My mother has two obsessions: stones and metals. Stones meaning diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires… And metals meaning gold (white, yellow or rose) and, sometimes, silver. The obsession with stones is not limited to fine jewelry — she like rocks too. There was a store called Kabul in Manila where she used to buy uncut and rocks. One time, she came home with a chunk of rough jade, I don’t know how she managed to find a stone-cutter but, after a couple of months, the rough rock became rings, earrings and pendants. She have me one, in fact, which I had made into a ring.
Anyway, this isn’t about jewelry. I just wanted to provide some background about the object in the photo below.
The flower vase has been carved from a solid piece of agate. The weight of the thing is such that if an unfortunate robber should wander inside our house and I hit him on the head with that flower vase, the effect would not be too dissimilar from getting hit on the head with a fire extinguisher. I’m not a big fan of flower vases but, as you can imagine, this one has many good uses. It’s ornamental and it can also be a deadly weapon.
Agate is a variety of quartz and may be categorized according to its pattern.
The vase does not stay on my desk, that spot is reserved for my wireless mouse, but the lighting is good from this angle so I put it there just long enough to take photos. The flowers are from the garden.
Next time, I’ll take photos of the bookends made of solid agate.
It’s the first time someone referred to a vase as a deadly weapon. Sounds ironic at first, but from how it looks, that ornament can break my skull.
My grandmother also has some agate around, but in the form of ornamental paperweights with Chinese characters on them for good fortune I guess.
These things are dangerously heavy, I squirm at the thought of one falling on my foot.
Lance, wasn’t there an episode of CSI where a guy got hit on the heat by a glass ornament? It seems that anything can be a deadly weapon depending on the skill and intention of the one using it.
Jhay, dead nails cross my mind hehehe
My hobby turned sideline is making fashion jewelry and agate is one of my favorites. They are beautiful and classy. Your vase is gorgeous. Love it!
I love the base. I keep track of all the decors that you publish in this blog and where you bought them (like the stone eggs). I made a list of them so that next time I visit the Philippines I’ll go to those places and hoard all the decors to my heart’s content. Just like you I don’t like decors that has only one purpose. Sana you publish more stuff in this category.
I learn to appreciate more the things that I took for granted when I was still in Pinas – like woven products, natural stones, even grass. Sobrang mahal dito nyan. Would you believe and isang stalk ng grass (yung parang may palay) dito is more than $10?
You can use it as a rolling pin…for certain pastries or pieces of meat that need to be pound or flattened
sorry, lost my focus. my attention was on the sleek and huuuuge computer monitor…
VieL, re sideline: Oh, good for you! Hobbies that become profitable is such a great thing — for creativity and money.
Carol B., the decorating stuff has gotten sidelined because we’re thinking of moving again. Re $10 stalk: my goodness, you can buy a huge huge bunch of dried grass ornaments with $10 here. Oh, but don’t look like a tourist when you go to places like Dapitan. They’ll give yout “tourist prices” too.
miclimptrp99, LOL that brought back memories. When I was a teenager learning how to bake, I used a bottle of coke for a rolling pin. hahaha
Lois, the 20-inch monitor is so much friendlier to the eyes especially with the hours I spend in front of the computer. Love it!
re: a bottle of coke for a rolling pin
that reminds me of a movie — ‘the gods must be crazy’ part 1! hahaha!
Thanks for the reminder pero mas local pa akong tignan kesa sa totoong local. Lagi lang akong nakatsinelas kapag namamasyal at naka-tshirt na puti. Minsan nga di kami pinapasok sa isang mall dahil bawal daw slippers. Bakit ganun? Pag naka-tsinelas ba dyan walang perang pambili? Di ko makita yung point ng policy na yun.
Wow, I’ve heard of restos that don’t allow sandos and slippers but not malls… Which one is that?
Wag ko na lang sabihin yung pangalan baka sumikat pa eh mabubulok na nga. Dinaig pa nga ang ibang mas magandang malls. Basta it’s somewhere in Makati. Never again that I will set foot on that mall. They discriminate based on one’s clothing.
it’s a beautiful thing – i usually get my share of similar beauties from friends from Pakistan
Ms. Connie, the 1st photo looks like something taken from the pages of Elle Decor or Vogue Living…di ka na lang photog, pwede ka na rin stylist.
I really love natural materials turned into decor. I find them to be less dated and can be used for various decorating themes. Not only that, mas magaganda sila tignan on their own, even without the flowers.
More entries like this please. Bihira lang ang local blog that features decorating. So far itong blog nyo pa lang and the blog of real living magazine editors ang alam ko.
My mother will be so happy — dami fans ng vase na bigay nya hehehe
Psyche, re “1st photo looks like something taken from the pages of Elle Decor or Vogue Living”
Wow, thanks, I had to move all the kalat before taking the pics hehehe