Monday, June 30, 2008
Home ideas
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Architecture of the imagination
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Oasis 21 (literary SF convention) report (excerpts)
Friday, June 27, 2008
Home decorating ideas
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Home choices
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Architecture of the Imagination
"At dawn in an outlying district of Warsaw, sunlight ... crept up the white walls of a 1930s stucco and glass villa where the zoo director and his wife slept in a bed crafted from white birch, ... On their left, two tall windows crowned a sill wide enough for sitting, with a small radiator tucked below. Oriental rugs warmed the parquet floor, where strips of wood slanted together as repeating feathers, and a birch armchair squared one corner of the room."
This description is actually from a non-fiction book, The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman.
Link: Amazon.com: The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story: Diane Ackerman: Books
Tags: The Zookeeper's Wife
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Green is Earth's favorite color! (link)
"You can't surf the Web, buy a magazine, or flip a channel without being told about the latest "green" thing to hit the market. How did such a simple hue ever become so popular?"
Be sure to see what the other colors might be thinking: Andrew & Stacy: The Green Team -- Primary (color) season (HGTVPro.com)
And Habitat for Humanity is going green too: Andrew & Stacy: The Green Team -- Go, Go Habitat for Humanity! (HGTVPro.com)
Friday, June 20, 2008
Publication news (non-fiction)
I Wish Someone Had Told Me That! : I'm one of the children's books authors who answer these questions in the book:
And here's an excerpt from my house book: Free Book Excerpts : Building a Cool House for Hot Times without Scorching the Pocketbook by Joy Smith
It's on this Barnes & Noble top ten list: Barnes & Noble.com Books - Architecture, Domestic->Amateurs' manuals
Here's my article on world building in Working Writer: WORKING WRITER For people who write
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Kitchen pantries (link)
"Designers and homeowners agree that ample, easily accessible storage is one of the most important aspects of a great kitchen, ..." (From Paul Bianchina column)
Link: Get kitchen pantry organized | Inman News
He has some useful pantry ideas (both for walk-in pantries and pantry cabinets), including keeping your shopping list on the pantry door. Well, our walk-in pantry doesn't have a door because we decided not to waste space on a door nor time on opening and closing it, but we can put it inside or nearby. Hmm. Maybe I can add it to the fridge notes. He talks about using different types of shelves, baskets, etc. And keeping like with like. (Doesn't everyone?!) We have enough room on our pantry floor for coolers, boxes and bottles of drinks, etc. and a garbage can that holds our big bags of dog food, plus the recycling bin. Except for the garbage can, all of the above are under the shelves. I'd suggest that you don't add shelves too close to the floor.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Floor choices (link)
Here's "help with expert advice for selecting, installing and maintaining the whole spectrum of flooring choices: hardwood, tile, carpet, vinyl, laminate and today’s hottest trend, green flooring."
Link: Flooring Ideas: Hardwood, Tile, Laminate, Carpet and Green Flooring : Home & Garden Television
Crawl spaces (link)
Keep an eye on your crawl space! (From HGTVPro.com)
My crawlspace has become very wet due to sweating cold water pipes. The floor of my crawlspace is covered in plastic, and the dripping pipes are making big puddles on the ground. Please help before mold starts to grow!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Insulation (link)
(from Ask Ed) "I have a condo and the inside walls seem to have no insulation between units. How can I add soundproofing?....."
Link: Ed Del Grande: Ask Ed -- Sounding Off on a Condo Issue (HGTVPro.com)
I want to add that soundproofing is so important! If you're building or remodeling, thinking about using a noise baffling insulation; a friend advised us to, but when the time came, and we had to think about cost, we didn't do it. And there is one bedroom/bathroom wall that we would have put that insulation in, no matter what it cost!!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Air conditioning filters (link)
(from Measure Twice) How little things that don't cost much in time or money, like checking an A/C filter, can deliver on customer satisfaction....
Link: Mark Clement: Measure Twice -- Crud & Customer Service (HGTVPro.com)
Take a look at that AC filter! Be sure to check yours when you have work done on your house.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Architecture of the Imagination
Tags: Hogfather
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Publication news
Monday, June 2, 2008
Organic catalog
I got a Janice's Natural Comfort Catalog the other day. It's filled with natural and organic products, including linens, fabrics, a natural rubber mattress, clothes, personal care and household cleaning products.
Link: Organic & Natural Bedding, Organic Mattresses, Organic Pillows
I confess that I prefer natural products, but I love colors.
Tags: Organic cotton