Everyone needs a place to call their own, but this can be somewhat difficult if you share your living space with others. After all, many people turn to their rooms for sanctuary from the stresses of daily life, but if you’re married or living with somebody, you are most likely sharing a room. The best way, therefore, to get that much needed space is by converting a spare room or space into your office or designated personal area. For maximum serenity, make sure everyone knows it’s your space to relax.
With minimum distractions, this room should be outfitted with all the things that help you relax. For some people, that’s installing tabletop fountains and salt lamps in a den to create a tranquil oasis. For others, it’s listening to light jazz music. And for others still it’s watching sports. Whatever it is that offers you peace, make sure you have some way to escape from the hectic pace of day to day life. Even if nothing particularly stressful happens in a day, it’s necessary to unwind with a little bit of personal time.
Whether you’re looking to purchase a gift for yourself or you’re looking to get something truly special for a relative or friend, it can be hard to find something that’s unique, interesting, and practical. If you’re looking for that perfect gift, look into giving any number of crystal gifts. These can range from jewelry to crystal wands, but whatever you purchase, be sure it’s a one-of-a-kind product. And because they offer such unique beauty, they are perfect to enhance the décor of your home and be considered by the recipient entirely practical.
For many people, it’s not so much what gift they receive, but the very idea that they were given something unique and different. It’s also important that the person put a lot of thought into the gift itself. Whatever kind of crystal gift you receive, it can serve as the perfect embellishment for your shelf, your bedroom, or your office. Delicate and elegant, crystal figurines are definitely a unique blend of practicality and beauty.
The New Age movement, which captured the attention of many Americans in the 1970s, draws from many different spiritual and religious sources. A New Age practitioner might demonstrate Buddhist beliefs along with faith in chakra healing stones or a crystal point. One of the distinguishing characteristics of the New Age philosophy is that inner peace and strength can be found in any number of ways, and that a person’s path to enlightenment defies judgment.
New Age spirituality often incorporates music to create a sense of community. Music has a natural calming effect, and it can communicate with our bodies’ biorhythms in ways that cannot be explained. In fact, music is not meant to be explained – rather, it should be felt. The same applies with New Age beliefs; people experiment with different mystical techniques in order to feel better physically, mentally and spiritually.
If you’re sick of your home decor but don’t want to do a complete overhaul of the furniture and design, all you need to do is add an accent. This can be painting one wall a bright color or adding a distinctive chair or set of pillows to a couch. It could even just be rearranging your furniture in a different configuration. A small item that can make a big difference in any room, as well, is a unique lamp.
For example, a motion lamp can really add interest and personality to a room. A motion lamp is any lamp that has a feature in motion, like a lava lamp. Motion lamps are especially fun for kids’ rooms, or rooms that you would like to have a calming atmosphere. If you want a unique lamp but motion isn’t your style, consider salt crystal lamps; they have exquisite coloring and many people believe that they possess therapeutic qualities.
Most of us are familiar with obsidian from its use in arrowheads and other early tools, but few know where to find the material or how it is made. Obsidian is a type of igneous rock, which is created when magma or lava is cooled. Unlike many other igneous rocks, obsidian is a glass, created when lava cools quickly and doesn’t allow for crystal growth.
The absence of crystal allows artisans to hone obsidian to an extremely sharp edge, which made it ideal for early projectiles, blades and other tools. Today, obsidian is rarely used for pragmatic purposes. Most obsidian products are now simply for aesthetics, such as an obsidian sphere or points
For as long as I can remember, I have been enamored with geodes and minerals. There is something miraculous in the fact that these exquisite materials are forged within the earth. As the second most abundant mineral in the Earth’s crust, quartz is utilized in a variety of ways today.
My affinity for minerals has given birth to an extensive collection of jewelry and other collectibles. One of my prized pieces is a crystal quartz pyramid that I got on vacation in the Middle East. The pyramid is beautiful by itself, but when it refracts light, it creates a kaleidoscope of incandescent coloring that astounds me.
Many people think that the terms “rock” and “geode” are synonymous, but there are two distinguishing characteristics. A geode will have a distinctive bumpy exterior, which sets them apart from a typical rock. Most geodes will also have a hollow center, where you can often find crystal formations. Geodes are found all over the world, but one of the premier locations in Keokuk, Iowa.
The area around Keokuk is known as the Warsaw Foundation, and geodes from here are referred as Keokuk geode. The Warsaw Foundation encompasses a 50-mile radius from Keokuk and enters into Missouri and Illinois, although all geodes mined from this area bear the Keokuk moniker. There have been several minerals found in these geodes, including quartz and pyrite.
As the second plentiful mineral in the Earth’s crust, we are constantly surrounded by quartz. There are dozens of varieties of quartz, including some that are semi-precious gemstones. One of the most commonly encountered forms of this abundant mineral is rose quartz.
Due to its cloudy appearance, rose quartz is rarely used as a gemstone in jewelry. Instead, you can find rose quartz used in an assortment of other products—from simple rose quartz sphere to elaborate figurines and carvings. Rose quartz’s color also lends itself well to heart shaped carving and pendants. It is believed that the mineral gets its red coloring from titanium, iron or other trace minerals.
Lighting provides the manner in which we see the world. It is the reason objects at night look at times more imposing or looming than they do during the day. When considering solutions for lighting, you should think about chandeliers, lamps, sconces, and traditional ceiling fixtures. In addition, unique lighting solutions such as sculptures, plants, and light diffusers will become the focal point of a space.
Whenever you’re arranging furniture, art, or entertainment devices you should think about the lighting in the room first. Where does the light come from? How will this look in natural light versus artificial light? Will I be able to see the television with the glare from this lamp? These are just a few of the questions to ask yourself when figuring out your lighting solution. It is also important to take into consideration if the fixture will purely be for decoration, such as crystal lamps, or if you require functionality as well.
In my opinion, fools gold looks absolutely nothing like the real thing, which is probably how it got its name. The scientific name for fools gold is iron pyrite, which is an iron sulfide. Although its name is widespread today, the mineral’s uses are somewhat limited.
Centuries ago, fools gold was used as ignition in firearms, but that use has long been antiquated. In the early 20th century, iron pyrite was used in radio receivers, although the vacuum tube eventually overtook it. There is some hope for a pragmatic use of fools gold however; researchers are experimenting with the mineral to see if the cost efficient material can be utilized in photovoltaic solar panels.
