Saturday, October 29, 2011

Apothecary Jars - simple easy modern decor

The apothecary of the ancient world was a purveyor of spices, wine and other luxury items. It was not until the 16th century that the apothecary began to resemble a modern pharmacist. The opaque or translucent glass jars that lined these 16th century apothecaries had already been in use by people.  There could be as many as three main types of storage that the vintage apothecary jar was used for in a single shop: to store medication in the form of pills, creams or elixirs: to store herbs and other basic ingredients needed for making medication; or for botany. Shapes and sizes varied, but most authentic antique apothecary jars are made of glass and still retain the original label.
 
Available in all different shapes and sizes and perfect for any room in the house, the purpose of these beautiful glass jars remain basically unchanged.  Here our list of fresh inspiring items that would work great in your collection of delicate apothecary jars:
  • bath salts
  • shells
  • sand
  • river rock
  • twigs
  • moss
  • acorns
  • coarse salt and pepper
  • herbs and spices
  • nuts and seeds
  • dried fruit
  • candies
  • after dinner mints
Have fun with it and change the content with every season... use your imagination! 

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Natural sterling silver cleaner

Easy fool proof how-to:  Using baking soda and aluminum foil to clean silver. 
 
Tarnished silver can be easily restored with common household items such as aluminum foil and baking soda. Tarnish on silver is due to silver sulfide on the surface of the metal, which makes the metal appear dark and black. The combination of aluminum foil and baking soda works to reverse the chemical reaction that created the silver sulfide. This method retains the silver, whereas polishing removes tarnish and the silver as well.
 
Instructions:
1. Boil enough water to fill the glass pan.
2. Line the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil with the shiny side facing up.
3. Place the tarnished silver onto the foil, ensuring that the silver is touching the foil.
4. Sprinkle baking soda over the silver. Use approximately 1 cup of baking soda for every gallon of boiling water.
5. Slowly pour the boiling water into the pan. The water might make the baking soda bubble.
6. Allow the silver to soak for 30 minutes.
7. Remove the silver from the pan, rinse it and towel it dry.
8. Repeat the process for extremely tarnished silver.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

The Goose Story - virtue of unity

Next autumn, when you see geese heading south for the winter, flying in their familiar “V” formation, you might be interested in knowing why they fly that way.
Science has learned that, as each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately behind it. By flying in a “V” formation, the flock together gains over 70% more flying range than if each bird flew on its own.

Like the geese, people who share a common direction and a sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier, because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

Whenever one goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone. It will quickly try to get back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the birds in front. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed the same way we are going.

When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing, and another goose takes over the point position. It pays to take turns doing hard jobs!

The geese from behind honk constantly, as you’ve no doubt heard whenever a flock passes overhead. They do this to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. An encouraging word goes a long way!

Finally, when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshots, and falls out of the formation, two geese follow it down to stay with it and protect it. They stay until the goose is either able to fly again, or dies. They then launch out on their own or with another formation to catch up with the group. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other.

~ Author Unknown

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Saving is the new Spending

Want to look like you shop at all those expensive boutiques?  We would like to share a little inside information with you....