All Around the House

Building a new home can be seen as one of the biggest moments in your life. Despite the fact that it can be stressful and possibly quite expensive, it can also serve as an exciting venture. Wondering where to begin and saving money reins supreme when taking on this type of project. The following will definitely help whilst building a new property of your own. Save Money and Time By Being the General Contractor In the event that you have carried out proper research and the required due diligence, you can take on the role of a General Contractor. Hiring a general contractor can be an expensive process, especially if the wrong or an incompetent one is hired. This will only pay off of you know what you are doing. Apparently, you can save up to 10% of your expenses on the home you are building. Get to Do Some of the Work Yourself This should only apply to areas of building where you have expertise, experience and a proven track record. Ultimately you must be honest with yourself and hav...

From seed packet labels to fruit crate logos, vintage food labels lend themselves to a variety of kitchen decor projects. Simple to craft and colorful to display, food art labels add charm, history, and timeless artwork to any kitchen, from chic and modern decor to folk art or fifties-era fixtures. From items large and small, vintage-inspired objects for kitchen decor are crafted by hand using easy techniques. Each project is open to creative interpretation, making it flexible for any kitchen’s decor. Finding Vintage Food Art Food labels from the turn of the nineteenth century all the way through the fifties showcased creative names and colorful artwork, from “Morning Judge” orange juice to “Bull Terrier” instant coffee. Whimsy and artistic talent wove advertisements and product artwork that today commands high prices on the collectibles market. Public domain food art and advertisements are fair game for crafters and decorators in search of classic vintage designs for kitchen decor...

If you are preparing beds for landscaping around your house this article should simplify the process for you. I say that because of everything that is written about this subject, some of it is accurate, some of it is just plain wrong, and much of it is much more complicated than it needs to be. I like to think of myself as Simple Simon. I find the easiest, yet most effective way to do things, and they work. Let’s assume that the area where you are planning your bed is now nothing more than grass. How do you get rid of the grass? Chemicals or no chemicals? Chemicals are easy, and fast.   Check out this post to learn more about using herbicides. The first thing you need to do is mark out where your planting bed is going to be. Spend some time on this step. If you are landscaping around your house, give careful consideration to what is going to be planted in the bed, and then decide how large each plant is going to be when fully mature.   Need some help with planning your ...

When thinking of starting your own vegetable garden, it is best that you begin small. Do not make an attempt to plant several vegetables, herbs or fruit plants than you can’t manage. Rather, try to cultivate a few quality vegetables, fruit plants and herbs that you love to eat. Starting your own vegetable garden will be a joyful experience when the end produce will be something you will consume. There are many beginners who lose their interest in vegetable garden very fast. The ideal location for your garden, therefore, should be a place, where you can have a clear view. It is true that regular sight of your garden will amplify your love for it. If you can watch your garden in the morning from your breakfast window and follow its growth, the chances are that you would find time for your vegetable garden. There is plenty of information on this site on the way to achieve the maximum from your garden. Undoubtedly, all those tips are useful. However, when you attempt to apply all your re...

It’s no secret that we are putting pressure on our world’s already limited natural resources. Although it may seem that doing small ‘green’ things – like turning off a dripping faucet or switching off appliances instead of keeping then on stand by – is not enough, a little help can do far more good than we can imagine. If you’re planning a renovation or are moving into a new home, here are a few ways to make the kitchen eco-friendly as well. Appliances Buy appliances that are certified with an Energy Star label as they reduce energy usage by up to 50 per cent and limit carbon dioxide emissions as well. Also, turn devices like the microwave, cooker and water heater off when not in use as being on stand by means they are still silently draining electricity. Ovens The code word here is convection – not convention. Convection ovens – whether in a gas or electric stove – are more desirable as the fan it comes fitted with distributes heat more uniformly helping cook food evenly and speed...

The Beginning: A Bare Slate When building a new home the first thing that happens is all the land gets cleared of any trees and plants. So when the building is completed and it is time to do the landscaping, you start planning with a bare slate. In order to cut costs we opted to skip the professional landscaper and do the landscaping ourselves. This is how we did it. It has been almost ten years now since we moved into our dream home that we designed. For over a year, we watched daily as it began to take shape as it was built from the ground up. The house is on the side of a steep hill that had just enough land leveled to build the house on. In discussing the design, we decided we wanted a swimming pool. Because of the shape of the house there would be no way to get the big equipment required to dig a hole for a swimming pool into the back yard after the house was built. Therefore, the swimming pool was the first thing that we broke ground on. Bare Hill + Heavy Rain = Mud Slides int...

Many people are trying to grow their own vegetables at home in a backyard garden. This is something that most people in America used to do about 60 years ago. For awhile the practice stopped but many are returning. If you aren’t sure what you are doing, you won’t have very much success. There are things you should be doing to increase the chances of growing better vegetables. Plant vegetables that are designed for your zone. Look up your growing zone and start off with the vegetables that best grow in it. This takes care of temperature for the most part making it easier to have success the first time you attempt to do this. Sunlight is something that you need to be careful about. Many plants are picky on getting proper sunlight each day. Look at your yard and notice where the shadows are during the day. You need to plant things exactly where the sun shines properly. Follow the watering for each plant carefully. Notice the signs of too much and too little water. Either way will ruin ...

Having a new baby means lots of new items to find a place for in your home. You can double your closet space to hold all of those items by installing a Kolcraft custom closet organization system. You will have a clothing rod to hang all of those cute outfits on. You can also choose to purchase small hangers that fit them perfectly. Shelves are a very good option for storing, and you will get eight of them. Use them for diapers, clothing, anything you desire. You can use the Kolcraft closet organization system to set up your infant’s items any way you like. These shelves are great installed underneath the clothing rod. It can get tricky accessing items you need with a baby in your arms. Kolcraft understands this and the closet organization system is devised with that in mind. Convenience is the key when it comes to getting your infant’s items. Mesh compartments work well for storing medicines, lotions, creams, and other items you use on a regular basis for your baby. Kolcraft understa...