Collection of men’s scarves. Now that we are in the midst of snow and ice, it is again time to dress appropriately by wearing warm clothes when venturing in the below freezing cold. While we all have in mind what our favorite winter clothing is, I love wearing scarves. I own a collection that I wear on a daily basis—and may I say, also inside as I keep the temperature of my home rather low.

Swisscom telephone booth in Zürich. Following up on a recent blog describing a barometer pavilion in Gratz, Austria, I concluded by mentioning that “Happily, much urban furniture has survived as design problems, and I am pleased to see that many of those artifacts have been reborn through the talent of some of the most notable contemporary architects.” I included photographs of one of my favorite public telephone booths in Zürich, Switzerland, thus this blog to describe more in depth about this particular artifact.

Barometer pavilion in Graz, Austria. When planning a stopover with students in the Austrian city of Gratz, I had made sure that our sightseeing intentions for the day were well laid out.

Miniature diecast airplanes. When rekindling memories of childhood, one might have in mind what were considered boy’s toys versus girl’s toys. This blue versus pink connotation was ever present when I grew up. Marketing data and research had much to say when inflecting distinctions. For example, “girls” toys were seen as more aesthetic, domestic and nurturing, while “boys” toys often underscored action-oriented play and an interest in construction.