New Home Design Should Be Energy Efficient

When you are ready to finally buy your own home, you may want to consider having a new home built rather than purchasing a home that is already standing. There are several good reasons to look into building a home from the ground up, not the least of which is getting a home designed to save money over the long run. Companies that can help you with new home design in Edina, including TC Home Builders, will be able to go over the options that you want and how to make them energy efficient and non-toxic to your family.

Lead and Asbestos

The first thing that you should know about a new home is that it will not contain any lead-based paints or asbestos. Older homes that were built before the regulation of these substances may still contain these items, and you will most likely have to sign a waiver stating that you understand the hazards, aware that they may or may not exist in the current structure, and will not hold the seller liable for any health problems that may result from the substances. With a new home, you won’t have to deal with these problems.

Energy Efficiency

You can design your new home for the ultimate in energy efficiency. Windows and insulation can have the highest R-rating available, which will keep your home from leaking heat or air conditioning. Geothermal technologies can harvest the heat in the ground to heat in the winter and can dissipate the heat from your home to cool in the summer: all at a cost that is less than what a normal HVAC system would cost.

Energy Production

The roof of the home and the garage can be outfitted with solar panels, so that your home creates energy. Not only does this save you money immediately, but it will also help you by giving you a hedge against rising energy costs. You may even be able to get a tax break, and many areas have adopted or are adopting the policy that the power company has to buy back any energy that you create and do not use.

Companies like TC Home Builders can help you create the dream home that you have always wanted, and it can be a home that will pay you dividends in both the short and long term.

Recipe Holder

As baking has now been a part of my "not so boring" life (lol), I am thinking of ways to speed up my work and make everything organized.  I'have thrown several messed up recipe sheets as I accidentally spilled something on these while baking.   Holding these sheets with my dirty hands also made the recipes unfit for future use.  Because of this experience, I have thought of coming up with something to solve my problem. You see, I always wanted to display the recipe sheet every time I bake as I don't want to miss up on any ingredient.   It happens to me once and this affects the overall taste of my cup cakes.

On one of my shopping adventures, I chanced upon this plastic holder which is actually multi purpose.  It's good to hold photos, menus, brochures, directions, announcements, etc.  Oh, and I find it perfect as a recipe holder for my kitchen, at least just for my cake recipes.

As there are two basic recipes which I often used at home for our cup cake business, I thought of having these recipes displayed on this recipe board.  It's so easy actually.  I just have the recipes printed from the computer, cut these out according to the size of the plastic holder, add up some cute photos of cakes from my old organizers and magazines and voila! I have this very cute recipe holder for my favorite cake recipes. This holds my recipes permanently and protect them from being messed up while baking.  Also, it is very convenient for me to scroll down the ingredients as the recipe is displayed in a standing position.

It's very cute and very neat. :)

At Home on Christmas

Hi everyone! How was your Christmas?  As for me, we had a great time at home with the family. We had our Noche Buena, followed by attending a holy mass aired on ABS-CBN and then a short chat with hubby and finally, the most awaited exchange of gifts among members of the family.  It was a family tradition to have an exchange gift every Christmas and it's a fun filled activity where every member of the family get to enjoy every Christmas eve.  Everyone was excited to open their gifts and even out pets shih-tzus, Marcus and Lucio received their gifts too from all of us. :)

Marcus and Lucio received some treats from all of us and Marcus was very pleased with his toy.  In fact he opened the gift all by himself. lol

I was glad that my daughter loves her gift.  I gave her what she truly needs.  Well, she's not expecting to receive a Dean Markley guitar strings at musicians friend and she was equally happy with what she got.  My son had lots of shoes and I gave him a nice shoe organizer and a set of skin care products.  We all gave healthy treats for Mom as these are really what she needs now and she was all smiles when she opened her presents. Oh and before I forget, I got a very nice present from my daughter and son too.  I will post it on my other blog, soon.

Christmas is always nice to celebrate with family and for me, that's the true essence of Christmas.

Closet Organization

My fervent desire to have my closet super organized had led me to look for ways and means to organize everything inside my closet.  From clothes to bags to accessories to belts and everything.  I don't really pressure myself though.  I do it one step at a time.  I'm not thoroughly done yet but I'm already seeing the positive outcome of my hard work.  It's super easy to find things that i would like to get from the closet. I know exactly the place where I would get it.  Another thing, I could get what I need without having to mess up with other things stored on the same area.

It really make the job faster and things can get done easily in no time.  You get to eliminate the hassles of finding for things you want until you end up messing with the entire things in your closet only to find out in the end that the thing that you need is not really there.

This hanging organizer that I hang at the back of the door of my closet now stores those things which I just tuck everywhere in the closet before.  Now these small pieces of papers are stored properly and very easy to find.

That's the beauty of organizing! :)

Why Undergo a Kitchen Remodel?

Every time you walk into your kitchen, you are reminded why you hate to use it. But do you need to go through an entire kitchen remodel in Gainseville, FL, or just make a few minor changes? The following are situations where a more extensive remodel is the desirable option, even given the time and expense involved. What you will end up with is a kitchen that is fun to use and easily accommodates your cooking style. Take-out won’t look so attractive anymore.

Obstructed or Massive Work Triangles

If the way is obstructed between your sink, your countertop or island, and your refrigerator, cooking becomes a major hassle and takes far too long to be enjoyable. Even if the way is not obstructed with cabinets, ill-placed storage areas, or the mop bucket (because you don’t have a closet nearby), a huge work triangle will leave you exhausted; there is such a thing as too big of a kitchen. If what it takes to create a functional work triangle is a remodel, you should definitely consider having it done. Removing any obstructions is the key, and that may mean moving one or more of the elements in the triangle. If your kitchen feels like a commercial kitchen that requires lots of walking between stations, reduce the square footage of the kitchen area to something manageable and comfortable. The legs of your work triangle should never add up to more than 25 feet, and you should have complete freedom to move between the elements with ease. If necessary, add an island or additional counter space to simplify prep and cleanup activities. Another important consideration is the kitchen flooring.  You may not only be concerned about the mobility and size of your kitchen, it is also a must to have a clean and elegant looking kitchen and the best way to start is by upgrading your flooring to something that's unique, elegant, versatile engineered oak flooring from  markettimbers.com.au. There are variety of colors to choose from and you can opt for the one that could complement the overall look of your kitchen. 

You Just Hate It

If improving your kitchen will encourage you to use it more often, a carefully budgeted remodel could be just the thing. Don’t mistake hating cooking and cleaning with hating your kitchen, however. Consider the layout, storage capacity, and the condition of cupboards, counters, and appliances as you contemplate spending several thousand or more on a remodel. If you feel that making significant changes is the only thing standing between you and your career as an amateur foodie (or just as a parent hoping to feed the kids something nutritious and homemade), go for it. Just be sure to incorporate as many timeless and classic elements as possible. The trendier the remodel, the more quickly it will get outdated, and then you’ll end up hating it all over again.

You Want to Sell Your House

Kitchen and bathroom remodels are the two best ways to improve your house for sale. An old, outdated kitchen with a terrible layout will give potential buyers pause even if the rest of the home is lovely. Even a great layout that is filled with very dated features is hard to sell. Don’t overspend on such a remodel in order to recoup as much of your investment as possible at sale. Contact an expert to help you plan a quality kitchen remodel in Gainseville, FL, that will help you sell your house with the least amount of fuss and expenditure.

  

Simple Christmas Decors

This year, we've decided to be a bit relaxed on our Christmas decors.  After a series of calamities that happened in the Philippines, we felt that we have to be a bit vigilant with our spending.  Saving for unforeseen events is really a must for every family especially that the cost of living now a days is really that high and unless you're having a decent family income, it's quite hard to get by.

Anyway, we've just made use of our old Christmas decors at home.  We didn't buy anything except for some Christmas flowers and ribbons that we've  added up to our Christmas tree.  I actually wanted a nice "parol" and "belen" but I will just save it for next year.  :)

I've also spent quite a lot to restore our home after we get affected by the great flood this year. I spent on new furniture to replace the worn out ones and for the repair of some electrical appliances. Fixing, decluttering and organizing comes next.  It's really a tough job but since it was a family effort where we get to share all the work loads, everything seemed to be that easy. 

Adding some colors to my garden to complement the "joyous atmosphere" of the holiday season is all what it takes to complete the look.

I painted all our flower and plant pots in red and green color just to make our yard more appealing.

Since our garden was built up, I always see to it that it's properly maintained.  I paid around $650 for the landscaping services and I just thought that maintaining it is the least that I could do to keep my money's worth.  I personally painted everything around the garden and it gives me a great relief seeing that everything was restored after the flood.

I have made some final touches inside the house but not as grand as what I initially planned.  the most important thing is that I was able to fix and organize everything in no time.

This is more than enough to make our Christmas this year truly special.  I'm, finally back home now and that matters most to me. :)

  

Home Appliances Repair

As most of our home appliances were submerged in water during the great flood which affected our city last September, we've managed to get the personal services of our regular technician who used to come to the house for the repair of some electronic appliances and fixing of our electrical switches and sockets.  Glad that 90% were already restored back to their original condition.  I was actually worried then that our newly purchased desktop and printer were also damaged but I was happy to hear from my son then that he was able to secure these before the water level has gone up.

Our home theater was not damaged though but it seemed like the speakers were slightly affected as these no longer perform efficiently same like before.  Browsing online, I've seen some cool genelec speakers at musicians friend and was pleased with lots of good reviews I've seen about their performance.  I'm thinking if I could get one for the house but I'm still thinking if our old speakers can still be repaired by our technician. As a home maker, it pays to be practical and wise. :)

DIY Pantry Labels

I am slowly organizing everything in the house especially the kitchen area.  It's not that easy as I have accumulated a lot of kitchen stuff over the past years and I started with just a plain cupboard. We've added some storage spaces as we go along and as what they say, the more storage spaces you create, the more things you will acquire. :)

So now, I am trying to live with the basics and just invest on some kitchen tools and equipment that's really necessary.  As I often bake, I have lots of ingredients that need proper storage so I bought several plastic jars where I could keep all those ingredients and spices.  I've found some free printable labels online but it doesn't suit the size and labels that I need, so I decided to make my own version.

I'm happy with the outcome, though.  Here's what I've got:

I stored these labeled jars on the shelves just below the kitchen cupboard.  This will enable me to have easy access to all the ingredients and spices that I need when cooking or baking.

Admittedly, I felt relieved after having done some organizing in the kitchen.  It makes cooking and baking a lot easier.  Not only that, a properly organized kitchen is very pleasing to the eyes. :)

Fixing My Crafts Corner

I was half way done fixing my crafts corner which is actually a repurposed mini dresser that I took out from our bedroom.  I bought some cheap plastic baskets from a local shop and I used these baskets to hold some ribbons and other arts and crafts materials.  The mini dresser is just perfect and I made use of the front mirror to hold some post it notes where I jot down my daily tasks.  I hope I can complete this soon.  I guess it would be nicer if I could look for drawers that slide from the scrap section of the house.  Maybe I could have it installed on that crafts corner that I have.  This could help me organize my colored construction papers and gift wrappers which I could actually use for my DIY projects.  I'm really excited to have everything completed and I will surely post some pictures when I'm totally done. 

Wish me luck! :)

Adding Colors To My Garden

I've been itching to do this since I came back home last October but I can't find the perfect time since I'm super duper busy. :)

That's why I'm so glad that finally, I was able to find time to retouch the paint of my garden.  It's been colorful ever since but after a series of typhoon in the Philippines, not to mention that our city was the center of a great flood that took place last September, what can you expect but a total disaster!  My whole garden was submerged in water.  Good thing that my plants are still alive but a massive cleaning took place to bring everything back to order.  You see, we have to do general cleaning for weeks just to get rid of the debris caused by massive raining and floods.  Glad that we're back to normal now.

After this, I might be starting with my vegetable garden soon. :)

What You Will Find in an Antique Store

Antique shopping is either done by searching shops for the item you are looking for or by finding places that you can look into each shop and being so pleasantly surprised by the items that you find that you just have to take them home with you. There are antiques in Los Angeles of all different sizes, shapes, and colors in different places around the area. You will find antiques in strip malls, quaint old houses, large warehouses, mixed in with new items for sale, and sometimes in areas where museums are.

Description of an Antique

An antique is something that is old and has increased in value since it was first purchased or manufactured. There are people that collect antiques or furnish their homes or offices with antiques. Antiques can bring a quaint elegance into any space. Some antiques are pieces of art that showcase the skills of craftsmen long ago, who took pride in their craft and created beautiful pieces of art in the furniture they made. An antique can be a pearl button, a wooden spool of thread, a hand saw, a wash stand with a pitcher and bowl, a book, a cup, or an old saddle.

Antiques You Might Find

When you walk into an antique store, you might see wooden dressers, wooden armoires, bedframes made out of wood, old mirrors with wooden frames, and maybe an old plow or two. You might find a spinning wheel in need of repair, or some shoes that lace up and stop about midcalf. They sometimes carry clothes if they are in good shape. You may see old quilts and lots of lace doilies. Jewelry that is old comes and goes out of fashion, and you will find a lot of it in an antique store. They will have signs and weathervanes made out of metal, chicken wire, or wood, and you might be lucky enough to find a complete set of china. Most of the antiques that you find in a store that carries antiques in Los Angeles have made it there because of the pristine shape they are in. The pieces that are not in very good shape you might find in the back, under repair.

An Easy To Do Wall Art

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If you want to make a wall art either for gift giving or to simply decorate your rooms, then I think this easy to do wall art is worth a try!  

If you could notice, materials used are very easy to find and won't cost that much. Some even came from recycable materials.  This is very easy to do.  The picture says it all.  :)

Try it!

House Warming

I was invited by a friend in their house warming and she was very excited with their new home.  She told me that she's been searching shops for home decors and furniture that would fit her new home.  I was surprised to see that they have a music room in the house.  I was aware that they came from a family of musicians but I am not expecting that she will really exert an effort to have a music room.  It was lovely.  I saw some sophisticated musical instruments which are all part of their family's collection.  There was an organ which was actually a pass down from her parents, a violin owned by her eldest son, an electric guitar and a drum set.  There was no irish drum though but what they had is considered good enough.  

I enjoyed the occasion much more the scrumptious foods that they have prepared for dinner.  There were few song numbers and it was fun!  I love how the house was decorated.  It was simple yet elegant.  I bought her a set of scented candles in pretty and elegant containers as a house warming gift and I'm glad that she loved it.  It's actually my first time to attend a house warming and I thank her for the experience.  

Custom Made Closet

Here's the finished product of the bedroom closet that we've designed for our bedroom.  We hired our fave wood carpenter to do this one for us.  I've decided that from now on, all the wooden furniture in the house will be custom made and will be done according to our design and specifications.  I think it's all worth it!  It's more expensive than the normal store brought furniture but we can be assured that these are durable and would exactly fit the space where we intend to place the furniture.  Another advantage is that, we can plan ahead how many shelves, how many drawers and what to put where before the furniture is fabricated, so we can assure that it can accommodate all our important stuff.

I used to experienced before that after I bought the furniture from the store and delivered into our home, that's the only time I realized that all my stuff wouldn't fit in and it's not exactly fitted to the allotted space. Apart from this consideration, durability is the point of argument here.  With custom made furniture, I could personally decide on what materials will be used and I always choose the thickest plywood and the most durable ones.  

Now I've just changed two TV racks and a big closet in my bedroom.  I am pleased with the result though.  it's worth the wait. :)

Simple Storage Solutions for your Bathrooms

Modern Bathroom by Toronto Architects & Designers Wanda Ely Architect Inc.

Even the tiniest space in your bathroom can be converted into a useful storage space by just using your creativity and imagination.  See how that small space beside the toilet bowl was transformed into open shelves?  I really heart organizing and would also like to transform every small space into something that could be used to store some home stuff.  This is the reason why I am always on a look out for new ideas for my home sweet home. 

There's nothing more rewarding than seeing your personal stuff properly organized. 

Space Saver Laundry Room

 Modern Laundry Room by Traverse City Kitchen &

 Bath Designers Bay Cabinetry & Design Studio

Love this modern laundry room design, a real space saver.  See, the ironing board can be folded and concealed in a covered wall cabinet where shelves intended to store laundry and ironing products can also be found.  On one side, open shelves for dried clothes, towels, blankets and linens are also available for proper storage.  If you have a spare small room in the house, that could be converted into a laundry room similar to the above design.  Space is not really an issue here.  Everything could be built in.  Pretty awesome! 

Things to Think about when Buying Residential Real Estate

Buying Naples, Florida real estate is not as difficult as you may think. With the help of an experienced Realtor, anyone can easily find their dream home. The following tips are designed to help you determine which homes currently for sale are perfect for you and your family.

Do It Now

Why are people taking the plunge and buying a house now? The mortgage rates are still extremely affordable. Depending on the house you want to buy, paying for a mortgage may even be cheaper than rent. Home prices are still reasonably low, although they are rising as the real estate market is starting to recover. Look upon the purchase as an investment. If you ever decide to sell, you will probably get a better return than keeping your money in a savings account.

Hire an Agent

Nobody knows this industry better than a trained and licensed Realtor. How can you compete with that? Agents make it their business to know everything that goes on in their territories. Quite often, they know about a home coming on the market before the property actually hits the MLS listings. You may be in luck if that is a house that has everything you are looking for.

Set a Budget Limit

Realtors show clients a wide range of homes. Some of them are below the budget limit, while others are slightly above. It all depends on the amount of suitable homes currently available. Some of these properties may be ideal, but think about what you are doing to yourself and your family. Mortgages often span up to 30 years. That is a long time to tighten the belt just to make ends meet. Why not wait until another great home is released. You will feel better about your decision, and you can continue to save. Do not forget that you need money for a down payment, closing costs, home insurance, reconnection of utilities, moving, and a few other things.

Location Matters

Whether you are still employed or retired does not matter. Think long and hard about location when looking at Naples, Florida real estate. Make sure that your new home is close to work, schools, shopping centers, restaurants, hospitals, emergency services, and all other conveniences you are accustomed to. With today’s rising gas prices, try to keep your transportation costs down. It is money you can later spend on home improvements.

Cozy Backyard

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This cozy backyard garden proves that small spaces cannot be underrated.  In this design where curved garden elements were installed, the designer was able to transform a small space into a paradise!  The presence of curved designs made the garden appeared to be endless.  From most of my readings about garden tips, it is always emphasized that every small corner of the garden shall be utilized to the fullest. Usually, container and vertical gardening is used to maximize the space and have an abundant number of greens and flowering plants.  

What's your idea of a cozy garden?

Mardi Gras Celebration

After more than 6 years, I finally had the chance to witness the Olongapo City Mardi Gras which is traditionally celebrated October of each year.  My daughter asked for a permission to join the Mardi Gras celebration with her school friends and as a doting Mom, I would not allow her to come home very late alone.  Even our city doesn't have a high incident of crime rate, I still would like to ensure the safety of my daughter.  So, to enable her to attend the Mardi Gras and at the same time ensure that she will be safe going back home, my son and I had decided to follow her and wait for the time that she and her friends would finally call it a night.  

The celebration hasn't changed through the years.  It is a party on the streets, thus you would expect to see several stages showcasing some live bands. Some were invited from Manila while others are just the local bands in the city.  I was amazed that the traditional Mardi Gras had an overwhelming response from the Olongapenians, as the whole street was really crowded and you could hardly talk to each other due to the blasting sounds of the large speakers on stage.  There were rock bands who entertained the crowd with their music using  their schecter omen bass.  Sad to say, I'd never been a fan of rock music even during my younger years.  

At any rate, all the Olongapenians especially the students had a blast during the night and I am happy that I had the privilege to witness such a celebration once again.

Custom Made Furniture For My Home

I am now in the process of doing a little make over for our bedroom.  As we were included in thousands of homes affected by a great flood last September, there's no doubt that some of our home furniture had deteriorated in shape if not totally wrecked.   But I am still thankful that the effect of the flood in our home sweet home is not as worse as what the others had experienced.  In fact, we were never affected by any flooding ever since our house was built, thus, it must really be a worse flood that happened in the city.  This is in fact our first time to be affected by the flood.

A number of our furniture, most of which were bought ready made from the furniture shop were deformed and wood finishing were chipped off.  They do not appear as pretty as before.  One lesson learned about furniture is that, I must go for custom made furniture.  I've noticed that the built in furniture which I asked a wood carpenter to make for me for the bedrooms are the ones that are durable.  They remained to be in perfect shape even after the flood.  I'm glad I did not bought all the furniture from the store.

Now, because of this experience, I am now replacing all the worn out store bought furniture with custom made.  For this, I need to seek the help of our reliable wood carpenter who had been making furniture for us for few years now.

   

He's almost done with the custom made cabinet for our bedroom, just need to work on the doors.  I'm happy that it was huge and can accommodate my growing number of personal stuff.

Here is the initial stage.  I will be posting the final outcome once it gets completed.

  

Arts and Crafts Project

If you're thinking of creating your own craft projects for the holiday season, you may want to try using ready made cut out woods.  This could be ideal for Christmas home decors or for that Nativity project.  Choosing quality materials for your home or school projects is not very easy, that's why you should be eyeing for a supplier who could deliver quality materials at an affordable price and can ensure you a fast delivery.  I remember my old days in school when we were all busy decorating our classrooms in time for the Christmas celebration.  The school would normally organize a contest where each class will be competing with each other for "the most beautiful room" award.  Prizes are not really that big but the joys of having experienced the excitement and team work during the competition is enough reason for every class to participate.  Now that I already have my own family, I'm still very much fascinated in creating Christmas home decors.  I may not be using custom wood cutouts for my home projects but I make sure that mine is budget friendly and unique.  I also love the idea that every member of the family is participating and that we had been doing this as part of our family tradition.     

We don't have definite plans yet as to how are we going to decorate our home this coming Christmas season but I'm looking forward that I can do it once again with my family.

Ceiling Design

Anywhere I go,  the first thing that I would see is the house and interior design of the place that I'm going to visit, thus during my visit to Battambang City in Cambodia two months ago,  I happened to see this ceiling design from the hotel which I've stayed.  I love the idea that this is a ready to install design.  No need to paint and all, what you have to do is just to install it right away.  I love that it's so simple and elegant.  I wonder if we could get similar ready made design in the country, as well.  It's a textured wood and I think the paint can easily be retouched in case it's already worn out.

What do you think?

Home Made Gifts

Since we are into cup cake business, I am thinking of just baking sweet cup cakes as Christmas present to friends and relatives.  My son Edmar was the one who started with the business actually.  I encouraged him to study baking during his free time last April  which he willingly obliged.  I remember that since he was a toddler, he really loved sweet foods particularly chocolates.  One time, we were in a duty free shop for some grocery shopping and I was busy looking at some food items on the shelves and I suddenly forgot about my son.  He just keeps on following me wherever I go around the supermarket when suddenly, a security personnel called my attention.  He requested me to pay for a box of chocolates at the cashier's counter while pointing to my son.  Only then I realized that he took a box of chocolate from the display shelves and started eating it while I'm busy getting some pantry items.  He really loves chocolates.  Now that he's a already a grown up, he still crave for some premium chocolate brands but his preference for gifts had already changed from plain chocolates to jewelries.  He would love to have one from Le Vian chocolate diamond selection. 

Boys will always be boys but I'm convinced that their wants and needs changes to cope up with the time. No matter what, he would still and will always be my loving son who has remained cute, sweet and dependable.    

Love This For My Kitchen

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I've found this bracket for tablets and I think this is a cool way to get connected while you're busy working in the kitchen.  You can browse on some recipes online and have a quick guide when you're preparing your meals for the whole family.  Not only that, it would be a lot easier to follow some video tutorials too.  This way, you can be assured that your tablets would be free from any dirt even your kitchen counter top is messy with all those ingredients lined up. :)

But if you're unable to find one on your local shops or online stores, I think we can also make an improvised one.

I really love to have this in my kitchen. :)

Hunting for Antiques Can Be an Adventure

You have just bought a vintage home that was built in the early 1900s. It has been restored beautifully and now you need to furnish it. The items you want to put in the house need to be from that era as well, or as close as possible to that era as you can find. There are many places to look for antiques in Los Angeles and you are going to start with the one closest to the location of your new house.

The First Store

When you walk into the first antique store, you are overwhelmed by the smell and the sheer amount of the items they had crammed into the space of their store. The smell wasn’t a particularly bad smell, it was just thick as you entered the store. As you wander through the small and cramped aisles, you can’t see the larger things because of all of the smaller things crowded around them. The owners of the store were very friendly and willing to help, but you couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

The Next Store

The next store you went into was much more spread out and each type of antique piece was in its own section. The first item on your list is a bed with four posts. You want a massive headboard, and this second store has the perfect match to what you had in mind. They also had an armoire that would go perfectly in the bedroom and would hold the television and all of the stereo equipment you plan to put in there. The other item you just had to have was a dining room table that was standing all alone in one corner of the store. It didn’t have any chairs with it, but it was perfect for the formal dining room that you needed to furnish now. You found some mismatched dining room chairs that would go great with the room and the table. There will be other chairs at other antique stores for you to find. Your list was far from all checked off, and you were looking forward to hunting for the other pieces among all the other stores that sold antiques in Los Angeles.

Vintage Oil Paintings

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Flea markets can be a good source of inspiration in creating a visual interest in your homes.  Cheap vintage oil paintings can be a subject of your collection.  You can start with a theme and just continue from there. You will be amazed at how this interesting subject of your paintings could give life to your boring walls.

You could choose a theme that would match the room that you're going to decorate.  Oil paintings of fruits, for example could create an added appeal in your dining rooms.

We shouldn't discount the endless opportunities that we could get from our usual thrift hunt from flea markets.

    

How to Choose the Best Electrical Contractor

Electricity is a dangerous thing, especially when it's in your home. Of course, you need electricity to power the majority of things in your home, and if you have problems with your electrical system, then you will want to call an electrician as soon as possible. It's important that you not try to fix anything yourself, especially if you don't know what you're doing. If you do something wrong, you put both your life and your home in danger. This article will explain how you can find and hire the best electrical contractor in Ogden to help you out.

Make a List

Before you start flipping through the phone book to find electricians, you will need to do some stuff first. It's important that you understand what's going on in your home as much as you can before you call an electrician. Make a list of the problems that are going on your inside your home, and list them in order of their importance. This way, you will be able to provide the electrician with an organized way of taking care of your electrical problems. You will also be able to prioritize what you want to get fixed in case you are worried about budget and finances.

Do Your Research

Research is a crucial part of finding the right electrical contractor for the job. If you don't do enough research, it's likely that you will end up hiring someone that isn't right for the job. Start your research by asking for recommendations to different contractors from your close friends and family members. You will also be able to do a lot of your research online. Search for local electricians and when you look at the results, pay close attention to the ratings and reviews that others have left about them.

Making the Right Choice

In order to make the right choice about which electrical contractor in Ogden you need to hire, you will need to meet with several different contractors. These meetings can actually serve two different purposes for you. First, you will be able to get a better idea of how much the job will cost. Second, you will be able to see how each contractor treats you in order to make your decision about which one to hire.

Indoor Garden Idea

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I chanced upon this simple terrarium when I'm searching for some garden ideas online and I thought of sharing this here as I really find it very cute, elegant and simple to do.  This could also be a nice gift idea this coming holiday season especially if you have friends who are into gardening.  You know, just to get away with the usual routine of getting store brought items.  I think, this could also be a good addition to your dining table, center table in the living room or even at your bed side table.  When given as a gift, I think your family or friend would love the idea that it is unique and hand made.  It will make the gift more memorable, isn't it?

I couldn't wait to have this done and I'm really excited to get back home to do more of my DIY projects. :)

Staircase In Geometric Theme

                        Contemporary Staircase by Portland Interior Designers & Decorators 
                                             Jessica Helgerson Interior Design                                         

Since we have long planned of putting up a room on the second floor of our garage, I've always been on a look out for a unique staircase design.  One that's simple, but unique and easy to install even in a limited space.  I fell in love with this staircase in geometric theme. :)  

Wall patterns complements line in space and it enhances the interior's geometric theme.  I love the fact that it's white as it is really looking clean and neat.

Creating an Adjoining Bath in Your Bedroom

                         Eclectic Bathroom by Santa Cruz Media and Bloggers Shannon Malone

Photo by Houzz

I've found this great idea of incorporating a small bath room inside your bedroom. It is plain, simple and compact but served it's purpose.  This is a quick solution for those who wanted to have a bath room inside their own bedroom but is having a problem with space.

The choice of color for the tiles on the floor and on the wall was made in such a way that it will create a contrast on the overall appearance of the master bedroom. A perfect choice of a shower curtain  would also add up to the overall impact of the adjoining bath.

I hope I can make a similar one in the house. :)

Preparing for the Home Theater Installation

Entertainment is something that we all seek each day in one form or another. One way that many people like to relax and get some entertainment at home is through watching movies. A new trend has been to put in home theaters complete with a screen resembling the big screens you see in the movie theater.  Most home movie theaters are their own room with tiered levels to resemble the movie theater.  If this is something you have considered, you should call a company that does home theater installation in Northern Virginia and ask them questions to get a sense of how much it would cost and how hard it would be to do.

Why People Love the Home Theater

People love to watch movies and always have. However, some people may wonder why everyone is so infatuated with the home theater versus just watching on their big screen TV in the main TV room of the home. The concept behind a home movie theater is the ability to create an atmosphere that resembles the movie theater. It also allows people to entertain others by inviting them to come and watch a movie. It also becomes a place in the home for the family to escape.

How to Prepare for a Home Theater

If you are going to have a home theater in your home, you need to make some preparations. First off, you need to take the time to decide on a room to use. Most often, this is a room in the basement. It can either be a room that you change for the purpose of the theater, or you may choose to frame an entirely new room to make it what you want.  Either way, the first step in the preparation process is to determine where you are going to put the home theater. After you have decided that, you will want to make sure you have all of the technical aspects plumbed into the room, such as the cables for the projector, enough electrical outlets, and speaker wire. You can get more input from a company that does home theater installation in Northern Virginia.  They will help make sure you are ready for them to come in and install the home theater.

Unique and Elegant Front Door Designs

               Modern Exterior by San Diego Interior Designers & Decorators Kropat Interior Design

As what is normally expected in every house or I guess even in other commercial buildings, the main entrance always makes a statement.  This is the reason why home and building owners usually invest a great amount of money to make their main entrance a head turner.  If you are able to capture the attention of the by passers, chances are, you successfully create a positive first impression.    

One way of creating a positive first impression is to install a unique front door design.A door is considered as the most essential and functional part of our homes.  Stylish, elegant and attractive doors give a warm and cozy look to our homes. A beautiful and attractive front door displays a good image of the entire house. There are lots of materials used for front doors and as a home owner you have to choose the one that  offers a long lasting and low maintenance features.

Most front doors that I've seen from lots of homes that I've visited are made up of solid wood. A wooden door is usually the top choice of every home owner as it provides a warm, cozy and natural look to the house.  It is also believed to be a durable item, easy to install and provides an excellent security for the home.

Although, wooden door is usually the most common choice,  other door designs made of other materials such as steel, fiber glass and aluminum are also a great choice.

The following are some gorgeous front door designs.  Take your pick!

                        Contemporary Entry by Dallas General Contractors Classic Urban Homes

                           Contemporary Entry by Austin Photographers Kara Mosher

         Rustic Exterior by Laguna Beach Interior Designers & Decorators Michael Fullen Design Group

                        Contemporary Entry by Kelowna General Contractors Wilson & Company Ltd

                         
                         photos by : Houzz

Kitchen Remodeling Trends to Avoid

Kitchen remodeling in NJ can be a big undertaking. When you are making remodeling decisions for your kitchen, there are some trendy trends that you probably want to avoid so that your remodeled kitchen doesn’t go back out of style in a year or two. For example, right now white or arctic-colored appliances are very trendy for new kitchens. This popular trend, however, like other popular color choices for appliances (you remember teal refrigerators in the 1950s, right?), is already starting to peter out. For this reason, the classic stainless steal option is the safest option for maintaining a classic, timeless look for your kitchen appliances. Here are some more tips to keep your kitchen looking up to date.

Kitchen Storage

One very important role your kitchen has is that of storage. Because of all of the different kinds of appliances and equipment that you use in your kitchen, it is important to have good storage for your kitchen. First, small appliance storage can be tricky. In the past, many people had “appliance garages” in their kitchens for all of their small appliances, but people got annoyed with having to go to their garage everytime they needed an appliance that they used often. For this reason, a more convenient and less trendy decision may be to store the appliances you use the most on your counters and then store the rest of your small appliances in pull-out drawers. Also, for storing pots and pans, a popular trend starting in 2009 was to hang pots and pans from a pot rack, usually over the stove. Pot rack popularity is waning, however, and a more timeless option may be to store your pots and pans in deep drawers that can roll out. Even more helpful are roll-out drawers that have built in racks for keeping your pots and pans easily organized and accessible.

Kitchen Niches

Often you will find that homes have a desk area in the kitchen; in fact, 10 years ago, this style was all the rage. People have come to find, however, that the desks ends up acting as a very visible breading ground for junk and clutter. When making plans for kitchen remodeling in NJ, you may want to avoid the popular trend for kitchen niches and instead opt for a drawer where you can store your pens, paper, keys, and bills.

Roof Leaks

I've been hearing a lot of complaints from both my kids about the recent typhoon Maring which caused a lot of destruction and discomfort to most of the Filipino families.  Thanks God, our house did not get flooded at all but my son has been complaining about the water leaks from the roof of his bedroom and in our dirty kitchen.  The sad thing was that we had it repaired few times already but it seemed that the ones who checked on the roof were not able to rectify the problem.  We were affected this much when the house next to ours whose owner happens to be my eldest sister had started with the construction of the second floor of their old house.  What a mess!  However, we can't do much at this point but just to accept things and find solutions to our problems. It gives me a lot of stress sometimes.

Good thing that my kids were able to manage well and now that typhoon Maring has finally left, the next thing to do after the massive clean up is to find a reliable handyman who could fix the leak problems on some parts of our roof.  Meanwhile, my daughter has been very busy at school despite all these inconveniences brought about by typhoon Maring.  She got a bunch of video editing jobs that she needs to accomplish in time for their exams.  Everyone in the house is busy and even my daughter's hobby of playing her guitar was put aside.  I guess even a Pro Audio at musician's friend would not be enough to draw her attention from tons of her school projects.  Well that's life.  I myself is too busy with a lot of things.  Sometimes, my time management skills are being put into test and glad that I'm still coping up.

Anyway, month is nearly to end and let;s just hope for a better September.

Multifunctional Space

     Modern Living Room by Brooklyn Architects & Designers Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture

I've long been wanting to create a multifunctional space where I can have a work space connected with either the dining room or the living room.  But honestly, I'm having a hard time trying to figure out how to make the two complement with each other.  Maybe because I find it a little bit absurd having a work space in a little corner of your dining area or kitchen or even in the living room.  Not until I found this modern living room design which doubles as a working area in this beautiful apartment.  Everything complements well in this design from the color and the choice of furniture.  Everything is neatly arranged!

I think the cue is, if you have a small space, it would be a wise move to customize rather than to buy a ready made furniture from the local shops and try to fit everything in the room.  If we do this, chances are there would be some spaces wasted.  I have the same dilemma in my own bedroom.  I ordered all the furniture from a shop only to realize later that it's quite hard to make everything look nice and fit perfectly in a standard bedroom space.  Now, I wanted to customize but I have already bought those pieces of furniture and can't do much as I do not want to waste the money that I used in buying those stuff. 

The key is proper planning and being creative at the same time. 

Going About a Garage Door Repair

Your garage door is an essential part of your home if you have a garage. It is this device that not only allows for you and your possessions to enter and exit your garage, it is also the only thing that gives protection and security for this area. Your garage door can also help to insulate the rest of your home and it can even help to make your garage into a livable area. While your garage door is both strong and durable, it can still have problems and it is essential that it is properly maintained. Here is a quick look at how you can go about a local garage door repair in Lexington, NC.

 Inspection

Before you begin to repair your garage door, you should do a full inspection of this structure in order to find any potential problems or issues. The first thing that you will want to check is the rails that carry and hold the door. Make sure that there are no debris in the rails and that they are clean. You should also make sure that they are not broken and that there are no cracks or other signs of damage. Next, check your garage door opener and make sure that the chain or belt is not ripped or has signs of wear. Also make sure that the opener is properly plugged in and that the electrical cord has no signs of damage. The last thing that you will want to check is your safety sensors, making sure that they are clean and receiving power.

Repair

Once you have found the problem with your garage door, you can begin the repair process. If it is something simple, such as replacing a belt or some batteries, you will be able to do the repair on your own. For more serious issues, even if it may seem like you will be able to do the job, you should hire a local professional company that can do garage door repair in Lexington, NC. These companies have the skill and experience that allow them to safely fix any problem that you might have with your garage door. 

How to Defog Bathroom Mirrors

A long, hot shower can do the body good. It allows that bather to relax, think, and treat their achy muscles. However, a steamy shower may not be that great for the bathroom mirror. The water reaches a boiling point, causing the water to steam. The steam travels but has to remain in the closed room, so it condenses on the mirror from JPocker. Although there is no substantial damage to the mirror, the steam leaves a fog that is inconvenient to see through when you’re getting ready. Plus, the fog leaves water marks. For treating fogged-up mirrors, follow these tips.

Prevention

Apply preventative measures in your battle against bathroom steam to save yourself work in the long run. You can purchase an anti-fog solution, which is typically meant for automobile glass. Rain-X is one brand that comes recommended. Use a cotton cloth or paper towel to apply this solution. You shouldn’t see fog for the next few months.

Blow Dryer

If you don’t apply anti-fog products, you’ll have to combat the steam when it appears on your mirror. One of the most conventional ways to fight fog is through a blow dryer. Aim the dryer about half a foot from the mirror. Flip on the hottest setting at max power. The hot air will clear away the fog as you move the dryer around in circular motions. It helps to open the bathroom door as you attempt to remove the fog.

Other Methods

You can rely on simple household products to remove the fogged-up steam on your mirror surface. Shampoo or shaving cream can be poured on a towel and then wiped on the mirror. The fog will instantly disappear. However, if water makes its way to the mirror again, you’ll have to go through the same process again. Alternatively, you can spray the mirror with a homemade solution. Combine 3 cups of water with 3 tablespoons of liquid soap in a spray bottle before shaking its contents. Apply the solution to the mirror with sprays that span across the entire mirror. Wipe the mirror down with a dry rag to complete the process of defogging your JPocker mirror.

Purple Girl's Bedroom

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Are you in search for a girl's bedroom design that's not only pleasing to the eyes but comes with lots of storage solutions? Then this awesome purple girl's bedroom design might be the one you're looking for!

Love it's color and the simplicity of the design and furniture arrangement is just so perfect! This even fits a small room space. I personally like the under the bed storage and the open shelves on top.  Everything is within your reach. If you would notice, the furniture used is compact. It's concentrated on one area, so there will be more spaces available for other purposes like a study, play or a work area.  

Space Saving Bedroom

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If your bedroom has a limited space and organizing your personal stuff has always been a problem, then this bed area with attached storage spaces can be the answer to your problem. :)

In this design, you could notice that no space was wasted.  Lots of shelves and drawers to keep everything in one place.  I also love it's contrasting color!  Maybe because I'm a big fan of orange. :)  If you have 2 kids and there is a need for them to share a bedroom, perhaps this bed space design can give both of them some privacy.  It can be installed on both ends of the room and the central area of the room can be as a work space where study tables can be placed.  You may also want to add up a seating area in the middle which would served as a divider between the two bed spaces.

Awesome idea!