Author: Rebecca OConnell

Saké has long been considered the national drink of Japan. But as its popularity spreads around the world, the secrets behind its ancient traditions have come to light.

1. Saké has more in common with beer than wine.

Though English-speaking countries often refer to saké as “rice wine,” that’s a misnomer. Rice wine is made from the fermentation of rice, while Western wines are made of the fermentation of grapes. Saké is made from rice, but through a brewing process that converts starch to alcohol, similar to the way that beer is made.

2. Brewing saké is an arduous process.

Saké rice is first stripped of protein and oils in “polishing,” then washed of its debris and air-dried. After being steamed, Koji is kneaded into the rice by hand or by machines. Koji is a mold that will help convert rice starch to sugar, which will turn into alcohol during the two-step fermentation process (Shubo and Moromi).

This second fermentation stage lasts 25 to 30 days, depending on the type of saké being made. During this time the brewers will keep close watch on the batch day and night, adjusting temperature and ingredients as needed. Finally, in the Jo-So stage, the rice mash is pressed. The resulting saké is bottled.

3. Brewing saké can be a communal process.

In the investigatory documentary The Birth of Saké, which is currently playing at Tribeca Film Festival, filmmaker Erik Shirai takes viewers behind the scenes of the 144-year-old Yoshida Brewery in Northern Japan, which still uses manpower over mechanization for several of the steps above. To accomplish this, their workers spend half the year (October through mid-April) living onsite (and away from family and friends) to oversee the saké’s creation around the clock.

4. Saké breweries have brewmasters.

Their official title in Japan is “Tōji.” A brewery’s Tōji is not only responsible for the taste of the brew, but also for keeping his or her team in harmony during the long winter months of work and communal living. The Tōji is a parental figure to his or her team, and will eventually mentor the next potential Tōji in an apprenticeship that can take decades.

Traditionally, the skills of saké-making are passed down through oral tradition and hands-on-training instead of through schools or books.

5. More polishing means higher-grade saké.

Saké designations like Futsu, Honjozo, Tokubetsu, Ginjo, and Daiginjo are determined by how much of the rice grain was polished away in processing. The lowest grade has 30 percent or less of its grain polished off, while the highest grade (Daiginj) has 50 percent polished away. If any of the above is paired with “Junmai” (which translates to “pure rice”), it means that bottle of sake had no distilled alcohol added to its mash. It’s purely rice-made alcohol.

6. Saké has a higher alcohol content than either beer or wine.

The ABV (alcohol by volume) of beer is typically between 3 and 9 percent, while wine is between 9 and 16 percent. Saké can be upwards of 18 to 20 percent. Hard liquors have the highest ABV, with 24 to 40 percent.

7. Yeast is a key flavor component.

In Birth of Saké, Shirai shares that “Yeast plays a critical role in saké’s quality. Because each strain of yeast yields its own distinct characteristics of aroma and taste, brewers must test which yeast is best for their saké.” This is a delicate taste test overseen not just by the Tōji, but also by brewery executives.

8. It’s the oldest known spirit in the world.

Some say the origins of saké date back to 4800 BC China. It wasn’t until 300 BC that saké came to Japan with wet rice cultivation. But since then, Japan’s development of the drink has made it synonymous with this nation.

By the 1300s, breweries were built that allowed for mass production of saké. The industrial revolution brought machines that did the work once done by villagers’ hands. And in 1904, Japan created a research institute to study the best means of fermenting rice for saké.

9. Now a male-dominated industry, saké-making was once considered women’s work.

The origin of the word “Tōji” bears a deep similarity for a Japanese word that translates to “an independent woman.” Other clues to the feminine influence on the drink’s history include how housewives were once called the “toji of the house,” and how a woman was listed as the toji for the Imperial court. Men seemed to take over saké production in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

10. Spit used to be a key ingredient.

Today Koji fungus is used to ferment the rice. But long ago villagers would gather together to chew on the polished rice and then spit its mashed remains into a communal tub. The enzymes of their saliva aided fermentation. Of the various tweaks saké brewing has seen over the years, this is probably the tradition least missed by even its most hardcore connoisseurs.

11. Saké can be served cold, room temperature, or hot.

Where you’d never dream of drinking a warm beer on purpose, heated saké has been enjoyed in Japan since the Heian era (794 to 1185). Temperature influences the taste; the warmer it is, the drier its flavor.

Pairing suggestions for hot saké (called joukan) are dishes with lots of oil or fat. Warm saké (nurukan) pairs well with cold foods, like sushi. And chilled saké (reishu) is recommended for lightly sweet or sour foods. But another major factor in choosing a temperature is the weather and the season. Few people prefer to drink hot saké on a sunny summer day.

12. It’s kind of rude to pour your own glass of saké.

Some say serving yourself suggests you don’t trust your host to take care of you. But it’s more about saké-drinking’s focus on friendship. Loved ones use saké to toast weddings, the New Year, and other celebrations. So pouring for a friend—and letting them do the same for you—is meant to be an act of bonding.

13. Saké serving has changed dramatically.

Traditionally saké was served one of two ways: the first was in a choko, a small ceramic cup accompanied by a ceramic flask called a tokkuri. The other was a small wooden cup called a masu, which would either have a choko in it, or would sit on a saucer. Either way, the drink might be poured so that it spilled over the cup’s rim, a sign of the host’s generosity.

Nowadays any kind of glassware will do, especially as saké finds its way across the world and into cocktails. But spilling saké is a custom that has not caught on abroad.

14. Saké’s popularity has withered in Japan.

Reflecting a growing interest in western culture since the 1970s, Japanese drinkers have taken to beer, wine, whiskey, and shōchū, which has had a drastic impact on the saké industry. The Guardian once estimated that the Japanese public drinks about one-third of the saké now that they did 30 years ago.

In the early 1900s, Japan boasted 4,600 saké breweries. Today, only around 1,000 remain. Another reason for this decline is a 20-year-old tax agency’s decision that denied breweries renewed licenses when their Tōjis retired without a successor.

15. But saké’s popularity is blossoming abroad.

With breweries boarding up and Japanese drinkers turning to other boozy beverages, saké’s survival may depend on its appeal overseas. The demand for saké in the U.S., Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China has been on the rise. Not only has exporting to these nations been a major help to saké breweries, but some believe that America’s growing interest in saké could spur a renewed interest in it back home.

Yasutaka Daimon, the sixth-generation head of his family’s brewery, told The Guardian, “The Japanese are very concerned about what foreigners think of their country, so if we have more success in the U.S. market, then Japanese consumers may give it another try.”

There weren’t many constants in Al Capone’s rocky life, but the crime boss—who was born on this day in Brooklyn in 1899—had a love of music, and it never wavered. He spent countless hours reclined listening to his phonograph, which cycled through an impressive collection of Italian opera records (Aida by Giuseppe Verdi was a personal favorite). Capone also adored—and more or less controlled—Chicago’s rising jazz scene. Musicians would gravitate toward him, hoping to score a gig at his favorite nightclubs.

In 1926, the mobster’s friends kidnapped jazz star Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller. Holding him at gunpoint, they ordered the terrified artist into the back of their limo. But, to Waller’s surprise, he wasn’t harmed. Instead, he was taken to Capone’s 27th birthday party and politely asked to perform. The shindig lasted for three days, and by the end, Waller had received scores of tips and free drinks from grateful attendees.

Five years later, Big Al’s chickens came home to roost. On October 24, 1931, he was sentenced to 11 years in Alcatraz for having committed tax evasion. While behind bars, numerous attempts were made on his life, including an especially nasty shower room episode in which bank robber James “Tex” Lucas stabbed Capone with half a pair of scissors. “It looks like Alcatraz has got me licked,” Capone famously told the warden.

Things started looking up (if only slightly) when Capone joined the Rock Islanders, Alcatraz’s very own inmate-run band, which threw Sunday concerts. Capone’s instrument of choice was a banjo sent by his wife, Mae—though he eventually switched to the mandolin-like mandola.

Between performances, Scarface could often be found strumming away in his cell. And on Saturdays, he’d speak at length with a special guest: Vincent Casey was a future Jesuit priest whose training involved spiritual visits with Alcatraz detainees. Over a two-year span, he and Capone grew quite close. According to Casey’s son, Mike, “My father spoke very highly of him. It was incredible. This criminal murdered many people, but he told me when you got to know the man in the cellblock on Alcatraz, he was very humble and polite and courteous.”

One holiday season, Casey received an unexpected present: a piece of sheet music. “To my good friend Father Vin Casey,” the accompanying note read, “with the best in all the world for a Merry Christmas always for you. Alphonse Capone.” Entitled “Madonna Mia,” the romantic solo had been penned by the ex-gangster himself, presumably about his faithful Mae.

Here’s how it went:

In the quaint Italian garden
While the stars were all aglow
Once I heard a lover singing
To the one that he loved so.

In that quaint Italian garden
‘Neath the starry sky above
Every night, he’d serenade her
With his tender song of love:

“Madonna Mia,
You’re the bloom of the roses,
You’re the charm that reposes,
In the heart of a song.

Madonna Mia,
With your true love to guide me,
Let whatever betide me,
I will never go wrong.

There’s only one moon above,
One golden sun,
There’s only one that I love,
You are the one.

Madonna Mia,
This I vow here before you,
‘Till the end, I’ll adore you.
Madonna Mia.”

Once again, I see that garden
Many years have hurried by
I can see that sweet Madonna
There’s a teardrop in her eye

For her soldier has departed
Left his loved one with a sigh
She said “I will wait forever”
As he sang this last goodbye:
“Madonna Mia…”

The first snow of the season is always exciting, but the magic can quickly run out when you remember all the hazards that come with icy conditions. Along with heating bills, frosted cars, and other pains, the ground develops a coat of ice that can be dangerous for pedestrians and drivers alike. Outdoor steps become particularly treacherous and many people find themselves clutching their railings for fear of making it to the bottom head first. Instead of putting salt down the next time it snows, consider a less messy approach: heated mats that quickly melt the ice away.

The handy devices are made with a thermoplastic material and can melt 2 inches of snow per hour. They’re designed to be left outside, so you can keep them ready to go for the whole winter. The 10-by-30 inch mats fit on most standard steps and come with grips to help prevent slipping. A waterproof connector cable connects to additional mats so up to 15 steps can be covered.

Unfortunately, this convenience comes at a price: You need to buy a 120-volt power unit for them to work, and each mat is sold separately. Running at $63 a mat, the price can add up pretty quickly. Still, if you live in a colder place where it’s pretty much always snowing, it might be worth it.

[h/t Oddity Mall]

It’s a well-known fact that cats and dogs don’t get always along—except when they’re pictured on Pals Socks. The company’s socks combine unlikely characters to show that it’s what makes you different that makes for a great friendship.

“Pals socks reminds us that the coolest way to be is to be yourself, and despite our differences, we can all be friends,” their website explains. “Pals are much more than colorful mismatched socks – they’re a way of thinking, of promoting harmony. Kids are really our future, and we want to help them grow into empathetic human beings… one foot at a time.”

The unlikely duos include a cat and dog, a unicorn and dragon, and a lion and zebra. The pairings are meant to start a dialog with kids about being open with who they become friends with.

Their socks come in sizes for all ages. Each pair costs $9, or you can make your own custom gift box of three pairs for $25. A portion of the company’s profits are donated to charity. The best part is that when one sock gets lost, the other can be paired with a new pal. You can view all the options here.

Claude Monet’s Water Lilies is beloved around the world, a radiant example of French Impressionism and the glory found in nature. But their path from the artist’s yard to museum walls was one paved with obstacles, perfectionism—and a lot of gardening. 

1. Water Lilies is not one painting by Monet. 

The title Water Lilies refers to a series by the father of French Impressionism. Over the course of the series, Monet painted countless individual water lilies in around 250 oil paintings. 

2. Before he painted Water Lilies, Monet planted them.

The beauty of the French village Giverny struck Monet when he passed through on a train. The artist was so inspired that in 1883 he rented a house there; it would become his home in 1890 (which was as soon as he could afford it). 

When he wasn’t painting the plant life on his property, Monet was remodeling its landscapes and gardens to better inspire his work, or as he put it, “I’m good for nothing except painting and gardening.” Basically, he created the perfect place for quiet reflection, then spent the rest of his days capturing it in oils.

3. There would be no water lilies if Monet had obeyed the city council. 

The ambitious painter imported water lilies for his Giverny garden from Egypt and South America, which drew the ire of local authorities. The council demanded he uproot the plants before they poisoned the area’s water, but (thankfully) Monet ignored them. 

4. These paintings were the focus of Monet’s later life. 

Commenting on what he called his “water landscapes,” Monet once declared, “One instant, one aspect of nature contains it all.” No wonder he dedicated much of the last 30 years of his life to painting them, forging on even when cataracts began threatening his vision in 1912.  

5. Monet’s Japanese footbridge is the focus in 17 paintings.

In 1899, Monet completed setting the scene of his pond, despite his neighbors’ protests. Across it, he built a quaint Japanese-style bridge. Monet was apparently quite pleased with how it turned out, as he painted the structure 17 times that very year, with each painting reflecting changes in lighting and weather conditions. 

6. Monet’s Water Lilies earned scorn in his lifetime.

Critics called the Impressionist paintings messy and suggested the works were less about a creative vision than Monet’s blurred vision. As his eyes were failing, critics sneered at Monet’s color palette and his argument that his depiction of flora, water, and light was an artistic choice, spurring an initial disdain of Monet’s now-revered series. 

7. The rise of Abstract Expressionism resurrected interest in Water Lilies. 

For 20 years following Monet’s death in 1926, his Water Lilies series was largely ignored, with many paintings sitting forgotten in his Giverny studio. But in the 1950s, curators rediscovered Monet, crediting him with paving the path to the fashionable art of the day. By 1955, the Museum of Modern Art had purchased their first Monet from this series, and it quickly became one of the famed museum’s most popular holdings. 

8.  Some Water Lilies were lost to fire.

In 1958, a terrible fire broke out at MoMA. While many paintings were saved, including Georges-Pierre Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte —1884, six were damaged. Two of these were recently acquired Water Lilies works. The loss devastated art lovers, who sent sympathy letters to the museum. In 1959 MoMA got another crack at owning part of the series when it acquired a massive Water Lilies triptych.

9. Others were lost to Monet’s frustration. 

Sometimes the painter’s passion turned violent. In 1908, Monet destroyed 15 of his Water Lilies right before they were to be exhibited at the Durand-Ruel gallery in Paris. Apparently, the artist was so unhappy with the paintings that he decided to ruin them rather than have the work go on public display. 

10. Monet became a perfectionist about his paintings near the end of his life.

Considering how cruel his critics were, it’s little wonder that in his later years Monet became incredibly selective about which paintings he would sign and attempt to sell. Just four paintings made the grade in 1919. One of those lucky few can now be seen on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.  

11. Water Lilies became increasingly focused on the surface of the water. 

Over the years spent painting his beloved aquatic garden, Monet moved closer and closer to it. The edges of his pond moved to the edges of the frame and beyond until he had cut out the horizon altogether. From there, his works became a study of water and how it reflects light and the world above it. 

12. His large Water Lilies were intended to envelop the viewer. 

In 1918, Monet completed a series of 12 paintings he intended to be laid out side by side in a specially made oval room where viewers could step in and be given (as he put it) “the illusion of an endless whole, of water without horizon or bank.” Monet said these were meant to create “the refuge of a peaceful meditation in the center of a flowering aquarium.” Today three such panels (displayed as a triptych) are on display at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, measuring more than 6 feet by 41 feet.

13. Monet celebrated the end of World War I by giving France Water Lilies. 

On the day after Armistice Day in 1918, Monet promised his homeland a “monument to peace” in the form of massive water lily paintings.

14. In Paris, you can see Water Lilies as Monet intended. 

In exchange for some of Monet’s grandest works, the nation honored him by displaying these at the Musée de l’Orangerie, just as he dreamed. Two specially made oval exhibition rooms were built to house his massive Water Lilies, creating a complete panorama of the painter’s favorite views. 

15. Water Lilies broke from impressionism’s standards.

As MoMA curator Ann Temkin explains:

In early Impressionism you had these views of nature where you were out looking at a seaside or out looking at a field and there were markers of location that you could understand, “Here I am as a person. Here’s the view that the painter is portraying for me.” With the Water Lily panels, he’s changed it completely so that rather than you being larger than the view that you’re looking at on an easel-sized canvas, somehow you have become immersed in the scene of this water lily pond. All the normal markers, like the edge of the water or the sky or the distant trees, have disappeared, and you’re just right in the face of those water lilies and the surface of the water with the clouds reflected from above you become lost in this expanse of water and of light.

In this way, Monet’s unique vision forever changed Impressionism, creating a new form that inspired untold artists and admirers.

Getting up in the middle of the night—to pee, grab a snack, or otherwise—can be a real pain. Aside from having to leave a warm bed, there’s the issue of deciding between stumbling around in the dark or facing harsh overhead lights. The best solution is to pop in a night-light to illuminate the walkway, but what if you don’t have any outlets to spare? This handy coverplate solves the problem in seconds.

The gadget works just like a normal coverplate and fits over all standard outlets. Tiny LED lights line the bottom to create enough illumination to lead a sleepy person to the bathroom, and a tiny sensor automatically turns them on or off depending on how dark a space is. Since the light is built into the coverplate, it leaves both outlets free for other electronics. Now anyone awake in the wee hours of the morning won’t have to worry about accidentally bumping into a wall or stepping on the cat.

Since first airing on Fox in 2003, Arrested Development has established itself as a paragon of depth in television comedy. Fans of the show have spent years digging out jokes buried in the background, beneath the narration, within the soundtrack, and everywhere in between.

Since its triumphant return to Netflix in 2013, viewers have been wondering if and when the series would come back for another go-around. Earlier this week, executive producer Brian Grazer confirmed to The Wrap that season five is happening. To celebrate, here’s a look at several great examples of foreshadowing hidden within the Bluth family’s exploits.

1. Hold on, Surely Fünke!

S1E14 – Two episodes before we are first introduced to Maeby’s sickly alter ego, “Surely,” posters wishing her a speedy recovery are visible on the walls of the high school. Surely, despite suffering from “BS,” reoccurs throughout the rest of the show’s original run.

2. Buster Losing His Hand

This one is well documented around the Internet, but the sheer amount that the show foreshadows Buster’s life-changing encounter with a certain yellow-bowtie-wearing seal is impressive.

S1E20 – Buster says, “This party is going to be off the hook!”

S2E01 – A news broadcast can be heard in the background mentioning a seal attack. John Beard says, “Meet one surprised bather, coming up.” The camera immediately shows Buster.

S2E03 – Buster, upon seeing his lost hand-shaped chair, says, “Wow, I never thought I’d miss a hand so much.”

S2E06 – There is a portion bitten out of the banana stand sign as it is pulled out of the bay; the bite pattern is consistent with a seal. Buster wins a toy seal from the claw machine. When he returns home, the narrator mentions that, “Buster had gotten hooked playing”.

S2E11 – A seal can be seen in the background during Buster and Lucille’s beach photo shoot. Later, George Sr. says, “What if I never get a chance to reach out and touch that hand of his again?”

As Buster sits on a bench near the beach, his position crops the words on the back of the bench to say, “ARM OFF.”

S2E12 – When George Sr. visits the car dealership, an inflatable man in the background is missing the arm that Buster will soon lose. Also, Gob, while releasing the infamous seal into the wild, says, “You’re not going to be hand-fed anymore!”

Buster deals with the loss of his hand for the rest of the show, even after being given a much larger one. It must be difficult becoming a monster.

3. Bluth Homes in Iraq

Even in its first season, Arrested Development chose to reward devout fans with callbacks and hints at overarching plotlines. Some prime examples are the subtle nods to the true nature of George Sr.’s trips overseas: illegally building homes in Iraq.

S1E05 – George Sr. admits that he has “committed some light treason.”

S1E14 – Michael notices that pictures of one of Saddam Hussein’s mansions look strikingly similar to their model home.

S1E16 – George Sr.’s precious “cooler of evidence” is labeled “H. MADDAZ,” which is “SADDAM H.” spelled in mirror-reverse.

S01E22 – Kitty mentions that the family has been building houses overseas and hiding it from the U.S. government. Michael, thinking she’s merely referring to tax evasion, dismisses the statement. Later in the episode, the truth comes to light after Michael sees a news report laying it all out for him.

The family building homes and frequently doing business in Iraq carries as a reoccurring theme for the rest of the show’s original three seasons.

4. Dr. Blumen

S2E01 – This one is quick but definitely one of my favorites. In the season two opener, Michael, on his way to Phoenix, makes a call to the family pretending to be a “Dr. Blumen.” Later in the episode, this happens for the first time.

5. Gob’s a Dad

S3E01 – Gob receives a letter from an organization attempting to reunite him with his son. After some confusion (including the narrator disagreeing with Gob’s statement that he doesn’t have a son), Gob finally realizes that he is the father of none other than Maeby’s longtime crush, Steve Holt(!). This comes as a big surprise to Gob, but the show has been hinting at this twist since season one.

In the 19th episode of season one, Gob accidentally mutters that he might be a father, a fact that he references again in the fifth episode of season two. The foreshadowing really kicks up later on in season two during George Michael’s election campaign against Steve; Gob reveals that he got a girl pregnant during high school and notes that Steve looks like a girl he dated. Michael also tells Gob that Steve is “basically a young you.” During the post-episode teaser, an investigator shows Steve a photo of his father (Gob), but the fact is dropped until the season three premiere in which Gob’s “huge tiny mistake” is finally revealed.

6. Buster’s Coma Girl

S3E04 – During season three, Buster puts himself into what doctors call a “light-to-no coma” in order to avoid testifying against his family. Soon, his nurse Julia Adelaide (played by Bronwen Masters) becomes infatuated with him. This romance is foreshadowed by a short scene from A Thoroughly Polite Dustup, a fictional 1941 British war film. Masters and Tony Hale, who sports a hilarious fake chin, mustache, and bandaged left hand (the one Buster lost), play the nurse and soldier in A Thoroughly Polite Dustup.

Eight episodes later, Buster and Nurse Adelaide reenact a portion of the scene (almost word-for-word) just after Buster drops his coma charade.

7. Annyong’s Revenge

S3E13 – Lucille and George’s adopted Korean son, Annyong, starts off as what appears to be a pretty one-dimensional and purposefully annoying (get it?) character, but expands greatly during the final episode of season three when his revenge plot is finally revealed. This moment was foreshadowed way back in season two when his real name “Hello” is spray-painted on the side of the Bluth’s destroyed frozen banana stand during episode six. His plot is also briefly noted in the fifth episode of season three, when he is shown hiding inside Lucille’s home in order to steal Bluth family secrets. The narrator describes him as a “mole,” a fact that is also foreshadowed by the mole on his shirt two episodes earlier.

8. Michael’s “Flight of the Phoenix”

When Arrested Development returned via Netflix in 2013, its knack for nuanced storytelling became all the more complicated with the new season’s unorthodox time frame. Pretty much every major plot point is foreshadowed in some small way—but one event pays off on a joke that’s been running since the very first episode.

S4E01 – Season four starts off with Michael finally, albeit briefly, moving to Phoenix, a town that the narrator describes as a place “he’d always imagined would be his destiny.” We should have seen this coming, as Michael threatens to leave the family to live in Phoenix during the first episode of both seasons one and two. Another allusion to Michael’s love for Phoenix is the fact that he attends The University of Phoenix online throughout season four.

9. “A Hot Mess”

S4E10 – During this episode, Lucille and Buster discover a phrase that both find very useful in their arguments, and it becomes a running joke between the two: “A hot mess.” They’re a little behind the times, though. Michael uses the phrase to describe Lucille 2 in the first episode of the season and Oscar yells it to Dr. Norman in the second.

10. Fakeblock

S4E01 – The computer program that George Michael develops throughout season four isn’t what it appears to be. Scenes falsely hinting that it is privacy software are spread in the first episode. But when George Michael is introduced earlier in the episode, the sound of a woodblock, foreshadowing what he’s really working on, underscores his name.

11. Lucille Gets “Noodle Stabbed”

S4E10 – An incarcerated Lucille gets attacked by her Asian gang mate, armed with a sharpened noodle. But this wasn’t the first time that the Bluth matriarch had ended up on the “wrong side of a noodle.” George Sr. apologized for a much different kind of noodle stabbing in episode two, foreshadowing both Lucille’s run-in with the Jade Dragon Triad and George Sr.’s evaporating masculinity with a single line of dialogue.

With more Arrested Development in, um, development, there is sure to be more crazy storytelling and foreshadowing to come. (Thanks to Recurring Developments and The Arrested Development Wiki for assistance with episode numbers.)

Images courtesy of Fox & Netflix. A version of this post originally appeared in 2014.

Anthropologie is having one of its coveted sales, which means amazingly priced clothing—if you can find your size. Today the Bohemian chic store added new styles to their sale section, and as an added bonus, they’re knocking an extra 40 percent off their sales section with the code TAGTIME. That means affordable clothing, accessories, furniture, and even floral pajamas. 

Sale items tend to go fast on Anthro’s website, so if you’re looking for some quirky footwear or fluffy arm chairs, you should head over there before the whole section is cleared out. Here are some of the highlights: 

Billy Ella Embossed Velvet Loafers | $77.97 (list price $178.00)

Velvet Tunic Dress | $71.97 (list price $138.00)

Taven Open-Shoulder Top | $23.97 ( list price $68.00)

Quilted Chambray Bomber | $59.97 ( list price $188.00)

Lacquered Haverhill Occasional Chair | $299.97 ( list price $798.00)

Miista Imelda Lace-Up Booties | $131.97 (list price $298.00)

Fleurs du Nuit Tulle Skirt | $59.97 (list price $148.00)

Formoria Dessert Plate | $8.97 (list price $20.00)

Lacquered Wellington Desk | $539.97 (list price $1,198.00)

Eloise Stripe & Petal Sleep Shirt | $23.97 (list price $68.00)