Burn baby burn...

Long before the days of Saje diffusers and modern incense burners..there were these beauties! Chinese incense burners are pieces of art themselves and tend to stand out among any collection! Not only do they have a rich history and details for days.. but they also have a practical use. Win's all around!

Incense in China are used in a wide range of cultural activities - religious ceremonies, traditional medicine, and in everyday use - much like we use them in Western culture. Xiang the Chinese word for 'fragrance' is believed to have long standing improvements on physiological and psychological benefits. What we would call that little mood boost you get from smelling that comforting and calming scent!

We fell in love with the above incense burner immediately..not only does it have our favorite blue and white ceramic detailing but it also has beautiful sterling silver detailing. A lion is featured among two dragons on each side of the traditional burner. In Chinese culture, guardian lions are referred to in various ways depending on context, but they are most often referred to as Shi - spreading protection to the household it finds itself in. While the Chinese dragons symbolize potent and auspicious powers, strength and good luck for people who are worthy of it.

The second little incense burner is also detailed with extensive sterling silver work.. featuring three monkeys on top of burner itself. In Chinese culture, the monkey is considered to be a clever animal and it is usually compared to a smart person. Monkey's referred to as 'Hou' is thereby bestowed with an auspicious meaning as well. Unlike the blue and white ceramic work, this traditional incense burner showcases malachite. Malachite is a stone that promotes a constant flow of energy and is considered a powerful healer - attuned to improve your health and well-being.

We found both of these antique Chinese incense burners at a local antique store. And although, we don't use them for their intended use of burning, we absolutely enjoy adding them to our current collections of ceramics. They standout and elevate our in-home displays and provide us with a rich cultural history that any collector would be lucky enough to have a part of!

Move it, move it!

If you're anything like us, you may be growing tired of the cold outside and looking for activities to keep you busy inside. For most that would probably mean it's a popcorn and movie night but in our house it means it's time for a re-jigging of all of our favorite pieces. Half the fun is collecting and hunting for your pieces but the other half is how you choose to display them in your home.

For some, less is more and they really like their pieces to be the center of attention. On a display shelf, in a vitrine, or on a wall mount.. it creates the opportunity for a singular object to be featured. Most often, this lends itself to having a feature light directed at the piece for additional affect. However, although we can appreciate the simplicity - you've got to know by now, we like our designs with a little more sugar and spice!

We believe there is power in numbers and one of our favorite ways to display some of our key collections is by grouping them. We group them in corners of the house - on a counter, in the corner of a room (on the floor) or in the center of our large coffee table. And we make those groups by looking for common threads in the collection - color (blue and white here!), origin (Asian influence, English.. you name it!) or simply by the overall style (is it classic, modern, antique?)

We also tend to believe that although everything has its place.. now that doesn't mean that the first place you put it is where it has to stay forever. Pieces can be moved around in your home, from spot to spot, and you can ultimately change the feel of your decor just by moving things around. And don't be afraid to try and group your collectables - even if it is a piece that was singularly displayed before. Remember, no matter how interesting a piece may be, you can get tired of looking at it in a certain setting. So go ahead and give yourself some change. By changing the location of your pieces you'll be surprised at how intriguing you find them to be again!

You had us at handmade..

It's no secret that we're lovers of all things organic and that we often look for ways to incorporate the sustainable, health conscious choice into the spaces we create. People often think that interior design is limited to paint color and fabric re-upholstery swatches..and it can certainly can be. However, we like to think of design in an all encompassing way - from start to finish. So everything you can think of that contributes to your home environment (from the candle scent in the living room to the soap in your guest bathroom) we think should be carefuly curated.

The truth is you may be thinking it's hard enough to remember to buy the soap at the grocery store let alone 'carefully curate' every aspect of your life to include handmade soap. We get it..life isn't always predictable and we tend to be pulled in a million different directions that can prevent us from getting something like this off our to-do list. But trust us, there is a method to our madness. We're going to give you 3 good reasons as to why you should give this helpful and healthy tip a try. And the best part is, once you've found what you're looking for and know where to get it from - your job is half done for next time!

1) INGREDIENTS YOU KNOW!

The very best reason to use handmade soap is the ingredients. Typically handmade soap is made of coconut oils and natural butters that are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients that are essential for healthy skin. Everyone wants healthy skin and switching to daily use of handmade soap is the best place to start!

2) IT'S GOOD FOR YOU!

It is commonly called soap, but that mass produced commercial product that you get at the grocery store is anything but. You have an array of personal cleansers to choose from that are labeled as body bars and body washes. Unfortunately, these are often loaded with chemicals and synthetic ingredients that both dehydrate and age skin and are linked to serious long term issues. Handmade soap contains no preservatives and that in itself makes it our favorite must-have!

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3) IT'S OFTEN LOCAL AND CAN BE CUSTOMIZED!

We LOVE this part of the handmade soap story. Often times, handmade soap is something you are able to find at your local organic grocery store or farmers market. Ultimately, this means that if you'd like to meet the producer of your soap product - you can! And you can even let them know, what, if any, skin issues you are having to see what kind of product they would recommend. This is also where the customization piece comes in. If they don't already have the specific soap produced they may have the perfect recipe to make for you! What a treat!

We're gushing over our most recent handmade soaps featured in this post - they have everything you'd ever want to make your heart go pitter-patter. So next time make sure you take the few extra minutes to think of the little details in your home. Because so often it becomes all about the little details that make the big details all come together. Design is more than just the color on the wall, it's the feeling you get in a space when you're in it. And that feeling can be one of comfort and positive emotions if all those little details have been thought of as well!