Salt and Pepper Shakers
$44

• Why is spilling salt so unlucky?

Spilling salt has been an unlucky omen throughout many centuries and cultures. In ancient times salt was highly valued, so much so that spilling salt became an unlucky omen among the Romans. Roman soldiers were paid in salt or sal, which is the origin of the word salary. The phrase "not worth his salt" stems from the practice of paying with salt.

Later, the omen of spilled salt was adopted by Christians who took it one step further and threw it over their left shoulder, which is where they believed that the devil stood waiting to tempt when one's guard was down. The salt was meant to temporarily blind the devil until one's good fortune returned.

Dinner party table topics
$25

• Why are the pilgrims dressed that way?

In almost all depictions of the pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving they are wearing black and white clothing and have buckles on their shoes and hats. But that really wasn't the case. Buckles didn't come into fashion until later in the seventeenth century, and black and white were commonly worn only on Sunday and formal occasions. So why are they depicted in those fashions? According to Plymouth Plantation historian James W. Baker, the popular images of Pilgrims weren't really developed until the nineteenth century, and at the time, buckles served as a symbol of quaintness. That's the reason Santa Claus is depicted with buckles as well. As for the black and white? Because Thanksgiving became an important occasion later, illustrators likely dressed the pilgrims up a bit, but the "first Thanksgiving" was not really a formal occasion. Pilgrim women typically dressed in red, earthy green, brown, blue, violet, and gray, while men wore clothing in white, beige, black, earthy green, and brown.

Source:

Budget Cuts
$20

• What's the origin of the piggy bank?

Beloved for centuries, the piggy bank was actually made by accident. In middle English (around the 15th century), the word "pygg" referred to a type of clay used for making various household objects such as jars. People often saved money in kitchen pots and jars made of pygg, called "pygg jars". Sometime in the 18th century, a request for a "pygg bank" resulted in a bank shaped like a pig - a happy accident that has become an iconic part of culture.

Big Bowl Glasses
$32

• Why do winemakers stomp grapes by foot?

Grape stomping prevailed for centuries because the human foot, soft and arched, is ideal for crushing grapes. The purpose of stomping was to release the juice without tearing up the grape skins and without breaking the seed. If the seed breaks, it releases an oil that spoils the wine. Attempts were made at machines, but they weren't widely used and perfected until the 20th century, which also coincided with a rise in public health concerns about mixing feet and wine.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Frother
$15

• What does hot cocoa have to do with marriage?

During the 1600s, hot chocolate became a very popular drink enjoyed by the rich in Spain. And when Spanish royals married royals of other European countries, cocoa was often given as a dowry. In 1643, when the Spanish Princess Maria Theresa (1638-1683) was betrothed to Louis XIV (1638-1715) of France, she gave her fiance an engagement gift of chocolate, packaged in an elegantly ornate chest. A royal chocolate maker was appointed and chocolate drinking soon became all the rage in Europe.

Spudski Potato Masher
$15

• Why are potatoes called spuds?

Spud is a Scottish term for a raw potato that dates back to at least the 19th century. The nickname "spud" derives from the tool, a sharp spade, that was used to dig potatoes up.

More potato Uncommon Knowledge! The name we use today for white potatoes, potato, is actually a case of mistaken identity. When the Spaniards discovered the Peruvian white potato they mistook it for the sweet potato that they had found earlier in the West Indies. They ignored the native name for the white potato, papas and instead called them batatas, the Haitian word for "sweet potatoes." Batata was corrupted to patata in Spanish and then altered to potato in English.

Money CuffLinks
$180

• Where did the phrase "on the cuff" originate?

The phrase, which means "on credit," originated around the turn of the century when bartenders wore starched white cuffs and jotted down their patrons' debts on them. The phrase "off the cuff," meaning "unrehearsed," may come from the impromptu notes that early Hollywood directors wrote on their cuffs during a scene. These non-scripted ideas were then told to the actors, and the scene was re-shot.

Swear Bank
$25

• What happens to your brain when you swear?

Interestingly, the brain doesn't process swear words the way it processes other words. In most people, the left side of the brain handles language, while the right side creates the emotional content of language. Language processing is a "higher" brain function and takes place in the cerebral cortex, while emotion and instinct are "lower" brain functions that take place deep inside the brain.

Many studies suggest that the brain processes swearing in the lower regions along with emotion and instinct. According to howstuffworks.com "Scientists theorize that instead of processing a swear word as units of sound that must be combined to form a word, the brain stores swear words as whole units. So, the brain doesn't need the left hemisphere's help to process them." The act of swearing is considered a motor activity with an emotional component instead of a language activity.

Graffiti Set
$25

• Who were the first vandals?

Why the Vandals, of course! In 455 A.D., this Teutonic Tribe of about 80,000 members captured Rome and completely sacked the city. The Vandals destroyed many of Rome’s precious cultural objects and works of art, and it was this unscrupulous behavior that the words “vandal” and “vandalism” came to be.

 • What is the origin of the “silhouette”?

Originally called “profile shades” or “shadows” in England, the silhouette got its name from Louis XV’s former French Minister of Finance, Etienne de Silhouette. Silhouette was known for his extreme frugality, and word got around that instead of purchasing traditional art for his home, he decorated it with inexpensive homemade paper cuttings. People began calling the cuttings “silhouettes” to mock the former minister, but the art form became wildly popular for many centuries and among all social classes.

Custom-made Silhouette Pillow
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Squirrely Love
$30

• How do squirrels climb head-first down trees?

Squirrels can easily climb down trees headfirst because they can reverse their hind feet to point backward, which allows them to anchor themselves with their hind claws. Unfortunately, domestic cats do not have the same ability, hence the reason they are always getting stuck in trees.

Movie trivia!

 • What does food poisoning have to do with Indiana Jones?

It was responsible for one of the most memorable scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark. In the scene, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is in a crowded Egyptian marketplace about to have a face-off with a formidable swordsman, who gives a lengthy demonstration of his talents. The original script was supposed to have an extended fight scene with Indy defeating the swordsman with his famous whip. However, Ford and most of the crew were suffering from food poisoning, and Ford was so ill he couldn’t bring the energy needed to the scene. So director Steven Spielberg allowed for an adjustment: Indiana Jones gives the swordsman a tired “you’ve got to be kidding” expression, pulls out his gun and then casually shoots him.

Source: www.mentalfloss.com

Music And Movies To Check Out
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Trivia Bliss

Personalized Wedding Guest Book Platter
$125 - $150

• Why do brides have bridesmaids?

The custom of having bridesmaids and groomsmen began in ancient Rome. Roman law mandated that there be ten witnesses to make a wedding legal. All the wedding attendants dressed alike in order to fool evil spirits who supposedly showed up at weddings to cause mischief. If everyone looked alike, the evil spirits wouldn’t know who was actually getting married. It was only in the last century that bridesmaids began to dress differently than the bride.

 • Why are most pencils yellow?

In the late 1890s, the L&C Hardtmuth Company of Austria-Hungary introduced the world’s best and most expensive pencil. Back then, most pencils were either painted in dark colors or not at all, but the Koh-I-Noor was yellow. Both the color and the name were a marketing technique that suggested luxury, quality and the exotic appeal of the far East. At the time, the finest graphite in the world was in Siberian mines near the Chinese border, and the yellow color symbolized that. It wasn’t long before other manufacturers began making yellow pencils and using names such as Mongol and Mikado in order to piggyback on Koh-I-Noor’s success.

Back to School Socks
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Trivia with Bite

Urban Myth
$30

• Do alligators really live in NYC Sewers?

This urban legend got its start in 1935 when the New York Times reported a (true) story about an eight-foot gator found by a group of kids who were shoveling snow into a manhole by the Harlem River. It was speculated that the alligator must have escaped off a ship coming from the Everglades and swam up the Harlem River and into the sewer. The legend took off after that and the "standardized" legend (Baby alligator pets brought from Florida were flushed down the toilets and thrived in the sewers) was first published in the 1959 book The World Beneath the City, a history of public utilities in New York City written by Robert Daley. Since then, besides the rumors, only two small gators, likely escaped pets (one being a Caiman, which is a small crocodile), have been found roaming in New York. However, The Department of Environmental Protection still receives 8 to 10 inquiries each year about alligators in the city sewers.

I Melt With You

 • Why are ice cream trucks so noisy?

According to an article by the New York Times, noise has always been associated with the ice cream man, beginning in the late 1800s with his iconic cry “I scream for ice cream!” In the 1920s, Harry Burt, inventor of the Good Humor bar, attached the rack of bells from his family‚s bobsled to a truck. Other drivers followed suit and began attaching mechanical music boxes to their steering wheels.

Iscream Babysuit
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Bullet Pen
$25

• Why do we say “bite the bullet”?

The more well-known theory is that people used to bite a bullet to alleviate pain during medical procedures. But the phrase can also be traced back to the cartridge used in the 1850s British Enfield rifle. This cartridge had a paper tube, and the rifleman would have to bite off the end of tube in order to expose the powder to the spark, all while trying to remain calm during battle. This nerve-racking experience gave rise to the phrase “bite the bullet” or stand firm under attack.

T-Trivia

 • Why were T-shirts invented?

T-shirts were invented for sailors by Britain's Royal Navy and later adopted by the American Navy to hide dark chest and underarm hair that showed through the lightweight white uniforms. In 1938, Sears and Roebuck featured the shirts in its catalog and called them gob shirts, "gob" being a slang term for a sailor. Gob shirts soon got the name T-shirts because of their resemblance to the capital letter "T". It wasn't until 1950 when Marlon Brando wore one in A Streetcar Named Desire that T-shirts became acceptable as a fashion statement and not just an undershirt.

Scraptee herbal pouch
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Trivia on Ice

 • When were beer cans invented?

Beer cans hit the market on January 24, 1935, but the American Can Company made its first attempt in 1909. Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful and had to wait for Prohibition to end before they made another attempt. In 1933, after two years of research, American Can developed a can that was pressurized and had a special coating to prevent the fizzy beer from chemically reacting with the tin.

Pop Can Clutch
$38.00

America’s Dirty Laundry

 • What was the East Room first used for?

Today the largest room in the White House is used for entertaining, press conferences, ceremonies, and occasionally for a large dinner. But when John Adams was President, the East Room was used as a place to hang laundry. At the time, the White House was still under construction and without a fence around the property. First Lady Abigail Adams, wary of thieves, felt it was safer to dry the laundry indoors.

USA Map Pillow
$50.00

Peanut Butter Jelly Spreader
$10

• Who invented PB&Js?

Food historians do not know exactly when the peanut butter and jelly sandwich was first prepared and there have been no advertisements or mentions of PB&J before the 1940s. It is known, however, that both peanut butter and jelly were on the U.S. Military ration menus in WWII and some have suggested that the GIs added jelly to their peanut butter to make it more palatable. It was an instant hit and returning GIs made peanut butter and jelly sales soar in the U.S.

Coffee Break

 • What happens when you try to ban coffee?

Just ask Fredrick the Great of Prussia. In 1777, the king tried to ban coffee imports because it competed with local products, namely beer. His argument? “His Majesty was brought up on beer, and so were both his ancestors and officers. Many battles have been fought and won by soldiers nourished on beer, and the King does not believe that coffee-drinking soldiers can be relied upon to endure hardships in case of another war.” Unfortunately for the king, the proposed ban was meant with such fierce opposition that he was forced to recant. Let them drink coffee!

Pantone Coffee Mugs - Set of 10
$110.00

A Dog’s Tale Glasses
$35

• Do dogs bark in different languages?

Not exactly. Despite the fact that dogs all over the world make the same sound, their barks are represented differently in every language. What is constant in all languages, however, is that people double the sound. “Bao Bao” (Italian), “Jau jua” (Spanish), “Haw Haw” (Arabic), “Wan wan” (Chinese) and “Ruff ruff” (English). Dogs bark much more frequently than wolves, which, it has been suggested, is a juvenile feature that has been preserved and extended through domestication and may also be the reason behind the double-sound.

This will knock your socks off

 • Why do we say put a sock in it?

Because we literally mean “put a sock in it!” This phrase originated in the late 19th century after Thomas Edison invented the phonograph. Early phonographs had no form of volume control, and in order to muffle the sound, people put socks in the horn.

Parental Advisory Coasters
$20.00

Bottle It Up

Winerd
$35

• What do fiascos and wine have in common?

The word fiasco originated in Venice and originally meant "bottle or flask" in Italian. If a glassmaker made a mistake while creating something, he would transform the piece into a common flask, or a fiasco, to avoid waste. Later the phrase fare fiasco “to make a bottle” was used to describe a failure or disaster on the stage. From there, the term eventually made it into the English language as a way to describe a total failure.

A Labor of Libations

 • What is groaning ale?

In Colonial America, seven or eight months before the birth of a child, the local alewife would make a high alcohol content ale and store it away until the “groaning time” when a mother went into labor. The mother-to-be, midwife and expectant father would often drink it during labor to help them relax during the long ordeal, and if the birth was successful, everyone present would enjoy a mug. Afterwards, the newborn was often washed in the groaning ale, since it was cleaner than most water supplies.

House Rules Glasses
$35.00

Golf Club Bottle Openers
$65

• Why do golf balls have dimples?

Golf balls were originally smooth until golfers noticed that older golf balls full of nicks, bumps and slices seemed to fly farther than the newer, smoother ones. Golfers used the beat-up balls to give themselves the advantage on the course and they even began to nick the newer balls to get the same effect. The reason why the nicks and cuts helped so much is because they act as “turbulators.” Turbulators induce turbulence in the layer of air next to the ball and help reduce drag. Taking this knowledge of nicks and cuts, golf ball manufacturer William Taylor created the first dimpled golf ball in 1905.

Truth Be Tied

 • Why do men wear neckties?

Variations of neckties have been worn since ancient times to signify title or wealth, but the trend really took off in the seventeenth century after the Thirty Years War. During this war, Croatian mercenaries fought for the French and wore small, knotted neckerchiefs. These silk neck adornments sparked the interest of King Louis XIV of France. He quickly incorporated them into his wardrobe and called them “cravats,” which is is derived from the “a la croate” - like the Croats (wear them). For two more centuries, the tie remained a fashion statement of the wealthy. It was the Industrial Revolution that helped bring the style to the masses as workers traded farmland for the factory and the business class was born. In 1924, an American tailor named Jesse Langsdorf created and patented the tie’s modern look, with its bias cut and three-piece construction.

Guitar Tie
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Ahoy Matey!

“Master of my Fate” Paperweight
$35

• Who was the real Long John Silver?

The character of Long John Silver was inspired by English poet William E. Henley. While in the hospital facing the possible amputation of his second foot (he had already lost one as a child), Henley befriended author Robert Louis Stevenson, and they collaborated on a few plays. Henley’s big personality and fighting spirit helped save his second leg, and also inspired Stevenson’s famous character Long John Silver from the novel Treasure Island.

Ant Public Service Message

 • What do ants do when they have one too many beers?

They call a sober driver, of course! In 1888, naturalist John Lubbock conducted an experiment that tested beer’s effect on ants. According to Lubbock, the ants that had too much to drink were carried home by their “designated driver” nest mates.

Picnic Table Condiment Set
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A Rocky Start

Couple Between a Rock and a Soft Place Clock
$100

• What’s the origin of “Between a rock and a hard place”?

This common phrase comes from a dispute between Arizona copper mining companies and mineworkers in 1917. The workers had made a list of demands but were refused. The phrase refers to the harsh and underpaid work at the rockface on the one hand and unemployment and poverty on the other.

Can you spell that for me?

 • What is the longest word in the dictionary?

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. Although there are many specialized words longer than this, this 45-letter mouthful is the longest word listed in a general English dictionary. It means “a pneumoconiosis caused by the inhalation of very fine silicate or quartz dust, a miner’s lung disease.” Now, all we need is someone to pronounce it for us.

Vintage Map and Dictionary Earrings
$40.00

I wish I may, I wish I might

Health, Wealth & Love Wishbone
$26

• What is the legend of the wishbone?

Legend has it that the Etruscans began the wishbone tradition. They believed chickens had fortune telling powers, so in the event that a chicken was killed and consumed for a meal, the sacred collarbone was saved and left to dry in the sun. Tribe members were allowed to make a wish while stroking the drying bone.

The Romans took many of the Etruscan customs as their own and since everyone wanted good fortune, they fought over the bones, breaking them. The tradition eventually was passed on to Europe and America.

It is said that the phrases “I need a lucky break” or “I never get a break” come from being the loser in this tug of chicken bone contest.

All Ways Are My Ways!

 What is a Queen Anne’s Fan?

This 18th century term refers to the childish gesture of putting your thumb on the end of your nose, spreading your fingers out and then wiggling them. The term is supposedly named after Queen Anne of England, who often hid her face behind a fan, which at the time was a very rude gesture.

Queen Mom Platter
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A Secret Message

Message in a Bottle Kit
$16

• What is an “Uncorker of Bottles”?

The “Uncorker of Bottles” was the official title for a person who opened messages in bottles for Queen Elizabeth I. During their ongoing battles with the Spanish Armada, the British fleet would send the Queen important messages via bottles. The post was created after it was discovered that a bottle with vital information from a spy was opened by a seaman in Dover. After the post was created, it was illegal for anyone else to open a bottle that washed up on shore. If it was found you opened a bottle, the penalty was death.

Tales Of The Tooth Fairy

 Why do we have wisdom teeth?

Back in the days before fluoride and floss, our primitive ancestors lived on a rough, coarse diet of meat, leaves, roots and nuts that wreaked havoc on their chompers. Wisdom teeth served as a back-up pair because teeth were so likely to fall out. As humans evolved so did food preparation and basic hygiene, and that extra set of molars became unnecessary. Today, evolutionary biologists classify wisdom teeth as vestigial organs, body parts that are functionless due to evolution.

Tales Of The Tooth Fairy
$30

Going up?

Elevator Cable Frames
$45 - $75

• Who was the first elevator passenger?

While elevators powered by both men and animals have existed since ancient times, they were mainly used to transport freight and not people. The first modern passenger elevator was built for French King Louis XV in 1743 as a discreet way to visit the apartment of his mistress. The elevator, known as the "flying chair" was located on the outside of the building and went from the first to second floor. When King Louis was feeling frisky he would go out to his balcony and signal for a team of men to pull him up to the second floor via a system of weights and pulleys.

Do you feel lucky?

 What is the legend of the lucky kitty?

According to the 17th century legend, the Japanese kitty, or Maneki Neko belonged to the poverty-stricken priest of a rundown temple in Tokyo. One day during a storm, a wealthy man of high stature was passing by the temple. He took shelter under a tree and looked up to see the cat beckoning him into the temple. He left the tree to follow the cat, and the tree was immediately struck by lightning. In gratitude the man befriended the priest and helped renovate the temple.

Today many Japanese storeowners use the lucky kitty in their shop windows to beckon people into their stores and bring them good fortune.

Lucky Kitty Mug
$12

Make a Wish!

Wishing Wall Frame And Wishchest
$45

• What's the origin of wishing wells?

The tradition of throwing pennies into wishing wells or fountains originated among Germanic and Celtic people who considered wells and springs to be sacred places of the gods. Water was believed to have healing powers and be the source of life. The guardians or deities of these wells and springs had special powers, but it came at a price. The Celts had a tradition of leaving objects and food for the gods at pits and springs in exchange for good fortune. And Germanic peoples used to throw armor and weapons of their defeated enemies into bogs and other pools of water as offerings to the gods. Eventually, the ritual of throwing valuables into sacred waters turned into the modern-day practice of throwing coins into water and making a wish.

The Stinky Truth

• What's So Great about composting?

Benefits of composting:

• Up to two-thirds of most household trash can be composted.
• Making compost lightens your garbage and keeps it from smelling.
• Composting reduces the need for more landfills.
• Homemade compost is a free and chemical-free fertilizer for your garden.
• Compost improves all soils - it opens up clay soils and hold moisture and nutrients in light and sandy soils, reducing the need to water and fertilize.
• Compost helps make healthy soils and healthy soils lead to healthy plants and thus, healthier animals and people.

Kitchen Composter
$14 - $65

Wagon Party

Wine-be-Gone
$70

• What is the origin of "fall off the wagon"?

Before you can "fall off the wagon" you have to actually be on the wagon. The original version of this expression was "on the water wagon" or "on the water cart." During the late 19th century, horse-drawn water carts wet down dusty roads in the summer. In the 1890s, during the temperance movement, men who vowed to stop drinking would say that they would rather climb aboard the dusty water cart for a drink than go back to the bottle. When people said they were "on the water cart" it meant they had given up drinking. The phrase "fall off the wagon" entered the language shortly thereafter.

Fishing for Riches

• Why do goldfish symbolize abundance?

In Chinese, the word fish and the word abundance are both pronounced as "yu." In China, fish of all kinds represent prosperity because of this association, but goldfish are especially symbolic because "jinyu" translates to "gold in abundance."

Bag Of Zen
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Protect Our Earth

Protect Our Earth Glasses - Set Of 4
$45

• Why are there two Earth Days?

Turns out, good ideas come in pairs. The two Earth Days, interestingly enough, are unrelated but share the same basic purpose and were founded a mere month apart from each other in 1970. The first Earth Day, International Earth Day, takes place on March 20. It was the idea of John McConnell, a newspaper publisher and community activist, who proposed the global holiday at a UNESCO Conference on the Environment in 1969. He chose the March equinox as the date because it symbolizes equality and renewal: an equinox marks the changing season and is the only time when night and day are the same length everywhere on earth. It is meant as a day where we can all forget our differences and focus on preserving the earth, together.

Most Americans celebrate Earth Day on April 22, a day established in 1970 by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. This day originated as a grassroots demonstration meant to get environmental issues into politics. Earth Day was a huge success, with celebrations taking place all over the country. It was also the catalyst for multiple environmental laws including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Hey, the more Earth Days the merrier!

Candy Wrapper Clutch

• How did Reese's Pieces get in E.T.?

Rumor has it that M&Ms candies were first approached about having a starring role in Steven Spielberg's E.T., but that they didn't think it was a worthwhile movie on which to spend advertising dollars. Turns out Hershey, Mars' big competitor, thought it was a worthwhile movie and a great opportunity to promote Reese's Pieces. Hershey agreed to spend $1 million promoting E.T. in exchange for the rights to use E.T. in its ads. The gamble paid off and the yummy peanut butter candies saw a reported 65% jump in profits just two weeks after the movie¹s premiere.

Recycled Candy Wrapper CLutch Purse
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You Are My Sunshine

Reclaimed Wood & Tin Sunshine Frame
$35

• What's the origin of the word sunbeam?

Defined as a ray of light, the word sunbeam came to be because of a difficulty in translation. When the ninth-century translator of the Venerable Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People came across the Latin term columna lucis or "column of light," he was stumped. There was no word for column in the Old English vocabulary. So he substituted the word beam meaning "a building post."

Trivia Hog

• Why is it called pig Latin?

Everyone's favorite grade school language can be traced back to schools in mid-18th-century England. It was originally known as dog Latin, the "dog" being an abbreviation of "doggerel," meaning something bad, bastard or mongrel. Different than present-day pig Latin, dog Latin was a combination of English and Latin, which when spoken sounded much like the grunting of hogs. Hence, pig Latin. Today, the delightful language is formed by taking the first letter of a word, putting it at the end and adding an "ay." Avehay aya oodgay aday!

Pig Chip and Dip
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Ouch! My Brain Hurts!

Dr. Cool & Dr. Hot Packs
$16

• Need two million Band-Aids?

In 1950, the nanny employed by Golden Books publisher Richard Simon (of Simon and Schuster) suggested a book be written about Band-Aids, after noticing how fascinated Simon's own son was with the product. Simon loved the idea and encouraged the nanny, Helen Gaspard, to write Little Golden Book No. 111 - Doctor Dan the Bandage Man.

Simon recognized a marketing opportunity with the book and contacted Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer of Band-Aids, to see if they would be interested in partnering on the project. Johnson & Johnson agreed to provide nine million Band-Aids, six per book, and to help advertise. To further pique interest, Simon composed ad copy that supposedly told the back story of the partnership, in which Simon telegrammed a friend at Johnson & Johnson "PLEASE SHIP TWO MILLION BAND-AIDS IMMEDIATELY." His friend replied "BAND-AIDS ON THEIR WAY. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU?"

A Fact in Sheep's Clothing

• When did sheep live in the White House?

When Woodrow Wilson was president during World War I, he made the thrifty decision of bringing in a flock of sheep to maintain the White House lawn instead of paying for groundskeeping. An added bonus? When the sheep were sheared, the wool was sold to help raise money for the Red Cross. Maybe President Obama should rethink getting a puppy...

Embroidered Wool Belt
$65

In the Mood for Romance?

Latticino Glass Heart
$35

• Who penned the first romance novel?

The queen of the so-called "bodice-ripper" was Kathleen Woodiwiss, a Louisiana mother and wife who began writing romantic fiction because she was so dissatisfied with the existing "women's fiction" of the time. In 1972, she published her first novel, The Flame and the Flower, which was set on a Southern plantation in the late 18th century. Her trademark writing style of combining historical settings with florid prose and steamy sex scenes became a huge success and was immediately imitated. In a Publisher's Weekly interview, Woodiwiss denied that her books were erotic. They were merely "love stories, — with a little spice." By the time Woodiwiss died in 2006, she had written 13 novels and sold more than 36 million copies in 13 countries.

Pup Culture

• How did a dog help invent Velcro™?

In 1941, Swiss engineer George de Mestral had just returned from a hunting trip with his dog when he noticed that both he and the pup were covered in tiny burrs. He pulled the burrs off his pants and out of his dog's hair and went straight to his microscope, where he noticed that the burrs had tiny hooks that attached to the loops of thread in his pants. De Mestral then set out to design a two-sided fastener, with hooks on one side and loops on the other. Through trial and error, he discovered that nylon when sewn under infrared light formed tough, resilient loops. The hook-side was then created by trimming off the top of the loops, thus making the perfect match. De Mestral patented his invention in 1955 and called it Velcro, a combination of two French words: velours meaning "velvet" and crochet meaning hook.

Dog Walker Mugs
$24

A New Position on History

Kama Sutra Treasure Trove
$38

• Who should we thank for the Kama Sutra?

There is no one true author of the Kama Sutra, but it was originally compiled by a celibate (yes, celibate) scholar named Vatsyayana who lived in India around the 5th century A.D. Although the Kama Sutra is perceived as the most well-known book on erotic love, it is actually a collection of hundreds of years of spiritual and sexual wisdom passed down by the ancient sages; Turns out, Vatsyayana was more a dedicated religious student than a ladies' man. He intended the book to be not only a love manual, but also a tribute to Kama, the Indian god of love. While the Kama Sutra is famous for its sexual instruction, that only makes up about 20% of the book. The majority of the text is devoted to advice about courtship, compatibility, the importance of pleasure for both men and women, and building deeper and more meaningful relationships with the opposite sex.

All-Star Trivia

• Who brought curves to the ballpark?

William Arthur "Candy" Cummings was only 14 years old when he invented the curveball on a New England beach in 1863. Cummings discovered the method by throwing sea shells and studying their movement. He experimented for years trying to perfect the twisting pitch, and supposedly threw the first curveball in 1867 while playing for the Brooklyn Excelsiors.

Baseball Bat Opener
$75

We Heart Trivia!

Stitched Heart Bracelet
$48

• What's the history of candy hearts?

Famous for their written statements, "conversation hearts" also known as "sweethearts" didn't start out as hearts. When Daniel Chase first invented the candies in 1860, they were called "cockles" and they were shell-shaped candies wrapped in colorful paper with printed sayings. The hearts with messages on them weren't invented until 1900. And even then, the hearts weren't the only shape manufactured. Candy horseshoes, baseballs and watches were also popular. And because of their shape, allowed for longer sayings such as "How long shall I have to wait? Pray be considerate." Eventually, the hearts beat out all the other shapes, and the sayings became much shorter and to the point. Each year, at least 10 new sayings are introduced.

All in the Family

• Why do our families drive us so crazy?

According to a recent study published in Neuropsychologia, the way we feel about our biological family is more primal than how we feel about others and is processed in a different area of the brain than other relationships. Visiting or even just viewing photos of family members lights up the area of the brain linked to self-reference. This means that we initially trust people who look like us, but we also judge them the same way we judge ourselves and take things more personally. Finally, an explanation for all those arguments at the family reunion.

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Trivia Bowl

Record Bowl
$25

• Why isn't called the super ball?

The Super Bowl was created as part of the merger agreement between the National Football League (NFL) and its rival, the American Football League (AFL). One of the conditions of the merger was that the champions of each league would face-off to determine the "world champion of football." Originally the game going to be called "The Big One," a name coined by NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle. But Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt had joking referred to the game as the "Super Bowl" after seeing his daughter playing with a toy called a Super Ball. Postseason college football games were called "bowl games," so the term was already in fans vocabulary. The first bowl game was the Rose Bowl, named after the bowl-shaped stadium in which it was played. Although meant as a joke, the "Super Bowl" name stuck, and that famous Super Ball is now on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Make Your Mark

• What's a "mark twain"? Samuel Clemens attributes his famous pseudonym to a nautical term he learned while working steamboats on the Mississippi River. "Mark Twain" means "mark two fathoms (12 feet) deep" and was called out when the riverboat leadsmen pulled a weighted rope through the river to make sure that the water was a safe depth for the boat to float over.

Who you calling huckleberry? In the early 19th century, wild huckleberries were so little, plentiful and common that the word "huckleberry" became slang for a person of no consequence (and likely inspired Mark Twain's character Huckleberry Finn).

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Do You Want Cheese with Your Bailout?

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• Americans aren't the only ones who need a bailout these days. According to the Wall Street Journal, Italy also needs a rescue plan...for their cheese. The Italian government plans to spend 50 million euros ($65 million) to buy up 200,000 wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padano cheese and donate them to the needy. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, which has extremely strict production requirements, takes a year to age and can only be made from the milk of hay-fed cows that are milked twice a day. These requirements give cheese makers (mostly small family-owned businesses) very little opportunity to adjust to the economic downfall.

Wheely Interesting

• What do bikes have to do with feminism? Quite a lot, actually. According to Susan B. Anthony, "The bicycle has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world." When bikes first came into fashion, women were not even allowed to ride them. It was believed that they were bad for women's health, morals and fertility. However, bicycle manufacturers and advertisers eventually realized the amount of money that could be made among the female market, and so they began creating bikes for women. Besides the new freedom and independence it provided, the bike was the catalyst that introduced pants to women. Enter Amelia Bloomer, who invented a little thing called "Bloomers," pants that were loose in the leg, tight around the ankles and much more suited to riding a bike than a dress and corset.

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Hot, Hot History

• The famous burning Yule log that warms television sets every Christmas got its big break in 1966 on WPIX-TV Channel 11 in New York. General manager Fred Thrower is credited with the idea of the televised roaring fire accompanied by Christmas carols. He wanted to give a gift of a warm, cozy fire to millions of New Yorkers living in apartments without fireplaces.

Filming of the Yule log was done at Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the mayor of NY. Three years later, WPIX decided to re-shoot the footage without the fire screen. A spark shot out and ruined the mayor's antique Persian rug. WPIX was immediately asked to leave.

After much research, WPIX found a look-alike fireplace in Palo Alto, California. The footage was filmed on a hot summer day and ran for two decades. In 1990, the Christmas special was extinguished (due to the high cost of running without commercials). In 2000, after pleas from the public to bring it back, the Yule Log film reel was found gathering dust in a New Jersey warehouse. When it aired in 2001, it was the most watched show on Christmas Day in the NY metro area.

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T-R-I-V-I-A (with a triple letter score on V)

Scrabble Keyring
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• Why are there only four S's in Scrabble? When Alfred M. Butts designed the first Scrabble game in the 1930s, he carefully analyzed the front page of The New York Times and calculated how often each letter of the alphabet appeared. He used this information to determine the quantity and value of each letter in his game. The letter "S" posed the biggest problem because it appears very often, but is mostly used to pluralize other words. In the end, Butts decided to only include four S's, hoping to limit the use of plurals and make the game more challenging.

Scrabble didn't become really popular until the early 1950s when, as legend has it, the president of Macy's discovered the game on vacation, and ordered some for his store. Within a year, everyone "had to have one," and Scrabble sets were being rationed to stores around the country.

A Touch of Trivia

• When did the saying "touch & go" originate? Legend has it that the phrase "touch and go" dates back to the days of the stagecoach. Drivers often tried to pass each other on narrow roads, a dangerous feat that could result in both coaches wrecking if the wheels became entangled. But if they were lucky, the wheels would just touch and the coaches could go on their way.

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A Toast to Trivia!

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• Should we make a toast or just make toast? The ancient Romans did both! They used to drop a piece of burnt toast, tostus into their wine glasses to reduce the wine's acidity and absorb impurities. The act of dropping the toast in and raising a glass to honor someone became intertwined. And even after people stopped using toast, they continued to "make a toast."

You Say Tomato...

• You say tomato, the Supreme Court says overruled! In the 1893 "Nix vs. Hedden" case, an importer claimed the tomato as a fruit in order to avoid U.S. Vegetable import tariffs. Technically, he was right. Tomatoes are classified as fruits because they contain seeds, but the Supreme Court ruled that they be taxed as vegetables since they are used in savory dishes instead of sweet.

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Gin & Knowledge

• Would you like malaria with your gin? Yes, you heard right; malaria used to pair quite well with a gin and tonic. When the British were occupying India, they were very susceptible to malaria. To battle the disease they drank quinine-fortified tonic water. Since the tonic didn't have a very pleasing taste, they mixed it with a little gin and added a few citrus slices for the ideal medicinal cocktail.

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Spicy Trivia

• When was pepper a status symbol? Pepper began its long reign as the spice king during the Middle Ages when paradise was believed to be a physical place on Earth. Spices such as cinnamon and pepper were reputed to grow in close proximity to it, thus making them important status symbols on the table. Pepper was so valuable during Elizabethan times that the guards on London docks had to have their pockets sewn up to make sure they didn't steal any.

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Very Superstitious

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• How did a translation mistake result in the black arts? The original Greco-Latin word was necromantia "divination by means of the dead." When the French translated it, they confused necro "dead" for niger "black," causing people to negatively associate the word "black" with dark, secret practices.

• Why knock on wood? The phrase "knock on wood" comes from a very literal superstition. People used to knock on wood to thank the tree's spirit for granting them a favor.

Don't Toy With Me

• What does the Viewfinder have to do with WWII? Although most of us remember the viewfinder toy from childhood, it was also an important training tool during WWII. The U.S. military produced special sets of reels to aid with artillery spotting and aircraft identification. They purchased 100,000 viewers and nearly six million reels for soldiers between 1942 and 1945.

• How did Etch-A-Sketch® save Christmas? In 1960, Ohio Art took out ads on TV to promote their Etch-A-Sketch® toy. Due to the incredible demand for the toy, the company continued manufacturing them until noon on Christmas Eve. The Etch-A-Sketches® were then immediately shipped to the West Coast so people in California could buy them on Christmas Eve and still have them Christmas morning.

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Dark Secrets

Black Crow Coir Mat
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• Ever heard of the education program, no headstone left behind? Famous for his eerie stories and poems, Edgar Allan Poe's dark side could be rooted in the fact that he was educated in a cemetery. The boarding school he attended in England bordered a graveyard, and the headmaster, too cheap to buy textbooks, would conduct lessons among the graves. Each child was instructed to choose a headstone and then find the deceased's age by subtracting the year of birth from the year of death. On the first day of school, each student was presented with a small shovel. If a parish member died during the semester, the children were sent outside to dig the grave, and voila! Gym class.

Red, White, and Who Knew?!

• Who should George Washington send a thank-you to? Dolley Madison. During the War of 1812 when the British were attempting to burn down the White House, first lady Dolley Madison rescued a painting of George Washington. Good thing too; the famous portrait by Gilbert Stuart was later used on the $1 bill.

• Which man was fated to be president? Talk about destiny! Gerald Ford, who served as both vice president and president, is the only person never to have been elected to either of these positions. He was appointed vice president, under the rules of the 25th Amendment, when Spiro Agnew resigned. And he became president when Richard Nixon resigned.

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