Saving energy in an older home (link)

It might be a good idea to get an energy audit for your home to see how you can improve its energy efficiency. (An energy audit is better than an energy survey, btw.) Retrofitting isn't easy--or cheap, but it can help you save money and make your house more comfortable. Replacing your windows, doors, or AC unit is sometimes a good idea. When we remodeled, we replaced all our windows (24 , as I recall), a side door, the AC unit, and added a screen door that converts into a storm door. (Those were just a few of the things we had to do.) For more info, check out this HGTV webpage: Home Energy Efficiency Ideas and Best Practices. And check out my ebook, Remodeling: Buying and Updating a Foreclosure for more about our projects: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/71560

Home and gardening ideas

The April Country Living issue has a section on kitchen gardens, along with recipes. (We have tomatoes, pepper plants, and fruit in our front flower bed, btw; it gets lots of sun.) There are also garden accessories in this issue; and the Real Estate Sampler focuses on homes with greenhouses!

For home decorating ideas, that shutter wall is eye-catching, and I love Benjamin Moore's Spirit in the Sky paint color--one of the colors the homeowner used on her shutter collection. (Sort of a green blue.) And the blue and white color combos elsewhere are beautiful. Other decorating ideas include an animal trophy collection--something I've never thought of, though our house is full of animal and frog statues and figurines. There's also an interesting look at bridge--the card game--collectibles.

Sparkle note: If you drag a treat from the box, and click on it again, Sparkle will jump up and catch it!

Living room design ideas (link)

Here are some inexpensive ideas for refreshing your living room; they include adding an interesting, patterned rug; new lighting fixtures; beautiful draperies; and a focal point; and, of course, rearranging furniture and getting rid of clutter. Check these ideas out at: Designers' Best Budget-Friendly Living Room Updates : Rooms : Home & Garden Television

Clean up your closet! (link)

Is it time to upgrade your closet? Check out this closet makeover and get more ideas from the other links on this HGTV webpage: Making the Most of a Master Closet : Interior Remodeling : HGTV Remodels

Remodeling: Buying and Updating a Foreclosure (ebook)

You can buy Remodeling: Buying and Updating a Foreclosure on Smashwords this week for only .99: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/71560

Read an Ebook Week (March 4--March 10)

It's Read an Ebook Week on Smashwords! This week I'm offering my SF adventure story, Hot Yellow Planet (the sequel to Pretty Pink Planet) for free:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94029

You Are What You Don't Eat (podcast)

My flash fiction story, You Are What You Don't Eat, is now available as a podcast:
The podcast is available via iTunes, Google’s Feedburner, Podbean (when it catches up), Podcasters (which takes even longer) or Podcast Alley (which doesn’t list the episodes but will let you subscribe).
Here's the link to Feedburner:
Bailey's Writing Tips - powered by FeedBurner
Click on: BWT short stories - episode 008
Posted: Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:00:00 GMT

And here's the Flash Fiction Friday link, if you want to read along:

http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/2012/02/24/flash-fiction-friday-023-you-are-what-you-dont-eat-by-joy-v-smith/

Southern design and living

The March issue of Southern Living includes upcoming garden tours, bow ties (discovered at the Carolina Cup), swine dining (there's a nose-to-tail trend?!), and the Seven Wonders of the South, which include Palo Duro Canyon and Red River Gorge, plus other destinations.

The home and garden makeovers are lovely, and I agree that replacing fake cosmetic shutters with functional ones is a good idea. (You notice when the shutter size doesn't fit the window.) But the shutters flanking the door, I'm not so fond of. There are suggestions for entryway accessories, complementary paint colors, and garden and planter ideas. And, of course, Southern dishes, including carmelized onion quiche, chicken, tea sandwiches, and desserts. And I always appreciate those sweeping vistas. (See Mountain High.)

Sparkle note: If you drag a treat from the box, and click on it again, Sparkle will jump up and catch it!

Hidebound (SF ebook)

Hidebound, my novella, is a SF adventure (adult content) available now at .99 on Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ICFOHY

Review: Fissa's desire for independence, leaving the safety of her home planet to travel space on her cousin's ship, the St. Catherine, may be her first and final adventure. The ship is attacked, and she crash-lands in a shuttle on a planet covered with carnivorous vegetation. Now her life is in the hands of Ferenc, an alien humanoid with strange physical powers. Will he abandon her, force himself upon her, or continue to save her as they journey over deadly terrain? Under the constant threat of death and with a growing attraction for the enigmatic humanoid, Fissa must grow up fast and make some life-altering choices. Joy V. Smith has deftly combined science fiction adventure with romance, realistically exploring an emotional and physical relationship between human and humanoid.

You Are What You Don't Eat

Here's my most delicious short story: Flash Fiction Friday 023: ‘You Are What You Don’t Eat’ by Joy V Smith « Morgen Bailey's Writing Blog