One unique garden gift you may find singing in your backyard is the Common Redpoll. The Common Redpoll is a very abundant bird. You’ll find it all over North America, but generally, this bird only appears in the winter. It migrates to boreal regions. Another interesting fact is that the Common Redpoll appears irregularly. (more…)
This creation from Paul Chen has a mix of traditional and contemporary makeup. On the one hand, the blade itself is German while on the other hand the hilt and other parts were made with contemporary designs in mind. The result is a very medieval Scottish basket hilt broadsword. (more…)
I’m not sure which is the more definitive sign of spring; that I can hear the birds outside singing in the morning or I can actually have the window open to hear them. To tell the truth I really don’t care, just as long as it gets warmer outside, I can get some fresh air and the birds return to my garden. I’ll start rummaging around in the garage and the basement soon, so I can bring out all my summer garden paraphernalia and one of the things I’m most looking forward to bringing out is my Antique Brass Aspen Leaf Birdbath. (more…)
Gustav Klimt, born in 1862 near Vienna, Austria, was one of the most well-known artists of the Art Nouveau movement. Although he produced many works in his lifetime, The Kiss is certainly his best-known. He painted it during his Golden Phase, so-called because of his extensive use of gold-leaf in his paintings. He began incorporating this technique after seeing the famous mosaics of Ravenna and Venice, which were distinguished by their own use of gold-leaf. In The Kiss, a pair of lovers are shown on a carpet of flowers. As the two embrace, they seem to meld, the brilliant gold of their clothes overlapping. This image stands out vividly against the more muted tones of the background and of the flora. This breathtaking work has been recreated for you – as a soft, gorgeous throw. Soft as cloud to wrap up in yet fine enough to hang on your walls, The Kiss Throw brings warmth and beauty to your home. (more…)
It’s funny how everyone in the family has their favorite place in the yard. One of the kids would rather play on the swing set than eat or sleep and the other spend most of his time outside with the dog. That is, if we can drag him away from the computer and the games he plays with his friends. My wife finds solace working in the many flower beds and gardens we have in the front and back yards and up until this past year my place was on the deck with the grill. That was before the pergola. (more…)
In French, ~ lapin ~ means rabbit and rabbits have long been a popular theme in French design and art. In this Lapin Rabbits Tapestry, a handsome family of rabbits is shown in a courtyard eating turnips by a vine-covered garden wall. The sophisticated color palette, reminiscent of a fine oil painting, will complement any traditional decoration scheme and bring a touch of European style to your home. (more…)
Ever since my son graduated and moved to the city, I have been wondering what to give him for his first winter away from home, especially since he moved up North where there’s really a winter season. There are plenty of things that I think he needs, but definitely doesn’t want – a hat with ear flaps, a pair of serious galloshes – stuff that would just collect dust in the closet. I know him, and what he really needs to feel at home away from home is some pro sports memorabilia: a banner, a New Orleans Saints poster, a New Orleans Saints high definition wall clock…you get the picture. I just bought the clock for him because it’s good-looking and I figure he will use it throughout his bachelor years (may they last a while yet, because I’m not ready to be a grandma). That’s the sort of thing I’m talking about, things for his room that don’t cost a lot, but will mean a lot to him, maybe even for years to come. (more…)
My mother recently visited our home that has some newly updated landscaping features since her last visit. As I walked her out the back door onto the deck she looked up and gasped as she spoke looking out over our backyard, “How lovely!” What she was talking about was the addition of a garden arbor showing the way into one of the garden areas in the yard. As we sat and talked I told her how we have used that one feature to build everything else around. (more…)
A black and blue beautiful tea set designed by Shin Azumi has taken first place in Home & Garden’s 2008 Ceramics and Glassware Award.
Perhaps what the judges liked the most was the unique clay this set is made from. According to Home & Garden:
“The teapot is made from a fine-grained clay found in Tokoname in Japan. As this clay does not need glazing, its surface remains ultra-smooth, making it matt and silky to the touch. The tea set includes two cups that are made from the same clay, but glazed inside. The teapot is lined with a band of mesh (known as obi-ami in Japanese), which lets the tea leaves circulate freely in hot water and reach their full flavour, without clogging the spout. The tray and saucers are made using another Japanese technique, called bunako, based on the traditional technique, incorporated in Japanese lacquerware, of coiling and gluing together thin strips of beechwood like a roll of ribbon to make a flat surface which is then shaped by hand.”
This is a contemporary design that will fit many home and office decor. Truly worthy of it’s award.