Archive for March, 2010
A lot of people have discovered the benefits of burning soy candles versus the usual paraffin wax candles. A soy candle is made with 100% natural and organic ingredients making it environmentally friendly. It lasts longer and has a cleaner burn as well. All that you will smell is the wonderful fragrance of your favorite essential oil.
You can have your favorite scent mixed in with the color of candle of your choice. And they can be placed in a jar of any shape as well. You can have your collection of soy candles that you can light up when you want to relax at home. Bath time will be a more relaxing experience when you light them up while relaxing in the warm water. These can make great gifts as well to all your friends who need to sit back and just relax.
Windchimes go back in history almost 5,000 years and are thought to be one of the world’s first known musical instruments. Primitive windchimes have been discovered at archeological sites in Southeast Asia and are thought to date about 3000 B.C. At that time, they were usually made of bone, bamboo or other wood, stone or shells, and were believed to ward off evil spirits. Indonesian digs indicate that farmers were using windchimes and other sound-producing wind instruments to scare birds and other animals from their crops and predict wind and weather patterns during ancient times. By 2000 B.C., windchimes had been independently developed along the Mediterranean Sea and in ancient Egypt, where they had been cast in bronze. Ancient Celtic tribes used them to intimidate enemies by making wooded areas appear haunted.
Windchimes were also useful for ancient people who lived on or around the sea, as they were believed to provide evidence of impending storms and the possibility of choppy water. Around 1100 B.C., the Chinese created a bell that didn’t have a clapper, known as a yong-zhong and used in their spiritual rituals. Following the yong-zhong, the Chinese developed a form of the modern wind bell called the feng-ling. The feng-ling was hung from the eaves of Chinese shrines, temples, pagodas and caves, believed to be a positive religious talisman that would attract benevolent spirits. The usage of a version of the feng-ling spread from China to Japan and eventually to the Western world, when Asian art, design and philosophy began to influence tastes in Europe and the United States.
Over time, the secular world began the frequent use of windchimes as home and garden decor–sometimes to scare away negative supernatural influence, but often because the sounds prove soothing, calming, or somehow pleasant.
Spring is almost here! Time to think about your yard and garden. Happy, apple-cheeked garden gnomes, with their pointed hats have become a popular ornament for gardens and yards. They come posed as gardeners, fisherman, tree decorations, holding welcome signs or, maybe just napping. These cute little garden gnomes
will bring a smile to your face when ever you see them.
Candles do an awesome job of creating an atmosphere for the right occasion. Whether this is an intimate date with a friend, an uplifting party vibe, or alone in the bathroom, a candle adds that old world charm that gives moments a sense of timelessness. The ambiance created by jar candles is part of the meditative feel that we get when looking at fire.
Fire was the first major tool that man learned how to control. In the myths, we were punished for this worship of fire by gods that wanted to wield it themselves for their power. It seems like ever since this long ago time, we have been mesmerized ever since by the luscious allure of a flame.
Decorative birdhouses are available in many colors and shapes and are generally constructed of painted wood or plastic and should last for a number of years.
Birdhouses should be placed in an open area, preferably mounted on a post or pole or, hung from a tree limb. They should be about 5 to 6 feet from the ground with the opening facing away from the wind.
Decorative birdhouses are functional and attractive additions to your yard or garden.