O.K. I need a medium to grip about the ins and outs and experiences with home contractors, their staff and home care taker types of staff. So, here I go. Let'er rip!
In this blog entry, I focus on "Do this and don't do that..." This entry is related to a very enterprising and nice teen from the neighborhood trying to drum up lawn mowing and yard care business.
First time over, I walk him around the yard to make certain he knows where the property boundaries are located and to show him a sprinkler electrical wire that is exposed at the edge of a garden bed "See this, this is a wire for the sprinkler system. Please be careful and don't cut this." "These weeds near the composting bin are out of control and need to be mowed down."
Can you guess what occurs?
Of course:
The cable with the electrical wires for the sprinkler system gets cut and he doesn't tell me.
That healthy patch of weeds doesn't get mowed, as he thinks they are flowers, even though I told them they are weeds and I want him to mow them down.
A week later, I am out mowing the lawn, myself, once again.
Why, because his method of mowing a lawn wasn't to cover the whole lawn in consecutive strips with the mower. It was a random job probably dictated by what he felt "required" mowing.
So, he's a teen. Nice kid. Wants to work.
I next give him a chance at weeding a garden bed. Tell him my preference is that I pay him by the hour. But, he insists that it might take him longer than I would anticipate and therefore he'd prefer $50 for the job.
O.K. Kid. Go to it.
It takes him a few days after his daytime job to spend brief periods of time weeding prior to the sun setting. The final evening he is out there in the dark finishing up.
It's dark. I pay the kid his $50.
Check out the work in the daylight. Well, he left some tall flowering weeds. Sort of wondering if he actually got the roots when he did the work.
Two weeks later, there is the answer growing full force.
Breaking off and cutting weeds.... It isn't "weeding".
Nice try. No thanks, I can do it myself next time.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
January 2011 - Blog Update
I have been out of pocket, in terms of my blog. Blame it on me breaking the screen to my laptop one evening in November as I moved from the sun porch to the den.
Creature of habit. Obviously, I prefer the mobility and flexibility of working from the laptop where I want and when I want with broadband access. Whether it be out on the sun porch or while winding down in bed, prior to going to sleep.
The laptop has been hooked up to an external flat screen monitor in the upstairs office. I just need to get into the mode of not being mobile.
The library project or what has extended into the basement project has been underway for a couple of months. Eight hundred square feet of porcelain tile to be laid. So, far the large "library" room and the bedroom are completed, as far as tile work. This AM, the men began to pull up the brittle and crumbling synthetic stick down tile from the laundry/utility room floor.
The bedroom is essentially completed in terms of renovations: Tile, new baseboard and door handles, dry wall repair, painting of the ceiling, trim and walls. Coaxial cable was rerouted through the stairwell and along the channel behind the baseboard into the room. Electrical and lighting fixtures were all replaced.
A friend just re-did a room in their basement, new from the studs, and he had all of the electrical outlets upgraded to four gang outlets. Took his lead on that and did the same with all but one outlet in the bedroom. Also, I had them install a new dimmer switch up to control the overhead light fixture.
For those of you who smoke or have a loved one that smokes. Take note: It should not take two gallons of white Berh paint to cover a ceiling. I think that they had to paint the rectangular area where the long florescent light was installed four times in order to cover the smoke discoloration.
I knew that I wanted:
Task this evening is to get down on the floor and remove the paint that got onto the new tile from around the perimeter and splashes here and there. Plus, give the floor a good wash before the new area rug pad is put down and the clean Oriental carpet.
Workers will be back tomorrow to move the furniture back in and then move items out of the laundry/utility room to commence the tile work within that space.
I will start trying to post photos in a short period of time. Not sure if my camera; which I have a couple of places that I normally place it has been misplaced or if the first couple of workers might have walked with it. Let's hope it is just misplaced.
You might wonder what one does if they don't watch TV in the evening. How about replace the toilet seat!
Seriously, that was my little project last night and I am so happy with it. Master bedroom toilet had a padded seat that wasn't the proper size for the toilet basin. It has been replaced with a new American Standard, Williamsburg toilet seat (new in the box from ReBuild, cost $5.).
What a difference it makes in the appearance of the bathroom.
FYI: The knobs, electrical plates and switches, along with the clean, padded toilet seat will be headed to ReBuild for donation. I don't care if they give them away, as long as they do not go into land fill.
Stay tuned family and friends.
Creature of habit. Obviously, I prefer the mobility and flexibility of working from the laptop where I want and when I want with broadband access. Whether it be out on the sun porch or while winding down in bed, prior to going to sleep.
The laptop has been hooked up to an external flat screen monitor in the upstairs office. I just need to get into the mode of not being mobile.
The library project or what has extended into the basement project has been underway for a couple of months. Eight hundred square feet of porcelain tile to be laid. So, far the large "library" room and the bedroom are completed, as far as tile work. This AM, the men began to pull up the brittle and crumbling synthetic stick down tile from the laundry/utility room floor.
The bedroom is essentially completed in terms of renovations: Tile, new baseboard and door handles, dry wall repair, painting of the ceiling, trim and walls. Coaxial cable was rerouted through the stairwell and along the channel behind the baseboard into the room. Electrical and lighting fixtures were all replaced.
A friend just re-did a room in their basement, new from the studs, and he had all of the electrical outlets upgraded to four gang outlets. Took his lead on that and did the same with all but one outlet in the bedroom. Also, I had them install a new dimmer switch up to control the overhead light fixture.
For those of you who smoke or have a loved one that smokes. Take note: It should not take two gallons of white Berh paint to cover a ceiling. I think that they had to paint the rectangular area where the long florescent light was installed four times in order to cover the smoke discoloration.
I knew that I wanted:
- Bright white for ceiling
- Bright white for trim in a high gloss
- Semi gloss wall paint in a shade of green to match the Chinese Oriental carpet
- I ended up with Berh bright white flat for the ceilings. (Note: $ _ Rep. at Home Depot advised me to get the 2 gallon plastic pails, as they cost less per gallon than the 5 gallon pails. (Good tip.)
- Glidden white-on-white gloss for the trim work and doors.
- Benjamin Moore, Ben paint in an Apple Blossom (light green) for the walls.
- Rustolium Appliance White Paint (Air vents cleaned in the dishwasher (I know....OCD)).
Task this evening is to get down on the floor and remove the paint that got onto the new tile from around the perimeter and splashes here and there. Plus, give the floor a good wash before the new area rug pad is put down and the clean Oriental carpet.
Workers will be back tomorrow to move the furniture back in and then move items out of the laundry/utility room to commence the tile work within that space.
I will start trying to post photos in a short period of time. Not sure if my camera; which I have a couple of places that I normally place it has been misplaced or if the first couple of workers might have walked with it. Let's hope it is just misplaced.
You might wonder what one does if they don't watch TV in the evening. How about replace the toilet seat!
Seriously, that was my little project last night and I am so happy with it. Master bedroom toilet had a padded seat that wasn't the proper size for the toilet basin. It has been replaced with a new American Standard, Williamsburg toilet seat (new in the box from ReBuild, cost $5.).
What a difference it makes in the appearance of the bathroom.
FYI: The knobs, electrical plates and switches, along with the clean, padded toilet seat will be headed to ReBuild for donation. I don't care if they give them away, as long as they do not go into land fill.
Stay tuned family and friends.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Cognitive Disconense
Do you remember the term "cognitive disconense" from your college psychology 101 class? The prime example given is when you purchase an item such as an automobile that you continue to seek out data to make certain that you made the proper decision.
The set of chairs that I purchased a few weeks back for $69 per chair was a binge purchase. But, I really loved the lines and scale of the chairs and took the plunge.
Translation, I have been psychologically been put at ease by the knowledge that the style chair is popular enough for Restoration Hardware to reproduce, as well as the fact that a recent addition of "Architectural Digest" featured the homes of Rob Lowe and T. Boone Pitkins and both of them had similar chairs in their homes.
Let me just pat myself on the back ;^)
The set of chairs that I purchased a few weeks back for $69 per chair was a binge purchase. But, I really loved the lines and scale of the chairs and took the plunge.
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| Restoration Hardware, 18th Century French Burlap Chair |
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| Consignment shop $69 jewel |
Let me just pat myself on the back ;^)
Pine Kitchen Cabinets and Appliances For Sale @ Re-Build 4 November
This appears to be a well cared for set of Kraftmaid, solid pine kitchen cabinets with a laminate counter top and Maytag stove and dishwasher that came out of a house in McLean, VA this past week. They have for sale fourteen (14) pieces total for the asking price of $3,000.
One of my friends thinks that his in-laws could use a replacement kitchen cabinet set and I am posting for his benefit.
But, for those others who view and read. This is an example of what you might find at Re-Build or any one of the other local re-use warehouse stores in the DC metro area.
If I had a country cabin, these would look warm and splendid with a swap out of hardware to an aged copper and a stone counter top to match the reddish shade of the pine.
One of my friends thinks that his in-laws could use a replacement kitchen cabinet set and I am posting for his benefit.
But, for those others who view and read. This is an example of what you might find at Re-Build or any one of the other local re-use warehouse stores in the DC metro area.
House Project: Back Door (future project)
Once again, "I did not get out alive" from Re-Build. They had these wonderful solid mahogany exterior double doors that came into the warehouse yesterday afternoon (donated from a home owner in McLean).
I immediately placed them on-hold (you snooze you lose when it comes to this style of shopping). Pulled out my note pad, measuring tape and camera and got all of the vitals that I needed to take home with me to make a proper determination if the doors were the proper size for the door frame or not.
As you can see the exterior sides of the doors are carved and weathered. Translation, sanding, oiling and some protective finish will be required. Also, the homeowner decided to keep all of the hardware for their replacement door. Therefore, I will need to find hardware suitable for this particular set of doors at a later date.
The interior side of the eight (8) panel doors is actually in decent shape and has a traditional look. Though, most doors only have two (2) to six (6) panels. Eight (8) panels is rather unique in design, as is the carving; which is why I was attracted to them.
There will be the trade-off of less light in the kitchen and den area. Though the option is to just open the blinds a bit more during the daytime to let in more day light.
The benefit, I hope, is that these solid wood doors without glass should be more energy efficient than the original 1983 builder's metal and single pane glass double doors.
As far as design and color scheme, the mahogany is a wonderful addition to the Indonesian hardwood sun porch set that I already have in place.
This particular refinishing and replacement of the rear doors project is something that will have to take place after the man cave/library project is completed.
Why?
As of this AM, my dining room, den and living room are littered with the library cabinets and shelving that Re-Build staff delivered this morning. It is going to be a monumental task just to get all of the books out of the basement and upstairs in order to remove the carpet, clean, put down new tile and paint the walls, etc.
Stay tuned for a later posting when this project gets underway.
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| View from sun porch into house after refrigerator removal (current double doors) |
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| Double mahogany doors procured to replace 1983 metal & glass doors |
Once again, "I did not get out alive" from Re-Build. They had these wonderful solid mahogany exterior double doors that came into the warehouse yesterday afternoon (donated from a home owner in McLean).
I immediately placed them on-hold (you snooze you lose when it comes to this style of shopping). Pulled out my note pad, measuring tape and camera and got all of the vitals that I needed to take home with me to make a proper determination if the doors were the proper size for the door frame or not.
As you can see the exterior sides of the doors are carved and weathered. Translation, sanding, oiling and some protective finish will be required. Also, the homeowner decided to keep all of the hardware for their replacement door. Therefore, I will need to find hardware suitable for this particular set of doors at a later date.
The interior side of the eight (8) panel doors is actually in decent shape and has a traditional look. Though, most doors only have two (2) to six (6) panels. Eight (8) panels is rather unique in design, as is the carving; which is why I was attracted to them.
There will be the trade-off of less light in the kitchen and den area. Though the option is to just open the blinds a bit more during the daytime to let in more day light.
The benefit, I hope, is that these solid wood doors without glass should be more energy efficient than the original 1983 builder's metal and single pane glass double doors.
As far as design and color scheme, the mahogany is a wonderful addition to the Indonesian hardwood sun porch set that I already have in place.
This particular refinishing and replacement of the rear doors project is something that will have to take place after the man cave/library project is completed.
Why?
As of this AM, my dining room, den and living room are littered with the library cabinets and shelving that Re-Build staff delivered this morning. It is going to be a monumental task just to get all of the books out of the basement and upstairs in order to remove the carpet, clean, put down new tile and paint the walls, etc.
Stay tuned for a later posting when this project gets underway.
Annual Far Hills Benefit Horse Races - The Hunt
One of my friends has been hosting an annual outing to The Hunt in Fall Hills, NJ since the mid 1990's. Proceeds from the ticket and private tail gate slot sales are contributed to Somerset Medical Center Foundation is a non-profit organization that solicits and administers funds on behalf of Somerset Medical Center, in Somerville, New Jersey.
Our first year of attendance, it was raining, cold and muddy and we were newbies who did not realize that having a paid slot closer to the rail and a small buffet of food to nosh on during the day was the way to go.
Since that time, my friend's family business has annually procured multiple rental spots a row away from the rail. We all buy our individual admission tickets and then contribute for the spread of food and drink.
There have been many a year that in spite of the day being bright and sunny, previous day(s) of rain, have muddied the grounds and made for a muck festival with slipping and sliding of humans and vehicles. This year we were spared the mud. Hurrah!
Unlike Virginia Steeple Chase Races, The Hunt is not held during a time of the year that is advantageous to sun dresses, hats and dress shoes, etc. Over the years, I have noticed that the attire for the day has become more in tune with the late October weather and a potential day of walking among muddy fields. Denim jeans and rubber stable boots and/or wellies were the staple footwear at this year's event.
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| L-R: Jon, Sal, John & Bruce |
One of my friends has been hosting an annual outing to The Hunt in Fall Hills, NJ since the mid 1990's. Proceeds from the ticket and private tail gate slot sales are contributed to Somerset Medical Center Foundation is a non-profit organization that solicits and administers funds on behalf of Somerset Medical Center, in Somerville, New Jersey.
Our first year of attendance, it was raining, cold and muddy and we were newbies who did not realize that having a paid slot closer to the rail and a small buffet of food to nosh on during the day was the way to go.
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| A view of the rail from behind our buffet |
Since that time, my friend's family business has annually procured multiple rental spots a row away from the rail. We all buy our individual admission tickets and then contribute for the spread of food and drink.
There have been many a year that in spite of the day being bright and sunny, previous day(s) of rain, have muddied the grounds and made for a muck festival with slipping and sliding of humans and vehicles. This year we were spared the mud. Hurrah!
Unlike Virginia Steeple Chase Races, The Hunt is not held during a time of the year that is advantageous to sun dresses, hats and dress shoes, etc. Over the years, I have noticed that the attire for the day has become more in tune with the late October weather and a potential day of walking among muddy fields. Denim jeans and rubber stable boots and/or wellies were the staple footwear at this year's event.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Fence Project: O'Dea-O'Dea
The Fence Project was put into motion as of Saturday, 30 October. The first day consisted of rental of a gas auger and a manual post digger to accomplish the tasks of digging seven (7) 3' deep holes on my property line to place the seven (7) post. Three foot holes were required, as I want the privacy fence to be at the maximum height allowed by the county of seven feet (7') high.
My next door neighbor's project only required two (2) post holes at 2' deep for his dog pen project that will have six foot (6') high fence ends sandwiched between the existing fence and their deck.
The second day consisted of not two (2), but (3) trips to Home Depot for supplies of wood, cement, hanger brackets and treated deck screws.
Sunday, prior to sundown, we had all of the post in the ground with cement setting. Plus, all of the top rails of the privacy fence on my property were cut and installed, as well as the middle and lower rails of one section for me to use as a sample to finish the remainder of the project on my own.
Another Friday Re-Build purchase included solid cedar, decorative post caps. They truly make a difference on the finished appearance of the post. I am now pondering as to whether or not the linear foot cost of use of a decorative rail top to the fence would be cost prohibitive or not.
Might look much more finished and professional than the plain, straight top board finish. But, the jury is still out on budget ($).
I will post photos later.
My next door neighbor's project only required two (2) post holes at 2' deep for his dog pen project that will have six foot (6') high fence ends sandwiched between the existing fence and their deck.
The second day consisted of not two (2), but (3) trips to Home Depot for supplies of wood, cement, hanger brackets and treated deck screws.
Sunday, prior to sundown, we had all of the post in the ground with cement setting. Plus, all of the top rails of the privacy fence on my property were cut and installed, as well as the middle and lower rails of one section for me to use as a sample to finish the remainder of the project on my own.
Another Friday Re-Build purchase included solid cedar, decorative post caps. They truly make a difference on the finished appearance of the post. I am now pondering as to whether or not the linear foot cost of use of a decorative rail top to the fence would be cost prohibitive or not.
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| Cedar Post Cap |
Might look much more finished and professional than the plain, straight top board finish. But, the jury is still out on budget ($).
I will post photos later.
Hallway Chandelier Replacement Project
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| Current, builder's original, single lamp hall chandelier |
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| Replacement, multi-lamp chandelier |
alive".
The original, builder's chandelier in the entryway is the only overhead light in the living area and with one lamp barely provides much in terms of illumination. Plus, it is dull and pretty chintzy in appearance and construction, as is the dining chandelier.
The Re-Build Representatives response to my inquiry as to the cost of the heavy, large colonial glass chandelier price was "Would you be taking it with you now or coming back for it later?"
It cost me $40 to take it with me Friday PM, along with my load of slate patio pavers.
Though the chandelier road shot gun in the cab protected with a heavy packing blanket to provide safe passage home.
This is a future project and will require some additional length of brass chain, clear electrical wiring and copper ground wire prior to installation.
Library Project Materials Selections: Stove, Drapes, Tile & Upholstry
Selections of some of the materials for the Library Project:
To include Vermont Castings, Radiance gas burning stove in enamel biscuit color with addition of warming racks and mitten dryer hooks.
Mount Vernon style pattern toile cotton drapes with silk plaid print accent boarder and lining shown below along with Daltile, 12"x12" smaller neutral shaded tile shown on right. Fabric upholstery of chairs is a matching blue, as is the blue leather, older Chesterfield sofa.
Paint, to-be-determined:
More than likely selection will also be somewhat neutral and due to the fact that the basement room in question only has two basement sized windows, a lighter shade will be selected.
To include Vermont Castings, Radiance gas burning stove in enamel biscuit color with addition of warming racks and mitten dryer hooks.
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| Vermont Castings Radiance Gas Stove - on floor @ Re-Build |
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| Drapes, chair upholstery and tile (selected more neutral small tile) |
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| Color is truer in this photo for tile and drapes |
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| Sample of base cabinets |
More than likely selection will also be somewhat neutral and due to the fact that the basement room in question only has two basement sized windows, a lighter shade will be selected.
Library Project at O'Dea-O'Dea
It was a jam packed weekend, as I was working with my neighbor Saturday and Sunday on the fence project for our property line. Plus, I went into Re-Build Friday PM to begin the process of picking up the two pallets of large slate paving stones and hauling them home in my truck, etc.
Once again, I did not get out alive, so to speak. But, I count this as a good thing, as I do believe that I finally have the cabinet and shelving components to re-do the main man cave, a.k.a. the basement library.
The procurement consists of 11 pieces and most are shown above.
I also purchased two very large, three drawer matching custom units that are larger than commercially made file cabinets.
My current estimate is that the top shelving units are approx. 15" too high for the less than 8' floor to ceiling height in the basement. But, I am optimistic, that as these were custom built, that there should not be any issues reducing the height by removing some of the top and a little more from the bottom of each shelving unit. (note, top crown moulding was not included.)
One very tall shelving unit will be placed upstairs in the front of the living room (not shown). It is 8'10" and roughly 32" wide. The only space that it can occupy in the house is the front room, as it is sunken and has a vaulted ceiling that extends to the roof.
Actually, in terms of scale, I believe this will be a welcome addition, as the walls are very high in this room and yet I do not have any items that are tall within the space.
From the same Great Falls estate, that is being dismantled, Re-Build had a Vermont Castings, Radiance gas stove in enamel biscuit and included the added side warming shelves. This I purchased as the basement is cool or cold year round, in spite of central air and it only makes sense to heat the space during cold months as needed.
It is going to be one difficult project given the amount of "stuff" in the basement and the fact that all of the carpet has to be removed and flooring replaced. Plus, the walls will require cleaning and painting. This is just the tip of the iceberg, I am sure.
Rough dimensions of the space are 25' x 16' for the main section and at the base of the stairs the hallway area is approx. 5'x6'. Translation a heck of a lot of flooring material will be required for this project. Thus, I quickly made the determination to go with a Daltile porcelain tile in neutral colors that Home Depot currently has on special for 77 cents per square foot, as I estimate that this project will require at least 380 square feet of material.
I already have a blue, leather Chesterfield sofa that I have had for years that will be moved down stairs once the room is completed, as well as two new sets of cotton toile custom drapes that are full length.
Recent purchase of the two antique arm chairs manufactured in Cambridge, MA will make residence along with the sofa.
Stay tuned as the project gets underway and the man cave and library is transformed into the catwoman cave and library.
MeOw!
Once again, I did not get out alive, so to speak. But, I count this as a good thing, as I do believe that I finally have the cabinet and shelving components to re-do the main man cave, a.k.a. the basement library.
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| View of custom built library prior to being removed from private residence |
I also purchased two very large, three drawer matching custom units that are larger than commercially made file cabinets.
My current estimate is that the top shelving units are approx. 15" too high for the less than 8' floor to ceiling height in the basement. But, I am optimistic, that as these were custom built, that there should not be any issues reducing the height by removing some of the top and a little more from the bottom of each shelving unit. (note, top crown moulding was not included.)
One very tall shelving unit will be placed upstairs in the front of the living room (not shown). It is 8'10" and roughly 32" wide. The only space that it can occupy in the house is the front room, as it is sunken and has a vaulted ceiling that extends to the roof.
Actually, in terms of scale, I believe this will be a welcome addition, as the walls are very high in this room and yet I do not have any items that are tall within the space.
From the same Great Falls estate, that is being dismantled, Re-Build had a Vermont Castings, Radiance gas stove in enamel biscuit and included the added side warming shelves. This I purchased as the basement is cool or cold year round, in spite of central air and it only makes sense to heat the space during cold months as needed.
 |
| Vermont Castings Radiance Gas Stove with Warming Shelves |
It is going to be one difficult project given the amount of "stuff" in the basement and the fact that all of the carpet has to be removed and flooring replaced. Plus, the walls will require cleaning and painting. This is just the tip of the iceberg, I am sure.
Rough dimensions of the space are 25' x 16' for the main section and at the base of the stairs the hallway area is approx. 5'x6'. Translation a heck of a lot of flooring material will be required for this project. Thus, I quickly made the determination to go with a Daltile porcelain tile in neutral colors that Home Depot currently has on special for 77 cents per square foot, as I estimate that this project will require at least 380 square feet of material.
I already have a blue, leather Chesterfield sofa that I have had for years that will be moved down stairs once the room is completed, as well as two new sets of cotton toile custom drapes that are full length.
Recent purchase of the two antique arm chairs manufactured in Cambridge, MA will make residence along with the sofa.
Stay tuned as the project gets underway and the man cave and library is transformed into the catwoman cave and library.
MeOw!
Latest Editions to My Library & Gifts to Others
I purchased the following two books:
Gifts from my sister to me:
- "Mid-Atlantic Gardener's Guide: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.", by Andre and Mark Viette with Jacqueline Heriteau.
- National Georgaphic, "50 Best Girlfriend Getaways in North America", by Marybeth Bond.
Gifts from my sister to me:
- "Manual for Living: Epictetus", A New Intrepretation by Sharon Lebell.
- "Mamma Mia!: The Movie Soundtrack Featuring the Songs of ABBA.
- "Cat Biz: A Compendium of Amazing Facts and Anecdotes from the Cat World", by Amanda O'Neill
- (Scanned through this cat book the evening before I presented it to her. Fascinating facts and stories, etc.)
"The Boston Globe Illustrated New England Seafood Cookbook", by Jasper White
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Books to Give as Gifts
Nine years ago, I was the maid of honor for my college roommate’s wedding. She and her husband are currently off on an extended weekend vacation to have some private, honeymoon time together; which is very much needed.
It has been a rough year for them. Mainly, my friend’s husband had to undergo a second open heart surgery operation, as the first operation six years ago was botched and the heart repair had severely restricted some of the blood flow through his heart valves.
Sometimes a celebratory card is in order for occasions’ such as anniversaries. But, at times I prefer to give a book, as I did for my friend after her engagement. That book was “What No One Tells the Bride: Surviving the Wedding…”.
The book that I am going to send her in celebration of her anniversary is a humorous little book entitled “101 Uses For A Bridesmaid Dress”.
The author got her inspiration from stories she had heard, such as one woman who dug a hole in her back yard and buried her bridesmaid dress or the one that cut up a dress and used the fabric to wash her car.
From there she started jotting down notes for a variety of humorous ways one could re-use their dress or dresses and thus along with an illustrator a tongue and cheek book was born.
My bridesmaid dress for my friend’s wedding was actually very neutral and would have easily been worn again at another formal occasion. It is long gone, as after the wedding, I took it to the dry cleaner and never got the gown back after he repeatedly told me he would take care of his store’s damage. In the end, I had to take him to small claims court.
Yes, the judge ruled in my favor. But, I have not one bridesmaid gown in my closet.
Now, my friend’s cousin, who was also a bridesmaid in the wedding… Well, she ordered the wrong size and received a gown that was far too small and could not be returned. She, on the other hand, now has two identical gowns in two sizes!
My friend was a bridesmaid in a number of weddings and still has them hanging in her cedar closet.
Nine years after her wedding and having been a bridesmaid for a number of family members and friends, I am hoping she gets a good chuckle out of the book. I think that she will especially laugh over my favorite use; which I plan on placing a Post-it Note to mark the page, prior to sending her the book.
“101 Uses For A Bridesmaid Dress”, by Cindy Walker with illustrations by Donna Mehalko
The other book that I tripped upon was “The Grandmother’s Book” that I think would serve as a wonderful gift from the parents to be to their parents or as a baby shower gift that eventually will come back to the child after the grandmother has completed inserting her input and thoughts in her own writing into the pages of the book.
I want to send this book to my mother to fill out so that as her child, I will have a handwritten record of family and the little things that make up our history.
I am also pondering purchasing additional copies for my paternal aunt and uncle, as they could provide insight into that side of the family, as well as modifying responses to document more about who they are and about my grandparents.
“Grandmother’s Book”, by Marcia O. Levin
Trying New Foods - Skyr a.k.a. Traditional Yogurt of Iceland
For the most part, I enjoy trying foods that I have never tasted before. This past week, Giant Food Stores sent, in the mail, a couple of manufacturers coupons for siggi's Icelandic style skyr strained non-fat yogurt in the amount of $1. per coupon. (Reference: http://skyr.com/)
Now, there is a little incentive to give the product a try. I like yogurt and truly enjoy fruit smoothies made with fresh fruit, plain yogurt, water and ice.
Once at the store, I ended up purchasing two, 6 oz cups of yogurt at a retail cost of $1.99 per cup. There were four options available at the store and I selected the orange and ginger and the blueberry fruit varieties.
This afternoon, I decided to have a snack and tried the orange and ginger container.
As far as the product, it contained minimal traces of orange and ginger. Nothing like traditional American cups of yogurt with fruit. Plus, the consistancy visably looked more like that of ice cream with a bit of texture to it. When placed in a spoon skyr will remain stuck to the spoon when turned over. Unlike yogurt which will fall or slide off.
Skyr, reminds me very much of a Mediterranean yogurt cheese a.k.a. labneh that is the consistency of American cream cheese. Like labneh, the flavor comparison is that it has a slightly tart yogurt taste.
Due to the regular retail cost of $1.99 a 6 oz cup, I would say that it will not often find its way into my grocery basket. But, if on sale or if I am in need of a high protein meatless diet this is a great product to purchase and consume, as it has 16 to 17 grams of protein per container!
Actually, I am going to recommend this product to a friend of mine who was telling me about a diet plan that her physician has her on; which includes consuming a breakfast of over 30 grams of protein each morning.
A rather difficult endevor when you have to be up and on the road prior to dawn for a 50 minute or more comute to work. Plus, she was lamenting on how she really did not care to have a huge breakfast in the mornings nor did she have the time to prepare and consume.
If she can get in roughly half the grams of protein at home before she departs in the AM, than perhaps she can have her reward of a siggi's skyr once she gets to work. Thus getting the protein her physician is recommending without as much AM frustration.
I would give the product a thumbs up and say to try it out for yourself. Let me know what your impressions are after you have tried it.
____________________________________________________________________
If you have never tried labneh and live in the DC Metro area it can be found at Middle Eastern food markets such as The Mediterranean Bakery located on Pickett Street in Alexandria, VA.
Or, if you live in an area that does not sell it, you can make it yourself by purchasing yogurt and straining it. Just follow the recipe provided in the link below or look on-line to find another similar recipe.http://www.food.com/recipe/yogurt-cheese-labneh-88089
Now, there is a little incentive to give the product a try. I like yogurt and truly enjoy fruit smoothies made with fresh fruit, plain yogurt, water and ice.
Once at the store, I ended up purchasing two, 6 oz cups of yogurt at a retail cost of $1.99 per cup. There were four options available at the store and I selected the orange and ginger and the blueberry fruit varieties.
This afternoon, I decided to have a snack and tried the orange and ginger container.
As far as the product, it contained minimal traces of orange and ginger. Nothing like traditional American cups of yogurt with fruit. Plus, the consistancy visably looked more like that of ice cream with a bit of texture to it. When placed in a spoon skyr will remain stuck to the spoon when turned over. Unlike yogurt which will fall or slide off.
Skyr, reminds me very much of a Mediterranean yogurt cheese a.k.a. labneh that is the consistency of American cream cheese. Like labneh, the flavor comparison is that it has a slightly tart yogurt taste.
Due to the regular retail cost of $1.99 a 6 oz cup, I would say that it will not often find its way into my grocery basket. But, if on sale or if I am in need of a high protein meatless diet this is a great product to purchase and consume, as it has 16 to 17 grams of protein per container!
Actually, I am going to recommend this product to a friend of mine who was telling me about a diet plan that her physician has her on; which includes consuming a breakfast of over 30 grams of protein each morning.
A rather difficult endevor when you have to be up and on the road prior to dawn for a 50 minute or more comute to work. Plus, she was lamenting on how she really did not care to have a huge breakfast in the mornings nor did she have the time to prepare and consume.
If she can get in roughly half the grams of protein at home before she departs in the AM, than perhaps she can have her reward of a siggi's skyr once she gets to work. Thus getting the protein her physician is recommending without as much AM frustration.
I would give the product a thumbs up and say to try it out for yourself. Let me know what your impressions are after you have tried it.
____________________________________________________________________
If you have never tried labneh and live in the DC Metro area it can be found at Middle Eastern food markets such as The Mediterranean Bakery located on Pickett Street in Alexandria, VA.
Or, if you live in an area that does not sell it, you can make it yourself by purchasing yogurt and straining it. Just follow the recipe provided in the link below or look on-line to find another similar recipe.http://www.food.com/recipe/yogurt-cheese-labneh-88089
More about skyr from the Skyr.com website:
What is skyr?
Skyr is the traditional yogurt of Iceland. It is made by incubating skim milk with live active cultures. The whey, the water naturally found in milk, is then strained away to make for a much thicker, creamier, concentrated yogurt. So to make just one cup of skyr, with all that water going out, you need 3 - 4 times the amount of milk required to make a regular cup of yogurt. As a result of this process skyr comes out with 2-3 times the protein count of standard yogurt.
Our farmers do not use growth hormones like rBGH. All siggi’s products are natural and do not contain any artificial sweeteners; our yogurts are very lightly sweetened with agave nectar. We try our best to keep our ingredients list short and simple.
What is...In The Area That I Like To Use My Laptop
I have always cringed when I have walked into someones work space or office and find that they sit in the dark like a mushroom. A dark room just makes my eyelids heavy with sleep!
Stare into the light my children. Or at least work in an environment that is well lit and conducive to work.
Yes, I have space dedicated as an office. But... for all intensive purposes it is under construction and in dire need of major unpacking and organization.
Items in the area where I like to use my laptop include:
- Comfortable high back chair with a pillow to help support the lumbar area.
- Ottoman/foot stool to hold various items at arms reach.
- An old hospital bed tray that has survived all of these decades to come into another setting and be useful a la Restoration Hardware's newest collection of industrial furnishings and products having a second more glamorous life in the home with a new purpose . The tray has a wrought iron pipe stand with knobs for adjustment (up/down for height and tilt of the tray) and the top is made of oak with an approximately 1/2" lip around the entire edge. (It is nice to have the adjustments of tray in that I can tilt the tray when using the laptop.)
- West Elm large, square, off-white vase that I keep handy for paper recycling (area where I often open the mail).
- IKEA office organizer box assortment. Large gray cardboard organizer box with lid and handle cut outs is big enough to hold papers and open mail that needs to be tended to. The smaller black office organizers on the floor are a more recent purchase. (They actually collapse flat when not in use - nice! Then to use them there is a zipper in the center of each base that is zipped to hold the box square. They also have clear plastic pockets on one corner for insertion of labels.) The boxes hold note books; mail that needs to be attended to and coupons and sales that might be of future interest.
- BlackBerry Bold wireless device.
- Digital camera and USB cable.
- An onyx and brass very large older ashtray that sits on an Italian 100% wool throw. You might see an old ashtray. I on the other hand see it as an interesting and solid piece that I can rest my beverage in while I am seated in the chair.
Creative Ideas Publication Free from Loew's
Lowe's is offering a series of free, mailed publications during the year for Home and Garden, Woodworkers and Outdoor Living. I just received my first publication "Lowe's Creative Ideas: For Your New Home".
You can sign-up on-line to request that the publications be mailed to your home.
http://www.lowescreativeideas.com/subscribe/subscribe.aspx
They also have a lot of how-to instructions on their website.
Kudos to Lowe's on helping out us do-it yourself types.
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