be made into a treasure.

	Add a little Asian flair to your table with a table runner made of chopsticks. All you have to do is tie them together and stain them. It's quick and easy and costs less than a plate lunch. Photos by Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
	You will need a bundle of wooden chopsticks, a roll of string (or silk cord if you want to be fancy), a small can of stain and a foam brush. We found a pack of chopsticks for 99 cents at Fisher Hawaii office warehouse and the rest of the supplies at Kmart for a little more than $5. You may already have enough takeout chopsticks stashed away to get started for free.
	Don't break apart the chopsticks. Position them, alternating the bigger end on one side and then the other. Cut four long pieces of string, a pair for the left and the right. Tie each pair in a knot for the end. Put the first chopstick in the pairs of strings. Tie a knot before you add the next chopstick. Continue adding chopsticks and tying knots until you reach the desired length.
	Once your table runner is the length you want, knot the end. Then, you're ready to stain it. We found it easier and more attractive to stain the chopsticks and the string at the same time. Then turn it over and do the other side. (If you use colored string or silk cord, stain or paint the chopsticks before you get started. You could even go for a red-white-and-blue Memorial Day theme.)

Mililani Mauka annual giant garage sale today

Note to fans of garage sales: The really big one in Mililani Mauka is happening 8 a.m.-1 p.m. today at a whopping 25 homes on Ahikao, Ho'okaau, Kana'e and Ho'okanahe streets. Just follow the signs if you're looking for gently used furniture, appliances, plants, toys, all kinds of stuff.

Wicked Wahine LaToya Jackson rolls into town

Jackson is launching a new CD, "Startin' Over." There's also a party at 9 p.m. tomorrow at All-Star Hawaii in Waikiki. Admission is $10; or the $100 VIP tickets (through www.wantickets.com) get you access to a rooftop bash and photo/autograph opportunities. The party is for those 18 and older.

Expect TV cameras, too. VH1, "20/20," "Extra," "Entertainment Tonight" and "Access Hollywood" have taken an interest.

'Pirates' ahoy at Sunset in Waikiki

Yes, food, entertainment and movie fans, there will be Sunset on the Beach events this weekend at Queen's Surf beach in Waikiki.

Tonight's film is the hit adventure film "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," starring Johnny Depp. Tomorrow's is the romantic comedy "Something's Gotta Give," starring Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton and Keanu Reeves.

Sunset on the Beach begins each day at 4 p.m. with food booths and entertainment. Admission is free.

Grad party tomorrow opens new club Sound Factory

Parties at the Sound Factory help pay for an after-school program called Musical Youth of Hawaii, in which teens are taught the art of DJing and radio and digital audio production — for free.

Admission is $10, or $5 before 9 p.m. if you bring in a flier. 479-3008.

You still have time to give kitchen a bit of spring cleaning

It's never too late; here are some tips to get at least the kitchen in ship shape:

• Oven: To make oven-cleaning easier, spray it the night before. It'll be ready to wipe in the morning. Cleaners designed for cold ovens are stronger than those for warm ovens. Never use cleaner in self- or continuous-cleaning ovens.
• Microwave: To steam-clean the microwave, add 4 tablespoons of lemon juice to a cup of water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Boil in microwave for five minutes, then wipe away the moisture that condenses on the microwave interior.
• Refrigerator: Pull it out and vacuum the coils. If you can't reach the dust, try a sock on a yardstick. Clean the inside of the refrigerator with three tablespoons of baking soda in a quart of warm water.
• Countertop: Don't use products that contain acids — lemon or vinegar, for instance — on marble or limestone. Use special stone cleaners or a mild detergent in water. Rinse thoroughly and dry with a soft cloth. Even mild abrasives can damage today's fine kitchen finishes. Scrub laminates with a nylon brush and household cleaner.