End of August

August was an unusual month in the garden this year. The main gardener (me) was indisposed, the vegetables were sulking (or being eaten by woodchucks), the flower borders look nice enough, until you look closely and realize that crabgrass has invaded the edges and editing is highly necessary.

My gardening companion, totally focused on finishing a book project, has been rather desultory in his mowing of our remaining lawn, encouraged by periodic rains (uh, I don't know how to run the riding lawn mower, thankfully). But he has 'edited' the front meadow, cleaned up a lot of fallen branches, and probably done a lot more that I know.

But our garden definitely shows the absence of our attention.

I remembered recently that I had added a visit to our garden (aka 'home landscape') at the end of a natural gardening program in mid-October for our (Clemson University) Osher Lifelong Learning Institute program.

This was late spring madness, to be sure. I know the garden was lovely then, but what was I thinking!

Thank goodness for gardeners, there's always the next season.

Affordable Homeowners Insurance -- How To Save A Lot Without Exposing Yourself To Risk

There are many ways open to everyone who wants affordable home insurance. But while many of them may save you some money, they could leave you with inadequate coverage. But in this article, I'll show you a few time-tested tips for paying less and at the same time maintain sufficient coverage. Here they are...

1.The amount you pay is influenced by your credit history. The poorer your credit rating, the higher the rates you attract. A bad credit rating implies that you have not been paying your bills promptly. No insurer is happy with this as it shows a behavior you are quite likely to repeat in the payment of rates. If you're seen as a likely defaulter, it makes you a higher risk and draws more expensive rates than otherwise.

So do all within your power to clear all your bills in a promptly. You will draw cheaper premiums if you do.

2.You may be spending a lot more if your's is a government homeowner's insurance policy. Natural disasters in certain areas made it very hard for people there to obtain home insurance coverage. Some folks in those regions had just one option: Government homeowner's insurance offered by a government agency. The case is really different now as private insurers are beginning catering for such places.

Many may still have little or no other way of getting home insurance coverage apart from a government homeowner's insurance. Nevertheless, this isn't generally the case as you may get better coverage at a cheaper price from some private insurance companies.

3.Smoking raises the risk of a fire in your home. With over 23,000 residential fires being as a result of smoking you will agree that it's actually a serious issue. You'll pay less on your home insurance policy if no member of your household smokes. If you stop smoking successfully for over 12 months, tell your agent and demand for a well-earned discount. Unless your insurance provider is one of the few that do NOT consider smoking as a factor in calculating your premium, leave if your premium is not reduced after this.

4.Shatter-proof windows will bring some savings. Therefore, change your old windows with these moreso if you live in places that are prone to high winds and hail storms. Always remember to brief your agent whenever you take a step like this. You can as well meet with your agent first before making the changes as he or she is in a better position to show you how to save the most.

5.Do you know all your home insurance policy excludes? They are things that the policy doesn't give you coverage for.

While getting lower premiums is interesting, it's only when the lower rates don't have you compromised. However cheap a policy is, its purpose is defeated if it doesn't give you sufficient coverage. Don't wait until you make a claim to discover that you actually did NOT have the coverage you intended.

6. You can get savings of hundreds of dollars on your home owner insurance policy by obtaining insurance quotes from quote sites. The best strategy is to visit at least five sites and ensuring that you give the same (correct) details. I recommend that you use at least five quotes sites because that will ensure you do not miss out better quotes not presented by the other sites. This offers you a broader basis for doing better comparisons thus increasing your chances of realizing more savings.

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An Occasional Hurricane Reminder

Northeastern Hurricanes On The Horizon: Saturday's New York Times had a story about hurricane preparedness that I want you to see. The paper reminds you that, while it has been a long time since the Northeastern US has suffered a significant hurricane, the potential exists during every hurricane season, and the time to prepare against loss is now. Home Inventory is, of course, a part of the solution.

A home inventory will help ensure that you have purchased enough insurance to replace your personal possessions. It can also speed the claims process and substantiate losses for income tax purposes. A detailed home inventory is also helpful should you need to apply for disaster aid.

You may live in a place that is safe from hurricane damage. (Tennessee remains unscathed! Tornadoes are another story.) However, regardless of where you live, your risk of loss exists. It may come through natural causes like tornado, hurricane, or lightning. It could come through man-made causes like electrical fires or theft. The fact is that you are at risk if you own personal property, and your insurance carrier has very long forms for you to complete when that time comes. Home inventory can give you back a year of your life, a year that you would otherwise spend haggling with your insurer.

A. J. Farley runs Farley Home Services, a home inventory service based in Middle Tennessee. Please visit EverySingleItem.com, the company website, for more details.

iHouse 'Smart door' opens only after checking your fingerprint

You no longer have to carry a bunch of home keys along wherever you go or worry about your home security. iHouse is here with the technologically advanced door that lets you open the doors with biometric readings. Yes, you read it correct, it first identifies your fingerprint and lets you enter your house, so obviously burglars won’t be able to open your hi-tech home doors. :)

All you have to do is place your finger on the scanner to release the door’s lock, and you can program other fingers for operating the lights, activating the AC, lifting the window blinds and lots more. Not only this, your smart door lock is endowed with a cool feature of storing the data, date and time of the last 64 accesses, thereby giving you the information on who entered the residence during that period. If somebody in your family doesn’t have the clearance to enter the house at a given time, he or she can remotely, by making a call, via PC or pocket PC unlock a gate. Its number pad also enables you to open the door, but for that you gotta know the password. Now, that’s a smart door!

Cheaper California Home Owners Insurance Rates -- Great Ways To Pay A Lot Less

Anyone who implements the right tips will easily get cheaper California homeowners' insurance rates without sacrificing adequate coverage However, if you have the wrong advice, even though you may still save, it will be by compromising the level of coverage you get. If you need tips that you can use to save much and still maintain adequate coverage, read the following...

1. A fire-safe home exterior will help bring down your premiums. Do you have things that could likely aid combustion near your house? They will make you pay more. As simple as it looks, cutting back bushes and keeping them up to 10 feet from your building will help reduce your premiums. The risk of a fire in a house is one very strong factor that shapes your California home owner insurance premium.

2. You'll as well enjoy a discount if you have motion-sensitive lighting in your home. Your house becomes less attractive to thieves as they'll be noticed easily. Since thieves keep off from houses with such lighting, you reduce your home's risk of burglary and, consequently, your rates.

3. Having dead-bolt locks on all exterior door will lower your California homeowners insurance rate. It's more difficult for burglars to operate in homes that have these locks. And because a home's risk of burglary is a key determinant of California home insurance rates, you'll spend far less.

4. You can get savings of hundreds of dollars on your California homeowners insurance policy by requesting for insurance quotes from insurance quotes sites. The best strategy is to visit at least five quotes sites and making sure that you input the same (correct) information about yourself. I recommend that you visit a minimum of five quotes sites because that will ensure you do not miss out better quotes not carried by the other sites. This gives you a broader basis for doing more thorough comparisons thus increasing your chances of getting more for less.

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Get Free NO-Obligation Home Insurance Quotes And Save Much!

Homeowners' Insurance -- 4 Smart Ways To Pay Less

Contrary to what you might have thought, it is a lot easy to get an affordable home owner insurance rate. You only need the right information and the determination to implement what you'll be taught to get a more affordable rate. Below are several things that will help you get to this goal...

1. Do not insure your house along with the land it is built on as this will cost you more but is needless. Those who ignorantly do this pay for more insurance than would do them any good. They just insure their house for its complete value without deducting the land's cost.

If you did such ignorantly, you'll have to review your home owner insurance coverage and go through it again with your agent. Lower your coverage to the worth of your house and its contents minus the cost of the land.

Doing this will lower your premiums considerably and still have enough home insurance coverage. Bear it in mind that insuring the land your house is standing on is plain waste of money because it does you no good whatsoever.

2. You'll spend more or less depending on your credit history. You'll attract higher home owner insurance rates if you have a low credit rating. A poor credit rating means that you've not been paying your bills in a timely fashion. An insurance company takes this to mean that you're financially irresponsible and will possibly default in paying your premiums. If you're seen as a potential defaulter, it makes you a higher risk and draws much higher rates than otherwise.

Therefore, it is a wise decision to pay all your bills once they are due. You will draw cheaper rates if you do.

3. Yearly premium payments will save you much when compared to monthly payments. This is because sending you 12 bills by mail each month costs your insurer a lot.

As if that was NOT enough expense, each check you send attracts its own transaction fees too. 12 checks mean Twelve transactions and will draw 12 separate fees.. And, if you really come to think of it, these extra overheads are ultimately built into your rates.

As a result, you will attract lower rates if you decide to pay your premiums anually. What you will save could be as much as 8.5% of your total monthly payments over the course of just a year.

4. Visit a minimum of five quotes sites. Visiting at least five quotes sites raise the chances that you would get more affordable home owner insurance quotes. This is because insurers not represented by one site will be covered by the other. Moreover, you should understand that since your chances of receiving lower home owner insurance quotes is tied to the number of quotes you obtain, the more insurance companies you obtain quotes from, the higher your chances will be. Requesting for your homeowners' insurance quotes online will help you save far more if you invest only 25 minutes to ask for quotes from at least 5 sites.

Get Dirt Cheap Home Insurance Quotes Now And Save!
Get The Best Quotes From Agents In Your Hometown!

Now booking the Ritz Carlton Club at Beaver Creek

Chalets USA are proud to announce the addition of The Ritz Carlton Club at Beaver Creek to their portfolio of skiing holidays. The Ritz Carlton Club ski in ski out 2 and 3 bedroom condominium residences are decorated & furnished to the highest Ritz Carlton standards. In addition guests benefit from all the amenities of the adjacent Ritz Carlton Hotel including slopeside heated outdoor pool, hot tubs & state of the art spa & fitness centre. Ritz Carlton services include a ski valet to warm your boots & prepare your skis, concierge & nanny services. The Ritz Carlton Club is located at Bachelor Gulch in Beaver Creek Ski Resort.

For more info / photos visit http://www.chalets-usa.co.uk/the-ritz-carlton-club-beaver-creek-colorado-usa.htm and enquire for availability.

Queen Anne Corner Desk in Black Distressed Finish

Queen Anne Corner Desk in Black Distressed Finish

Cheaper California Homeowners Insurance Quotes -- Ways To Save Much Without Lowering Your Coverage

There are many options open to everyone who wants affordable California homeowners' insurance. Nevertheless, a number of them could put you at risk. But in this article, I'll share several proven tips for paying less and at the same time maintain adequate coverage. Here they are...

1.Your credit rating has a big impact on what you pay. The lower your credit rating, the higher the premiums you will pay. A poor credit rating implies that you have not been paying your bills in a timely fashion. This is a behavior that most insurers believe will play out again in the way you treat your premiums. If you're seen as a potential defaulter, it makes you a higher risk and attracts much higher premiums than otherwise.

So do your best possible to pay all your bills in a promptly. It makes it easier for you to attract cheaper rates among other things.

2.Maintaining a government homeowner's insurance policy could be making you spend a lot more on your home insurance than you would private companies. It used to be extremely tough to get insurance providers if you live in certain high crime areas or places that were affected by certain natural disasters. The only solution for such people then was to go to a government agency that sold government homeowner's insurance. The case is really different now as private insurance companies are beginning to cater for such regions.

Yes, government homeowner's insurance may still be your only option depending on where you reside. But if your area is presently covered by some private insurers you could make considerable savings by buying from them.

3.Smoking increases the risk of a fire in your home. According to reports, approximately 23,000 residential fires result from smoking. Non-smoking homes get better rates than households with smokers. If you were a smoker at the time you purchased your policy, you're eligible for a review if you have quit. If your insurer refuses to lower your premiums after you have stopped, go to another insurance company.

4.A house that has shatter-proof windows will attract more affordable rates. Therefore, replace your old windows with these moreso if you reside in areas that are troubled by high winds and hail storms. You can as well discuss with your agent first before making the changes as he or she would be in a better position to advise you on how to save the most.

5.Ensure that you fully know the exclusions section of a homeowners insurance policy. Those are things that the policy does not give coverage for.

So before you settle for a cheap rate ensure the policy does not exclude something that might compromise you down the line. Any home insurance policy that places you at risk isn't truly worth the paper it's written on no matter how cheap it is. Before buying make sure you understand what isn't covered to avoid unpleasant suprises.

6. You will save a lot if you really have between 25-30 minutes. Visit, receive and compare California home insurance quotes from selected insurance quotes sites. The cheapest quote should be what you pick easily. However, you have to look beyond just the cheapest quote to the best price to value ratio. The lowest priced may not offer the best price/value for you as an individual.

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attic1 Home Improvement

How to convert a loft

attic1 Home Improvement

Image: a. Murray Construction

Remodeling your attic, you can earn some extra living square footage, you can use for a home office, bedroom, playroom for children, and even a bathroom. What was considered a storage space can now increase the comfort of your home and area.

Firstly it is necessary to consult a specialist to see if your attic is suitable for renovation. Is it structurally sound? Does the home electrical system, water lines and units of air conditioning can reconfigure the attic?

The second thing you must do is set a budget. Consider a realistic amount of go into this business, the money spent must be at least equal to the benefits you get from remodeling the attic.

Make a list of supplies you'll need, including price, comply with the budget.

attic2 Home Improvement

Image: apartment therapy

Watch the walls of your attic. Do they need editing? If yes, then think of drywall or paneling. Advantages and disadvantages: drywall - cheaper, but requires more work woodwork - more expensive than drywall, but easier to install.

What speech? Usually the floor is determined by object part. If you decide to use your old attic room or new games for children, the carpet is the best choice. For a home office or a hardwood floor guest room is perfect. Although more expensive, it is durable and will repay on time.

Furniture: choosing furniture for your newly renovated attic is not a big deal is like furnishing a room with the same goal on the lower levels. However, there is something you should consider - the roof. It comes in different shapes and tastes, so keep in mind.

attic3 Home Improvement
learen more clik://www.homedesignfind.com/home-improvement/how-to-convert-an-attic/

Waterstudio1 green

Dutch Waterstudios Rise Along sea level

Waterstudio1 green
Here's a look at housing in the future. Do not run the risk of catastrophic damage as a change in sea level, just design housing that floats. Waterstudio designer Koen Olthius from Holland, where the management level of the sea for centuries thought of him. He came with a very innovative ideas. All swam residential complex.

Waterstudio4 green
His solution is prefabricated modules for the entire town of floating roads and 60 luxury apartments with parking. Units will be built on a small area, which makes the apartment complex to reach the density of 30 units per acre of water. Outside each apartment is a terrace garden and the complex will include greenhouses.

Waterstudio21 green
From within each apartment, there are views of the water. But it's not just looks. Cool water from the depths of the lake, which will be used to cool the interior temperature of the complex, which helps to save up to 25% more energy than conventional buildings on the land.

Waterstudio3 green
World's first floating apartment complex, stronghold, makes it possible to live on the water and use it for energy, as well.
detail....//www.homedesignfind.com/green/dutch-waterstudios-rise-alongside-sea-levels/#more-7996

Via Eco Friend

home interior - interior decorating pictures

Creativity is the core of interior decorating. You need to let loose your imagination, aesthetic sense, and intelligence, and cull out as many ideas as possible. Interior decorating can be compared to poetry, as both are vast and simply do not seem to have a definite end. You can go on and on and on.

There are several styles of interior decorating. You can browse through them leisurely, compare and contrast their features, advantages and effects, and then select the best option. Broadly speaking, interior-decorating Ideas can be obtained from catalogs, brochures or promotional advertisements released by interior decorators or designers.

Before deciding to adopt any particular idea, its feasibility, affordability, and flexibility needs to be determined. You should never go just by appearance, but consider the appropriateness of the idea. Interior decorating can be obtained from various styles belonging to different areas. The most popular among them are colonial, post-colonial and Georgian.

Primarily, interior-decorating Ideas can be either contemporary or exotic. It depends on the individual’s taste and perception of beauty.

The field of interior decorating is undergoing constant change and growth. It can also include insect and pest-control measures like termite control.

Interior decorating ideas can prove very useful when combined with scientific principles. A small example for this can be seen from a study made by Michigan State University Extension, which found that among the materials used for flooring, slates retained the maximum percentage of heat. On the other hand, bricks absorbed the least percentage of heat.

Interior decorating ideas communicate to the guests too. Hence, the theme of an interior decorating Idea should be to adorn a building in a suitable way. Interior decorating does not stop with mere decorating. It should be an ongoing activity and take into account maintenance, repair, and preventive measures too.

Mexican hyssop

I'm quite fond of hyssops (Agastache spp).

Southwestern U.S. and Mexican natives, they include all sorts of delightful plants that are well-suited to our often droughty summers.

Hummingbirds like to visit their flowers, and they're drought-tolerant, which first got me interested in them , but their variety of forms and flower shapes is equally entrancing.

I planted Mexican hyssop (Agastache mexicana) in an oak half-barrel near the porch early in the summer. The hummingbirds have been enjoying it.

Home interior - Home office decorating

If you don't know what you want for home office decor, these photos may help. See before and after pictures of a bedroom converted to an office, creating workspace from stock cabinets and shelves, and much more.

home interior - Mariani Ideas - Contemporary Kids Bedroom Design

Between about age six and 11, children can experience the world in a wonderfully free way. Liberated from the limitations and frustrations of early childhood but not yet in the thick of the demands and concerns of adolescence, kids, in what classic psychology calls the "latency period," are avidly discovering their world and their own potential. You can guide and support this discovery process by the way you design your child's room.

Grade-schoolers are a mixed bag. Like younger kids, they still need space to play on the floor and kick up their heels in safety. But like older kids, they have to contend with a lot of homework. A good-size desk, a comfortable chair, and a minimum of breakable knickknacks help satisfy both the big and little kid inside your grade-schooler.

When it comes to decorating the space, a grade-schooler is old enough to have significant input. No guarantees, but the more your child is involved in helping plan the room scheme, the likelier it is he or she will take pride in the space and take care of it. Kids this age often have hobbies, interests, or talents that are already part of their self-definition, so by all means reinforce those you feel are positive.

Keep your eyes open for key items that will pull a positive room concept together for your child. It may be easier than you think. One lively boy who loved the big cats but not his pale turquoise walls changed his mind when given a dramatic quilt depicting a rare white tiger with turquoise eyes. The quilt border colors were turquoise, brown, white and green, so the rest of the room took on a jungle theme.

An artistic girl who had a hard time choosing one or two colors for her room found happiness with a rainbow motif. People began giving her rainbow-decorated accessories, so her room came together quickly. A nice plus: Just about any clear, solid color fits in. What theme can you use to knit together your child's preferences and interests with the room and furnishings you already have?

At this stage of the game, you and your child may still clash on the issue of color, but a grade-schooler is also old enough to understand (or at least accept) your explanation. If he wants vivid blue and bright orange, for example, you can satisfy that desire with small furniture items and accents in those hues and treat the walls to a pale, room-expanding tint of light blue or light orange sherbet.

Whether you and your child are inspired by a specific theme or just a color scheme, don't feel you have to create something elaborate. Keep in mind that the pictures you see in this book or in decorating magazines are settings at their "company best." In everyday life, a grade-schooler's toys, books, homework projects, and clothes tend to take over all but the most rigorously policed spaces. Even a minimally decorated room will look plenty busy most of the time, so keep it simple.

One proven, simple approach is to develop a color scheme of two or three hues and stick with it when buying or refurbishing pieces. If you have less-than-pedigreed furniture, paint pieces one color and add wood pulls and knobs in another color or design. If you're buying fabric accessories, use the more sedate color for big items such as a comforter or an upholstered computer chair. Save the brighter, lighter color for pillows and other small accents. If your child's scheme is navy and yellow, for example, you can swap the yellow for red, light green, pink, or any number of other choices when their tastes change without a big investment.

What if your child's favorite colors and preferred theme seem at odds? If that happens (it may, if you've got a particularly imaginative youngster), look beyond the prepackaged ideas out there. For example, a butterfly theme doesn't have to be delicate and pastel; the common monarch butterfly is dramatic black and orange. So, imagine a room with peach walls hung with monarch butterfly prints and black lacquer furniture with brass butterfly drawer pulls. You get the idea. Virtually any concept can be used with a little creativity.

Stumped on how to make it work? Ask your child. To a grade-schooler, the world of imagination is still clear and present, and a sea green giraffe may be just what he or she had in mind.

Home Office Decorating Pictures idea

Home Office Decorating Pictures

California Home Insurance -- 4 Tested Ways To Pay Less

It's really very easy for everyone to buy adequate California home owners insurance coverage at a low price. The only things that stand between you and getting a more affordable rate now are relevant information and a determination to use the information you get. Below are several tips that will help you reach this goal...

1. Ensure you don't fail to subtract the land's cost from the home's value while applying for an California home owner insurance policy. People do this without knowing. Insuring your home for the full price you bought it without subtracting the the land's worth is a big mistake.

For folks who've mistakenly done this, call your agent and go through your California homeowner insurance coverage again. Subtract the land's cost and you will find out that you'll need far less coverage.

This means you will pay far less on home insurance. Since insurance is for things that can be lost or damaged, insuring the land which can neither be lost or damaged isn't a smart move.

2. What you pay as premium is affected by your credit rating. You will pay higher California home insurance premiums if you have a low credit rating. What your credit rating shows is how you treat your bills and it speaks negatively about you if it's a poor one. No insurer likes this as it suggests a pattern you're quite likely to repeat in the payment of rates. This makes you a higher risk to them and yourself, therefore, are made to pay much more than someone else with the same profile that has a very good rating.

So do all within your power to pay all your bills in a timely manner. Apart from the other benefits in doing so, it will help you get cheaper California home insurance rates.

3. Yearly premium payments will save you a lot when compared to monthly payments. A major reason for this is the cost an insurance company incurs for posting you 12 bills instead of just one each year.

The cost shoots up if you include the fact that they pay transaction charges for processing each check you give them monthly as payment. twelve checks mean 12 transactions which incur 12 separate transaction charges. And, believe it or not, these extra costs are ultimately built into your rates.

Therefore choose annual payments instead if you want to save this way. What you'll save could be as much as 8.5% of your total monthly premiumss over the course of just one year.

4. You will save much by visiting at least five California homeowners insurance quotes sites. That way, you will get the lowest quotes available because five sites will present up to 25 quotes altogether.

Get Home Insurance Quotes Now And Save!
Get Free NO-Obligation Home Insurance Quotes And Save Much!

Home interior - Bedroom Interior Design Ideas & Photos

Do you prefer plush padding a minimalist pillow, a decked-out design or toned-down interior? From dazzling abstract designs to humorously offbeat sleeping spaces here are seven brilliant bedroom designs to inspire your imagination. Who knows, with a few decorative adjusts you might be able to remodel your own bedrooms to similar effect.

If you love soft illumination and hate to sacrifice privacy, this bedroom interior has a brilliant combination of strategies from uplighting around the bed itself to wall panels that block direct views and sunlight but let light in around them.

If you are more of a minimalist, this simple bedroom space has a rhythmic modularity and combines soft white walls and ceiling with variegated wood furniture and furnishings for a pleasantly mixed aesthetic experience.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, how would you like to have your bedroom be in the middle of your pool room? You would have to loving swimming to be willing to deal with the moisture issues and harsh lighting that would come with this design strategy.

There are of course many ways to make a minimalist bedroom design more interesting and not all of them have to be as complex and architectural as these. Still, wouldn’t it be wonderful to watch a tree slowly grow up through your skylight?

Home Interior Design | Interior Design Photos

Interior Design Photos



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Living Room Interior Design Photos






Room Interior Design Photos






Room Interior Design

Home interior - Modern house interior design pictures

Modern house interior design pictures



house interior design pictures

Modern house interior designs



Modern house interior designs



Black and white Modern house interior designs