Winter Solstice Around The World

We have science to answer our questions about seasonal changes in nature, but there was a time when those answers didn’t exist. A time when fears ran rampant and people huddled together sharing stories and trying to explain why the darkness loomed and the nights grew longer. In their attempts to make sense of their...

What The Victorians Wanted For Christmas

The picture that started it all!  Although Christmas had been celebrated all over the world in a variety of ways, it was Queen Victoria and Prince Albert that fanned it into a frenzy of fashionable trends.  In 1848 the Illustrated London News published a drawing of the royal family celebrating around a decorated Christmas tree...

Origins Of Halloween

Halloween! Jack-o-lanterns and trick or treaters, costumes and fortune tellers...but where did they all come from?  The truth is that what we celebrate today is a stew of traditions made up of over 2000 years of rituals and superstitions and it all started with the Celts. The festival of Samhain is the ancestor of our...

What is Your Teacup Trying to Tell You?

The next time you take a sip of tea, you might want to consider what oracles are lurking within your cup. Though the practice is simple, the messages are often profound, and curious minds have been enchanted by tasseography for centuries.  The ancient art of reading tea leaves has been making teacups into crystal balls...

Through the Eyes of a Curious Cat Man

Once upon a time in Edwardian England, there was a man who drew cats. Unlike typical cats of the time, he depicted his anthropomorphic felines in light-hearted situations and created CATVILLE which was a parallel world filled with whimsical creatures living their furry lives often clothed with human personas.  A glimpse into the beautiful imagination...

Confessions of a Leaf Peeper

I am shameless. Despite all the beauty of the four seasons, I make no apologies that autumn is hands down my favorite.  I thrill in the anticipation of sweltering Augusts rolling into cooler Septembers.  I wear my sweaters and boots too early, enduring sweaty days, and often decorate my house with mums and pumpkins when...

Common Teatime Etiquette Faux Pas

Teatime is a wonderful ritual and an excuse to take a few minutes out of our busy lives for an afternoon lift. Leave it to the British, however, to keep the bar elevated on tea etiquette and if you do not know the rules, chances are, you will be raising a few eyebrows of those...