Archive for July, 2010

When re-caulking a bathtub or shower, be careful with acrylics and use a scraper or plastic spatula. Re-caulk a bathtub or shower by using a caulk gun with tips from a construction specialist in thisfree video on home repair and maintenance. Expert: Oscar Moreno Contact: www.morenohomevisions.com Bio: Oscar Moreno is the owner of Moreno Custom Home Visions in Austin, Texas. Filmmaker: Todd Green

Home insurance is available to those that own their house or flat. In general, home insurance covers the building that you live in, or part thereof, as well as your personal possessions, liability for damage done to people or their things inside of your home, and the costs incurred if you have to live somewhere other than your home for a time because it was destroyed.  Disasters not covered under home insurance include floods, earthquakes and personal neglect of the upkeep.  You will need to buy separate insurance to protect your home in the case that either of the first two occurs (floods or earthquakes).

The first part of your cover has to do with the dwelling itself.  When you buy a policy, you must consider from which disasters (fire, lightning, etc.) you want to be protected.  If you would like to change the list, you will need to discuss this with your agent.  And keep in mind that you need to buy enough insurance to be able to rebuild your home, if need be.  Often, other detached structures (garage, for example) can be included in your policy, for a small percentage of the total cost.

Your personal possessions are also covered in a home insurance policy from the disasters listed in your paperwork.  Usually, these items are covered for 50 to 70% of your total cover value.  For example, if you have taken out ?100,000 of insurance on your dwelling, you would have between ?50,000 and ?70,000 to cover your personal possessions.  To find out how much your possessions are worth, it is a good idea to take an inventory now.  Waiting until after the disaster will be much more difficult and stressful.  To do this, search for a program or outline on the Internet, fill it out, make copies, and keep a few in different locations.  Some policies include cover for your belongings wherever they may be in the world.  Speak to your agent if you’re interested in making an inventory, and they’ll provide you with the tools you need.

Liability is cover for damage that you or your family members, including some pets, may do to another person or his/her belongings.  Note that this isn’t true of your own family members or their belongings, however.  This part of the policy tends to cover medical expenses, excluding you and your family, in addition to court fees and replacement costs. An example of when liability insurance would be if someone were to slip on ice in front of your home and break his or her leg. Your liability insurance will cover the hospital bills and the court costs (in the case that legal action is taken).

The last area of cover under home insurance is that dealing with expenses incurred while your home is being rebuilt after damage caused from an insured disaster.  The expenses covered include hotel and restaurant bills for the time that you are forced to live somewhere other than your home.  The amount of this cover is company and policy specific, but hovers near 20% of the insured value of your home.  Again, if your home is insured for ?100,000, your expenses up to ?20,000 would be covered.

For those who are trying to decorate a home, but need to stick to a specific budget may want to learn how to approach the art of buying decorating accessories and items. You will want to think about setting your budget together before you end up buying things to decorate. You will find that there are some things that you will want to purchase to go cheap when it comes to decorating. You will want to keep a few ideas in mind and you will also want to sit down with some mail catalogs and other magazines to see if there is anything that interests you. You will want to make sure that you consider the budget with every purchase that you make.

When it comes to home decorating you will want to focus on the areas that people are going to see on a regular basis. You will want to make sure that you first take care of the entry-level rooms first, because most people do not go upstairs when just a guest. You will find that there are many ways that you will be able to decorate, even the smallest of spaces, however, you will want to keep the three basic decorating tips in mind.

First, you will need to keep in mind fabric. Fabric is a cheap and easy way for you to be able to make a dramatic effect in any room. You will be able to add a whimsical look to any room and it is very nice to add bunting fabric in the setting rooms and in the family rooms.

Secondly you will find that candles are cheap and easy to use in the decor of your home. It makes any home seem more like a family home and you will also find that there are tons of ways to use the candles. You can use candles to make a dramatic effect as well. You will be able to keep you home decorating simple with candles, but you will at least be able to give the home a clean, country look or rustic medieval look.

When it comes to mirrors you will be able to sue them to your advantage. You should be able to use the mirrors in a way that will allow you to play around with the size of a room. Mirrors tend to make small or narrow rooms seem so much bigger. You will want to keep in mind that these tricks are used in practically any home. You’ll love the fact that people see your room differently over a couple candles and a good-sized mirror. You will find that this is a great and cheap way of doing things.

Home is amongst the most important assets of one’s life that is preserved for lifetime. Home is also where comfort and relaxation is achieved. As such, interior decor is given high importance by almost everyone. So what small or big changes you need to introduce this year? Let’s know what the top interior decor trends of 2009 are!

Nature Connect: With everyone speaking about environmental protection and going organic, everything that is natural, eco-friendly or has connection with nature will take prime place. Linen and cotton textiles for home furnishings are top picks. However, eco-friendly fibers such as soy, hemp and especially bamboo will be there right in the front. Art works used for decorating will also reflect nature with paintings focusing on nature with trees, flowers, rural and natural landscapes.

Color Palette: Bright colors and metallics with low luster levels will prevail. Gold and silver will give way to platinum, rose gold and copper. Also, yellow ( zesty lemon, orange, and lime hues) will hold strong. Purple will continue to remain popular with a shift towards red shade. Paintings will be seen with bold uses of primary and other bright – reds, greens, yellows, blues and so on.

Patterns: Bold geometrics will dominate the interior decor scenario. However, symmetry will be maintained to bring balance everywhere. Florals will also be there. As far as art work is concerned, watercolor techniques and cheerful wildflowers are the prime focus. Flowers would be seen in 3-D bouquet like embellishments, sewn onto furnishings.

Recycled Decor: With economy taking back seat, people will focus on refreshing, redesigning and renewing instead of going all new- the same trend that was there throughout 2008.

The In-things: Here are some things that will be “in-things” for the year 2009. Venetian, etched or graphics printed mirrors; traditional prints in larger scales & bolder colors; marvelous serving pieces;
leather; Animal prints; Rustic touch; copper and bronze; Gray, charcoal, pewter having clear bright colors; Velvets, linens, cotton, silk and bamboo fabrics; green color in all shades; organic materials; natural fibers; preference to comfort; value; bigger table lamps, interesting shades and bases; etc.

Cutting crown molding involves using either a miter saw or a compound miter saw, orienting the piece properly and cutting at a 45-degree angle for a flush fit with the ceiling. Cut pieces of crown molding, leaving an eighth-inch allowance on each end, withadvice from a licensed remodeling contractor in this free video on home maintenance. Expert: Tim Gipson Contact: www.inhisstepsremodeling.com Bio: Tim Gipson is a home repair specialist and remodeling contractor in Franklin, Tenn. Filmmaker: Tim Brown

The premium you pay for home insurance is much lower when compared with other insurance plans

A new spin on gardening with our favorite flesh eating friends (ok maybe not so flesh hungry this time around) in a very well known gardening show with our back-yard guru, Rochelle. Let’s follow Rochelle as she gives us one of a kind tips on how to keep your gardens pest free!

Of all the styles of architecture and decorating around the world very few have taken the best of all the others and made it a little bit better in quite the way that the style often referred to as “French Creole” has managed to do. The truth is that while this style of architecture that New Orleans is famous for is really heavily borrowed from many other cultures and yet uniquely New Orleans at the same time.

Creole architecture for many brings to mind intricate wrought iron work, long shutters (to cover the windows during hurricanes originally), huge windows and doors (these were designed larger than typical homes in other parts of the country in order to create breezeways for the wind to come through in the sweltering hot summer months), and bright colors that you aren’t likely to find in most million dollar neighborhoods. This style of architecture and home décor is also famous for huge balconies-also with wrought iron railing.

The amazing thing about the Creole style of home decorating is that there is no one identifiable feature that labels a design style as decidedly Creole. Lagniappe is a term that people here quite often in and around New Orleans. For those who do not know, it means “a little something extra”. From an extra donut to a freebie bookmark and many things in between, that little something extra has a long history in New Orleans from the architecture to the music there always seems to be a little something extra that you couldn’t get anywhere else.

The interior design style of the Creole is also very similar. Some consider it gaudy but the locals consider it that little something extra and it is. You may find a little Gothic style, a little bit of Jazz, and a whole lot of Mardi Gras in one room and it s quite all right because you are getting all that and just a little bit of lagniappe too. Home decorating in Creole country is an art form that defies logic and yet makes perfect sense for the rich culture and heritage that it encompasses.

For those that need a little inspiration who would love to incorporate a little Cajun or Creole spice into their living spaces, perhaps the following suggestions will prove to be helpful.

1) Red peppers. Nothing says spice quite like a red pepper. There are all kinds of items you can find with red peppers in them these days from wallpaper borders to hand blown glass peppers, jar toppers, pot holders, kitchen towels, strings of lights for patios-even kitchen canisters decorated with red peppers. There are all kinds of options available to incorporate this theme into your home or one room of your home.

2) Music notes. Most people cannot think of Cajun country without thinking of the music that calls this great section of the country home. Music notes are a great way to symbolize the music that made New Orleans famous.

3) Mardi Gras Masks. Many people find that New Orleans symbolizes Mardi gras in their hearts and minds though New Orleans is not the birthplace of Mardi gras. The masks are a way that people from around the country can bring the ‘spirit of New Orleans’ home with them and decorate their homes with that attitude that can only be referred to as Creole in many hearts and minds.

4) Food. Believe it or not the food is as much a part of the Creole home as any other design element. For this reason a French Creole style kitchen is often the way to go when it comes to home decorating in the Creole fashion. The kitchen is the heart of a Cajun home and food is what makes it that heart. Use jars of beans, rice, pastas, and other lagniappe as part of the overall design and you might just be amazed at just how Creole the room begins to look.

FRENCH QUARTER CONFIDENTIAL! Meet madcap author TJ Fisher! See Vieux Carré Chic style! Peer past tall brick walls and lush gardens. Look beyond iron-lace gates. Come inside! TJ’s Bourbon Street home! Exposed. Up close and personal. Sneak peek at what inquiring minds and interior design pirates want to know. Take in rare interior design ideas! (Original unedited footage, a reality show in the making.) VIEUX CARRÉ CONFIDENTIAL! Retro-style clip. Prepare to laugh! Be entertained! Witness tasty tidbits and true confessions, of a style maven, with humor. Glimpse TJ’s private and eccentric real world. Idiosyncratic. Campy. Unconventional. Eclectic. Curious. Sumptuous. This is the Bayou. Deep South. Crescent City. Big Easy. (Who Dat Nation). A place of offbeat attitudes and theatrical lifestyles, steeped in eccentricity and history. For hundreds of years the French Quarter — a city of magical thinking — has lured the romantic and adventurous. Caught on camera, observe Swamp Empress and Sandcastle Queen TJ in action. A comedic and clever take on how to! Do! Knockout voodoo gumbo décor, with personality! TJ’s signature trademark flair includes Carnival character, Mardi Gras kitsch, Big Easy collectibles — art, antiques, trinkets and treasures. Flamboyant…colorful…eccentric…! Amusing…bodacious…anti-white…! Outrageous…anti-minimalist…! Controlled chaos…grit-glamour…! French Quarter style…with Palm Beach pizzazz…! Eyeball snippets of the irrepressible Belle of …

Another All-time great for pop television, The Man’s Kitchen. A guy’s gally. I am man. Hear me roast! *simian grunting*. Copyright 2006 Futuramklax Inc.

For some people the response to the question about how to find the best home insurance company is likely to be one of sarcasm, one that borders on telling you how easy it is to just pick a home insurance company, pay your money, and you have home insurance. That is the gist of it in the end, but the question is how to find the best home insurance company, not just how to find a home insurance company. Anyone can look in the telephone directory and find a home insurance company close to where they live, but that doesn’t mean you will make the best choice.

Choosing a home insurance company is not as easy as simply picking a home insurance provider and going with it. You need to make sure the home insurance company you choose has a competitive pricing structure, is reliable, and most of all, can offer you the package you need. The home insurance company you choose needs to be able to provide everything you need that is within the scope of their product line. What that means is you can’t expect them to provide home insurance for something they don’t ordinarily cover. For instance if you are looking at a package within your budget that requires a $500 deductible, you can’t insist on a $250 deductible for the same price.

You need to give a great deal of thought to a home insurance company before you make a final decision. Don’t choose someone from out of a hat so to speak but take the time to research, speak to others who have used the same home insurance company and make a final decision based upon the information you have before you. AHS has a reputation to uphold and can provide home insurance to meet your needs at a price that is fair and falls within your budget.

For any individual who has a strong interest in horticulture and who has their very own plants to cultivate, obtaining a greenhouse may be among the best things these people ever do. Home greenhouses are used to house plants of all sorts and will make taking care of the plant life easier. You can find more advantages of home garden greenhouses than most people are aware of. Of course the main advantage of the garden greenhouse is the fact that by it you’ll be able to command the living ecosystem of your plant life.

Among the best and most crucial highlights of the home garden greenhouses is that it is possible to manage the temperatures. You also get to decide how often you want the plant life to be watered, rather than relying on Mother Nature. The idea depends on the sort of climate you live in too, for instance many people in Canada are in reality only capable of garden for three to four month time periods before it will get way too cold. That is much more of an problem seeing that we are experiencing these dramatic weather shifts.

There is also the fact that you continually realize your veggie crops are secure and healthful. If you’re planting tomatoes, peas or various other plant life within your greenhouse you get to decide precisely what is being put on them whilst they are maturing. In case you would prefer to follow organic fertilizers and also other products, you can and not have to worry that your neighbor by accident dispersed chemical substances onto your plant life when you weren’t looking. With a garden greenhouse you can drastically increase the growing seasons.

You can start planting earlier in the year and keep the vegetation growing just about all year long if you need to. Despite the fact that you live somewhere which has a much cooler environment you still do not need to be troubled since greenhouses are temperature controlled. They also allow for an excellent showcase when you want to bring relatives and buddies over and let them see how nicely your plants are doing. You’ll be able to present them however you would like and every time you enter the garden greenhouse you are able to grin and feel like it’s early spring time all over again.

It is easy to understand the numerous rewards that originate from using a greenhouse and you can even make one as opposed to buying one pre made, for anybody who is so inclined. Careful organizing ought to be taken in the event that you do plan to take on a Build-it-yourself garden greenhouse building task. When you’ve got people there to help you out, building your own personal greenhouse is undoubtedly a workable choice. It will be well worth the effort, especially since if you build a garden greenhouse by hand you are able to customize it to your liking.

• Size 20″tall x 40″wide
• Applies to smooth surfaces like walls, glass, tile etc
• Great for home, office,wedding, anniversary, or neighbor gifts
• Easy to apply with included instructions
• High end decorating on a budget

Product Description
**Please Note*** This is an original from WALL SAYINGS VINYL LETTERING. If you are not purchasing from WALL SAYINGS VINYL LETTERING then you are purchasing a knock off and we cannot guarantee the quality or accuracy of the product.

“A circle of strength and love Our Family founded on faith joined in love kept by God together forever” vinyl lettering comes in Matte Black vinyl and measures approx. 20″ tall and 40″ wide. This wall saying comes pre-spaced on application tape with instructions to make installation quick and easy. Wall lettering is a quick way to upgrade any room in your home or office…. More >>

A circle of strength Our Family Founded On Faith joined in love kept by God vinyl wall sayings lettering

5 Top Decorating Mistakes from Decorator Ann Marie Stonecypher AMS Interior Decor & Your Better Style .com (from Bridge Street LIVE with Rick and Julie 2005)

The Taylors vacation at a Lake Michigan resort… while Tim tries to give more power to the BBQ concept, Randy meets with Lauren and Brad breaks up with Angela. Mark’s changing, but is it for the better? Tim is seriously considering quitting Tool Time and moving permanently to this country resort.

If drivers who have taken a drivers education or safety course have fewer accidents, an insurer may discount that. Likewise, some cars are cheaper to repair, or do not get involved in high claims accidents. Those vehicles will cost less to insure. Insurance companies try to use their past…

Growing vegetables in your garden can save you money. During harvest time, your own produce becomes part of your meals. Home gardeners feel deep satisfaction in preparing salad or seasoning the casserole with freshly picked plants from their own vegetable gardens. Their feeling of the taste is incomparable. Fresh surplus are distributed to friends and love ones while some are keep frozen.

It doesn’t require much space to grow vegetables. Even a container pot or a window box will do the trick. Where space is limited, you can grow a mini-garden indoor or outdoor. If you have a good sun, access to water and enough containers, growing a garden’s worth of fruits and vegetables in a limited space is a no-brainer. You can even harvest more than one crop if your choice of plants and planting schemes are all well planned and executed. Windowsills, balconies and doorstep areas can be used, as well as empty packs of milks, pails, plastic buckets and cans.

When planting in containers, proper spacing is very important. One sturdy plant is better than several weak ones. Crowding chokes root systems will slow growth and poor production. With container vegetable garden, you no longer need to worry about poor soil types and bad drainage, or heavy-duty tiller to break up hard clay and rocks. There is no weeding to worry about and you can change the looks of your container placements by simply moving them around anytime to a place you wanted to.

Vegetable gardening offers a change from the monotony of the supermarket. You can grow variety of vegetables that you want. When choosing plants for your vegetable container garden, consider container worthy crops such as beans, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants and radish. Other root crops such onions and turnips can also do well in containers, but remember to always take care of these crops by ample fertilizers and water. Also consider grapes and berries. Though some take a while to get established, they bear fruits more each year. Planting for fall crops can be started in early summer, though summer planting can still be done in June in most regions.

One great advantage of growing vegetables and spices in containers involves the advent of the upside-down gardening. Crops with the likes of tomatoes, basil, parsley, rosemary and peppers do well with this approach. The ideas is that the vines will cascade downward instead of growing up a stake. A grow box can be treated by punching perforations through the bottom of a container. The other option is to purchase a device specially designed for this purpose. Upside gardens do not require a great deal of space and is perfect for balconies and patios.

Equally important, seeds and soil must properly be taken cared of in your vegetable container garden. Seeds do not always have to be bought. Reasonably fresh dill, anise, fennel, coriander and other seeds already on the spice rack should grow. If not, they are too old to add much to food anyway and should be replaced. Scoop out seeds from vegetables you’ve bought, dry them a week or so before planting.

Soil preparation on the other hand is very crucial for good results. Have the soil tested. Every state has a land-grant college that will test soil for a small fee. It will give abundant basic gardening advice, and garden resources tips. Start growing those veggies in your garden and turn your home made meals into something truly special. Take care of your plants to make them productive by keeping them watered and harvested.

What could be more fun when you think about it than incorporating the age-old story of cowboys and Indians into your home décor? For those who love a great story and have a wild sense of adventure this could be an incredibly fabulous design theme for your next home decorating project. This is a great way to bring the rustic charm of the old west into the modern world of today’s busy lifestyles.

Immediately visions of the hacienda with knotty pine and leather upholstered furniture comes to mind. Massive fireplaces and antlers everywhere are also first and foremost in my mind when this design idea pops into my head. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination and only limited by your budget in all honesty. This is a look that could be pulled off however on almost any budget for those that are willing to make a few thrift store purchases along the way while investing a fair amount of elbow grease.

One thing you want to be careful of with this particular theme is not taking it too far. This could be so easy to do and it will only subtract from the charm and appeal if you do so. Choose the accessories carefully but implement them minimally. This should also help with potential budget restrictions as well as keep you on track for finding the perfect accessories rather than picking up everything you see only to find later that many simply will not work with the style and design you are hoping to achieve in the long run.

Wood floors and wood paneled walls are a great statement for this sort of décor as well as stone for a fireplace (if there is a fireplace of courses). You want solid furniture rather than something that appear fragile or dainty and you definitely want to keep the room masculine in appearance if at all possible. Home decorating in the style of the old west isn’t for bachelors alone but too much of a feminine touch will simply kill the appeal all together. In fact, the less feminine touches the better save these touches for a romantic bedroom or bathroom rather than the primary areas that friends and family will visit.

You will also want to take great pains to imitate the rustic nature of the old west within the kitchen. No delicate china patterns or tables with legs that look like that might fall off with a hard wind. This is a ‘mans’ style of decorating and it needs to look as though it will withstand any punishment a man can dish out in order to maintain the fun and light appeal of the remainder of the home. You can find modern sinks, fixtures, and hardware that are designed to resemble those of the old west and beyond if you look in the right places.

For those who are looking for something a little out of the ordinary this is one style of decorating that definitely fits the bill. See what wonderful schemes and dreams you can come up with and what sort of tall tale will go along with your old west design story then create the story within the walls of your home. There is no better way to go about home decorating than this.

Article Source : http://blogatme.com/2008/09/11/bringing-the-old-west-to-modern-home-decorating/

If you sit down and think about how you lived a couple of years back, you will be surprised to note the changes that have taken place in your lifestyle over the past few years. Your kids have grown a few inches taller or have entered their teens. You have probably thickened a wee bit in the waist and the hip area. You have newer gadgets around the house, etc. Not looking back, but focusing ahead, you get an overwhelming feeling that you need to redesign and redecorate the house to compliment your changed life style. The thought of redecorating your house itself is scary, and you wonder how disrupted your already hectic life will be. But there is no alternative.

The next important and difficult question you are confronted with is, which is the right decorating scheme? Interior decorating is not about making the rooms look pretty, but it is all about functionality suiting your life style. It is also a form of self-expression. Every room in your home poses a challenge in determining the decorating style. Interior design magazines can help you solve this dilemma.

There is any number of interior design magazines available in the bookstores or even newsstand making it difficult to choose the right one. Home Depot, Design Expo, Target, and Wal-Mart amongst many others have stacks of magazines dedicated to home decoration. These magazines offer a lot of original ideas and are relatively inexpensive. Magazine editors are a careful lot and include designs to appeal to both the younger and not so younger audience looking to decorate their homes economically.

These are monthly periodicals and have the latest trends and upgrades in kitchen ideas, gadgets, appliances and furniture. The cover of the magazine usually indicates its target audience. Younger people prefer the more contemporary design and it will be seen on the cover. Whereas the not so younger will prefer the country or the Victorian style. These magazines will give you ideas to suit your taste. These magazines will help you in finalizing the color scheme to create the right mood such as vibrant, cozy or mellow. Magazines also help in preparing an overall master plan and individual room plans according to the inhabitants.

The most important thing that these magazine do is help you in finalizing your budget. There are many magazines devoted to the latest shabby chic trend, which is based on aesthetics, functionality and beauty. If you are looking to give your home an antique look, there are magazines specifically for this too.

These magazines are well written and have ideas to suit the individual’s style and budget. Anyone desirous of changing their style or wanting to learn about different styles and trends should just look around the racks and buy a few interior decorating magazines to spruce up your home. You will surely end up with a dozen of inspiring ideas.