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Glass has been with us almost since the beginning of time. Glass is naturally formed through the transformation of some types of rock through heat and fire. Over time, humans have learned to create glass at will. Although no one knows for certain when glass was first reproduced and manipulated by man, the earliest known ornamental glass was found in Egypt and is thought to date back to 3500 BC. From those earliest glass beads to the more practical uses of glass like drinking glasses, vases, and cooking vessels, glass has been a major part of human life for thousands of years.

Decorative glass is a popular gift, especially etched glassware. Custom etched glassware can preserve an event or theme in glass forever. Glass is also used in fine art with art galleries all over the world displaying unique and inventive glass sculptures.

One of the most breathtaking and fascinating glass art displays is the famous glass flower ceiling in the lobby of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Named the “Fiori di Como”- the flowers of Como-, the installation consists of over 2,000 individual hand-blown glass flowers covering a 2,000 square foot area on the ceiling of Bellagio’s front lobby. The artwork was created by famed glass artist Dale Chihuly for Bellagio’s opening in October of 1998. Chihuly wanted to include the Italian Lake Como in the name of the piece to honor the area from which the Bellagio takes both its name and inspiration.

The Fiori di Como contains over ten thousand pounds of steel for the setting and forty thousand pounds of hand-blown glass. Chihuly did not create the masterpiece on his own but took on the role of maestro to a symphony of around 100 artists and technicians. Chihuly dislocated his shoulder in 1979 in a bodysurfing accident. He has not been able to lift a glass blowing pipe and, since then, has created and directed others to complete his vision.

Chihuly’s Fiori contains flowers in almost every conceivable color, including blues, pinks, greens, yellows and oranges. Light from the lobby ceiling filters through the artwork, backlighting the piece and creating a stunning three dimensional view of the work.

Thousands of visitors to Las Vegas come to Bellagio every year just to view the Fiori di Como. It is one of the largest and most elaborate glass art installations in the world. Chihuly’s artwork is displayed in art galleries around the world and include unique and delicate pieces in all shapes and colors, but the Fiori is his most famous work by far and certainly the most accessible for viewing.

Glass has been blown and shaped into every conceivable form and function for millennia. Yet the medium continually shows that it is versatile enough to create new visions and capture the imagination of new artists. From the wine glass on your dinner table to incredible pieces of glass art like the Fiori di Como, glass is adaptable, functional, and, most of all, beautiful.

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Often we are exposed to things we’d like to have when we attend a home demonstration hosted by friends or co-workers. For example, I was recently invited to a wine-tasting event at a friend’s house that was presented by a company that markets wine and wine accessories. They let the guests sample various wines, and then encouraged the guests to make orders for their favorites. We all knew going in that we would end up spending money and that the wine might be somewhat more expensive than comparative wines at our local stores, that’s part of the deal.

On the other hand, it’s a social event and everyone had lots of fun. The marketing company also demonstrated a number of wine accessories throughout the evening. These included things like drip rings to prevent wine from dripping down the wine bottle and making a mess after it is poured, wine bottle spouts to make pouring easier and of course their own version of the famous rabbit corkscrew.

Many of these items are things that some of the guests hadn’t seen before. However, the multi-level marketing plan of the presenting company adds a substantial margin to the cost of the items they sell. While we don’t mind buying some things at home demonstrations, there is a limit to the amount we are willing to overpay. Most of these same wine accessories, or ones that are very similar, can be found online at much more reasonable prices.

Believe it or not, the shipping charges offered by these home demonstration companies are also often much higher than those found at various online stores. For example, every item offered at this wine tasting, except the wine itself, can be found on a fun little online store called The Tipsy Grape. The Tipsy Grape explores the lighter side of wine with a huge assortment of wine accessories and wine themed gift ideas. They have a much broader assortment of items than the home demonstration people. Take corkscrews for example, the only offered at the wine-tasting event was a customized version of the rabbit corkscrew. The original rabbit corkscrew is just one of eleven different and unique corkscrew options available at The Tipsy Grape. They have everything from The Faucet to the Screwpull Trilogy to the classic Soft Touch Waiter’s Corkscrew, and more.

Part of the fun of shopping is looking through different options and products. I can do that online, but at the home demonstration the choices are usually quite limited. Although the home demonstration, especially if it involves a wine-tasting event, can be a lot of fun, and we understand part of the price of the merchandise is really a thank you to the host for the invitation and the event, don’t feel the need to buy everything in sight. Most of it can be found later online for much better prices.