An astrolabe was used to measure the angle between the zenith (point directly overhead) and a celestial body such as the sun during the day or the north star at night. Christopher Columbus would have used an astrolabe to help him navigate the ocean to the New World. This Astrolabe Watch incorporates this early astronomical insturment.

Happy Columbus Day!

September 24th is the 250th anniversary of the beginning of the Guinness brewery in Dublin Ireland. Get ready for the worldwide celebration with this Guinness 1759 Trademark T-Shirt.  Join in the fun at a pub near you. If there isn't pub near you or a bar that serves Guinness, then you'll have to buy it at the beverage store. If you can't find a beverage store that sells Guinness - then I feel sorry for you.    

Personally, I like the stout.  Sláinte, ya'll!

Pennsylvania artist Diane Kline creates small prints of her original paintings and transforms them into lovely eco-friendly works of wearable art. This Red Poppy Necklace is one example of her individually crafted, handmade jewelry.

The red poppy was adopted by the British and Canadian Legions as a symbol or remembrace for WWI and  a way to raise funds for veterans. Even in the US, veterans give out a small imitation red poppy when receiving donations around Memorial Day. In Britain it is known as Armistice Day and was renamed Remembrance Day after the WWII. It is held there on November 11.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row by row,...

This penny was originally created as local currency in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a small island off the couast of France that was controlled by The British Crown. They minted their own money from 1822 to 1836. This Crab Coin Cut Out Pendant was created from a Guernsey penny that has been layered in gold and silver, then cut out with a very fine jewelers saw.

I have chosen this necklace in honor of the Annual Blessing of the Fleet in Bayou La Batre, Alabama. (Missed it again, darn it!) The shrimp boats are decorated with flags and religious symbols and  blessed by the local Archbishop. Then we eat!

"God bless your going out and coming in."

Every now and then we all need to step back, take a deep breath, and reread the document that created a country and changed the course of the world. This authentic reproduction of The U.S. Constitution is beautifully matted in a handsome poplar wood frame. There is no better reminder of what standing up for what you believe can achieve.

If you're looking for that big "John Hancock" signature, it's on the Declaration of Independence. Add the Bill of Rights and you have a very impressive set for home, office, or library.

Today is the birthday of Albert Einstein. You can celebrate his genious with this Einstein College T-Shirt. Einstein was big into math, so you can celebrate his memory² today because it is also Pi Day! This shirt is said to remind some of John Belushi's "College" shirt in Animal House.

Woooohooo! Who wants pi!

Remember how Lincoln Logs sparked your imagination? Remember how you never seemed to have enough pieces to make everything you wanted to make? You shouldn't have that problem with this 115 piece set in a large tin. These are not plastic imitations, but the real thing and all wood.

Some people think that this toy was named for President Lincoln, while others insist it was named for a fictional logging town named Lincoln, but if the town was named for the president, then what's the difference!

Great toy for both boys and girls and a fun retro gift for that grown-up architect!

Boston Ghosts and Gravestones Tour for two is guaranteed to raise your spirits! Step aboard the trolley of the doomed and see the darker side of Beantown. Visit the final resting places of many of the most famous heroes of the American Revolution including John Hancock, Paul Revere and Samuel Adams.

Xperience Days also has a Ghost Tour in Savannah, where you can visit the Sorrel Weed House, which was featured on SCIFI channel’s Ghost Hunters.

Happy Hallowe'en, ya'll!