Category: Eclectic Homes

I love to gather friends, family and neighbors together to see as the sun sinks to the horizon on warm summer nights. I enjoy the chaos of children running in and out of the house and yard, flashlight tag and conversations over the fire pit or barbecue. I’ve been noticing that when I have designated fun items at the beginning of summer, impromptu parties and entertaining are a breeze, and when they are shatterproof, all the better. I generally prepare a huge crate of some type and stock it with utensils, melamine plates, glassware, platters, napkins and the like. I would love to share a few items that can help you set a casual yet trendy outside entertaining area with just a bit of preparation, and no broken glass encouraged. — Sasha from Lemonade Makin’ Mama Crate&Barrel Jelli Green Flatware – $1.95 I love the cheerful apple green colour of…

After the (let’s call it what it is) anxiety of buying holiday gifts, I really look forward to the time when I could sit down and wrapping them. With lovely newspaper in hand, I tape and garnish with beautiful ribbon or twine. Taking my time, I relax into the task. That is when I feel that the joy of the season upon me. — Justine from Design Skool Angela Liguori Pikku’s wrap paper is a new holiday tradition of mine. Angela Liguori Wrapped Cotton – $8 Angela Liguori of Studio Carta imports this odd and beautiful string-wrapped cotton ribbon from Italy. Angela Liguori Tight Weave Cotton Ribbon – $10 In loose or tight weave, Studio Carta’s Italian cotton ribbon is offered in a plethora of colors. IKEA Julmys Gift Bags – $2.99 Every year before the holidays, I go to Ikea for a few basic, cheap wrapping. This year’s favorites…

The drain hose to a washing machine conducts the discharged, filthy water from the pump to your home’s drain. On a few washers, the hose is one piece, though other units use a hose assembly. The assembly contains two seams linked by means of a separator plate on the washer’s back panel. The cabinet, that’s the steel cover of the washing machine, usually must be removed to access the pump-out hose. Over time, the hose may become clogged, crack or split, leading to leaks, so it has to be replaced. Unplug the washing machine from the electrical outlet. Turn off the hot and cold water supply spigots. Remove the screws securing the control panel to the peak of the washing machine. The screw could be located at the front or back corners of the panel. If there are no screws, add a putty knife between the panel and the top…

A well-manicured landscape begins long before the initial seeds hit the ground. Every home landscape differs, but the process is similar regardless of how the finished product looks. Whether you do the job yourself or hire a landscaping company, an understanding of how landscaping works prepares you for the process. Planning Prior to break ground for any landscaping project, you need a plan that defines what you’re doing. The program should include the scope, budget, dimensions and details of the undertaking. For example, if you’re assembling a raised planting bed from bricks, the plan would outline the magnitude of the planter, including width, depth and height. The landscaping plans maintain the project organized and also help you compute materials needed. For a large-scale project, a landscape designer or architect can help you create a plan that will do the job. Ground Preparation The ground requires at least some groundwork before…

Among the a variety of security features built into a modern hot water heater, maybe the most crucial is the pressure and temperature relief valve. Also known as the T & P or TPR valve, this distinctive safety valve is mainly responsible for making sure a warm water heater stays within its intended temperature and pressure limits. If something goes wrong, the valve opens to release excess pressure by means of a discharge line. Replacing a relief valve isn’t a challenging procedure, but maintain your main pipe wrench handy if corrosion on the threads makes the old one difficult to eliminate. Turn the hot water heater control valve to the off position and the temperature dial to its smallest setting. Turn off the water supply to the heater in the valve located on the cold water running into the tank. Instead, switch off the water in the home supply valve….

The time that it takes to close a mortgage loan varies with the type of mortgage, buyer/homeowner scenarios, and lender efficiency. A good rule of thumb, however, would be to presume that a typical mortgage will take approximately four to six months to close from application . The most common key ingredient in this recipe is for you to have a completed application as soon as possible. Understand that certain loans may need a slightly longer period to reach closure. Completed Application The key to estimating a date is the day. Just submitting a mortgage application (Form 1003) is inadequate. If an application is submitted by you, be certain it is accompanied with income verification — at least two recent pay stubs and the two decades’ W-2s or 1099s your lender requests. Often, they will need bank statements — up to six months — from the main financial institutions, evidence…

The Federal Reserve is the only government agency commissioned by Congress to act as the central bank of the nation and oversee the long-term performance of the economy. The economy is, influenced by the Fed, as the Federal Reserve is called through actions called policy levers. One of the most significant levers of monetary policy is placing the federal funds rate, which has derivative consequences on mortgage rates. Wallpaper The Federal Reserve has the authority to affect interest rates but not to directly set any rates at the marketplace. Instead, the supply and demand for cash sets mortgage rates in the housing markets. The division of the Federal Reserve Bank in San Francisco specifies that the Fed’s actions to affect interest rates mostly affect short-term and not automatically long-term rates employed for mortgages. The Federal Reserve affects mortgage rates by controlling the quantity of money circulating in the economy, which…

For homeowners and other property owners, property taxes are an unavoidable fact of life. Local governments use property tax revenue to finance important services and operate public school systems. But, property taxes pose several problems for the economy, homeowners and even the governments that gain revenue through charging real estate taxation. Administrative Costs One of the largest problems with property taxes is the high level of administrative expenses. Governments must keep track of home values by employing assessors who inspect properties, study market trends and determine the added value of a new addition or home renovation. Governments with specific earnings targets can adapt property tax rates to fulfill their financial needs, but this also takes money and time. Compared to sales taxation and other sorts of local revenue, property tax is a intricate system which lacks efficiency. Rate Disparity Each local government places its own property tax rate based on…

I am actually pretty rubbish at geography, but I love maps. There are so many great ones out there that I need to prevent myself from placing one on each wall of the house. Maybe if I did, I’d find out a thing or 2. — Melanie from You Are My Fave Famille Summerbelle World Map – $54.25 The details of this map are fairly fantastic. You’d spot something new each single time you looked at it. Etsy National Parks Checklist Printing on Canvas from Ello There – $95 I have been a fan of this national parks program and think it would be the ideal aim to go to all them! Fine Little Moment Nice Small World Printing – EUR 40 I love the adorable illustrated details on this colorful world map. It offers a different way to look at things. UncommonGoods Scratch Map – $24 This map is…

When replacing metal roofing, removing the nails is a tedious and necessary procedure. You can make the job easier on yourself with the correct tools, which include a hammer, kitty’s paw pry bar and a block of wood to get leverage. Safety First! When removing metal roofing panels, it’s important to begin at the peak of the roof and work your way down. After all of the nails are gone, nothing is holding the panel to the roof deck — it can slide, and you do not wish to be standing on it when it does. Instead, when removing the last couple of nails, you should be standing on a ladder firmly clinging to the side of their building. Pulling Nails To pull each nail, then you first need to boost the mind a small amount. The best method to do that is to pound the pointed jaws of a…