Entries for October, 2008
Home sellers find that exterior detailing, including copper weather vanes, copper planters, and Brass doorknockers provide eye-catching curb appeal that draws potential buyers. Copper weathervanes and other exterior details also add a touch of welcoming elegance and a perception of added value that can help keep sale prices high.
Even in a seller’s market, it’s important that any for-sale home stand out from other choices on a buyer’s list. “A buyer may visit several realtors and look at up to two-dozen properties in one day,” explains businessman Russell Cazeault. “That means it’s critical to make a good and lasting impression. Exterior detailing like copper weathervanes, copper wind chimes and copper planters are an affordable way for home owners to say ‘Welcome home’ to prospective buyers.”
Cazeault has been helping homes makes a good impression for 18 years. He is president of the Cape Cod Weathervane Company which offers a vast selection of decorative copper details and cooper accents for home exteriors. “Our traditional Cape Cod copper weathervanes are hand-crafted by master artisans with unsurpassed quality and attention to detail,” says Cazeault with pride.
The company also offers a line of nautical weathervanes and has recently added Cape Cod Address Plaques to its product line. Copper weather vanes, brass door knockers, and cast aluminum address plaques are “functional as well as artful,” says Cazeault. ‘This makes them an addition to the value of any home.
Command High Prices With 10 Low-Cost Fixes
Cazeault admits that copper weathervanes may not immediately spring to mind as an incentive for buyers. In fact, when it comes time to ready a home for sale, most owners grab their ladders and paint brushes, purchase lumber and tools, and make plans to do a little fixing up. Before long, “they’ve spent all their evenings and weekends and all their money making interior changes that may never be seen because the exterior wasn’t inviting,” explains Cazeault.
According to Cazeault, the best way to ‘grab eyeballs’ is with his Top Ten Quick Fixes To Improve Home Sale Prices. “These are things any homeowner can do that provides noticeable improvement. And each item takes no more than a few hours – many less than an hour.”
***Buy quality welcome mats for all entry doors (This makes an unmistakable psychological impression.)
***Paint your front door (Cracked and peeling paint on a front door signals to a potential buyer that the house has not been well maintained.)
Changing the color of your front door is also an easy way to draw attention to your house, which is helpful when the For Sale sign goes up.
***Add a brass doorknocker (“A door knocker adds old-world warmth and charm to an entry,” observes Cazeault. “Brass door knockers can be a real conversation piece. The hardest part for most people is deciding which knocker to choose… In most cases they are torn between two or three different styles.
***Substitute copper rain chains for old downspouts (“Copper rain chains channel water from the gutter to the ground, but they’re much more attractive than a downspout,” “They can drain into a basin, a rock garden, or directly into the ground
***Replace old house numbers with a new colorful address plaque. (“Nothing ‘dates’ a home more than shabby numbers that have lost their sheen,” explains Cazeault.)
***Replace aging light fixtures with a copper lantern or brass onion lamp.
(“The inexpensive plastic fixtures that the builder let you have for a song may be functional, but they do little to enhance your homes appearance,” observes Cazeault. “A modest investment in a new brass light fixture can make a big difference in how your home is perceived)
***Add a cupola (The cupola experts at the Cape Cod Weathervane Company recommend that a cupola be 1 – 1 ½” wide for every foot of roof line)
***Top it off with a copper weathervane. (“Standing high above your house silhouetted by the sky, an elegant copper weathervane adds timeless grace and gives your home that New England feel,”
***Consider outdoor art. Use barn stars or wall art to enhance large empty windowless walls on the back of a home, garage or shed.)
***Use copper urns and copper planters. (For the horticulturally challenged, try arrangements of silk and plastic flowers)
Easy To Mine Copper
Written by cashvault at 01:09 PM. Filed under Daily.
Is there any way to accurately compare alternative health medicine to standard medicine? This is a question that many people have on their minds. After all, if you are sick you may want to look into both ways of doing things. The only problem with this is that you need to know the pros and cons of both alternative health medicine and standard medicine. Compiling this information on your own can be a difficult task to say the least.
There is one main reason that many people look into alternative health medicine. Do you know what it is? In most cases, the reason for this is that standard medicine is not working for them. If you find yourself in this position, alternative health medicine is something to look into. After all, if it is going to help you to get better does it really matter how it happens?
Most people who avoid alternative health medicine do so because they are afraid of what it is all about. Remember, alternative health medicine is not nearly as popular as more traditional methods. For this reason, you get a lot of people who stay away from alternative health medicine because they are simply afraid of what it will bring.
If you are interested in learning more about alternative health and standard medicine, you should look into the pros and cons of each one. You may even want to see doctors who practice both types of medicine. This will give you the best chance to determine the pros and cons of each type of medicine.
Overall, both alternative health medicine and standard medicine have a lot to offer. There is no way of saying for sure which one is better for you. Only you can determine if alternative health medicine is better for you, or vice versa.
Written by cashvault at 01:10 PM. Filed under Daily.
The first part of our lives, we come to learn the ways of the world.
The second part is spent unlearning.
Some of us are faster learners than others, and unlearners. The trick is to remember the unlearning because if you don't, you get stuck in delusion.
For instance, I'll use the example of illness, one of the Big Ones.
We learn early on to have an aversion to getting sick.
Yet we may get more attention, people take care of us, we may get to stay by ourselves to contemplate the delirious thoughts rumbling round and round in our heads.
Most recently, I was in bed with a fever of 103 degrees. I used "The Work" of Byron Katie and Ho'oponopono to heal my thoughts about the illness.
Ho'oponopono is an ancient Hawaiian healing technique that simply requires the inner chanting of four phrases: I love you, Thank you, Please forgive me, (for the part I played in bringing about this "problem"), I am sorry (for the part I played).
Byron Katie's "The Work" is a process where a "problem" is scrutinized with Inquiry, or a series of questions, that puts the responsibility right back where it belongs--inside yourself.
The 4 questions of Byron Katie's "The Work"
1) Is it true?
2) Can you absolutely know for sure that it's true?
3) How do you react when you think that thought?
4) Who would I be without that thought?
---and turn it around---
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I awoke at 3 a.m. one morning with fever and said to myself: "I feel terrible."
"The Work" began to immediately flow through me, as if called by the Creative Source.
Is this true?
Yes, it is true.
Can I absolutely know without that it is true?
Yes, without doubt.
How do I react when I think the thought: I feel terrible?
Well, I create a story of how terrible I feel, how frustrated I am because the fever won't break, how I want to do other things but can't. I just am not enjoying myself.
Who would I be without the thought: I feel terrible?
I'd just be me, lying in bed with a fever, turning to look out the window, witnessing hundreds of lightening bugs blinking majestically there, like a mid-year Christmas light display.
I'd just be lying here saying: Thank you body, thank you fever;
I love you body, I love you fever; I'm sorry and forgive me for the part I played in bringing about this illness.
Turn it around?
I don't feel terrible.
I feel enlivened.
I feel like the inner fire of the fever is changing me forever.
I feel like the fever is the gateway to transformation.
I feel like the fever gave me this opportunity to spontaneously use "The Work" without even trying to use it and that "The Work" was using me.
Ho'oponopono effortlessly flowed through me like music to my soul.
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Written by cashvault at 01:11 PM. Filed under Daily.
Adding a border color to the outside perimeter of a room can really add a touch of class. Experienced carpet installers are generally familiar with the steps involved. It's fairly straight forward. You may be new to rug fabrication, if so, then here are two quick and concise step by step techniques that are guaranteed to get the job done.
In this case we'll imagine that you are installing new carpet in a 12' x 12' room, you are also going to add a complimentary 12" border around the perimeter.
Beginners technique - keep reading for a more advanced technique.
Step 1. Precut your borders, 4 @ 12' x 12" in., prep and clean floor. Install tackless strips and padding.
Step 2. Drop your carpet, install & powerstretch.
Step 3. Measure from the wall 12" - cut through & mark on each end of the carpet. Mark the backside.
Step 4. Flip back the carpet, just enough to cut the 12" strip & remove with your straight edge.
Step 5. Repeat on wall #2.
Step 6. Put your borders in place on walls 1 & 2.
Step 7. Using a seaming iron, seam borders to the main carpet, wait a few minutes.
Step 8. Use a kneekicker to re-install the carpet on walls 1 & 2.
Step 9. Repeat these steps for walls 3 & 4.
While there is some wasted carpet involved with this technique, it's still the easiest & fool proof way to get the job done.
Advanced Technique-
Step 1. Precut your borders, 4 @ 13" x 12', prep and clean floor. Install tackless strips and padding
Step 2. Cut field carpet to size - 10' x 10'. Place field piece into center of room.
Step 4. Layout your borders and seam to the field piece with a seaming iron, wait a few minutes before installing.
Step 5. Install with a power-stretcher. Be careful, gently stretch the carpet until you have 1" excess to trim.
This approach requires more precision during the installation. The benefits are that you have no wasted carpet. The overall Install can be faster as well.
Quick Tips-
Tip #1-
Some rooms may have several 'jogs' or 'legs' that interfere with your nice straight borders. For example: a doorway, or sliding door, or connection to another room can force your border 'out or in' a couple of inches or more. Make it easy on yourself. Don't bother making adjustments that small. Imagine the field piece within the room to be as straight as possible. Your borders will then vary slightly in widths as they absorb the 'jogs'. It looks better too!
Tip #2 -
Pre-fabricate and bevel multiple borders before installing. It's always easier to produce these custom rugs in your workshop prior to going 'on-site'. Do as much pre-fabricating as possible. If you are comfortable pre-fabricating the whole project and the rooms are not too large, then doing so can save you time and increase your profits. Go for it.
Written by cashvault at 01:12 PM. Filed under Daily.
Since the beginning of time men have worked with wood to mould it into shelter and to serve many different functions. Really the only thing that has changed is the tools they use to make their projects. In fact, the basic concepts of drilling, sawing, and shaping have remained the same throughout time. It is only the speed and precision with which they are able to do it that has changed.
The 3 Most Important Pieces of Woodworking Machinery
If you could only stock your workshop with three pieces of machinery, what would they be? Here are some reasons why these 3 pieces of equipment make a complete workshop.
1. Circular or Table Saw: This can be a handheld or table saw. A table saw offers more versatility as it can be angled for mitre cuts and allows jigs to be used for better precision in cutting long lengths of boards. A hand saw can make straight or curved cuts. Even materials other than wood, such as vinyl siding, can be cut with a saw with interchangeable blades.
2. Router with Table: A router allows for fancier cuts and more professional looking woodworking projects. The table beneath the router just makes the job easier. A guide fence keeps wood in place as it cuts. An adjustable table will allow you to work intricate details at a height that gives you the most control.
3. Jig Saw: When your wood projects are not limited to mouldings and flooring a jig saw allows you to craft all sorts of smaller, more detailed projects. You can create toys, decorations, carve signs or intricate fireplace mantels with a jig saw.
Of course there are dozens of pieces of woodworking machinery and basic tools that serious wood workers need. Usually the home improvement novice starts with the tools they need for their first project and build from there. In trying to decide what a good first project to tackle is and which tools are needed to go with it, one of the easiest and most affordable is to install wood mouldings. Crown moulding is inexpensive and requires learning how to make mitre cuts. There are corner pieces on the market that make the job even easier and the only machinery needed is a basic saw. An air compressor that has a hydraulic finishing nailer attached is also another great piece of machinery for installing wood mouldings or flooring.
Timeless Tools of the Trade
There are hand tools that are timeless and are still used the same today as they were even centuries ago. The chisel for example can shape a single piece of wood into a masterpiece. A good set of chisels today can still create the details of a router with precision based on the skill of the craftsman.
A hand square or set of squares allow for exact squaring of corners and edges. They are the first step in the old carpenter’s adage, “measure twice and cut once.” Squares make sure everything is right before making any permanent cuts.
Combining the best of the old and the new is most likely to create a workshop of woodworking tools and machinery that work for you. Soon you’ll develop a preference for the way one tool works over another and your inventory of machinery will grow to reflect the next big project on your list.
Written by cashvault at 01:13 PM. Filed under Daily.
Many people choose hardwood flooring because it is easy to maintain and keep looking great. True, you will not have to worry about hardwood staining if you spill grape juice on it, as you do with carpet. However, there are a few things that you need to remember when you are dealing with hardwood. Once you have spent a great deal of time and money on your beautiful hardwood floor, you will want to keep it looking fantastic. Many people choose hardwood flooring because it is easy to maintain and keep looking great. True, you will not have to worry about hardwood staining if you spill grape juice on it, as you do with carpet. However, there are a few things that you need to remember when you are dealing with hardwood.
1) The most important cleaning tip for hardwood is preventative maintenance. By cleaning your floors regularly and sweeping or vacuuming dirt and debris, you will save yourself a lot of time and expense in the long run.
2) Wipe up any spills as soon as they occur. Although you will not have an instant stain when you spill on hardwood floor as you do with carpet, you may expose your hardwood to staining if you do not wipe up spills in a timely fashion. Once stains have a chance to set into the hardwood you may have to refinish the floor in order to get the stain out.
3) Sweep your floor everyday or as needed. It is important to sweep up any dirt or debris off of your floor as necessary so that the dirt doesn’t scratch the wood. This will vary from house to house of course. If you have a high traffic home, you may need to sweep a few times a day. Although, you may only need to sweep every few days.
4) Use a hardwood cleaner once a week to keep your floor looking its best. Hardwood floor cleaners are available at any home improvement center or at a flooring center. They are quite easy to use, and with a little preventative maintenance, you will thank yourself in the future. Simply spray the cleaner on and use a cloth or hardwood broom to buff the floor gently.
5) Never use water and soap when cleaning your hardwood. Hardwood is not like linoleum or even laminate flooring and you cannot use a bucket of sudsy, soapy water to clean it. In fact, you can damage your floor if you try to mop it in a traditional style. Because wood is susceptible to water damage, you want to minimize the contact that your floor has with water. Water will seep into the cracks of the boards and can cause swelling, discoloration and deformation of the boards.
6) Protect your floor from furniture scratches and gouges. It is a very good idea to place felt on the bottom of all of your furniture in order to protect it from scratches. This is particularly important for furniture pieces that move a great deal such as your kitchen chairs. But it is a good idea to protect all pieces equally. You can purchase felt at the local hardware store, and cut it to size to fit the bottom of every piece of furniture that you have.
7) Polish your floor regularly. If you have a hardwood floor with a wax finish, you may want to wax it on a regular basis to keep it looking shiny and new. The waxing process will also will also help buff any scratches out of your floor as well. Every wax product is different so it is important to read the directions carefully and also consult the manufactures guidelines of your flooring before applying any wax product.
With a little bit of preventative maintenance and some common sense, you will be able to keep your hardwood floor looking fabulous for many years. There are only a few simple steps and rules to follow when dealing with hardwood flooring because it is actually one of the easiest flooring types to care for.
Written by cashvault at 01:14 PM. Filed under Daily.
For your famous oil painting reproductions and original artwork to retain their beauty for many years to come, The World's Artist (TWA) http://theworldsartist.com provides the following simple guide for the care of your oil painting reproductions, portraiture or fine art original oil painting.
Handling your oil paintings: Unframed oil painting reproductions or original oil painting should be handled as little as possible and when oil painting reproductions or oil paintings must be handled, ensure that your hands are washed beforehand and are free of grease or lotions. Never lift your unframed oil painting reproduction (not on a stretcher frame) with bare fingers by the edges or touch the surface. Wear gloves, use tissue paper, or lift from beneath using cardboard to support and hold the cardboard, not the oil painting.
Framing your oil paintings: Framing should be done to the highest quality affordable, using acid free materials that will not interact with the hand painted oil painting to enable it to be displayed for optimum visual effect. Quality framing is not expensive and well worth it.
Hanging your oil paintings: Your oil painting reproduction or original oil painting should be hung using high quality multi strand, braided picture wire, attached to the frame (or stretcher frame) via swivel jointed eyes and suspended from heavy duty wall hooks. Heavy framed fine art should always be hung from two hooks, each capable of supporting double the weight of the frame for safety reasons.
Lighting: Avoid direct sunlight. Fading due to UV rays is cumulative and irreversible. If possible, display in a room with blinds or curtains.
Climate: Avoid locating oil painting reproductions, portraits in oil or original oil paintings in an area of sudden temperature changes from hot to cold. The room temperature and relative humidity should remain reasonably constant, as large temperature changes cause expansion and contraction of both the oil painting and frame, which can lead to structural damage in hand painted canvas oil paintings and cause a small rippling effect. Temperature should be between 50F/10c to 77F/25c and between 40% to 60% relative humidity. Do not locate directly in the field of any forced ventilation. If you are located in a humid or coastal area, consider the use of a de-humidifier.
Cleaning oil paintings copies: Oil paintings should be gently dusted, if anything sticks to the paintings, have it professionally cleaned.
Accidents: If the oil painting reproduction or portrait painting gets wet, seek repair advice from a professional immediately. It is important to dry the 100% hand painted canvas oil painting right away before mould starts. Your home insurance should cover such accidents.
Varnishing oil paintings: All 100% hand painted canvas oil paintings and portraiture are provided unvarnished by default. Varnishing is not essential. It can undertaken by an experienced buyer or a restorer: in order to be protect the fine art for display, to give it a desired matt, semi-gloss, or gloss surface finish or to simply enhance the surface luster after a period of time. Varnishing also gives a uniform surface appearance to your paintings, as different oil paints and colors can harden with a slightly different surface 'sheen', especially at areas of overlapping between sessions. Do not varnish for at least 6 months to allow sufficient hardening of the oil paint.
Written by cashvault at 01:15 PM. Filed under Daily.
So you're ready to start your design build remodeling project. You have hired yourself a contractor and are raring to go right? Wrong!
Of course a new renovation project is an exciting time especially a design build project which allows for the most instantaneous freedom of expression. Anticipating the end and having a fresh new look is a temptation to hurry the process along. But a word of caution; walk don't run. A design build project can also be difficult to keep on track if you don't have a plan.
Unless you are someone with endless means, don't get ahead of yourself, the work you do up front could potentially save you thousands even tens of thousands of dollars in the end.
Working out a comprehensive budget that will get you both the final design you desire while keeping you out of financial trouble is sometimes a high-wire balancing act. But it can be done.
Ok so how do you achieve this important goal when you don't even know everything you want? Well first you must take some important steps that if not done, can have a negative impact on your actual budget.
Here's the Top 10:
1. You must realistically decide how much you can "invest" in this project. And it is truly an investment as you will benefit financially from the return on investment (roi).
2. Determine what type of funding will you use? Savings, personal note, home equity line of credit or loan? Choosing the right type of funding can also save you money. You should speak to your financial advisor.
3. How much of a contingency are you able to set aside for unforeseen conditions which result in changes. (It should be at least 15%; 20% if possible).
4. Get the basic design on paper as soon as possible. This would include plans, elevations and specifications. Whatever can be determined up front should be. This will help solidify your budget.
5. Obtain a minimum of three bids from contractors based on the basic design intent. Make sure they are pricing apples to apples.
6. Establish allowances for all large purchases such as plumbing fixtures, appliances, lighting and stick to them.
7. Check contractor references thoroughly; view their work if possible. Having an incompetent contractor will cost you money.
8. Get it in writing. Whatever pricing, materials and/or project schedules are agreed upon up front, they should be part of a written contract.
9. If your renovation project is large (and large is relative to your budget), you may want to consult an attorney to review or even write the contract for you.
10. Require insurance certificates (general liability and workmen's compensaton) from your contractor and subcontractors.
Written by cashvault at 01:16 PM. Filed under Daily.
Are we responsible for how our partners treat us? Can we help them learn how to open up and talk to us or do they come to us hard wired from the factory? I think we are the deciding factor in how it all turns out.
This is NOT about abuse. There is no way we can solve someone else’s anger or need for control problem. The only solution for this is to get out. What I’m talking about is warm, open communication about everything from what to do this weekend to how we like being pleasured.
So what’s up with the change that takes place soon after the dating faze is over? Seemingly all of a sudden we start complaining about the things we thought were cute before or just overlooked. So ladies, if we are the thermometers of our relationships, it’s possible to turn up the heat and get things rocking again. Look at these 7 steps and see how many you can incorporate into your life:
• The Wow Factor. Looking your best is very important to men. Men are Visual beings and they notice the little things their women do for them — like painting your toe nails, dressing up for dinner some nights and how about fixing your hair the way he likes it. It all adds the WOW, When you walk into a room and you turn his head, you don’t have to be model perfect, he loves you the way you are. He does love it when you snazz yourself up a bit just for him.
• Be a Good Conversationalist. Read a good book, newspaper or watch the news, study a new topic, so you have something other than the same old topics to discuss together like work, bills or family drama.
• Plan a Date. When was the last time you went on a date? I mean a real date no kids, no phones, no friends and no in-laws. Take an interest in him and what he likes to do. This is why a lot of men seek out their friends for fun. It’s easy to make yourself more interesting and fun than the guys.
• Pillow Talk. Here is a fun topic! Let your Sensuality go wild once in a while. I know you don’t have much time, what with the job, the house, the kids, the community events, etc., but you don’t have to give this important area up just because you’re busy. Start with sexy underwear. You’ll always feel in the mood if you know that underneath it all you’re a woman ready to be taken. Once you start this, your mind will go on overtime and you’ll come up with lots of ideas that suit just the two of you.
• Mystery. Every man likes a little mystery. Do you remember when you kept a little back and was a bit of a tease? Well let’s go there again — flirt, play and remember he doesn’t need to know everything. Shock him a bit!
• Pamper your Man. This may be hard at first if you are angry or resentful that he doesn’t do this for you, but there is no better way to soften the heart of a man than to make him feel loved and pampered. He will want to reciprocate just to get more of it. Cook him his favorite meal or go to his favorite restaurat and wear one of his favorite outfits. All during the meal come across with some sexy innuendos and remember that you’re setting the temperature on this and he WILL take the bait.
• Laugh it off. Laughter makes everyone feel better. Laugh at the silly things he does while reminding him what a man he is. If you look at everything for the humor in it you’ll be far less angry and frustrated and much happier overall.
Get started heating things up!
Maureen Shaw is the author of the book how to win the dating game, “Do you know how to get lucky online?” She does. She didn't always know. It took her several years of watching how other people got lucky and now you can learn it for yourself.
Written by cashvault at 01:18 PM. Filed under Daily.