The History of Murano Glass

While also home to Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci, when it comes to art Italy thinks beyond the brush. Since the early 13^th century Murano, a small island in the Adriatic Sea, has served as the home to glass artisans recognized throughout the world.  

Glass starts out as a mixture of siliceous sand, soda, lime and potassium and has to be heated to 3000 degrees Fahrenheit in order to be molded. In the early days of glass making it soon became apparent that Rome’s wooden buildings did not make a good setting for glass factories. Fires were a frequent hazard in the populous city and as a result operations were moved to the island.

During Murano’s glory days glass makers were considered part of the upper class. They could marry nobles, carry swords and their crimes were overlooked by lawmakers. On the downside, they also were prohibited from leaving the island out of fear of the Murano glass making secrets getting out. Those who were caught often faced getting their hand chopped off! These strict regulations worked. Murano contued to dominate the glass industry until the 18^th century when competing artisans with new techniques started to become prominent in Northern Europe.

Today glass can now be found at every home goods store and there’s no secret to creating mirrors (prime Murano merchandise once upon a time). But the artisans of Murano are still at work creating beautiful pieces of jewelry, dishes, and more. After decades of persistence, the island is now back on top of the glass market.

We have beautiful Murano glass rings at fantastic prices – One for $10 or two $15. Bracelets made with the avventurina technique are also available (so named because of chance mixing of copper flakes with glass that led to it's discovery).

We look forward to seeing you soon both in store and at www.efvillageshop.com.

Sarasota Mothers Day Gifts for $20 (and Under)

Mother's Day this year is May 13. Do you have something special planned for the most important woman in your life? I was going to send my mom to Broadway to see Darren Criss in "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying"...except he left the show four months ago. Left with three weeks to find the perfect gift (that doesn't require a plane ticket) I turn to the trusted European Focus Village. For the next few weeks we'll feature Mother's Day gifts for every budget. It's the perfect place to find a gift in Sarasota will ship anywhere in the country.

Top Mother's Day Gifts for $20 (and Under)

Handmade Soy Flakes - $6 each

Just one tablespoon of these soy flakes (which are hand crafted in Sarasota, FL) will release scent for eight hours when heated. Lemon Verbena is a delicious scent that reminds me of the sweetness of the Lemon Chalet Cremes from the Girl Scouts. Plumerian Lei is like walking into a spring garden. The hot plate burners are also available for $20.00. 

Devi Watches - $20 each

Brightly colored watches are the must have accessory for summer! In addition to the bold colors we also carry a line of bangle watches that have been very popular among the women of Sarasota. A beautiful accessory your mother will love. 

Sticky Notes - $12.50

Remember when you were young and your mom used to leave notes in your lunch? Now you can repay the favor with these delightful sticky notes from Cavallini & Co. Each pack breaks apart for several different sizes of adhesive note pads. 

Stop in and see us from 11-5 Monday-Saturday. Or shop online at www.efvillageshop.com.

Evolution of Scarves

Trends come and go, but scarves remain a staple in a woman's wardrobe:

Belly dancer in ancient Egypt

Women in Ancient Rome

18th Century France

1920s

1940s

1960s

1980s

2012

A new shipment of Lakhey's scarves just arrived! Come visit European Focus Village starting at $6! 

As always, visit us on www.efvillageshop.com.

Duval's World Cafe Promotion

As we ring up a customer's order we often get asked for a dinner recommendation. Obviously this is a difficult choice as Sarasota has some of the best restaurants in the world (trust us, we would know!).

While there's something for everyone on the Main Street strip (Patrick's, Sangria and Tequila Cantina are some great spots) a new restaurant on the block has caught our attention.

Duval's New World Cafe at 1435 Main Street is a truly excellent dining experience. Described as "seafood oriented with a New Orleans twist" the menu has a dish that is as adventurous as you want (a recent Monday featured a surprisingly delicious seaweed salad) to as mainstream as you like (the eggplant parmesean is to die for!). Are you middle of the road adventurous? I tried the famous chicken po' boy with chipotle remoulade. It didn't disappoint.




Oh, and when you visit, don't bother asking the server what's the best item on the dessert menu. Just order the salted caramel sorbet and stop by to thank us later.

We're so excited to welcome Duval's New World Cafe to the block that we're offering a special discount for all of their customers. Bring in a receipt from your meal and we'll give you 10% off your purchase at European Focus Village.

Artisan international food and special deals on European goods...who can resist?

Duval's is open Mon-Sat 11am-10pm and on Sun from 11am-9pm.

European Focus Village is open until 5 pm everyday (4 pm on Sundays) and 24/7 at www.efvillageshop.com.

Even Grocery Shopping Should be Fabulous

Do know what the worst job in the world is? At least, the worst I can think of? So many plastic bags are thrown away every year in the US that landfills hire people to walk around the property and collect them.

I can think of a lot of ways to reuse plastic bags but whether its for the catbox, trash lining or my lunch sack it just seems they accumulate faster than they can be used. The result is an ocean of Walmart logos that falls out from under my kitchen sink every time I go to find the Windex. 

The story of plastic bags is quite different in Europe. Many places are beginning to ban them outright- it started with cities but now all of Italy is required to stop use of the pesky grocery staple ASAP. 

Here at The Village we have the perfect way to be European-esque, help the environment and stop drowning yourself in "Thank You, Come Again!" logos. Our beautiful Oil Cloth market bags (ranging from purse to oversized) are made from the same beautiful cloth as our Provencale tablecloths and come in even brighter colors and funkier patterns. With a starting price of $19, who wouldn't want to be caught with one at the local Whole Foods?  

Let's Pretend This Came from Europe

Okay. You caught us. While The Village prides itself on being a purveyor of unique European goods you won't find anywhere else there are a few times when we find something stateside we just can't resist.

The Cosa Nova collection of office supplies is an excellent example. The line of animal shaped and cleverly decorated household items shows what can happen when great design meets functionability.

Cosa Nova is about taking the mundane and making it fun again, whether it's tape...

...retail service...

...or even paperwork.

Yes, it comes from an American company (based out of Los Angeles, in case you were wondering). But we guarantee the Cosa Nova collection of household and office supplies will bring a smile to your face. 

Now that's something all of our products have in common. 

Our new Cosa Nova shipment is out and ready for your viewing pleasure! Stop by during our new hours of 10am- 5pm everyday to see them for yourself or visit our online store at www.efvillageshop.com.  

Bouncies from Bavaria: The Experiment

I had a customer ask me an interesting question today: How long does a Bouncy bounce when left to its own devices?

Let's find out:

Spring Cleaning Sale!

This weekend only everything in the store will be 50% off!

We have a lot of great new summer merchandise coming in and need to clear some room. A few favorite items now half off:

Polish Teapot - Now $24!

Sterling Silver Kit Heath Jewelry - Now starting at $20!

Wine Stoppers - Now $7

Daisy Turtle - Now $14.50 (It's a trinket box!)

Our sale ends Sunday, so stop by and see us soon!

DIY Home Decor with Cavallini Paper

The Cavallini display is one of my favorite parts of the store. With vibrant stickers, cool sticky notes to enliven the work day and adorable note cards to send to family members each holiday there's quite a variety of unique paper supplies up front.

I love, love the Italian paper. Although the paper is labeled as "decorative wrap" it seems just too cool to use as something so quickly discarded. Instead most of our paper customers plan to hang them on the walls as international posters.

In fact, the international flair of  Cavallini inspired the theme of my new living room, the centerpiece of which is a new, recovered ephemera table: 

Envious of my table's awesomeness? There's no need to be. Creating your own is quite simple.

DIY Cavallini Decoupage Table

Supplies:
1/2 a bottle of Modge Podge Glue for all surfaces (it comes in the orange bottle).
Brushes for the Modge Podge
Ikea table or any ugly piece of furniture in desperate need of a makeover
Scissors
2 cans polyacrylic coating (the spray version gets everywhere so we painted it on).
Enough Cavallini Italian paper to cover the surface (we used four: Ephemera London, Ephemera New York, and both versions of the Ephemera Paris).

Step 1: 
Our goal was to create a table top that looked like a giant collage of all three cities. To try to avoid a "Paris" corner and "London" side we cut each paper into fourths along the outline of the collaged paper and then pieced them together like a giant jigsaw puzzle.

Once you get the pattern you like loosely tape it together. The Modge Podge glue will dry clear and blend in the tape well as long as you don't go too crazy.

Step 2: 


PAINT THE MODGE PODGE ON THE SURFACE BEFORE SETTING DOWN THE PAPER!!!


Let's just say we learned the hard way that keeping the paper on the table and lifting up corners to glue as you go results in a lot - A LOT - of bubbling. We ended up having to let the glue dry and then use a box cutter to de-bubble areas. Don't let this happen to you.

Step 3: 
After coating the table with glue, carefully place the paper on top. Be sure to smooth it out as you go to prevent bubbling (see Step 2).

Step 4: 
Now that the paper is properly stuck down paint a couple of layers of Modge Podge on top to seal everything in.

Step 5: 
Let dry overnight.

Step 6: 
Once the table is completely dry it's time to seal in your work for good. Paint on a couple of coats of polyacrylic, make sure to let each coat dry in between. This part took a few days: We painted in the morning, on our lunch break and after dinner. You'll want to do this in an open area as the fumes from the polyacrylic can be intense.

Step 7: 
Let dry completely and enjoy

Before

After

Les Ceramiques de Lussan - A Family Legacy

Our French hens frequently steal the spotlight in the store. At once regal and playful, these hand made statues have brightened up many a kitchen, porch and garden.

Like everything in the Village, these collectables from Les Ceramiques de Lussan have a unique history. The company was founded in 1974 by a French woman named Heidi Caillard. Each Guinea hen is imported from the small village of the Calliard family just outside of Nimes in Provence, France. 

Extreme care goes into the create of each and single Guinea Hen. They are molded from red clay and hand painted by French artisans. Although Heidi has since retired, she continues to sign each hen before it's shipped out. Keeping with family tradition her son has now taken over the company. 

Guinea Hens are now available starting at $149.