Design Elements
November 30, 2006
A well-decorated room can still lack personality. To give your room a personality, choose from among these basic design elements, modify them to suit your tastes and implement them in a way which is just right for you.
1. A Theme - A ‘themed’ room says something about you, the person who has done it, your family or the place where you live. A theme will also provide you a place to showcase your collections, prized possessions, arts and crafts.
There are endless possibilities for using themes, but once you decide upon one, it will give you focus, as it will eliminate many things which don’t fit into it. This results in great ease in shopping, planning, implementing etc. Some best decorated rooms have had themes like Water, Nature, Eighteenth Century England, Contemporary, Ethnic, Pastels etc.
2. Artifacts - A piece of artistic value will always give your room that special touch you have always wanted. It can add texture and depth to a room. Depending upon your theme, the artifact may be an an antique chair, a painted bookshelf, an original painting or even an original watercolor by your local artist.
Where To Find The Best Rates For Your Mortgage?
November 30, 2006
As with all of my articles this will be based on a scenario in my home town. (Which may be similar to yours).
Loans and mortgages can be a tricky business, not to mention a costly business if you are unsure where to go and seek out help. The fact is that most local bankers and lenders will look over your present situation checking items such as your past payment history, your overall credit rating and most importantly your present income. Either yours or yours and your partners. This will in turn pretty much get you 2 or 3 options at best. So you shop around and you get the same offers almost eveywhere you go.
There is another way to help you find the best rate.
With technology advancing and with mortgages being such big business due to the lifespan of how long you will be paying the lender, your options are not nearly as limited as you may or may not be lead to believe. I was doing a seminar a few weeks ago with a room of about 20 people who were all looking at cost effective ways to get into a home and how to make sure they were getting the best option for their money. Now this is very important for several reasons :
The Rich History of Wild Roses
November 30, 2006
Wild roses, of the genus Rosa, are those naturally occurring natives found in Northern Hemispheres around the globe. Wild Roses can be found in forests, canyons, logged wastelands and thickets. They have continued to grow throughout the course of history and across a range of different terrains. Most modern day roses we know are mixed offspring of these wild roses.
Wild roses have had a rich history. They played roles in Greek and Roman culture, symbolizing themes such as love and allegiance. Later they became sought after for cosmetic, medicinal and religious purposes as well. However, with the beginnings of large-scale worldwide trade, rose horticulture and hybridization took root. This forever changed the wild rose landscape from a relatively small number of wild roses across the planet’s surface to today’s world with thousands-upon-thousands of rose varieties.
There are plenty of advantages to cultivating wild roses in modern-day rose gardens. Wild roses are strong, disease resistant plants, which can be grown in almost any less-than-ideal location. They are not dependent on regular fertilization and can tolerate some drought. Requiring essentially no care, wild roses are able to spread on their own, can handle being crowded and withstand transplanting at almost any time of year.
Using Colors in Your Room
November 30, 2006
Colors play an important part in your Home Decor process. Colors are what give life and personality to your room.
Here are some quickies to keep in mind when deciding over colors.
1. If you are using many colors in one single room, make sure you use a color at least three times in the same room. You could use shades and tints of that color. For eg. your curtains, pillows and tablecloth can be of the same color. This gives a look of harmony and help avoid the ‘too much’ and ‘confused’ look.
2. For filling space, use warm colors like reds, yellows and oranges. They tend to grab the eye and fill the space and are soothing and warm.
3. For giving an illusion of more and open space, use cool colors like blues, greens and violets.
4. For a serene and comforting look, use pale pinks. The closer pink gets to red, the more energetic it becomes.
5. Use vertical stripes on walls and curtains for an illusion of height.
6. Light colored walls and ceilings make the room look larger and more spacious.
Operation Closet
November 29, 2006
When the wife comes to you one fine day and says, "dear, I think we need a new closet for the bedroom", the heart surges in joy. Immediate thoughts of grabbing the coat and rushing off on a mission to the nearest DIY center enters the mind before realization dawns that first must come a shower and then work. Thursday today, Saturday would be best! A whole day of fun and joy to look forwards to! "Yes dear", you say casually, "I will get the car out on Saturday and look for something nice".
What a shame it was not Saturday when she had told you this. That would have meant immediate action. But this way you have two whole days to plan and work on OPERATION CLOSET. Two days to think about where to search for the perfect piece in all of the hundreds of shops surrounding your town. Two whole days to dream about buying this closet, taking it back home and assembling it and afterwards proudly displaying the finished product to a proud and satisfied Wife.
Unique Tin Can Candle Holders
November 29, 2006
Ah yes the good old Tin Can. The tin can has been around for years, providing many different projects to be made from tin cans. They are one of the most versatile mediums for crafts, besides wood and foam. Best part about them, they are cheap. Tin cans can be used to make all kinds of candle holders, providing a unique touch to your home or garden. In this article, we will share some ideas on how to make interesting and unique candle holders out of tin cans.
There are two primary size tin cans, soup cans and coffee cans. Both offer a wide variety of different craft ideas. Tin cans can be cut, punched, painted, weathered and modified in multiple ways. They can be set on top of a table or hung out in the garden.
Let’s start with the basics. Most people will decide to punch holes into the can, which is the easiest. However you can use any type of cutting tools. A drill is handy, but even better is a Dremel tool. But for those who will be using a hammer or even a drill, let’s start there. Before you start anything, fill the can with water and freeze it. This will allow you to punch holes easier, with out bending the can.
To Refinance or not to Refinance — Here is the Answer
November 29, 2006
I have written many articles on refinancing a fixed rate mortgage to an adjustable rate mortgage. I have helped people cut as much as $800 off their monthly payments by turning their high fixed rate mortgage loan into a much lower ARM. This may be the time, however, to put the strategy in reverse, especially if your adjustable rate mortgage is coming up on the adjustment period.
If you have an adjustable rate mortgage in the four to five percent range, and it is about to adjust, and if you think you’ll be in the home for more than five additional years, you’ll want to strongly consider refinancing your adjustable rate mortgage to a fixed rate mortgage. Here’s why.
Rates continue to remain very low. Fixed rate mortgages in the five to six percent range are very good loans. So, if you have an ARM at five percent, and it could possibly balloon to six or seven percent, now is the time to fix that rate at between five and six percent. Remember, if you intend to remain in your current residence for more than five years, fixing that rate is a very wise move.
So Youve Decided to Finish Your Basement!
November 29, 2006
When a family decides to finish a basement space, there are so many factors to consider it can seem overwhelming. What does your family want to achieve within the new basement? Are you looking for a play area, a family room, a work-out room, home theatre, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, wet bar, etc? Do you have the square footage required to accomplish what you want? How do you get started and how long will it take? How much will it cost and is it worth the money? What if there is a huge beam in the center of you basement? Do you have to have a building permit? Do you have to remove the items you currently have stored in your basement?
If these questions make your head swim, try this approach: look for the right team of design/build consultants to navigate you through these waters.
Consider A Private Kauai Vacation Rental For Your Next Getaway
November 28, 2006
There are many wonderful resorts with tons of activity in the Hawaiian Islands. However, have you ever considered staying in a vacation rental home or condo? You can experience much of what the resorts offer while enjoying the comforts of home in a private Kauai vacation rental. The island of Kauai still has many secluded areas and beaches, and a private vacation rental can give you access to it all while also giving you an unequally level of privacy.
Kauai, Hawaii has a lot to offer for all ages - golfing, fishing, shopping, dinner cruises, fine dining, luau’s, hiking or camping in tropical rainforest, swimming in the ocean or under breathtaking waterfalls, scuba diving, snorkeling, surfing, windsurfing, helicopter tours, hang gliding, paragliding and more… About 10 percent of Kauai is accessible by road. That’s great news if you enjoy hiking because it means there’s a lot of island out there waiting to be explored on foot. It also means that are lots of opportunities to stay in a secluded Kauai vacation rental, such as a personal home, condo, or villa.
Relax and enjoy Maui’s beautiful sunsets or go to a luau on the beach. Kauai has a number of world renowned beaches, such as Princeville, Kappa, and Poipu Beach.
February in the Garden
November 28, 2006
Often in February there is a surprisingly warm day. Everybody sheds their coats and puts a bounce in their step. The next day they hear a snow plow at 4 AM. But the brief warmup gets you thinking "what is there to do in the landscape?"
Here are a few late winter ideas.
Check out your garden tools, patio furniture, window boxes etc. Paint, repair or discard so you are ready to go when it’s really nice out!
It’s a good time to propagate some house plants. Abundant sunshine is on its way!
Order Seeds! Hey that’s always fun. Try something new this year!
Prune decidous trees that need it. Remove dead or problem branches, crossing branches and basal sprouts. Make sure you know the proper way to do a pruning cut and get an arborist for the big jobs for safety and future health of the tree. The ISA consumer site has great advice here. http://www.treesaregood.com/
Try forcing the bloom on some early spring flowering branches. Forsythia is a common choice for this; but pussy willow, quince, spirea, and dogwood can be forced forced to bloom also. It’s easy and gets you out in the garden for few minutes! Gather your branches and when arranging them make slanted cuts to help with water absorption. Put them in a vase and keep the water fresh, changing it a couple times a week.
