Labor Day

School is starting and summer is ending, but that does not mean that the fun is all over yet.  Enter Labor Day!  It is time to celebrate the invaluable contributions of the United States labor workers to our everyday lives.  In the United States, the first Labor Day was observed on September 5, 1882 by the Central Labor Union of New York.  In 1894, following several deaths during the Pullman strike, President Grover Cleveland, fearing further conflict and alienation with workers and unions, pushed forward legislation and Congress signed Labor Day into law, officially making it a national holiday only six days after the end of the strike.  The government selected the first Monday of September as the date for Labor Day each year, and has been celebrated every year since.

Labor Day validates and honors all the hard work laborers of the United States, as well as the difficulties and obstacles they had to overcome.  

Today, Labor Day signifies the beginning of the school year, the start of the NFL season, the last day to fashionably wear white and the final summer holiday.  Celebrations, barbeques and parties will be had, but please, everyone be safe and remember the hard working laborers this day honors.  For anyone that is still looking for decorations and gifts for Labor Day, check out our special selection Here!

Discover the Zodiac

Taurus (SS-Y-2113)

Ever wondered where the zodiac was invented, who came up with it, and why have its symbols been assigned to particular dates?  A little bit of astronomical history will help us uncover this mystery.

Scorpio (SS-Y-2119)

During the 1^st century BCE, Babylonian astronomers divided the ecliptic (a celestial path the sun follows in one year) into 12 cardinal celestial points with the same celestial longitude.  These cardinal points are marked by constellations and serve as checkpoints where the sun enters and exits in a period of thirty days.  With these observations, the Babylonian astronomers assigned a sign, beginning with Aries as the first, to each month.  Although our modern calendar is not based on the zodiac, it is still used as reference for astronomers to know where the sun appears in relation to Earth.

The following outlines each zodiac sign with their corresponding dates:

Aries: 21 March – 20 April

Taurus: 21 April – 20 May

Gemini: 21 May – 20 June

Cancer: 21 June- 21 July

Leo: 22 July – 22 August

Virgo: 23 August – 22 September

Libra: 23 September – 22 October

Scorpio: 23 October – 21 November

Sagittarius: 22 November – 21 December

Capricorn: 22 December – 19 January

Aquarius: 20 January – 18 February

Pisces: 19 February – 20 March

Curious on what these constellations look like in 3D?  We have all 12 zodiac signs laser-engraved on crystal!  Explore our website to find your Zodiac Sign or better yet, collect them all!

Virgo (SS-Y-2117)

Aquarius (SS-Y-2110)

Featured Product

Bronze Dancing Couple (SS-DB-ZD5785-2)

Today we explore one of our collectible item categories – our Metal Art Figurines and Statues.  Let us take a look at metal art and the historical significance behind it.  Ever since man began building tools and weapons, metal art evolved into the use of decorative purposes with the sculpting of valuable Earth ores to represent all aspects of life.  Archeologists have found that metal art artifacts made with copper, bronze, iron, silver, gold, and lead go back as far as 7,000 B.C. for the making of knives, cups, bowls, and decorative figures.

Some of the ancient civilizations that practiced metal art include the Greek, Roman, Aztec, Mayan, and the Egyptian.  As it is the case for art in general, metal art emphasizes on capturing the moment, re-living the essence of an event, a memory, or revealing an iconic presence of our cultures.  This can be seen in all sorts of sculptures made with metal in both ancient and modern civilizations.

Here at stealstreet.com, our lively and descriptive metal art decorations capture the essence of our modern world in both bronze and aluminum.  With incredibly low prices and a huge selection, there is certainly an item for every collector.  Our items are hand-crafted, detailed, and aesthetically pleasant, ranging from detailed animals to abstract representations of daily life.  Metal art is one of the most exquisite, innovative, elegant, and simple ways to decorate any home or office environment.  You can find all of our bronze and metal art statues

HERE.  Happy shopping, and happy Fourth of July!

Featured Product

Featured Product

Sitting Black Fairy Fountain with Owl
(SS-G-91428)

Today's Featured Product is a Black Fairy Fountain.  This item is part of our Fairy Fountain collection, which boasts an LED lit crystal ball, intricate detail on the owl, fairy, and fountain well, and is hand-painted to provide a beautiful finish to the item.  These fountains are a nice complement to any garden, room, or fairy collection.  One benefit to having a fountain is the calming and stress-lowering effect provided by the constant trickling and flowing of water pouring out.  Aside from the relaxing sound of water (which helps cancel out unwanted noise), other benefits from a water fountain include:

College World Series

Nickel Allow and Copper Baseball Figurines
(SS-BA-85053BN)

Summer is officially here, and that means that America's Pastime is in full swing!  The College World Series is back and is almost down to the Final 4!  The University of Texas, Austin, Florida, North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Virginia, South Carolina, the University of California, Berkeley, and Texas A&M are the only teams remaining in Division 1.  Congratulations to those teams!

A little history on the College World Series (CWS)...it began in 1947, with the first two years having the final games played in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  The inaugural winners were the Cal Bears, who defeated Yale 8-7 to become champions.  In 1949 the CWS moved to Wichita, Kansas, before finally settling down in Omaha, Nebraska in 1950.  The CWS has remained in Omaha since 1950, with the games being played almost entirely at Rosenblatt Stadium (1950-2010).  This year, 2011, marks the first year that the games are being played at the new stadium in Omaha, TD Ameritrade Park.  You can find some more interesting facts about the CWS at The College World Series of Omaha Website.