Chandeliers…Oh So Lovely!
There’s just something about a gorgeous chandelier….

Black coral chandelier by Marjorie Skouras Design

Red coral chandelier by Marjorie Skouras Design

Turquoise empire chandelier by Marjorie Skouras Design, $6,900.00

Porcelain chandelier from Atelier Abigail Ahern, $17,285

Porcelain rod chandelier from Atelier Abigail Ahern, $1,728

Neo Baroque Chandelier from Atelier Abigail Ahern, $3,600

Now certainly, most of us could never afford to spend $17,000 on one chandelier…or even $2000…but I’m certain that I could use some of these as a jumping off point for a very reasonably-priced DIY project that would have tremendous impact in any room.

Hmmmm…I feel some DIY projects coming on.

So now I’m curious…keeping in mind that a chandelier can make or break the look of your room, just how much is too much to spend on a piece that acts as both functional lighting as well as a gorgeous sculptural element in your room?

Visit the original post at: Blog–Addicted 2 Decorating

DIY Lighting: Vintage World Globe Pendant Light
On Monday, I shared several items that are now located in my little shop, Vintage Chic, including this Vintage World Globe Pendant Light:

I’ve just completed the DIY instruction guide for this light, and you can view them here. I absolutely love DIY projects, and I especially like ones that are this easy. Give it a try!

Happy decorating!

Visit the original post at: Blog–Addicted 2 Decorating

Casa De Los Colores
Intimidated by color in your home? Get an eyeful of this vibrant dwelling, where not an inch is untouched by some brilliant hue or another. Using bright colors in interiors can be a scary prospect, but brave souls like Anado McLauchlin and Richard Schultz prove that letting loose your color demon can be one heck of a way to decorate.

McLauchlin, an assemblage artist who makes furniture, decorative objects and jewelry, says of the color palette: When you have rules like only beige or oatmeal, you’re limited to that palette. When you use all the different colors, there are no rules, there is no editor. It’s very freeing.

That it certainly appears to be.

On his website, where you can see his work, Mclauchlin says: Located in the indigenous village of La Cieneguita, 6 km. north of San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico in the valley of the Rio Laja, Casa las Ranas is an ongoing artistic compound in the making.

In September 2001 we purchased a run down and abandoned 2.5 acre property behind a 200 year old Mexican church. The house had not been lived in for three years and had become the home for whatever could come under the space of the doors or through the broken windows. When we walked in the door and saw all the damage and disrepair we agreed that this was the place we could enliven.

Read more about this eye-popping residence here.

Juicy, don’t you think?

Until next time!

Azra
Visit the original post at: Blog–Addicted 2 Decorating

Design Indaba 09 : Day 2
While the talks I saw on day 1 of the Design Indaba were all engaging with the ethics of design in the real world, the talks I saw on Thursday were all situated right on the needlesharp tip of the high end, where fantasy, imagination, excellence and large budgets meet.

The people I heard speak are so ridiculously famous that it would be silly of me to do a rundown of their work here. However, each one impressed me with one or other thing, possibly worth relating here:

Barber Osgerby - Excellence in process and product
First, I caught the tail end of design duo Barber Osgerby speaking. They were describing the incredibly process-intensive process of making a prototype of this table, involving milling and anodizing hundreds of individual aluminium units that eventually bolt together, partially using magnets. It really was amazing to hear designers talking about the nitty gritty of the process, illustrating how much very hard, hard work goes into realising a high-end product such as this.

Patricia Urquiola - Where flamboyance and simplicity meet
It’s something that also arose in Patricia Urquiola’s incredibly jam-packed talk, delivered with breathtaking speed and charm: these high-end products often are years in production. The impression, especially with someone as prolific as Urquiola, could be that her designs are churned out, while in fact there’s an extensive behind-the-scenes process that takes a lot of time, passion and hard work.

Talking of passion, I liked the way Urquiola paused in her breakneck delivery to tell us how this or that piece carried a lot of emotion for her. And talking of emotion, I’m passionately in love with her Flo Easy Chair (above) and the Tropicalia chair (below).

Ferran Adria - Rigour and honesty
Another Spaniard was up after this - the very charismatic Ferran Adria - the genius behind ElBulli. His committment to exploration in his innovation in a design field as ephemeral as food is quite astonishing, particularly for a non-foodie like me. I couldn’t help feeling some sympathy for whoever the Design Indaba had appointed to find lunch for Ferran Adria. What a frightening job description!

Black sesame sponge cake with miso (image from Chubby Hubby)

Marcel Wanders - Fabulous and fun
Lastl up was Marcel Wanders, who says “fabulous” and “fun” a lot. He’s clearly a flamboyant and playful personality, and this comes across in his work. There’s a sense that, perched as he is on the tip top of the high end, he feels the freedom to do pretty much whatever he likes. And sometimes he does just that, as with his Airborne Snotty vase series, based on high tech analysis of the flying droplets of a sneeze.

But also, he uses his freedom to makes sublimely lovely and rare things, like the Fishnet Chair, only available in a limited edition of 20.

So that’s my impressions of the high end so far at the Design Indaba this year. I’ll be back again with Expo news soon.
Visit the original post at: Elle Decoration SA

A Romantic and Gorgeous New Orleans Home

When I saw this photo, I totally fell in love! It’s so romantic
and simply beautiful. It’s the sort of dining room I would love
for myself. The rest of the house certainly did not disappoint.
House Beautiful showcased this home from New Orleans.

The designer used beautiful shades of purple
and aquamarine for the home. Isn’t this such
a gorgeous hallway? Very romantic and totally
Luxe with the pooling draperies and Venetian
style mirror.

The living area certainly does not disappoint
with a gorgeous chandelier and traditional
wing chairs.

I never thought to pair a mauve-like lilac color
with aquamarine. It looks absolutely wonderful.

What a gorgeous writing desk in the living area.

Original elements from the house including
this fireplace mantel were preserved and
lend a lot of character and history to the
home.

Teal? Turquoise? Aqua? Whatever shade you want to call it,
it’s lovely. A brilliant way to make a monochromatic room.

A unique look from the mirror
at the same bedroom.

All the furniture pieces in this room
seem to be turquoise as well.

The designer left the original wallpaper up
to give the kitchen some character. It definitely
does that!

The chairs in the dining room are brilliant.
Each one of them are a different image.

I hope this home has brought you inspiration
as it has to me. I never realized how much I
love romantic rooms until more recently.

Visit the original post at: Alkemie

Small is the new big at Cottage Square

It’s been about a year and a half since I first blogged about Cottage Square in Ocean Springs, MS [A Top Ten Cottage Community Rises from the Wreckage]. The following videos provide a video log of the progress that has been made on this special community. It’s obvious this solution has broader application now than just post-hurricane housing relief given the aftermath of the economic storm of last year. Zoning is already in place that would allow for a Cottage Square in the metro Atlanta area. Plans to move forward on the project were temporarily stalled when the market cratered. My goal is to resurrect this initiative in 2009.

Visit the original post at: Journal

The Dangers of Pesticides and the EPAs Harrowing Plan to Test Them on Kids
Pesticides are a ubiquitous toxin in our environment. We spray them liberally on ants and spiders in our homes, use them in our gardens and on our lawns, fog our streets with them to kill mosquitoes-even spread them on our own bodies to keep bugs away.

Farmers use 1.5 billion pounds of pesticides every year-and most have been found by the EPA to be carcinogenic.

But that’’s not all. American farmers use 1.5 billion pounds of pesticides each year-that’’s 1.5 billion pounds of pesticides sprayed onto the food that we, and our children, eat. And it’’s not just fruits and vegetables; meats contain pesticides too because the animals eat feed that has been heavily sprayed.

Plus, pesticides are used in many consumer products, including paints, cosmetics, food packaging, fabrics, carpets and exercise mats. And they”re used extensively in parks and other recreational areas-golf courses are some of the biggest offenders; in one year they use seven or eight times the pesticides used on a comparable sized area of agricultural land.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has registered close to 900 pesticides, which are formulated into over 20,000 products, according to the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides.

Some 60 percent of herbicides, 90 percent of fungicides and 30 percent of insecticides are known to be carcinogenic, says the EPA, and these pesticides contaminate our groundwater, our air and the very food we eat.

What Are the Health Effects of All These Pesticides?

Animal and human studies on individual pesticides have shown that they contribute to an alarming number of health problems like:

* Cancer

* Fertility problems

* Brain tumors

* Childhood leukemia

* Non-Hodgkin’’s lymphoma

* Birth defects

* Irritation to skin and eyes

* Hormone or endocrine system problems

* Nervous system damage

Children are especially at risk from the toxic effects of pesticides. Their bodies are still developing and immature, making them susceptible to such damage. In fact, studies by the National Academy of Sciences and the Environmental Working Group have found that children exposed to carcinogenic pesticides are at a high risk of future cancer and other studies determined that pesticide use was associated with an increased risk of childhood malignancies.

Knowing this information, think, then, just how outrageous it is that we shampoo our children with pesticides to kill head lice.

But all of these negative effects have been found largely from studies that typically focus on one individual pesticide. Who, then, is studying the cumulative effects on the body of all the various pesticides we”re exposed to, and that we consume, over years?

The EPA’’s Testing Pesticides on Kids?

That kids are so vulnerable to pesticide exposure is precisely why the EPA chose them to study, and back in October 2004, they were given $2.1 million to do just that. Who were the granters of this large sum? The American Chemistry Council, a chemical industry front group with such big wigs as Monsanto, Exxon and Dow.

The two-year study-called the Children’’s Environmental Exposure Research Study (CHEERS)-would monitor infants in low-income families to determine how chemicals can be ingested, inhaled or absorbed by babies to children up to age 3, as well as the health effects they would cause.

Families in the EPA’’s CHEERS pesticide study would receive a t-shirt, video camcorder, bib, calendar, framed certificate, newsletter and $970.

Surprisingly, the EPA chose to name the entirely serious study a flippant “CHEERS.” Study participants would receive $970, a t-shirt, a bib for their baby, a calendar, a newsletter, a framed certificate of appreciation and a video camcorder.

While the study does not require participants to change the level of pesticides in their home, nor does it expose them to any additional chemicals, it does require that they demonstrate a use of these toxic products in their home. Opponents are concerned that low-income families will up their pesticides use just to be involved in the study.

They also noted that since the study is partially industry-funded, it represents a conflict of interest. Most effects of pesticides are seen in the long-term, so it is unlikely that adverse effects will be seen during the short-term study. The result would be that the chemical industry could then claim an EPA study found their pesticides safe and push for looser regulations for their use.

Said EPA Pesticide Scientist Troy Pierce, “This does sound like it goes against everything we recommend at EPA concerning use of [pesticides] related to children. Paying families in Florida to have their homes routinely treated with pesticides is very sad when we at EPA know that [pesticide management] should always be used to protect children.”

In November 2004 the study was postponed, largely because of the public controversy that arose around it, for a “final review” but is scheduled to resume in spring 2005.

It is certainly a step in the right direction that the EPA is taking strides to study the effects of pesticides that we”re all exposed to. However, their proposed “compensation” for participating in this very serious study includes some gimmicky items: a free t-shirt, bib and calendar? And it even has a gimmicky name (CHEERS?), which may explain why the public was so alarmed when it appeared an industry-funded study was seeking to draw in low-income families to monitor their use of chemicals that the government already knows are toxic.

What’’s the Good News?

There is good news in all of this, and that is: It is possible to reduce your exposure to pesticides (though, admittedly, you probably can”t reduce it to zero). The top ways to do this include:

*

Buy certified organic fruits, vegetables and meats (be sure to wash produce, particularly commercially grown produce, thoroughly before eating using a diluted soap solution)

*

Avoid the use of toxic pesticides in your home and yard (opt for natural pesticides that you can find in your local health food store instead)

*

Don”t use pesticides for aesthetic purposes like dandelions in your lawn

* Don”t use chemical bug repellants or lice shampoos

From the FREE SixWise.com e-newsletter, the Web’’s #1 most read newsletter with original articles in all 6 areas of life leading to complete wellness.’, 160, ‘The Dangers of Pesticides and the EPAs Harrowing Plan to Test Them on Kids, Home-Improvement, Home-Improvement articles, Home-Improvement information, about Home-Improvement, what is Home-Improvement, Home Improvement Information’, ‘The Dangers of Pesticides and the EPAs Harrowing Plan to Test Them on Kids plus articles and information on Home-Improvement
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Thanks Home Depot

I know I said I was going to be out of touch for a few days….but I had to say a quick THANK YOU to Home Depot. I have been running around like a mad woman lately…(which I will be telling you all about soon….promise). I was at Home Depot yesterday….and yes….sort of dreading it cuz I needed a lot of stuff and…let’s face it…my experiences with Big Box stores like this have not been great in the service department.

But I have to say….not only were there plenty of employees around, they actually approached me (yes…every one of them and I think there were a total of four) and asked if I needed help (which I did) AND, they ALL knew exactly where to guide me to find what I was looking for! Imagine! My mood just kept getting better and better. I went in with the thought that I would never find what I was looking for in this huge place, there would be no one to help me, and if I could find someone, they wouldn’t know where to find it either. But I was so pleasantly surprised!

Then I found these lamps (which I wasn’t even looking for) that were a great price ($57.95 I think) real glazed porcelain and perfect for my daughter’s bedroom. (I have been looking for something affordable for awhile now). My grin turned into a big smile at that point.

So….THANK YOU HOME DEPOT! You have really turned it around. And whatever the reason is: recession , new management, middle of the day on a weekday….I don’t care. Your employees were courteous and knowledgeable. Bravo!

OK…just had to say that.

AND …thank you to the man who took my cart back to the store for me after I unloaded my loot, even though you didn’t work for Home Depot. That was really the icing on the cake.

Visit the original post at: katiedid

Feng Shui Tips For Your Home Offic
Did you know that over 50% of women now run their own home business or work from home? Get your compass out and find the following directions because we are going to try and make things run a little smoother for you using the ancient art of object placement - Feng Shui.

The most ideal locations to situate a home office, in order of best to second, third ad fourth best are the North (the Career Sector), the Southwest (the Wealth sector), the Northeast (Skills and Talents sector) or the South (the fame and recognition sector.) If possible try to locate your home office in one of those locations.

Here are some other general tips that are thought to bring prosperity to your business.

Always sit with a solid wall behind your back to ensure that you have support in your life. Never sit with a window behind you.

In the office always place the fax machine, telephone, and computers in the southeast wealth sector, as this will attract more contacts.

Position your desk to have a clear view of the door. If this isn”t possible, hang a small mirror so you can easily view the door’’s reflection.

Don”t put a shelf over your desk. This symbolizes burdens the world crashing down on you at any moment. The heavy shelf also symbolizes burdens and difficulties.

Avoid having sharp accessories, such as a paper cutter blade or the corner of a Xerox machine pointed at your desk. It is shar chi that symbolizes the cutting knife-edge or a disapproving finger pointing at you.

Make sure that you can walk completely around your desk in a full circle. This makes sure colleagues or workload does not cramp you. You should have space to breathe!

Do not have clutter in your office. Desktops must be kept tidy and clutter free. Avoid placing In and Out trays on your desk. Try to keep what is in use on your desktop.

If you own a NCR or cash till try and place that in your southeastern wealth corner as well.

Avoid placing cactuses in your office as the needles of these plants are thought to create negative shar chi. Shar or sha chi is stagnant or harmful energy.

In your office, never have the main door opening into your desk as this causes you to be faced with unexpected situations to deal with. Never have a door jamming against your desk, or your prosperity will always be blocked.

Do not place your desk in a room so that it is between two doors because this causes chi to rush by and pass you by along with all of your good fortune. In other words the good energy walks in one door, right past you and out the back door!

Never set your desk at the top of a staircase as chi will roll down the stairs and cause you loss of opportunity and wealth. If this is unavoidable, place a mirror above the front door looking in and facing the staircase.

If people entering your business immediately face a wall and a long corridor try placing a hanging crystal in this area to allow good chi to accumulate. Also place mirrors here to direct the chi into your office.

Do not place large electric equipment, such as photocopy machine or microwave near to the main door. These are considered to be “hot” items that cause energy to dissipate. Heat causes the dispersal of good chi.

Do not place paper cutter or fax machines or any machine with a blade next to the front door. The “cutting” energy can cause staff and customers to be unpleasant and even possibly to back stab and fight each with other.

Do not place an empty vase next to the main door, as empty vessels suck good chi trying to enter your place of business. If you have a vase make sure it is full of flowers!

If you have candles in your office, light the wicks to make sure they are burnt, even if you don”t plan to light the candle. An unlit candle is bad feng shui as it represents the limitations of possibility.

Place a fish tank or fishpond in the southwestern corner of your office. If this is not possible consider building a Koi pond in the southwestern sector outside your building.

To enhance your wealth and prosperity, position your indoor water feature in the southeast element of your home or office. For career luck, place it in the north. A tabletop fountain made of bamboo or flat round stones is always good for this purpose.

If you have a company signboard or logo it should be optimally placed in the southeastern area, the Southern area or the northern area of your home office.

May wind and water shower you with many blessings!

—

Samantha Steven’’s articles have been published in many high-standing newspapers and she has published several books. If you wish to buy Samantha’’s books about metaphysics click here http://www.insomniacpress.com/author.php?id=110 You can meet Samantha Stevens at http://www.psychicrealm.com where she works as a professional psychic. You can also read more of her articles at http://www.newagenotebook.com‘, 160, ‘Feng Shui Tips For Your Home Office, Home-Improvement, Home-Improvement articles, Home-Improvement information, about Home-Improvement, what is Home-Improvement, Home Improvement Information’, ‘Feng Shui Tips For Your Home Office plus articles and information on Home-Improvement
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External vs. Submersible Pumps. Which One Should You Use?
For many people, it’’s never been a question of whether to use a submersible pump vs. an external pump because most people have smaller ponds and are used to just using a submersible pump. They”re easy to install, and are pretty reliable - so why even consider an external pump?

There are a couple of reasons…

But before we go into that, let’’s briefly talk about the benefits of submersible pumps first. For obvious reasons, a submersible pump is named as such because it is designed to be placed in the pond, and submerged under the water.

These are the easiest of all pumps to install, just drop them in the water and plug them in - and you”re ready to do. Of course, you might have some quick plumbing to do, attaching a hose to the waterfall or to a submersible filter (another article entirely), but other than that - that’’s pretty much all there is to it.

Submersible pumps range in size or gallons per hour, from 50 GPH all the way up to 50,000 gallons per hour, but for most ponds - pumps anywhere from 350 GPH to 4000 GPH will do just fine…

So why might you also consider an external pump instead?

Here are a couple reasons. First, external pumps can much more energy efficient. Now, a typical swimming pool or spa pump won”t usually fall into this category - so be careful not to compare apples to oranges! Pool pumps can also be huge energy hogs, so always check the amps to compare different pumps together. Anything over 10 amps will draw a significant amount of $$ out of your pocket every month in electrical costs.

The external pumps that we are talking about are designed specifically for ponds and water gardens, and are engineered for energy efficiency. I”m not sure why those folks in the swimming pool and spa industry haven”t figured out how to this yet, but I”m sure they”ll catch on sooner or later.

I”m inclined to think the average pond owner is a bit more intelligent than the average pool owner. Why else would someone choose a pool over a pond? Unless of course you have both, but at any rate - let’’s just assume that we”re talking about external pond pumps here.

For comparison, a typical 4000 GPH (gallons per hour) submersible pond pump will typically draw anywhere from 10 amps all the way up to 15 amps, depending on the brand. This can really burn a hole in your wallet (or pocketbook) on a monthly basis, and in some parts of the country will run you $50 - $70 in energy costs.

In contrast, a comparatively rated external pond pump like the William Lim Wave I External Pump (https://www.macarthurwatergardens.com/Pumps/wave_pump_for_ponds.htm) is rated at 4380 GPH at 3.47 feet of head, and only draws 2.3 amps - that’’s 3/4 less energy consumption than the submersible pumps.

When you start getting into larger ponds, 1000 gallons up to 20,000 and above - it’’s usually a good idea to look into these more energy efficient pumps. For example, the 3/4 HP Dragon pump (https://www.macarthurwatergardens.com/Pumps/dragon_pumps.html) will move 7,770 GPH at almost 5 feet of head (and under pressure) and only burn 6.2 amps.

External pumps are almost always better for using with pressurized external filters as well, as submersible pumps are not designed to handle all the back pressure. Other benefits of using an external pump include:

-> Easy to clean without getting your hands messy

-> Come with a removable leaf trap which clog less often

-> Easy to hook up to bottom drains or surface skimmers

-> Generally last longer, and easier to repair / replace parts

So that’’s it, more than enough information for you to make an educated choice.

Just to recap:

For smaller ponds, and for simple installation and daily use, submersible pumps are probably your best option. For larger ponds, 1000 gallons and above, it may be worth looking into an external pump for your needs. Although they cost a little more on the front end, the energy savings alone can often more than offset this increase in cost during the first year of use alone.

**************************************************
Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several
other pond-related websites including MacArthurWatergardens.com
and Pond-Filters-Online.com. He also publishes a free monthly
newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over
9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE
”New Pond Owners Guide” visit MacArthur Water Gardens today!
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