DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

Y. Origami Box Ornaments by Samantha Miller This awesome  project for D.I.Y. Origami Box Ornaments comes to us from Samantha Miller of Paper Red Shoes . I love the idea of hanging these for display (like she's done in the photo at the end of this post). Here are the directions and more from Samantha: I have folded a few thousand of these boxes and have learned the following along the way: cut a good square, fold crisply, and practice before you use paper you really like! Supplies needed : Vintage or antique book Paper cutter or scissors Ruler Ribbon Fishing line. Directions (CLICK ON THE IMAGES FOR A LARGER VIEW): Tip : Whatever is on the topside of the square (as circled) is what you will see on the finished box. Step 1: Choose a great book. One with plate illustrations is usually best like old dictionaries with pictures. This one is over 100 years old! I got it from Oxfam for £10. Step 2 : Tear eight pages from the book. Cut four pag...

    The year 2012,  is one of the rare years in which there are three Friday the 13ths – January, April, and July. That combination of a year where Friday the 13th happens three times in January, April, and July only happens on leap years. In January we celebrated this event with a list of ten lesser-known Friday the 13th events and here is another list in time for our second unlucky Friday of the year. 10. Black Sabbath Releases First Album/1970    On Friday February 13, 1970, Black Sabbath released their first album in the United Kingdom. Given only two days of studio time to record it, the band played all of the songs live, saving the second day to mix what they had recorded. The album “Black Sabbath” went on to reach #8 on the UK album charts and when released in the USA, it reached #23 on the Billboard charts. The album remained in the Billboard charts for over a year and was a commercial (though not a critical) success. The album went on to...

    The oldest mention of the present procession is to be found in a charter of the Unloaders'Guild (1291 ). From it we learn that the guilds of Bruges were obliged to participate in the procession. Probably the Holy Blood was exhibited in the chapel on the Burg before 1291. And it is presumably from this custom that the procession originated.     From 1303 onwards one hears of a Holy Blood procession going round the city walls. Because the relic was town-property the procession was, of course, a civil and an official occasion in which horsemen, guildsmen and artisans, marksmen, city councillors and, naturally, the clergy, in all their splendour march with the relic.     In 1310, Bruges' city council decided to combine the festivities around the Holy Blood, its procession (May 3rd) and the two-week ceremonies, with the annual fair (April 23rd until May 22nd). As a result the numbers of those assisting at the procession and the...

The Top Ten Best Phobias to Have: 10. Aichmophobia: The Fear of Pointed Objects 9. Anglophobia : The Fear of England and its Culture 8. Bogyphobia: The Fear of the Boogeyman 7. Electrogeniphobia: The Fear of urinating during an electrical storm. 6. Soceraphobia : The Fear of Parents-in-Law 5. Arachibutyrophobia: The Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth 4. Francophobia : The Fear of the French 3. Rhabdophobia: The Fear of being Beaten with a Stick 2. Politicophobia: The Fear or abnormal dislike of politicians 1. Coulrophobia: The Fear of Clowns ...And now, the top ten WORST phobias to have: 10. Papaphobia: The Fear of the Pope 9. Xylophobia: The Fear of Wooden Objects 8. Hellenologophobia: The Fear of Complex Scientific Terms and Greek Terminology 7. Porphyrophobia: The Fear of the color Purple 6. Gymnophobia : The Fear of Nudity 5. Ostraconophobia: The Fear of Shellfish 4. Stas...

   Sometimes, knowing what NOT to do is even more important if you want to fit in or at least produce a good impression. Read on to find out about ten Russian social taboos. Don't Come To Visit Empty-Handed    If you're invited over for dinner, or just for a visit, don't come to a Russian house with nothing. What you bring doesn't really matter — a box of chocolates, flowers, or a small toy for a child. Russian hosts prepare for company by cooking their best dishes and buying delicacies that they normally wouldn't for themselves. If, after all this effort, a guest shows up without even a flower, Russians believe he doesn't care. Don't Leave Your Shoes On In Someone's Home    Russian apartments are covered in rugs. Often, they're expensive Persian rugs with intricate designs, which aren't cleaned as easily as traditional American carpeting. Besides, Russians walk a lot through dusty streets, instead of just stepping from the c...