Treasure Hill Cottage

Snow globes have been a popular gift for children and adults alike for the past 150 years. The origin of these trinkets is a mystery. Though they had enraptured many in Europe and the United States by the turn of the 18th century, no one really knows where they came from. The tiny spheres are thought to have appeared in France in the early 1800s.

The early snow globes were made using lead glass with a ceramic base and figurines. Bone or porcelain chips were used for the “snow.”  More recently, snow globes were crafted from thinner glass, lighter bases, soap flake “snow,” and foil. Today they are made with old-fashioned glass, plastic and ceramic. They come in various sizes and shapes, can be musical, and have motors and moving parts. Some people only break out snow globes for the holidays, while others keep them on display year-round in a wood curio cabinet.

I just had my kitchen remodeled, one of the things that I stressed out with my kitchen designer is to make sure that extra shelf space and cabinets were added. Since I really love working in my kitchen, I have a surfeit of pots, pans and bakeware. I also like to see them showcased in one area of my kitchen. As for my small appliances such as blender, coffee maker and oven toasters, I also had the designer create a special place for them.

One kitchen item that shouldn’t be confined to a cabinet is your collection of wine glasses. Their thin glass breaks easily, and stowing them away in a cabinet is just asking for trouble. Since I didn’t want to take up valuable counter space either, I had the designer install a hanging wine glass rack over the island in the kitchen. Now I know my wine glasses are always safe and easily accessible.

This guide will assist you in keeping your crystal collection beautiful and almost dust free as they are oftentimes the cornerstone of home decor. To help prevent dust from entering your corner curio cabinet, apply weather stripping to the edges of the doors. When displaying your pieces, keep them back from the edges to prevent them from falling.

To clean Swarovski crystal figurines, wipe them with newspaper dipped in a solution of one part white vinegar to three parts water. Remove dirt from fine crevices using an inexpensive auto detail brush or soft toothbrush. The bristles are stiff enough to get into tight spaces, but soft enough not to damage surface.