Our friends Tom and Tera recently moved from Hoboken, NJ to Raleigh, NC. They're enjoying new home ownership and have been tackling do-it-yourself projects every weekend.
They recently shared a flower bed makeover with us. The plan was to overhaul the existing bed in the front of the house (4'x13') and create two new beds around the steps (3'x4').
Here's how they did it in their own words
The front bed had a couple bushes in it, both of which were doing alright, and a lot of weeds and old mulch. The two areas around the steps were still grass, but had some pretty healthy growth, so we assumed the soil was fairly healthy.
Budget
We gave themselves a $200 budget, and came in just at that number. The supplies for the first stage all came from Home Depot:
4 - MiracleGro Garden Soil (2 cu. feet): $7.47 per bag
1- True Temper Hand Trowel: $3.97
2 - True Temper Bronco Hand Cultivator: $3.97
7 - Cast iron fleur de lis borders: $2.88 (these were on clearance, ended up being short one but worth the investment)
1 pair - Performance Select Mens Split Leather Palm Safety Cuff Work Gloves: $1.97
1 pair - Performance Select Latex Dipped String Knit Work Gloves: $3.97
1 - Miracle Gro Shake N Feed (1.8 lbs): $6.18
Vessel sinks are the hottest new trend in bathroom design. In many ways, vessel sinks are a throwback to a time before plumbing when people washed up each morning in elaborate china basins that sat atop their bedroom vanities.
During Victorian times these beautiful China fixtures were paired with matching floral and gilt pitchers to hold the water, and some people still collect these sets. Vessel sinks are a beautiful new take on an old idea.
Today's vessel sinks offer many more choices than their Victorian counterparts. Copper vessel sinks enhance Arts & Crafts Revival decor in bungalows and foursquare homes.
Ceramic and pottery vessel sinks make charming accents for modern country bathrooms.
To choose the perfect vessel sink for your decorating style, start by matching material to design. Some of the most popular vessel sink materials include:
Copper - Copper has always been popular in kitchens, but with the resurgence in popularity of sleek Arts & Crafts cabinetry and fixtures, copper vessel sinks are coming back in a big way. Look for hammered antique finishes, verdigris effects, or smooth glossy copper surfaces. Copper does dent easily but also has the advantage of being a natural germ repellent.
Glass - Glass is the most popular of all materials used for vessel sinks. A glass vessel sink can be purchased for as little as $100, all the way up to thousands of dollars for specialty or hand blown glass. Glass comes in a range of colors and effects, but do keep in mind it must be cleaned with each use.
Stainless Steel - Stainless steel vessel sinks look great with industrial or ultramodern decor, or next to a stainless stove or wet bar with stainless accessories. Stainless steel can be noisy though, and it does show water spots. Look for heavy gauge stainless to help keep noise to a minimum.
We're kicking off this week with a 3-part series on Nurseries. Our friend and soon to be mom, Sarah Donoghue, is in the process of preparing her home for a little one. She and her husband currently reside in St. Louis but she honed her design aesthetic while working at Vogue in NYC. After years of living in small New York apartments Sarah also knows how to make best use of available square footage which is important when considering how to make a nursery work in your home.
Finding the Right Space
Shortly after you have lived through the shock of hearing the words, 'we're pregnant' reality sets in. Somewhere in-between your first OB appointment and sorting through the hundreds of pacifier options (and figuring out which one to register for) - the realization that you need to make a space for your baby. And if this is your first, it isn't just any space; it has to be just right... mostly it has to perfect. We have been on this journey for just over six months (25 weeks and counting) and slowly realizing what we need and where to find it. And so we begin the extremely challenging effort of creating the right (and best) space possible for our baby.
This week's Friday Fix is courtesy of Nathaniel from Garber's Hardware and was originally printed in the Westview paper.
So, your toilet is running. It won't stop. You tried jiggling the handle. You tried asking your toilet nicely to behave. You tried to get your landlord to send a plumber. Each effort more futile then the last. It's time to take matters into your own hands.
Although this is usually a rather simple fix, it's a good idea to be familiar with the inner workings of your toilet. It's amazing how rarely we think about the way the things we use every day (and couldn't live without) work. So, lets get to know your toilet.
