Warehouse went from a huge mess to this in about 2 weeks:

Packing Room

Warehouse, still messy but things are more or less in place.

Packing room with temperature sensitive items

and how amazing how fast over 6,000 sq ft of warehouse space can fill up. We shopped a lot in January!

Once everything was more or less back to normal, the fun stuff began. Getting the store done. It’s a big space, over 4,000 sq ft. And we had been buying props and stuff for the past 4 months. It seemed like a lot at the time, but amazingly it was swallowed up by the space in no time.

Slowly things began to move into place

The signs outside are progressing – still one part missing but it’s coming!

Even the warehouse is showing signs of progress

Trying to decide where to put things was a challenge. Shopping the warehouse for the items to display is fun but can be a touch overwhelming – we have over 8,000 items there.

Just before we go to Texas, there are real signs that this is going to be a cool store!

Earlier this week, the progress is even more visible:

We hope it’s all going to be ready and done by April 15 – and we can throw the doors open and welcome everyone!

We’ll add fun stuff and promotions, informational posts and more. Stay tuned.

Touch of Europe has a great assortment of these wonderful toothpaste dispensers, in different designs and colors. They are inexpensive and make a great gift. And don’t just think toothpaste dispenser, think hand cream or lotion too, any tube that can be used to the last drop of goodness.

Over 40 different designs of toothpaste dispensers

These great gadgets help eliminate clutter in the kitchen and are heat resistant to boot.

Find them on Touch of Europe’s site

Measuring Cups Set

Measuring Spoons Set

A great way to avoid plastic and paper shopping bags. Compact, and easy to store anywhere.

Touch of Europe has the Eco Pod in all Colors!

Our first attempts at multi-media, made for the Open House last November:

View the Onion Goggles Here

This past week, dozens of French linen sheets arrived, in preparation for the Texas show next month. Touching them, feeling their nubby or silky texture and admiring the workmanship, kind of delayed some other work, it was too much fun to resist.

The sheer art of the monogram is just breathtaking. And this particular crop of sheets is really special, some of the best pieces we’ve seen in a long time. Who cares if the monogram doesn’t happen to be yours. After all, someone, somewhere in your family tree maybe did go by that monogram. And if not, well, it doesn’t matter. What matters is the beauty and the enjoyment you get out of theses heirlooms. So just have a look at a few of these gorgeous little vignettes ~ real art~

We can’t wait for the rest to arrive, it’s going to be fun to unpack and decide how best to display these pieces to their best advantage.

See you in September in Texas?

Around 1850, two scientists, Justus Von Liebig and Charles Gerhadt (who was also the inventor of the Aspirin!) discovered the catalytic burner system. The catalytic combustion technology was originally developed in the 1800s for use in hospitals and mortuaries.

A Frenchman named Maurice Berger was the first to receive a patent on the technology (in 1897) and the company he founded, Lampe Berger, is the largest worldwide manufacturer of the device though there are a growing number of companies making catalytic fragrance lamps.

Molecules that cause bad smells are inherently unstable and the fragrance lamp’s flameless, low-temperature catalytic combustion speeds up the decomposition process, converting odor molecules into harmless substances (such as carbon dioxide and water). Research has shown that the catalytic process can also effectively eliminate up to 85% of bacteria in a room for up to 30 hours after initial operation has stopped.

While the medical use of the technology has waned, modern innovation has found a new application for the lamps in homes and offices. Using an unscented lamp fuel a catalytic diffusion lamp is surprisingly effective in eliminating bacteria and various odors (pets, food, tobacco). With fragrance added to the isopropyl alcohol based lamp fuel the catalytic burner lamp becomes a fragrance lamp, diffusing aroma into the air while it purifies. Some perfumes are based on natural aromatics (essential oils), giving the lampes an aromatherapy application as well.

The fragrance lamp’s process is initiated by lighting the stone burner seated at the mouth of the lamp. After a few minutes the flame is extinguished by blowing it out but the heated burner remains active as the flameless, low-temperature catalytic combustion process simultaneously purifies the air and diffused aromatics. The lamp’s normal operational temperature is too low to combust virtually anything (including alcohol), making the fragrance lamp much safer to operate than scented candles. The low operating temperature also means that, unlike scented candles, the aromatics are diffused very efficiently into the ambient air without being burned.

Proper Care and Precautions For Use:

The lamp fuel contains more than 90% isopropyl alcohol and should be regarded as a highly flammable liquid. Furthermore, to start the catalytic wick according to the instruction it is required to put on some real flame until the catalytic wick reach operation temperature. Proper care is required to prevent any kind of possible hazards:

• Make sure the device (fuel bottle) is in perfect condition, perfectly tight and not leaking.
• When not in use, make sure the air tight cap is on at all time to prevent evaporation.
• Do not leave unattended during operation.
• Do not use in non-ventilated room, carbon dioxide as a product of alcohol combustion is harmful.
• Do not inhale, ingest, or use the lamp fuel in any other purpose.
• Take extreme caution while refilling the fragrance lamp, open air, no open flame, no spark, and no smoking
• In case of any spillage, collect leaking liquid in sealable containers. Absorb remaining liquid in sand or inert absorbent (paper towels) and remove to safe place.

These beautiful lamps are meant to be enjoyed for generations. Scentier offers an unparalleled warranty (life-time) and will replace the wicks free of charge (see instructions enclosed with any package).