Inspired by shooting stars, we’ve put together a collection of star themed urns and memorial ideas.

14K gold urn necklace

Discreet Star 14K gold urn necklace holds a small loving memento. Available in high-quality gold plate and sterling silver.

silver star urn necklace

Our Stars in the Sky memorial stone is a great way to dedicate a memorial garden and can be personalized with your loved one’s name and dates.

Verse reads: “Perhaps the stars in the sky are loved ones letting us know they are near by guiding us through the night.”

Stars in the Sky Memorial Stone

We’ll close with Paul Rogers and the rest of Bad Company.

Miss Heather,  of NYC gave us a garden tour of some of the memorials spotted lately in her Greenpoint neighborhood.

But first, a brief history moment.

Early Colonization of Greenpoint:

Greenpoint was originally inhabited by Keskachauge Indians, a sub-tribe of the Lenape. Contemporary accounts describe it as remarkably verdant and beautiful, with Jack pine and oak forest, meadows, fresh water creeks and briny marshes. Water fowl and fish were abundant.

Flash forward to our first projects: Airbrush memorials for Luis* and Malo:

Smaller and more subtle examples include this memorial to Alexander McQueen on the B62 bus stop.

*update: Tribute to Luis located in Bushwick. Not Greenpoint.

Campbell St. Roadside Memorial

The tree in midtown has become a roadside memorial.

Some families like to scatter ashes from way up high, this lady is releasing a keepsake amount of cremated ashes from the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Or this undisclosed location:

We prefer to keep it on the down low, whether spreading ashes on the ground or over the water:

U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Gabriel Hernandez

If you plan to spread the ashes on the ground, a shallow trench or groove can be dug in the soil or sand where the ashes can be placed. This process can be personalized by drawing out the person’s name or a heart shaped trench. Add candles or luminaries around the trench to create a spiritual ambiance and can be later used as a keepsake for those that attend.  Wildflower seeds and  tree plantings are another way to personalize the event. At the end of the ceremony, participants can either rake over the remains in the trench, or have the water from the ocean sweep the remains out to sea while family and friends join hands and remember the individual’s life.

The most common method of scattering ashes is known as “casting” , which is basically tossing the ashes into the wind.  Let’s talk about the WIND.  Consider wind direction and try to cast down to prevent “blow-back”.  The dense nature of human ashes combined with a fine powder forms a whitish-gray cloud when it becomes airborne.

Some families want to release the ashes all at once, and others want to spread the ashes as a group, each member taking a turn scattering the remains.

This family opted to split the ashes in individual envelopes, some DIY-ers use paper cups.   Your family funeral director can make this process much easier if you need assistance or have questions regarding this process.

Scattering tubes and biodegradable scattering urns are also available.

After several years of planning, a Memorial Garden will be dedicated in Abingdon Square Park in New York City, to the memory of Adrienne Shelly, who was killed in 2006.

“This has been a long but very satisfying journey to honor my late wife in the park she loved so much, across from the building in which she lived for many years, worked and died.” said Shelly’s husband, Andy Ostroy,who helped design the memorial garden.

Ostroy chose to stock the plot with Nikko blue hydrangeas (symbolizing understanding)

Obedience, hardy and tolerant of clay soil. Symbolizes graciousness and strength.

Liatris, also known as Blazing Star, symbolizes love.

Campanula, also known as the Bellflower symbolizes gratitude.

and Nepeta, also known as catnip, is lemon-scented with heart-shaped leaves.

Shelly’s memorial garden will be dedicated with a memorial plaque on Aug. 3.

Founded in 1836, and re-opened in 2004, Abingdon Square Park is a tiny, luscious triangle in Greenwich Village. According to neighbors, the park seems almost holy, like a sacrament in the summertime.

The park is dominated by the bronze statue of a soldier holding a flag, the Abingdon “Doughboy,” was designed to “honor the brave men who went forth from this neighborhood to join the armed forces of the United States during the World War.”

Planning a memorial garden or tree dedication? Check out our memorial stones.

Domenica Niehoff

An artist’s design for the gravestone of Germany’s most famous prostitute has been rejected by the cemetery authorities for being too “slutty,” newspaper Hamburger Morgenpost reported Thursday.

Today’s Tip for better living: Enjoy your time-off.

Jessica wanted to create a memorial stone for a one of the dispatchers at the police station in Michigan.

We can do custom work but the logo she wanted to use was too small and multi-layered.

What else could we use? Police badge was out of the question, she wasn’t a cop. The town mascot is a Beaver.

“No”.

How about a dove for the dispatcher? The messenger.

Client loved it!

“I just received the stone this morning and it looks great.  Thanks again for all of your help.”

Stained glass image courtesy of Down East Stained Glass, check  their site for more beautiful custom stained glass designs.

My bleeding hearts are popping. So sweet to see.

How about some heart-shaped memorial stones for your Spring garden?

Weather-proof and durable, and best of all:

Heart-shaped stones in the garden.

Your choice of style, $40.