Archive for October, 2007

October 13th, 2007

Every house should have green shutters

I grew up reading “Anne of Green Gables”. Later, I watched the miniseries. Notice how I’m not talking about Anne of Green Gables the continuing story. I just like to pretend that it never happened.

However, Anne really taught me about home & how awful it is to not have a place to belong. Green Gables always seemed like such a magical place in the books. I always wanted to live there. I wasn’t exactly sure what a gable was. So, I was a little disappointed when I saw the miniseries & Green Gables was just a white house with green shutters. It goes to show what a little imagination can do. It’s also a testament to the fact that any house can be magical with the right family.


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October 13th, 2007

A picture’s worth

We moved around a lot when I was growing up. Then we finally settled into a house we built & have lived there for ten years. Well my family has lived there for ten years. I’m part of the boomerang generation so I move home for awhile & then move to an apartment, rinse & repeat. However, when I say the word “home” I’m not usually referring to my apartment. I’m talking about the house that I helped build. I have a vested interest in this place, I pretty much put the entire roof on by myself. As such, I’m always really interested in what is going on here, especially in home improvement. Our conversations over the phone go something like this,

Mom: “I’m thinking of painting the dining room brown”

Me: “Ugly brown or pretty brown”.

Mom: “Well pretty brown. I’m thinking of umm this brownish color you know that is just umm brown”.

I was so excited when I won a Packet8 Video Phone because I would be able to keep track of things at home no matter where I live. I opened up the box & saw this:

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I was so excited that I felt like this:

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I was really impressed that it even came with a nice protective case. I was a little worried about setting it up, but it was really easy. It came with instructions, but I used the online installation guide which was so fun. Whoever thought I would say that installing something was fun?

Then I got the video phone up & running & it looked like this:

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I was amazed at how clear the picture is. The best thing about VOIP is the price. You can have free unlimited calling in the U.S. & Canada for just $24.99 a month. It even works as a router. You can have your traditional phone number transfered to their service which would probably save a lot of money. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words so get a Packet8 phone & see how true that saying is.


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October 12th, 2007

What’s Clive really like?

Clive Pearse from Designed to Sell is pretty easy to like. It’s a case of everything sounds good with an English accent. He could’ve said the most horrible thing on Design Star & people would’ve given him a hug for it.

He has such an amazing voice that he even does all the voice overs for the different versions of the show. However, his voice sounds almost too perfect. For some reason I always imagine that he’s just spent years & years with a voice coach like Eliza Dolittle & that his natural voice is a thick New York accent. I’m sure it isn’t true, but it makes me giggle whenever I watch Design Star. What do you think Clive is really like? Has anyone actually met him?


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October 12th, 2007

The overall idea

I remember the first time I heard the term “french country”. I thought “Umm, I don’t know what that means”. It seems like a lot of TV designers don’t really understand it either. Whenever a new design style comes out I find it very helpful to browse through furniture stores online.

Just today I was looking through a site called American Country. They have everything from log furniture to bistro sets. They have over 4,000 square feet of furnishing. Whether you’re looking for something timeless or contemporary they will have it. What’s really unique about this store is that they arrange their furniture in gorgeous settings so you can get an idea of the overall feeling & theme that this furniture can create.

Their bistro furniture has even been featured on Extreme Makeover Home Edition. They have a nice selection of wicker furniture & Cottage Furniture. I’ve been looking for an area rug for months & I could never find an affordable one. They have a huge selection of southwestern rugs. I had no idea that anything like this existed but I love them. They also have accessories on this site as well as lamps so that you can get the complete look. You won’t have to wonder what “french country” means because you’ll be able to see it.


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October 12th, 2007

More home improvement lessons learned from TV

I’m watching a Six Feet Under marathon & I came in on the middle of the series. I have no idea what is going on or who the people are, but I love the way they decorate. Granted, you probably don’t want your house to feel like a mortuary but there are still a few home improvement tips to be learned from the Six Feet Under sets.

If you have to use “cheap” tile stay away from white. One of the kitchens is decorated with bold red & black tiles. You just notice the unique colors instead of the fact that the tile is plain.

The outside of the house has very dark trim. I can’t tell if it’s dark green or black but it lends an air of elegance & sophistication affordably.

So often we go for neutral sofas. This is smart because our furniture will be around for years. However, you can still have a slight pattern in a neutral color to bring more texture to the room.

If you have wooden stairs, put a runner on them for a warmer feel.



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