Month: October 2014

Choosing a Nativity Set or Figurine for Your Space

October 31, 2014

A nativity scene will always be welcome as the heart of our holiday decor. This special decoration reverently celebrates Jesus’ birth and keeps us mindful of the true meaning of Christmas. When the holiday season starts to feel hectic, the nativity set will be there to inspire quiet moments of reflection. No matter the amount of decorating space you have, you can find a nativity to fit.

Consider a miniature nativity set if you have limited display and storage space. A mini nativity set is great for a small room, an apartment, a bookcase top, or any area where a larger set would be overwhelming. These nativity sets are no less captivating for their smaller size. The Foundations™ Mini Nativity Set features a stable and eight figurines, all of which are under 7.5”H. Designed for Enesco® by artist Karen Hahn, this nativity set reflects a delicate beauty with its pastel colors and crystal accents. 

Foundations Mini Nativity Multi Pastel Set of Nine Nativity detail

Another solution to limited tabletop space is to display a single figurine instead of a grouped set. A Holy Family figurine or nativity sculpture depicts the Christmas miracle in one compact tabletop decoration. Designed by Karen Hahn, the Holy Family Figurine features Mary and Joseph gazing at the baby Jesus in tender adoration. Raised vine motifs and small crystals enhance this sweet, detailed piece from Foundations™ by Enesco®. 

Holy Family Figurine Natural Figurine detail

Larger nativity sets will be at home on a display table, beneath your Christmas tree, or atop the mantel. Keep the stable size, measurement of the largest figurine, and number of pieces in mind as you plan where to place your nativity set. A tall set may need more space than the area beneath your tree can provide. The Heirloom Nativity Set from the Joseph’s Studio® Collection by Roman, Inc. has a traditional appearance that will remind you of a family keepsake. This 12-piece set consists of a 19”W stable and 11 figurines; however, many of the pieces can be purchased separately to create a display that best suits your space. These detailed nativity figurines are beautifully handpainted. 

Heirloom Nativity Set Multi Warm Set of Twelve Screen Shot 2014-10-10 at 12.39.11 PM

Personalized Christmas Stockings: Memorable Holiday Gifts

October 24, 2014

When your family members stumble sleepily to the fireplace on Christmas morning, what treats will await them (when they finally get those eyes open)? Will it be an old-fashioned stocking, with the minty whiff of striped candy canes, the glint of foil-wrapped chocolates, and a sweet clementine ready to be peeled and enjoyed? Or maybe they’ve been good enough to receive some tiny tech gifts, wine accessories, or kitchen tools.

You and Santa have put a lot of thought into those stocking fillers, so you’ll want a beautiful Christmas stocking to match. And when it’s personalized with the recipient’s name, your holiday gift will be that much more memorable. Dangling prettily from the holiday mantel, Christmas stockings are a familiar sight from Yuletides past and surely will be for those to come.

The Christmas Present Stockings allow you to display your gift within a gift! These delightful stockings have elaborate “gift” designs on the cuff, adorned with bells, braided rope, and sequins. Velveteen fabric in rich colors of red and green will add to the seasonal spirit of your holiday decor. These personalized Christmas stockings are sure to be a family favorite.

Green Christmas Present Stocking

The Tufted Velvet Christmas Stockings will leave the recipients as fascinated by the exterior as they are by the contents! Let the intricate, tufted holiday scenes fill their eyes with wonder. The cuff in red or green is ready for personalization.

Tufted Nutcracker Stocking Green

The Elegant Snowflake Christmas Stockings will let you enjoy the sight of delicate snowflakes – even if there aren’t any outside! These personalized stockings feature embroidered snowflakes with hand-applied bead accents, all beneath a fringed cuff. Elegant, shimmering colors of gold, white, and silver make these stockings an enchanting winter vision.

Elegant Snowflake Stocking

Fall Entertaining with the Harvest Garden Collection

October 17, 2014

Ah, the joys of fall… checking the progress of your pumpkin patch each week, finding yet another vibrant orange treasure among the coiling tendrils and green leaves… Maybe you’ve hoisted that 60-pound beauty into your wheelbarrow or selected a bunch of cuties to dot your porch. Before long, you’ll be scooping out the insides, carving jack-o’-lanterns, and roasting seeds. Or maybe you’re ready for that ubiquitous Thanksgiving treat, pumpkin pie. Could the pumpkin be put to one more use? Of course! Let this fall-time fruit be your serving solution as you entertain throughout autumn.

Designed by (C)Susan Winget, the Harvest Garden Collection features serving pieces shaped like pretty pumpkins and leaves or decorated with pumpkin designs. Fall entertaining will be a decorative and fun affair with these earthenware accents. A gloss finish gives these pieces a polished appearance, so you’ll be proud to add them to your table.

The Beverage Pitcher features a delightful pumpkin design with dimensional leaves and a handle resembling a stem. Use this pitcher to serve up your favorite beverage or to keep your kitchen utensils for easy access.

Harvest Garden Pumpkin Pitcher Orange

The Salt and Pepper Shaker Set is ready for the fall season(ing)! These adorable shakers will brighten up your table with their charming appearance.

Harvest Garden Salt and Pepper Shakers Orange Set of Two

The Leaf Serving Platter features a green pumpkin leaf that is all ready for your autumnal appetizers and treats. The leaf veins, curlicue stem, and little bloom provide decorative embellishment.

Harvest Garden Leaf Serving Platter Green

See our web site for more serveware from the Harvest Garden Collection.

Camo Furniture Covers from Mossy Oak

October 10, 2014

Have you grown weary of telling your dog “off” each time he hops up on the furniture? Maybe those forlorn eyes and guilt-trip whimpers are weakening your resolve. Still, you’re not ready to see your furniture covered in pet hair and claw tears. Or perhaps your children or grandchildren are a little on the messy side. The Camo Furniture Protectors from Mossy Oak® are great solutions to your furniture woes.

These quilted, one-piece furniture covers rise above the norm with their camouflage patterns. Sure to delight the hunter or outdoor enthusiast in your life, these protectors have nature-inspired designs and earthy hues. These water-repellant camo furniture covers can protect a variety of furnishings; choose from a chair cover, recliner cover, loveseat cover, and sofa cover. Each protector also has stay-put elastic straps, so you don’t have to worry about constantly adjusting it and moving it back into place.

The Camo Shadow Grass Furniture Protectors have blades of grass at different angles to add contrast.

Camo Shadow Grass Recliner Protector Sage Recliner/Wing Chair Camo Shadow Grass Recliner Protector Sage Recliner/Wing Chair

The Camo Break-Up Infinity Furniture Protectors have a camouflage pattern with leaves, limbs, acorns, and branches.

Camo Break Up Infinity Chair Protector Sage Chair

For more camo home decor, see our Camouflage Lodge Collection.

NaturalStone Bakeware and Microwave Bacon Cooker

October 3, 2014

Throughout the hot days of summer, you may have kept your distance from oven-dependent recipes – why heat up the house when you can stick to cold sandwiches, the stovetop, or the microwave? Now that we’re heading into fall, however, you’re probably craving the comfort of baked dishes. And as the autumn chill sets in, you won’t mind warming up the kitchen. Before long, you’ll be opening the oven door to bubbling, cheesy dishes, golden, flaky crusts, or the heady scents of pumpkin and spice.

Whether you’re a beginning baker or an accomplished chef, you’ll want to start with quality bakeware for the best results. NaturalStone™ bakeware is the answer! These premium baking dishes provide even heat distribution for exceptional baking and crisper crusts. Made in the USA, NaturalStone™ clay accents are durable and long-lasting. Handmade, hand-finished stoneware is oven-, microwave-, and dishwasher-safe. If you need a pie pan, loaf pan, casserole dish, or rectangular baker, NaturalStone(TM) bakeware is up to the task. These baking dishes also make wonderful, useful gifts for all the bakers on your Christmas list. They’ll be grateful for your thoughtful gift each time they feel like baking! Choose from four colors to find the perfect fit.

NaturalStone Deep Dish Pie Pan

Even if you’re all thumbs when it comes to baking, you can still enjoy the fine qualities of NaturalStone™ with the Microwave Bacon Cooker. Whether you’re looking to step up your breakfast or you have a hankering for a classic BLT, this cute cooker makes it easy. With this durable accent, you can forgo the skillet and use your trusty microwave instead! Shaped like a pig, this bacon cooker promotes even heating for a better, crisper bacon. Raised edges collect the grease, so you can enjoy bacon that is a little healthier and hassle-free.

Bacon Cooker Natural

 

The NaturalStone™ story starts with David H. Haegar, a young immigrant who founded the Dundee Brickyard in 1871. As the decades passed, this small-town brickyard grew to become America’s oldest and one of the largest production potteries in the world. Haegar® NaturalStone™ items are made from clays mined in Kentucky and Tennessee. Each piece is hand-finished before being fired, and only those pieces that pass a rigorous inspection are sold.