I got a Gaiam Real Goods catalog recently. They have lots of green and recycled products, solar energy and hand-cranked devices, composting products, books, tankless water heaters, and more.
Catalog link:http://www/realgoodscatalog.com
My journal includes helpful house hints & decorating ideas & links, & publication news.
I got a Gaiam Real Goods catalog recently. They have lots of green and recycled products, solar energy and hand-cranked devices, composting products, books, tankless water heaters, and more.
Catalog link:http://www/realgoodscatalog.com
"'So that's an opera house, is it,' said Granny. 'Looks like someone built a great big box and glued the architecture on it afterward.' ...
The Opera House was, indeed, that most efficiently multifuctional of building designs. It was a cube. But, ..., the architect had suddenly realized ... that there ought to be some sort of decoration. and had shoved it on hurriedly, in a riot of friezes, pillars, corybants, and curly bits. Gargoyles had colonized the higher reaches. The effect, seen from the front, was of tortured stone.
Round the back, ..., was the usual drab mess of windows, pipes, and damp stone walls. One of the rules of a certain type of public architecture is that it only happens at the front."
From Maskerade by Terry Pratchett
ORLANDO, FL --When it comes to purchasing a home, buyers do indeed judge a book by its cover, according to a new nationwide survey of real estate agents commissioned by JELD-WEN Windows & Doors.
Curb appeal has traditionally been an important part of the sales process; however, the recently released Real Estate Agent Community Trends (REACT) survey found that it is absolutely essential to getting buyers in the door and fostering a sale. Specifically, 82 percent of agent respondents said they have had potential buyers decline to look at the interior of a home based on the exterior appearance. ...
The survey covers more than first impressions...
A new Web site will offer builders, designers, and DIY-ers a chance to shop for recycled building products online....
Link: Andrew & Stacy: The Green Team -- Green materials just in time for St. Patty's Day (HGTVPro.com)
Our area has more than one place to find recycled building materials, including the Habitat for Humanity store. You might want to check locally before going online.
An article in the April 2008 Better Homes & Gardens suggests using a variety of chests, dining room buffets, or cabinets in the foyer and other rooms in the house. [I have a drop leaf table in our foyer with a chalk board over it on which we write welcoming messages for guests.]
I saw in an ad for Delta faucets in the magazine that the new Allora pull-down faucet has a magnetic docking system for people who can't be bothered to put it back together. [Could be interesting when you're trying to use it.]
And in their Living Green section is some useful information on water heaters. "Tank water heaters cost the least initially; ... and solar water heaters ... [use] a renewable energy source." They also mention heat pump water heaters, which I'd never heard of. Apparently they're "the most efficient electric option."
Btw, a book case with doors on the bottom is a good thing when you have puppies. [I noticed one in an advertising insert and thought I'd mention that. We've lost a few books to teething puppies over the years because most of our bookcases don't have doors.]
Here's a freebie for gardeners--from an ad in the magazine: To request your free copy of the 2008 Gardener's Idea Book, call 877-865-5818 or go to their website: www.provenwinners.com/idea30 Ah, I see this puts you on their mailing list. And the book's still at the press.
Here's an interesting idea (see page 70 for photo). Why not put a window over your stove so you can look outside while cooking. Frankly, I think you should be watching what you're cooking. They do warn you about curtains (forget it!) and complying with local codes for ventilation and clearance.
And for people interested in having garage and other sales, I picked this info up online:
"My sister and I love to have garage sales and have always made
our own fun, creative, bright signs to attract shoppers.
"We had so many people asking us where we bought our signs that
we realized there really was a huge need for chic, funky, sassy
garage/yard sale signs. We started doing some research and found
there was nothing on the market other than the boring
black/white, red/white garage sale signs.
"With a lot of hard work, we started Sassy Signs and are
currently selling them at retail outlets such as Lowe’s, and
independent hardware, scrapbook and party stores. We have also
been selling online at http://www.sassysigns.com/ since we
started the company two years ago."
Tags: Water heaters, bookcases, foyers, heat pumps, faucets, gardening
Well, I, and the editor, are still waiting for the shared world anthology, Magistria: Shards of the Goddess, to come out.
Building a Cool House for Hot Times without Scorching the Pocketbook is still on this Barnes & Noble top ten list: Barnes & Noble.com Books - Architecture, Domestic->Amateurs' manuals
And my children's picture book, Why Won't Anyone Play with Me?, has gotten some good reviews:
MBR: Children's Bookwatch, December 2007
Reader Views Kids - Joy V. Smith - Why Won't Anyone Play With Me?
Here's a review that ran in Wee Ones of an earlier incarnation of the story. (There have been only a few minor changes, including Kandy Kitty to Kallie Kitten, in the story.)
Q: Hi, Ed, We have a very embarrassing problem in our basement, ... my husband had the bright idea to work with a relative who is not a plumber but claimed to "know as much" as a plumber.
Hackettstown, N.J./March 7, 2008/ — While the overall housing market remains very weak, kitchen and bath remodeling continues to be a source of strength in the industry, according to the 2008 Kitchen/Bath Industry Outlook (K/BIO), which is published by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA).
The K/BIO report has identified ten factors that will continue to drive kitchen and bath remodeling throughout the country this year and beyond: ...
Link: News : Trends : NKBA: Kitchen, Bath Remodeling Remains Strong : HGTVPro.com
We did a little kitchen remodeling not long ago (to upgrade the kitchen countertops, plus we got a new sink and faucet; next time we must remember to get one handle), and we're about to put in a new bathroom sink because the old sink needs to be replaced--unfortunately...).
(from Building Science) Is it worth it to bring the attic into the thermal envelope of the house? ...
Link: Eric Helton: Building Science -- A Cathedralized Attic in a Hot Humid Climate - Is it Worth Conditioning? (HGTVPro.com)
(from Ask Ed) I never thought that I would get into a heated debate with anyone about cleaning a toilet!
Link: Ed Del Grande: Ask Ed -- Cleaning a Toilet is Not Rocket Science (HGTVPro.com)
I'm grateful that my toilet bowl wasn't scratched when I cleaned it with a pumice stone! And it still looks good.
(from Ask Ed) I own a condo with a toilet and bidet, but I would like to move the toilet to where the bidet is to make extra room. ...
Link: Ed Del Grande: Ask Ed -- Away With the Bidet! (HGTVPro.com)
I never wanted a bidet, but that is really interesting about the size of drains and remodelling problems.