Breaking News

Lifestyle Columns

Spooky vibes

Believe it or not, it is October, so it’s time to think about celebrating Halloween. The library has some new Halloween, supernatural and ghostly books on the shelf. Come and take a look! If you like to crochet cute stuffies, you will want to check out Cute ‘N’ Creepy Crochet: 20+ Easy Amigurumi Patterns for Scary Creatures, Cuddly Cryptids, Sinister Slashers, Dangerous Dragons and More! by Donielle Broderick (746.43 Broderi). The patterns call for easy-to-find bulky yarn and take very little time to complete. I can’t pick a favorite; they are all so cute. You will want to make ...

Swatow porcelain, named for a port city, has a rustic look

Collectors often categorize types of East Asian porcelain by region or place name. For example, within the broad category of Chinese export porcelains, you have Canton and Nanking, both of which are blue and white with scenic patterns. Swatow porcelain, also named after a port city that exports passed through, may not be quite as popular, but it is more distinctive. It often has a more rustic look than other types of Chinese porcelain, with a coarse texture and gritty base. Designs have a looser, freehand look, and color fields often spread slightly past their outlines. It can be blue ...

Off the Shelf

Here are few of my favorite recent reads. Library staff would be happy to help you place requests on these or any other titles. If you’d like to place your own request, visit www.newulmlibrary.org and choose Library Catalog. Memoir ghostwriter Olivia Dumont is close to financial ruin after a devastating public humiliation. When famed author (and Olivia’s estranged father) Vincent Taylor taps her to ghostwrite his final book, Olivia sees no other option than to accept the job. But Vincent isn’t writing another novel, he’s writing his memoir. And he wants to include what really ...

Napoleon-style table features extravagant decorations

Furniture styles before the 20th century are often named after the rulers or governments of the time. Here in the United States, we have furniture periods like William and Mary, Federal, and Victorian. It follows that furniture styles, like their namesakes, are usually particular to the country or region. However, contemporary styles from different countries often share similarities. Take the style of the Second French Empire, which lasted from 1852 to 1870, the reign of Napoleon III. It drew inspiration from many past styles from antiquity to the 18th century. Decoration was ...

Off the Shelf

I love reading, I am sure that comes as no surprise. You’d be hard pressed to find a librarian who dislikes reading. I love curling up with a book on a chilly morning. I love falling asleep with a book at night. I love stolen moments of the day reading, when I should really be doing something else. I read on planes, trains, and in the car as long as I’m not driving. I read in restaurants, coffee shops, and in waiting rooms. I read fiction and non-fiction from the adult shelves and the children’s room. I love young adult fiction and biographies about almost anyone. I must confess ...

When a Tiffany glass vase isn’t a Tiffany

Arthur J. Nash worked for the Thomas Webb & Sons art glass factory in his native England, but didn’t do his best, most innovative work until he came to America. His glassmaking expertise made him a perfect fit for the Tiffany Glass & Decorating Company, founded in 1892. Although Louis Comfort Tiffany achieved fame as a glass designer, he did not make his own glass. Nash established Tiffany Furnaces in Corona, New York, where he created the formula for the company’s famous Favrile iridescent glass. Like many glassmakers, Nash’s work was a family affair; his sons followed in his ...