Let There Be Light in Your Bedroom!
February 28, 2010
Let There Be Light in Your Bedroom!
by: Parvati Markus
Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, and then the light slowly starts returning to the northern hemisphere. But that still means we have many months of the year when our bedrooms get very little or no light in the mornings, when we get up, and are dark long before we go to sleep. If you’re someone who gets blue without enough light in your life, try brightening up your bedroom by making it feel like summer!
Think summer. Light colors, light fabrics. Take down the dark, heavy drapes and let the windows bring in as much light as possible during the day. When evening approaches, pull down the blinds and close the sheer curtains, which will look delightful in the glow of your warm bedroom lighting. Use soft white or pink-tinted bulbs in your lamps, or the full spectrum bulbs that replicate natural sunlight. They can make a huge difference in how you feel!
Garden Room Boundaries
February 28, 2010
The areas of your landscape can be divided into several sections and areas, which are also known as garden rooms. Garden rooms are spaces where you plant, grow, and display different ideas in gardening in various creative methods. One garden room could be a rose garden, while another could include the use of a water garden, while still another garden room in your landscape could include the use of just purple flowers. Garden rooms are your creation, and only limited to your imagination.
To create the rooms in your landscape where you can be both different and creative you need to actually create some type of walls in your gardens. The walls in your gardens are going to be grown from other larger types of plants. Living fences are one ‘way’ that you can create garden rooms.
Dependable shrubs and hedges that you can use for fences or as wall between the garden rooms include various types such as:
Forsythia is a spring flowering shrubs that would make the country garden room lovely. Long after the spring months, the flowers will die off but the leaves on this shrub will fill in as a wall nicely.
Thinking of Buying a Property Abroad - What you need to Consider?
February 27, 2010
Thinking of Buying a Property Abroad - What you need to Consider?
by: Allison Thompson
Many people now days are buying a second home abroad, say Dubai as either a holiday location or because they have decided to relocate to that area due to work commitments or because they are retiring and would like to enjoy a bit more sun.
When people are thinking of buying a property abroad there are a number of issues you may need to consider before making that all important purchase and I list below some of them.
1. How much capital do you have available to invest in the new property and if you need to obtain additional capital for the purchase will it be through your current lender or will you be requesting it from another source, say a lender in the country where you are looking to purchase your property. If you wish to lend from a financial institute in the country of your choice you will need to investigate what percentage of borrowing you allow, in some countries you will only provide them with an 80% loan, which means you will need to provide the other 20% capital for your purchase.
How to present your home for sale to potential purchasers
February 26, 2010
How to present your home for sale to potential purchasers
by: Allison Thompson
You have decided to sell your home and you want to make sure that your house is what every potential purchaser who walks through the door wants. There are a number of ways in which you can help with making sure that your house is the right one for the potential buyer who comes to view and below are a number of items that should be considered to help you with getting that all important sale. The points shown below should help you in obtaining that all important sale and without too much effort or cost to yourself.
Firstly, I would look at decluttering your home as much as possible. This may seem a waste of time as you are still living in the property, but if you are able to depersonalize the property of you it will provide the potential buyer with an opportunity to see the property with their belongings in it. Also by only have a select number of items on view you are also giving the property a sense of space, into which the potential buyer can see their furniture and belongings being put into.
Transform Landscaping with Outdoor Lighting
February 25, 2010
Transform Landscaping with Outdoor Lighting
by: Chris Robertson
Your enjoyment of your home increases exponentially when you have a beautifully landscaped yard. Whether you’ve nurtured your home’s landscaping with your own hands or hired a landscaper to create your slice of paradise, you no doubt experience pride and pleasure when you see dappled sunlight peeking through the trees or the riot of colors your perennials lend to your garden in the morning light.
Increasingly, homeowners are going to the next level with landscaping, and are investing time and money in outdoor lighting. Outdoor lighting enhances both the appearance of your home and your landscaping, as well as the enjoyment you and your guests experience when you entertain outdoors.
Typically, outdoor lighting focuses on focal points in the yard, though it can also be used as security lighting. Bill Locklin, owner of Nightscaping, the preeminent outdoor lighting company, suggests using 12-volt outdoor lighting to bring out the features of large trees, specimen plants, architecture, and water features. His suggestions include the following:
Gardening with Bamboo
February 24, 2010
Myths and facts A misconception about bamboo is that they spread like wildfire. This is not entirely true as only a some species of bamboo will be invasive. Spreading, however, can easily be controlled if it becomes a problem. Many people also think that bamboos will die when the temperature falls below freezing. This myth is also false.
Designing with bamboo Bamboos can create a wall or screen to provide privacy, used in containers for your deck, terrace or patio, or create a bamboo forest, maze or retreat - whatever you like!
Bamboos compliment perennials and annuals well and can be used as a background or an accent plant or low border depending on the variety of bamboo used.
Bamboos are actually a grass colony plant with over 1200 species world wide. Approximately 200 species can be grown without complications in North America.
Additional information about bamboo Certain species of bamboos are runners while others grow in clumps. Some bamboos have narrow leaves and others have wide leaves. When the main stem (known as culms or canes) emerge from the ground or media, they sprout at the diameter they will remain into maturity. Successive clumps will emerge with wider and taller than previous season’s.
The Friendly Home Bar
February 23, 2010
The Friendly Home Bar
by: Parvati Markus
Looking to entertain your guests with something stirred or shaken? No, not another manic video game. We’re talking about sitting on bar stools, elbows propped on the bar, sipping an apple martini, or a tall glass of beer, or a salt-rimmed margarita as you talk with your friends. Chips and guacamole right at hand. Gazing out over the city lights at night, or taking a break from the big poker game. There’s nothing like bar furniture to bring cheers to your home!
With the sleek contemporary look of metal and glass to the comfort and familiarity of beautiful woods, a bar can fit into your game room, rec room, living room, dining room, den, home theater, family room — there’s a size and style of bar or pub table to fit any space in your home. Remember, when you measure the area where you want to place the bar, allow enough space to enter the bar from one side. Also take into consideration if you’re going to have a small refrigerator in the bar area. For an L-shaped bar, add enough room for barstools along the short side (return) of the bar.
Baby Cribs Safety Checklist
February 23, 2010
Baby Cribs Safety Checklist
by: Parvati Markus
Congratulations! You’ve got a baby on the way!
Once your baby has arrived, one of the most important parts of your new life together will be getting a good night’s sleep — you in your bed, the baby in a safe and comfortable crib. At first, you may want your newborn to sleep in a bassinet by your bed, making it a little easier for breastfeeding moms, but have a crib ready by the time your baby can roll over.
Your baby will spend more time in the crib than anywhere else, so safety is of utmost importance. What makes a crib safe?
* The bars or slats of the crib railing should be no more than 2-3/8″ apart, close enough together to prevent your baby’s head from slipping through or getting stuck. That crib in the attic may be a beautiful antique, but it probably does not meet this safety standard. Secondhand older cribs may also have splinters or lead paint as well as slats that are too far apart.
* Cribs with cutout designs along the rail may look pretty, but your baby’s arm or neck could get stuck in them.
Buying Property in Spain - Things to Consider
February 22, 2010
Buying Property in Spain - Things to Consider
by: Allison Thompson
So you have now made the decision to buy a property in Spain, whether as a permanent residence or as a holiday home. You will find below a number of points that you will need to consider and think about prior to buying a property in Spain.
Firstly, I would suggest that you go on to the internet and see what the various agents advertising property for sale in Spain have to offer. You will find that many of these companies are run by people who are already living in Spain and will know the many problems and pitfalls that arise when buying a property in Spain.
The next point you will need to consider is where you want to live? Are you someone who prefers to be in the heart of things, say living in a town (urbanization), or are you someone who would prefer privacy and tranquility, therefore you may decide to buy a property in the country (campo) you may even wish to look at property in the mountains, or by the lakes or on the Coast. If you decide that you want everything close at hand to you, then it may best be if you look at properties in a Town or on the Coast especially if you require medical facilities close at hand.
Orchid Myths -The Truth
February 21, 2010
Here are some of the popular orchid myths
#1 Orchids are Carnivorous
They are not, in fact, they pollinate by luring insects to them but they do not eat the insects. This helps the orchid gardening
Orchid Myths#2 Orchids come from the Tropics
Some orchid flowers do come from the tropical climates but they grow in any climate and in any country, even Alaska.
#3 Orchids are Expensive.
Not anymore. Now with the increased number of orchid gardening and growers, the modern reproductive methods orchids now are reasonably priced.
#4 Orchids are Hard to Grow.
This orchid myths is now furthest from the truth. They are not anymore difficult than any other plant. They need the basics, water, light, air and fertilizer. And you can have a beautful orchid flowers that last for years.
Some Orchid Questions
#1 Are all orchids the same?
On the contrary o what most florists want you to believe, they come in over 28,000 varieties, they are the largest plant family. There are estimates of 110,000 hybrids today. They grow from thimble size (Mystacidium) to over 20 feet tall (Renanthera storei)
