Written in Stone

News and Tips from International Stoneworks

Posted on November 10, 2015 at 5:30 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah

It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year: The DDD Marinara Sauce
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It’s that special time of year again. No, I’m not talking about Thanksgiving or Christmas; it’s the Nutcracker Market in Houston! As you may recall, International Stoneworks purchases the delicious marinara sauce made by the Italian women’s group, the Donne Di Domani (DDD). As a company, we gift these marinara sauce jars to our terrific … ∞

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Posted on November 2, 2015 at 6:00 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah

Friends of Florence
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    The David Statue at the Academia Museum in Florence: the intense focus in his eyes, the veins and muscles protruding in his oversized hands, the softness of his white marble skin. It appears as if he is about to leap into motion. Our admiration of the David statue (among many other Florentine works … ∞

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Posted on October 26, 2015 at 4:17 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah

J’adore Paris From A Stone Lover’s Perspective, Part II
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   The Louvre This amazing baroque-style structure has served many purposes: a fortress, a palace and now one of the word’s most famous museums. This historical building is made of Lutetian limestone from the hillsides, approximately 25 miles north of Paris. This stone is also known as Oise stone or Saint-Maximin limestone. You can find … ∞

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Posted on October 19, 2015 at 8:07 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah

J’adore Paris From A Stone Lover’s Perspective, Part I
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Sacré Coeur At the peak of Paris’ landscape, towering over Montmartre, you will see the stark white Sacré Coeur Basilica – like a radiant beacon. The stunning Sacré Coeur Church was commissioned by the French National Assembly in 1873. It was designed by Paul Abadie and was meant to be a symbol of hope and … ∞

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Posted on October 12, 2015 at 3:27 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah

Il Duomo di Firenze
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“Bienvenuti!” and “Ciao!” greetings fill the air as we exit Florence airport’s sliding doors. My loving Florentine family has come to the airport to warmly greet us as we enter the beautiful city of Florence, Italy. After a jet-lag power nap, my family heads off to the “Centro” (the center of town) on the #22 … ∞

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Posted on October 5, 2015 at 9:58 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah

The Palace of Versailles: An Amazing History of Marble
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Just thinking of the Palace of Versailles creates visions of opulence and grandeur in our minds. Gold and bronze leaf doors, grand marble statues of Louis XIV and the majestic Hall of Mirrors.   While I’m a fan of gold decorations and ornate paintings, my blog will focus on the various stones at the Palace … ∞

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Posted on September 29, 2015 at 8:37 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah

Duomo Di Siena (Or As I Like To Call It, Marble Heaven)
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We have a running joke in my family that whenever we walk into a beautiful building, all eyes turn and look at the ornate ceilings; however, my father, Rawi and I always look down at the stone floors.   On my recent trip to Siena in Italy, we visited the Duomo Di Siena, a Medieval … ∞

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Posted on September 18, 2015 at 6:30 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah and modified on September 21, 2015 at 4:47 pm.

Understanding Stone Restoration…through Dentistry?
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  What do stone restoration and going to the dentist have in common? A lot more than you think. I recently had my check up at the dentist and found out there are some striking similarities between cleaning and polishing natural stone and cleaning and polishing teeth.   Tartar Buildup Let’s start with tarter buildup. … ∞

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Posted on August 25, 2015 at 9:55 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah

Caring For Saltillo (Mexican) Tile
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Don’t you just love that bright and warm look of a Saltillo tile floor? Saltillo tiles are used predominantly in houses and give a nice rustic feeling to the home.   What is Saltillo tile exactly? It’s a type of terra cotta tile that originates from Mexico. These tiles are baked in high heat and … ∞

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Posted on August 19, 2015 at 9:40 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah

A Behind the Scenes Look at Our ISI Video
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As the International Stoneworks, Inc. work van pulled up in front of my house, I got butterflies in my stomach. Why is that you might ask? Firstly, I was about to get my Carrara marble kitchen island re-polished and I was very excited about that. I had a salsa accident a few weeks ago and … ∞

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