Looking for a distinctive handmade rug or an unusual piece of pottery? Gazelle of Cross Keys, a shop specializing in upscale wearable art and American crafts, has just opened Gazelle Decorative Arts on the opposite side of the Village Square, Village of Cross Keys.
The new, larger space has hand-painted furniture and decorative pieces for the home and many of Gazelle's Christmas gifts. Holiday hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Call (410) 532-6585.
Holiday houses
This is truly an eclectic candlelight tour: 10 historic houses featuring decorations for Christmas around the world, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah.
The Holiday House Tour of Federal Hill and Otterbein will be held today from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Local restaurants and cafes along the route will have treats for visitors.
Tickets ($10 a person) are available at the Long & Foster Realtors office at 900 Light St.
Proceeds benefit preservation programs in both historic communities. Call (410) 675-6750 for more information.
Furniture movers
The guidelines on treating lower back problems that have been in the news recently failed to mention Magic Sliders. With these thin discs made of Teflon and something called "advanced fabrication technologies," you can move up to 1.5 tons without straining your back. The first Magic Sliders proved so popular that the company has introduced a new line of additional shapes and sizes.
They work on various surfaces, including carpeting. Besides helping you move furniture and objects for easy cleaning, they protect your floors from scratching.
Available at retail stores and from catalogs, Magic Sliders can also be ordered by calling (800) 529-6363. At under $10 a package, they make a good stocking stuffer.
All that glitters is glass
This December marks the 10th anniversary of Farber Glass at 2427 St. Paul St.
Collectors know the shop well. Each Christmas season Sol Farber sells exquisite handblown glass ornaments, some 3,000 to 4,000 of them -- most of which seem to be hung in his front window this time of year.
Mr. Farber, who himself works in leaded glass, handles the ornaments of some 75 different glass artists. They range in price from $2 to $100.
Farber Glass' hours are Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (410) 338-0324 for more information.