Is that favorite berry garland just too beautiful to take down after the holidays? Does it encircle the candles so perfectly that you know it would be missed and the site would be left unadorned? A simple and elegant solution is to leave the garland and remove all other holiday fare from the area and replace it with a bouquet of seasonal flowers. The transition will be delicate and the site will illuminate its pleasure without missing a beat.

A few drops of Olive Oil in your Bath creates a silky relief to dry skin problems and afterward rub a few drops on dry heels and elbows as a moisture rub.

A solid wood desk with a sliding roll top, or tambour, that encloses the working surface of the upper part and can be locked. The portion of the desk that gives the form its name is constructed of narrow slats of wood glued to some flexible material, the slats running along slides or grooves fitted into the upper edges of the desk. The rolltop was first introduced into England from France in the late 18th century, the rolltop desk had become a standard piece of office equipment by the end of the 19th century and was produces in massive quantities. Its popularity diminished, however, with the development of modern style furniture , only to reappear in the 1960s and again in the 1980s as a “country antique.”

Americans tend to idealize the life of early colonists but in truth it was a hard and unforgiving life. Quilting for these colonial women was a rare pastime.

Life for Women in the New World Their homes were no more than roughly built structures that gave just a little protection from the elements. Food was scarce and their diets were poor. Sickness was always at their doors and often entered uninvited.

During America's beginnings the Puritan religion had a major influence. This religion was extremely restrictive to everyone and especially for colonial women. Ministers often reminded their flock that women were inferior to men and more inclined to sin and error.

Although some women were taught to read it was only so that they could read the bible. Few learned to write as writing was thought to be the perogative of men. A woman was expected to be subservient to her father until she married and then to her husband.

Typical Tasks of Women in Colonial America After colonial settlers became established in America an ordinary woman's daily life was still difficult. Typically she would be expected to do the spinning, sewing, food preservation, cooking and cleaning while caring for her often-large family. The woman to the right is carding wool in preparation for spinning. Obviously the image of colonial women sitting in their cabins quilting before the fire is far from the truth. There were, of course, exceptions. Some quilting was done by those who could afford household help thus leaving the woman of the house with time for decorative needlework. These women used quilting methods from their mother countries, styles of quilting far different than what we think of today as patchwork.

It is difficult for us to imagine the value that our ancestors placed on handmade lace. Always prized for its extraordinary beauty and intricate patterns, lace was considered quite a commodity until lace-making machines largely destroyed the market for handmade lace. Ancient Egyptian art depicts lace hairnets at about 2,000 B.C . Lacy fabrics were used nearly 2,000 years ago. By the Middle Ages, ecclesiastical clothing and textiles included lace, as well as exquisite and expensive clothing from the fifteenth century until the early nineteenth century. Particularly complicated and expensive, clothing laces were made by hand in the 1600s and 1700s. Laces made from fine Flemish linen were most highly prized and fortunes were spent on the acquisition of exquisite clothing laces. Sumptuary Laws, which restricted the wearing of gold, silver, jewels, an silk, boosted the popularity of lace, which was often made of plain white linen thread.

By the early nineteenth century, the British were successfully producing machine-made laces with the production of a knitted net. As the machine-made laces became more common, the hand lace-maker could not compete with the low prices of the new laces and the craft waned in popularity. Astonishingly, some old machine made lace imitated the handmade laces to a remarkable degree and sometimes can only be distinguished from the handmade lace by its relentless regularity of pattern (handmade laces incorporate human flaws).

This machine net could then be embroidered or appliqued by hand. By 1870, several other machine-made lace machines were in production, supplying Americans as well as Europeans with relatively inexpensive lace, including lace curtains. Nottingham lace curtains, with their characteristic square mesh ground, were imported into the United States by at least 1870. By the 1880s, it was affordable and considered a mark of good taste to purchase curtains for the Victorian parlor. By the early 1900s, lace curtains had peaked in popularity and fell from favor—they were a commodity that many had tired of and were associated with those of lesser means who wanted to appear ostentatious.

Today, lace curtains are popular once again. Still prized for their airy beauty, lace curtains permit light to filter through the window, while still providing privacy. Some lace curtain companies offer patterns that have been in machine production for 140 years.

Did you know that claw-foot bath tubs were first manufactured in the United States? We think of them as European since they have a romantic flair about them. The late 19th century introduced them to the American culture. They are wildly romantic and not only enhance the beauty of the room but help create the luxurious relaxation of your body into a deep, warm, sensuous bath.