Welcome Mat: The Detroit News
posted: 12/24/2011 by David LondonWelcome Mat
December 22, 2011
See Original Article Here
Merry Chrisma-Hana-Kwanzaa-kah!
In the spirit of the holiday season, Welcome Mat has teamed with Pure Michigan to give away three colorful 2012 calendars showcasing Michigan in all four seasons to greet the New Year. If you're racing through the waning days of 2011 and find yourself with no wall calendar to plot next year's comings and goings, please email me by midnight Sunday at spollack@detnews.com. Put "Detroit News Homestyle calendar giveaway" in the subject line. (Note: This is an online offer only so we can get the calendars to winners in a timely fashion.) Now, take a deep breath and enjoy the holidays, whatever you celebrate!
Gurgle, gurgle
It first caught my eye a few months ago in a shop in Stratford, Ontario, and now I see the GurglePot turning heads at Leon & Lulu in Clawson. A surefire conversation piece, it literally makes a splash and will add a touch of whimsy to any table. Simple and graceful, the durable stoneware pitcher produces a delightful "gurgle" while dispensing beverages, with or without ice. It comes in 17 colors, two sizes ($23 and $42) and also works as a stand-alone accent piece or vase for fresh flowers. Leon & Lulu is at 96 W. 14 Mile; call (248) 288-3600 or check leonandlulu.com. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. An after-Christmas sale with holiday items half off starts at 9 a.m. Monday.
Cheers!
A collection of more than 100 antique pattern-glass wine glasses, produced by American glass companies from 1870-1910, graces the shelves of Silver Quill Antiques and Gifts in Warren. Their diminutive size, 21/2 ounces to 4 ounces each, made them perfect back then for serving rich, sweet wines made from apples, blackberries or currants, and they're just right nowadays for wine sampling or liqueurs. The four-piece set pictured, Double Dahlia and Lens, is $75. Individual glasses in the eclectic collection range from $6 to $18 and come with a copy of wine recipes, circa 1902. Silver Quill, at 22813 Van Dyke, is open from noon to 6 p.m. today and noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. Check silverquillantiques.com for more photos and hours or call (586) 756-8180.
Special events and promotions in and around Detroit
Through Jan. 16, new works by naturalist artist Nancy Byrum of Wyandotte and Leo Kuschel of Taylor, widely known for his paintings of Great Lakes lighthouses and shipwrecks, are on exhibit at River's Edge Gallery, 3024 Biddle Ave., Wyandotte. It's the pair's fifth annual holiday show. Pictured is a framed print, "Blue Ornament" ($135), by Byrum, who began painting dogs on ornaments as a hobby more than 15 years ago. For information on prices and hours, call the gallery at (734) 246-9880 or check artattheedge.com.
Glassblower April Wagner of Epiphany Glass Studios in Pontiac is hosting a special Christmas Eve open house showcasing her line of ornaments, paperweights, flowers and decanters ($34-$400) from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday at her studio, 770 Orchard Lake Road, Pontiac. Pictured is a three-in-one gift item: a wine coaster that doubles as a business card holder or candleholder. Typically open by appointment only, the studio is a quarter-mile east of the intersection of Telegraph/Old Telegraph and Orchard Lake Road. The entrance is at the rear, accessible from Sylvan Court. Check epiphanyglass.com or call (248) 745.3786.