Aluminum is a silvery white metal produced by smelting, after the extraction of alumina from bauxite. Up until the 1890’s aluminum was rare to find in pure form and was valued as equal to silver. Popular lore exists that the Washington Monument was originally planned to be topped with an aluminum tip and that Napolean... »
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Murano glass
Murano glass has long been lauded for its high quality and artistry, dating back to thousand year old glassblowing traditions. Glass from Murano is created in what is called the lampworking technique – glass blowers use a gas-fueled torch to heat silica to a... »
Yin-Yang
The yin-yang is a symbol that represents the two great opposite but complementary forces at work in the cosmos. Yin represents things that are female, cold, dark, passive power, earth, rain, soft, evil, black, small, even (numbers). Yang represents masculinity, light, and warmth, heaven,... »
Ogee
An ogee is an S-shaped arc often used as a decorative element. The shape of the ogee is believed to have first been used in India. It... »
Gift giving anxiety
Because of the increasing complexity of gift giving within our society, givers and even recipients now become increasingly anxious in gift giving situations. Gift giving anxiety arises when the... »
Frankincense
Frankincense is an aromatic resin found in particular trees in Arabia and Eastern Africa. In the ancient world, the trees containing frankincense were viewed as exceptionally sacred and were... »
Myrrh
Myrrh is an aromatic resin derived from the hardened sap of shrubs located in Arabia and Eastern Africa. Myrrh had many uses in the ancient world, ranging from incense... »
Wassail
Today most would associate wassail with the traditional holiday drink or the carol “Here we come a-wassailing,” yet the term is derived from the Old English was hál which... »
Bûche de Noël
Back in Napoleon’s time, winter drafts were thought to cause disease. So Napoleon mandated that all chimneys be closed in the winter to prevent drafts. The French were no... »