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Arthur Court

Arthur Court Aluminum Serveware is designed and made under the direction of the company's namesake, Arthur Court.  Arthur is known for his use of alternative metals like aluminum.  Arthur Court continues to draw inspiration from nature and wildlife, making pieces with flora and fauna motifs. Arthur Court, truly, is a leader in the tabletop market.

Each piece of Arthur Court Aluminum Serveware is made of FDA food-safe, sand-cast aluminum and each piece is polished by hand.  Each piece is a one-of-a-kind piece. Variations are common and are the intention. Brides like to register for Arthur Court because they do not want to polish silver.  Instead they choose aluminum serveware that requires little polishing and effort to have a great looking service tray, platter or trivet.

Caring for Arthur Court Aluminum Serveware is easy.  It rarely needs to be polished.  Simply hand wash the soiled piece with warm soapy water and dry it immediately. Never wash your Arthur Court Serveware in the the dishwasher. Aluminum will stain, so it is important to remove all food and liquid after each use.  Arthur Court recommends applying a thin coat of oil to the surface of the piece prior to serving.  The oil will act as a barrier against acidic and salty foods that will dull the aluminum finish.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of all Arthur Court designs serveware is donated to the Arthur and Elena Court Nature Watch Conservancy to preserve wildlife and the environment.

Arthur Court collections are broad and inspired by nature, however there are a number of Arthur Court collections inspired by universities, the Kentucky Derby and Disney. If you check out nothing else from Arthur Court, be sure to see the Arthur Court cheese and cracker servers: they are really neat and different than other cheese and crackers on the market. Here is a list of all Arthur Court collections:

African Safari
American Harvest
American Traditional
Botanical
Bunnies
Butterfly
Fleur de Lis
Grape
Horse
Kentucky Derby
Disney
Kitchen
Longhorn
Magnolia
Pet
Rooster
Savannah
Sealife
Sunflower
Tuscan
Western
Collegiate
Christmas Ornaments
Peace Sign
Pineapple

The Bobble: A Water Bottle that Filters and Refreshes!

 

When I first saw the Bobble I was very skeptical, but thought it was intriguing enough to be cool.  The Bobble claims to filter tap water and remove foul odors, foul tastes, organic contaminates and chlorine--all-the-while reducing water bottle waste in landfills. The design of the Bobble is simple, it features a squeezable, hour-glass shaped recycled plastic (BPA free) water bottle (the bottle is recyclable, too) and a mouthpiece with a charged carbon filter built into it. The filter/mouthpiece screws onto the water bottle. (Bobble Filters last 2 months or 40 gallons. At that time they need to be changed.  The cool thing is that you can buy another color if you are sick of looking at the color you have been using.)

As soon as I could get my hands on one, I immediately took it out of its package and ran to the kitchen.  I followed the directions and flushed the filter.  To flush the filter you simply fill the bottle with water and screw on the filtered mouthpiece and squeeze all the water out.  As I squeezed, a small amount of black carbon dust was visible, but the water quickly ran clear.

I have an expensive home reverse osmosis water filter installed in my house and am accustomed to good tasting water with no odors.  I can hardly drink water straight from the tap anymore.  I put my faith tentatively in the Bobble and poured tap water into it.  I screwed on the lid and tipped up the bottle and squeezed.  I only allowed a small amount of water into my mouth at first.  It tasted...really good.  I quickly drank more and was not disappointed.  I could not tell the difference between my home filtration and the Bobble.  I was a little astonished.  The Bobble did everything it said it would do.

The makers of the Bobble state that it will hold 18.5 ounces of water, but I can get 20 ounces in it easily.  I will definitely use the Bobble religiously.  It is great for the office, while traveling and for every day use.  the mouthpiece opens easily and closes easily for a leak-proof seal. The Bobble will make a great gift for anyone. Made in the USA, FDA approved. Wash in warm soapy water, dry with soft towel, filter may be boiled in water.

Match Italian Pewter | What is Pewter and What is Pewter Made From?

Not all pewter is created equally.  Pewter is an alloy of three metals: tin, copper and antimony--a flaky blueish-white metal.  For pewter to be called "pewter" it must contain at least 92% tin.  Pewter is considered a semi-precious metal due to its tin content.  Did you know that tin is the fourth most expensive metal next to platinum, gold and sterling silver?  It's true, and this is why you should demand high tin content in the pewter that you buy--whether it is a figurine or a pewter ice bucket.

Higher qualities of pewter alloy like the alloy Match Pewter uses is 95% tin.  The higher the tin content, the higher the quality of pewter and more handsome the appearance of the pewter. A higher tin content produces a beautiful luster and superb finish.  While the best pewter has a high tin content, you need to be assured that the tin used is of the highest quality, also.  Stick with manufacturers who are up front about this. Sure, they will probably sell more expensive pewter, but you know that you are getting an heirloom-quality piece.  Many label their product as pewter and use a number of white metals like aluminum to give their product the pewter look, but what they make is not pewter.

When we went looking for a line of pewter for the kitchen, table and home we had to educate ourselves on who makes the best and safest pewter.  We found Match Pewter to be the company who is forthright with their pewter alloy recipe, has the best Italian pewtersmiths making the product and arguably has the finest pewter designs in the marketplace.  All Match Pewter is FDA approved, lead-free and 100% food safe. Match Pewter founder David Reiss, a Rhode Island School of Design graduate, is committed to making the highest quality pewter bowls, chargers, vases, centerpieces, flatware, stemware and tableware. To do this, he contracts the the best pewtersmiths in northern Italy who use age-old techniques to make Match's pewter.

If you already have a piece of Match Pewter or are interested in purchasing a Match Pewter piece you will notice that there are stamps on it.  A stamp that will always be present is the "95" stamp denoting the content of tin in the piece.  You might also have an "M" stamp present, which stands for Match. There may be up to two more that indicate in what region in northern Italy your piece was made and the workshop where it was made.  All pieces will have at least two imprimaturs or hallmarks on them. Some pieces are classic designs with historical references.  These pieces are cast directly from molds made from original antiques.  When you see symbols and initials on the front of some Match Pewter pieces they have been picked up from these molds.

Just a quick note about Match Pewter flatware.  Match has created beautiful flatware using pewter for the handles.  All food surfaces are made of high quality 18/10 stainless steel.  The knife blades are actually forged with the handles creating a very solid knife; the blades are not simply stuck into a pewter handle.

Pewter requires little in the way of care, but it can discolor if you leave something acidic in it.  If your pewter does discolor it can be cleaned up easily with a good metal polish or "0000" steel wool.  Caring for and cleaning pewter is not as hard as some might lead you to believe.

Match Pewter creates an entire line of pewter for the desk, kitchen, bathroom and bar.  They offer pewter picture frames, vases and centerpieces, candlesticks, candelabras and lamps, pewter chargers and platters and bowls.

Spaceform London Glass Keepsakes

I am always looking for a unique gift to give a loved one or friend and it is hard to find items that are truly unique enough to be appreciated by the receiver.  I think I have found a solution in Spaceform London.  They make brilliant glass tokens, picture frames and paperweights. They are affordable and high-quality.

Ok, I can hear you saying, "Arrgh tokens, paperweights?" Hear me out before you dismiss this.  These really are different from others that I have seen.  They are brightly colored, made of highly polished glass and have heartfelt sayings on them. You can get one for any relative, friend or loved-one.  

Spaceform has been around since 1994. It was started by Christina Greenhalgh and Jane Glibbery, both from London. They wanted to get their contemporary, highly-polished glass in the hands of a wider audience.  Since that time they have created a large assortment of glass paperweights, tokens, picture frames and much more.