DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   In spite of the use and abuse of ultra modern engineering and the rushing hullabaloo of the 21st century, people often seem to become nostalgic when it comes to home decorating for Christmas.  Norman Rockwell's creations-marvelous pictures of Victorian villages under the snow, children eagerly waiting for the arrival of Santa Claus while carolers walk around the villages singing Christmas carols.  Thinking to families decorating a beautiful Christmas tree and drinking hot cocoa with marshmallows, makes our hearts feel merry.  These "old world" visions are the reasons why a lot of us desire vintage Christmas ornaments for decorating our homes.  However, truly old vintage ornaments can be difficult and expensive to acquire.    Not so long ago the nostalgic desire for items from the past has caused a boom in the artistic creation of vintage hand crafted Christmas ornaments in the last 10 to 15 years.  A lot of online and regular retail outlets specializing in vintage

   The upside down Christmas tree is one of the strangest trends seen in a while.  There are some people who probably like the idea.  An upside down Christmas tree is just a matter of personal preference, some people love the newest trends while others prefer traditional decor.  How long will the upside down Christmas tree be popular?  Only the consumer knows for sure, after all, we do determine such trends.  If people stay fascinated with the upside down Christmas tree, then it will become a mainstay.  If the upside down Christmas tree is ignored by consumers because it is just too bizarre,  then it will go away just like any fad.  I am a traditionalist myself.    Every retailer that is selling the upside down Christmas tree is quick to point out that the tradition came from the 12th Century in Central Europe.  They would hang the Christmas tree upside down from the ceiling instead of right side up.  The meaning behind using an evergreen tree was the triangular shape symbolizing

   Eggnog is the starter of that wonderful holiday season.  It's what reminds us that the wonderful time is about to begin.  That time when peppermint mocha's, presents, family, friends, carols, Christmas movies, decorating trees, and eggnog is abound.  It's that time of the season already.  It makes you think when something like eggnog was invented and how.  Did it begin as something special just for the holidays or was it begun in a whole different way?  The creamy richness of that powerful drink is something well worth the effort of looking into and that is just what we are going to do.  So before you begin your holiday season take a look at this and become enriched in all the flavorings of Christmas.    The history of eggnog is a bit shrouded.  A lot of people believe that it was brought from England to America which in a way could be true.  After all, the word is related to a lot of wine punches and milk drinks that were made in the English tradition.  When brought t

   When we think of diamonds, colored diamonds aren't usually what come to people's minds.  The fact is however, that fancy colored diamonds are not unusual; they come in almost every shade and hue imaginable, and in many cases, are more valuable than "colorless" diamonds. A Glorified Lump of Coal?    Diamond-known to the ancients as adamantine-is what is known as an allotrope of carbon, and in chemical terms, is identical to common forms of coal and graphite.  The difference lies not in the chemical composition, but rather in how the molecules are arranged.    Diamonds form far deeper beneath the earth's surface than coal or graphite; the carbon ins subjected to extraordinarily higher pressures (up to 440 tons per square inch) and temperatures (as much as 2300 degrees Fahrenheit).  This causes the molecules to be bonded to each other in a tetrahedral arrangement, accounting both for the hardness of diamond and the eight-sided shape in which they occur.