ComputerHunter.org |
|
|
|||
|
 |
The Legend of the Bayberry Candle
When colonial families settled on the Eastern seaboard, they set about on their "women's work". Each day, the women of the house were responsible for the cooking, cleaning and care of the home. In late fall, as the animals were slaughtered, women would begin making candles for the following year. The average home would require approximately 200 - 400 candles to illuminate the home for a year. Tallow, or animal fat, was collected throughout the year, but slaughter always brought more fat to the home. As candle making was grueling and smelly work, the bulk of it was done in a single day. Tallow can be quite foul after a few weeks. Imagine how much worse it must be after several months! In more affluent homes, the women would make candles from beeswax or bayberry wax, as the aroma was far sweeter than anything an animal would leave behind. Women would gather bushels of bayberries and boil them for several hours. This heating process allowed the waxy substance to seep from the berries. As the wax has a natural buoyancy, the wax floated to the top of the kettle. Once the wax cooled, it was skimmed off much the same way we skim chicken fat from cooled broth today. It takes approximately 15 pounds of bayberries to render one pound of wax. Bayberry wax is brittle by nature, and prone to "blooming", which is a white powdery residue that forms on the outside of the candle after several months. Candles had to be stored in a cool flat place to protect their fragile shape. Over time, chandlers made their rounds, relieving women of the chore of candle making. Eventually, molds and paraffins were developed to replace tallow and chandlers altogether. Bayberry has seen a resurgence in popularity over the last 100 years. Mabel Baker, founder of Colonial Candle of Cape Cod (later PartyLite, a division of Blythe HomeScents, Inc.) made her mark in the early 20th century making hand dipped bayberry tapers. Unfortunately, the company no longer offers candles made from genuine bayberry wax. Colonist folklore states that if you light a new bayberry candle on Christmas Eve, you'll have health, wealth and prosperity in the coming year. The adage reads: A bayberry candle burnt to the socket brings food to the larder and gold to the pocket. This holiday, look for taper candles made with genuine bayberry wax. The sweet, grassy aroma is a pleasant holiday fragrance. Burn one taper on Christmas Eve, and ring in a new year of health, wealth and prosperity! Lisa Robbin is the Director of Product Development for the giving candle, the maker of genuine bayberry tapers and Heavenly Gems resin-based clear candles. Lisa writes articles on all things candle related in an effort to educate consumers about making the most out of their candle purchases. You can email her directly at lisa@thegivingcandle.com
Google News - Top Stories
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Using Color To Change The Size Of Your Bedroom Did you ever wish your bedroom was bigger or smaller? Well if you don't have enough money to change the actual size of the room, then you can use paint to make the bedroom seem bigger or smaller. The Benefits of Owning an Ionic Air Purifier Ionic air purifiers are not filter systems. Ionic air purifiers work by sending out negatively charged ions into the air of your home. The ions latch onto chemicals and particles such as dust, tobacco smoke, and pollen, causing them to become attracted to each other and to the interior surfaces of your home. The result is that they drop right out of the air. You wipe, mop, and vacuum the precipitant as part of your regular chores. This may seem like a dirty way to purify the air, but many machines are highly effective at it. An Upholstered Bench To Incorporate Style and Function How do you envision your dream home? Is it rich in color and texture, romantic, cozy, warm, comfortable and inviting all at the same time? Would you love to incorporate colorful fabrics and rich textures in your home's décor but are not sure how to pull it off? You are not alone. The truth is: Many people long to incorporate the use of textured and patterned fabric into their decorating style but are not sure where they should begin. Bathroom Vanities and Cabinets Come in Many Different Styles Modern bathroom vanities and medicine cabinets come in a huge variety of styles and finishes, from the simulated antique look to sleek modern designs. Your choice of vanity unit and storage cabinet can have a big influence over the look and feel of your bathroom, so it's worth putting some thought into your decision to make sure you get it right. Think about the theme of your decor, as well as the layout of your bathroom. The positioning of your bathroom cabinets and vanity set plays an important role in the overall appearance of the whole room. Interior Decorating and Home Decor With Inuit Art from the Arctic North In order to help give a room a classier touch, interior decorators have used sculptures to bring in a mansion or even museum-like feel to a home. This is particularly true for the interior decorating of living rooms, dens, home offices and hallways. When many people consider sculptures as home decor, the thought comes to ancient Roman or Greek mythological characters like Apollo, Venus or Zeus. Others think about abstract contemporary fine art sculptures that are sometimes difficult to interpret. Since there has been a trend in recent years towards a more natural look with more earthy color tones for interior decorating, Inuit art from the Canadian Arctic north can fit in nicely as part of home decor. The Advantages of Wooden Wine Racks Wood wine racks provide the best storage system for a large collection, cheaply and efficiently. Pine wine cubes hold 24, 48, 96, or 120 bottles. They are easy to assemble, study, stackable, attractive and cost between $30 and $130. You can easily purchase more cubes as your collection expands. Ask for a discount if you buy more than one cube. Powell Furniture - Make Your Kitchen A Gourmet Kitchen Are you looking for that special something to turn your kitchen into a room that dreams are made of? Are you tired of the everyday hum drum, and envision a gourmet kitchen that can be enjoyed by everyone in the family? If so, you can make your dreams come true with Powell furniture. Contemporary Bathroom Vanities Minimal, linear, often metallic and futuristic, contemporary bathroom vanities come in modern finishes such as brushed nickel and chrome, and are usually free of extraneous ornament and decoration. The result can be a synergistic blend of strength and beauty. A contemporary aesthetic does not exclude natural stone or natural woods. Natural materials will provide lasting endurance and timeless style, and because they are tough enough to withstand everyday wear, they will remain beautiful for years to come. Designing Your Kid?s Room is Child?s Play! Would your child's room benefit from some fresh design ideas and reorganization? Most could, but it can be hard to know where to begin and what concepts to use. Obviously, the age and personality of your child, not to mention your budget, will dictate much of the design concept. But where and how to begin? With these easy-to-follow tips, you will be ready to dive right in and decorate. Getting The Most From Your Candles I love burning candles and have them all around the house. Long ones, short ones, fat ones, thin ones, in a plethora of colours. I burn them in the evening when I'm relaxing; I burn them at mealtimes; and I burn them in the bathroom when I'm pampering myself. Any excuse to light a candle really. How a Good Bedroom Design Can Boost Your Confidence Do you know that your bedroom is responsible for who you are right now. How to Make Roman Shades Roman shades are a simple and elegant window treatment to block the sun or prying neighbors. Nicer than plain plastic shades, but less expensive than ornate window shades, Roman shades provide the perfect start to a beginning home decorator. Granite Countertop Colors Granite, like marble and other stones, is as old as the earth. Granite is the second hardest stone (diamond being the first) and is created from molten rock. It is found world wide, in countries such as Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States. In addition to its strength, granite is a very beautiful stone that adds color and warmth to a room. A frequent choice of designers for decades, granite countertops have now become popular with the public. There are literally hundreds of granite countertop colors including whites, browns, reds, greens, blues and black. The variations of the minerals in each base color creates hundreds more possible variations on the basic colors. Putting Passion Back Into Home Decorating For most people, they can count the times they redecorate their homes in a lifetime on one hand. It's a shame because this is not because they don't have great ideas about how they want their homes to be, but that the thought of redecorating brings the following obstacles to mind: Pool Table Lights Guide: How To Light Up Your Game The proper pool table lights is critical to playing your best game of pool. The ideal pool table light fixture is attractive, unobtrusive, and provides just enough illumination without creating a glare. Choosing the right pool table lights for your home need not be difficult. Just keep a few points in mind. Finding a Bamboo Flooring Supplier Bamboo, a type of grass that grows all over China and Southeast Asia, has become a fashionable, high-quality alternative to traditional hardwood floors. Bamboo's 40-50 foot high stalks reach maturity in just five years and renew themselves naturally, making them a great alternative to cutting down trees that can take decades to reach maturity. Bamboo flooring has been shown to be just as hard, durable, and beautiful as standard hardwood floors, making them a great, environmentally friendly way to add beauty and value to your home. Decorating With Art A Little Savvy with Framed Art Prints and Photographs Can Help Successfully Pull a Room Together Installing Hardwood Floors Hardwood floors can be secured using various installation methods such as floating, glue-down, nail-down, and staple-down. The ¾ inch solid floors can be nailed down. Adapters are used for thin flooring. The hardwood flooring can be stapled down over wood subfloor. The staple-down method is simpler than nail-down. A Look at Fruit Gift Baskets The original, the granddaddy of all of today's items bought and sold as fruit baskets, was in fact a basket full of assorted fruits. While there is no clear cut evidence when the first fruit basket was wrapped up and delivered to it's overjoyed recipient, it is known that in ancient times fruit baskets were routinely given to kings and feudal lords all over the world as a sign of respect and loyalty. A Look at Portable Dishwashers Portable dishwashers are just the ticket for those with less than enough space for a more permanent and heavier dishwasher. They range in widths from a slim 18 inches to a maximum of about 24 inches for the "larger" portables. In general, they are also less expensive. They usually run anywhere from $200 to $500, rather than to $600 or more as with permanent units.
|
|
|
|
|
