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Enamelware is a trip down memory lane. White jugs with blue trim and laundry tubs with red trim all bring us back to a simpler time. It’s a part of the farmhouse country look.

What: Vintage items made of enamelware include ladles, coffeepots, jugs, strainers, jelly moulds, measuring jugs, bread tins, sauce pans, laundry tubs, chamber pots, garbage cans, canisters and trays. There is also a large supply of reproductions of these items available. Look for reproduction laundry tins, canisters and bread tins from major retailers.

History: The Egyptians and Chinese treated enamelling as decorative art. It was only during the 18th century that the Swiss and Germans began to use enamel to cover cooking utensils. By the middle of the 19th century, companies in the United States and Europe were producing enamelled kitchenware.

Process: Long before Teflon and other protective finishes, enamelling was the hot new thing. Prior to enamelling, food was cooked in non-porous, glazed stoneware that was better suited to baking. To cook foods at high temperature the cookware needed to be made of iron. Coating iron with a porcelain enamel created an easy to clean, sanitary and chemical resistant surface. This was a great technological advance.

Colours: A lot of enamelware is white and is often trimmed with blue, black or red. Some enamel can be found in red, yellow, blue, orange and brown. Part of the charm of these vintage collectibles is their bright colours.

Use: Enamelware is used today for display and the tins, tubs and trays are still used for their intended purposes of storage or serving.

Condition: Vintage enamelware is likely to have glaze or hairline cracks and chips. Not to worry though because collectors expect to find chips. Items without chips are harder to find.

Original Labels: Original paper labels still intact increase the value of enamelware, as they help verify authenticity.

Price: Starting at $5 for certain items and they are still plentiful.

Sources: Garage sales, flea markets, antique fairs, EBay.

Care: Hand wash enamelware in hot soapy water. Avoid very hot burners, abrasive pads and cleaners.

Martin Swinton owns Take-A-Boo Emporium, an antique shop located in Toronto, Canada. He does furniture restoration, caning and rushing repairs, custom reproductions, upholstery, teaches courses on antiques and does appraisals for estates and community events. He can be reached at 416-785-4555 or by visiting http://www.takeaboo.com

[tags]vintage, antique, collectible, enamelware, jugs, kitchen[/tags]

Summer is here, and if you need some great patio ideas to spruce up the look of your yard, you aren’t alone. Even if you don’t have a huge budget to work with, you can really make your patio look great. When you spend some time making your patio look gorgeous, you’ll look at the area as an extension of your home and you’ll want to use it more often. Give yourself permission to get creative and really infuse your patio with your own personal style. Patios are a great place to spend time reading a book, sipping some tea, or catching up with friends and family.

One great decorative patio idea that just about anyone can afford to do is add some plants to the area. This can be in the form of hanging plants, potted plants, or if you have the ground to do it, plants that are put right into the ground. If you like flowers, planting some flowers will instantly add some color and style to the area that wasn’t there before. Decorative planters also add a nice touch, but if you are working on budget you can stick with just the dirt in the ground to create a great look!

If you need patio ideas for the flooring of your patio, you aren’t alone. Decks are very popular because they give a great look, they are great for entertaining, and can even add value to your home. If want a different patio idea, you can always buy brick and put in your own patio. Colored bricks and stones make a great looking patio that your friends and family will love to spend time on! Slate, colored brick, gravel, and stones all make great patio flooring. Your home store will likely carry a wide variety of patio flooring options for you to choose from.

If you need patio ideas that involve some sort of covering, you’ll have plenty to choose from. Traditional roofs cover many patios, some are more of an awning style, and others still have no real roof, instead they choose seating that has an umbrella that will provide protection from the elements. These patio ideas can be big or small, and can be adapted to just about any space. Awnings can be detachable or permanent, and can create a real extension of your home.

If you already use your patio a lot, one of the best patio ideas is a screened in porch look. This will give you the porch that you love, but will also protect you from the sun, the rain, and most importantly, the bugs! This is a great idea for your patio, and can make the space usable year around, which is nice.

Don’t be afraid to get creative and think of your own patio ideas, whether they are functional or decorative. When you think of your patio as an extension of your home, it’s a lot easier and even fun to really transform it into a space that you love.

Read more at Patio-Ideas-Guide.com

[tags]patio ideas,patios,patio,decks,deck,porch,home improvement,landscape,garden[/tags]

Using accessories is a fun way to accent your bedroom for a beach theme. You will find that you can dramatically change the look of your room simply by making small changes with the accents. See how easy it is to get a designer beach theme look in your bedroom without shelling out the big bucks.

If you’re not sure exactly what you want in your beach desing, try looking in decorating magazines and books to get a flavor of the accessories you would like to see in your bedroom. For keeping the beach look consistent, you’ll have to limit yourself to only purchase the accessories that match your theme.

Colors for a beach d

Many different finishes have been used to beautify and protect wood furniture through the centuries. Many historically authentic finishes were high maintenance, labor intensive, and not very durable, so the trend has been to more impervious and enduring finishes suitable for everyday living.

Simple wax finishes have been used for many years, especially on rustic or country pine furnishings because of its soft and satiny look. Wax is easily restored or brightened with a new application, damaged or dull spots are easy to blend. A disadvantage is that wax finishes can spot and stain easily from water, alcohol and cosmetics.

Oil finishes have also been used for hundreds of years. These penetrating oils are easy for amateurs to use because they are simply wiped or brushed onto the wood, allowed to sink in, and wiped dry. This process is repeated many times, until the desired sheen is developed. A disadvantage is that the finish may gradually dry out, requiring repeated applications, sometimes for years to maintain an even sheen. While not particularly durable, if there is damage, it is simple to add more oil and it blends in nicely.

Natural shellac was a very popular finish for furniture and floors a century ago. It affords warm color, but has very poor wearability and is easily damaged by both water and alcohol. Shellacked floors were usually redone annually. Similarly, French polish is a very laborious traditional technique that is very bright and glossy, and dramatically emphasizes the rich color and grain of beautiful wood. Especially popular in Europe, this finish is very sensitive to damage, costly to apply originally and to repair.

True natural varnish is rarely used anymore. While durable and attractive, it required very skilled application, many slow-drying coats and lots of surface preparation.

Traditional lacquer finishes have been popular for 100 years - they have good stain resistance, wear well and can be re-touched or re-coated fairly easily. Hard and fairly brittle, they can chip and crack, and sometimes get crazed or crackled - “alligatored” - over time. Strong and dangerous solvents are used in classic lacquer.

Most newly manufactured furniture has a single coat of plastic-type finish, usually polyurethane or polyester. While very tough and resistant to scratching and stains, the single layer of tinted finish means that a small scratch or ding may go through the finish to the wood underneath, exposing a different color. These finishes are very difficult to touch up, re-coat or remove for refinishing. The great advantages of this technique are time and labor savings for manufacturers. Many of these finishes are quick-cured with ultra-violet light, and some are water rather than solvent based. An esthetic disadvantage is a rather “plastic” look and feel.

A recent method of protecting furniture is water based lacquer, developed and perfected over recent decades in response to environmental and worker safety issues. Combining both water and alcohol resistance, these finishes have a more traditional varnished look, not so “plastic-like.” They are not as hard and brittle as some other finishes, and can be more easily touched up and re-coated when worn or damaged. Much less hazardous to work with, they are a good middle ground in appearance, durability, and restorability. Much as water base paint has all but replaced oil paint, these water - borne wood finishes are gaining on solvent - based finish.

These new water-base methods can incorporate traditional techniques of applying a base coat of stain, topped with repeated coats of clear finish, hand-sanded between every coating. While involving more labor than most manufacturers are willing to do, this step-by-step finish insures that minor damage to the finish doesn’t go deep into the color or the wood, which means it shows less. Touch-up or repairs to the finish or recoating in the future are relatively simple. Environmental and worker safety issues suggest that water-base finishes have an expanding future.

As far as maintenance is concerned, wax finishes are best polished with a dry cloth or a little additional wax. For the other finishes that have a hard surface, a little lemon oil, preferably with beeswax, will brighten and deepen the color. Research has shown that too frequent use of lemon oil will soften hard finishes, but in moderation, this is a great polish.

Paste wax has been a traditional furniture polish. Besides requiring much elbow grease, wax will turn white from something hot or wet. Spray commercial polishes (Pledge, Endust and the like) can cause a smeary silicone build-up that can be very hard to remove. They also make any kind of touch-up or refinishing problematic. “Oil and stain” polishes like Old English are temporary scratch covers. A much better idea is to use the marker type of scratch covers that come in all shades of wood finishes and easily help hide minor mars. These are available at most paint and hardware stores. Following with a lemon oil and beeswax polish will improve any dry or worn finish.

No single finish method is right for every piece of furniture, but considerations of cost, durability and beauty are all factors in the choice of preserving and enhancing antique wood furnishings for the future.

Ken Melchert is a co-owner of The Harp Gallery, a renowned antique furniture gallery located in Appleton, WI. Ken and his wife Rebecca have been selling and restoring superior antique furniture for over 20 years. http://www.harpgallery.com

[tags]antique furniture, Antique wood finish, antiques, finishes, refinishing, wood finish[/tags]

Do you or one of your family members suffer from allergies, asthma, add/adhd Heart disease, cancer, or respitory problems? It could be from the toxins in your home! Did you know that there are more Toxins in your home than in the outside air? Chances are, the cleaning products And hygienic products you use are making you and your family sick.

In the past 10 years, there has been a 42% increase in asthma (29% for men; 82% for women - the higher rate for women is believed to be due to women’s longer exposure times to household chemicals) (Source: Center for Disease Control)

So, what are some of these products, and what makes them so harmful?

Lysol is a registered PESTICIDE - (think about that the next time you spray It indoors in the middle of winter with the windows and doors tightly closed)

Johnon’s and Johnson’s baby shampoo contains formaldehyde (used for embalming). It also contains an ingredient called Lydacaine, which NUMBS the nerve endings - Hence the ‘no more tears’ slogan. (I don’t know about you, but numbing my kids Nerve ending does not sound very safe to me)

Dawn dish detergent is the #1 cause of accidental poisonings in children.

The top 12 cancer causing products in the average home include the following:

• Johnson and Johnson Baby Powder with Talc

• Crest Tartar Control Toothpaste

• VO5 Hair Conditioner

• Clairol Nice N Easy Hair Color

• AJAX Cleanser

• Lysol Disinfectant

Over the last 20-30 years, as more toxic chemicals have been introduced in greater amounts, the level of toxins stored in our bodies has risen. Bio-accumulation studies have shown that some toxins store in our bodies for life. Greater and greater amounts are being stored at younger ages. Diseases that used to occur later in life are now appearing at younger ages. Disease that used to be rare are more frequent. For example:

There has been a 28% increase in childhood cancer since the addition of pesticides into household products (Source: National Cancer Institute)

Try this experiment:

Take some Cascade Liquid dishwasher detergent, and pour some onto a Piece of tin foil. Wait about 2 hours or less. The result? It will have burned A hole right through the foil!

It is my personal goal to bring awareness and convert every North American Household to more natural, safer products!

After learning this information, it was a very easy decision to convert my home. I did not want to put my family at risk any longer.

PLEASE, make the decision today to convert your home - let’s stop poisoning Our children! If you would like more information on how to make your home Safer for you and your family, email me at mfitzgerald@iglide.net with “Show me” in the subject line.

About The Author

Maryanne Fitzgerald is the publisher of “Mom’s World” Providing the tools and resources you need to balance working at home with raising a family. To subscribe, visit www.homeincomesolutions.net; mfitzgerald@iglide.net

[tags]home safety,safety,toxics,parenting,home improvement,allergies,asthma,toxins[/tags]

As far back as the Neolithic period, man has been sleeping on a bed, or at least, has had a designated area for sleeping. There are all types of bed styles that seem to go in and out of style. When the style is revived, it is usually reborn to fit contemporary tastes and needs to suit the time. Surely, at one point in time, somebody decided to raise the sleeping area off of the ground to prevent stray animals or insects from finding a warm body to curl up next to. Much later, it was the Egyptians that are credited with doing just this, thus creating the concept of “bed” as we know it.

Many bed types linger in the background, but never really go away. Bunk beds seem to suit children’s rooms and dormitory style living. The space saving ability makes them a great choice for tight living quarters. Daybeds can be used as a dual piece of furniture. It can be used as a seat by day and a bed by night. Futons also incorporate the daytime sitting space with a nighttime sleeping area.

Since then, styles have evolved to suit the times. Platform beds are not a new invention, but rather, a new twist on an old concept. The first platform beds were better defined as loft beds. The sleeping area was raised on four poles so that there would be space for everyday living activities below. As living became more luxurious, the beds became shorter. Presently, the Platform bed has seen a popularity revival.

The styles that are currently available utilize two main mediums, wood and metal. Sometimes the designer incorporates them and includes metal accents or leather in the bed design. The Platform bed may or may not encompass a footboard. The absence of the footboard contributes to the open-airiness that is meant to open a smaller bedroom. However, some people prefer the styles that include the footboard to further define their sleeping space. Another space defining style is the Platform bed with a canopy. Curtains may be hung around the perimeter of the bed to make the bed more private. If curtains are not desirable, fabric may be loosely draped to create a dreamy feel to the room. Organza or a light weave of cotton are great choices. The immortal Mission style furniture will never wane. Once exclusive to the dining room, Mission style is now integrated into the bedroom scenery.

Many different colors are also available. Dark finishes are sharp and defining, surely making the Platform bed the focus of the bedroom. White, or lighter finishes make a clean and crisp statement.

The versatility of a platform bed is priceless. Platform beds may or may not be used with a box spring. The wide variety in mattress choices also allows you to customize not only the look of your bed, but the comfort as well. A low profile Platform bed combined with a pillowtop mattress will eliminate the need for a boxspring, without sacrificing the height.

Whatever your style, the combinations are innumerable. You might choose coordinating finishes to match your Platform bed, or you can also mix and match finishes creating contrast and texture in your sleeping space. You can customize as you please, if you like it, it can’t be wrong.

If all I’ve said have generated your interests, you can get more information about platform bed at:
http://www.bestplatformbeds.com

If you consider buying a platform bed, you can take a look at
http://www.GoWFB.com

[tags]platform bed, bedroom, furniture, interior design[/tags]

Are you being hurt by harsh corners?

Harsh edges are a feng shui trouble spot. Many times these edges are easy to overlook and can hide themselves. Sharp edges and corners can come from doors, square columns, shelves, cabinets — even arrangements of furniture.

In feng shui, strong, harsh edges are similar to knife blades, and their energy should be treated that way. Some edges are worse than others, though. Edges that are aimed at the back, such as from bookshelves behind a desk, or at the neck, from shelves on a wall or open cabinets, are considered especially dangerous.

Look around your home and office to see if there are knife edges aimed anywhere of importance, such as your bed, your desk, your dining table, or anywhere you spend a lot of time. Then, consider whether it is worth the risk to expose yourself to these harsh edges. Most of the time, by a simple rearrangement, you are able to keep the shelf or cabinet without having to do away with it.

Protective feng shui is one of the first steps one must make when looking to improve the feng shui of a home or office. Protecting oneself from the dangers of harsh edges should be on your checklist so that no one is unprotected or exposed. Read the tips below for more ideas on handling harmful edges.

1. Never place shelves overhead.
These kinds of shelves can press on the head. If they are simple boards, the sharp edges of the boards can be harmful. Placed at a desk or against a wall, a sharp edge overhead will make it hard to think clearly or make decisions well because of the pressure being exerted. Remove them and place elsewhere.

2. Watch for tray or raised ceilings.
These are very popular in home construction now. If you have one of these over your head while you sleep it is possible that you feel pressured, have headaches, or have difficulty sleeping. You could even have financial difficulties. Try to move the bed away from this edge, or create a canopy that covers the edge with fabric.

3. Be careful about bookshelves.
Bookshelves should never be directly ahead or behind you. This can cause confrontation and backstabbing, especially if these shelves are at work. Move the shelves so that they are not in line with your body. This is especially important at work or while you are sleeping.

4. Avoid bookshelf headboards.
These have LOTS of sharp edges and are not good for you. Besides muddled thinking, you could also suffer from head ailments ranging from sinuses to poor vision to headaches.

5. Watch L-shaped arrangements.
These kinds of arrnagements create the “cleaver” or “hatchet” effect. The long side is the “knife blade.” Where do you see these? In L-shaped desk arrangements where the long knife blade is usually your desk! Separate the furniture. Do the same with sofa arrangements, too.

6. Square columns have harsh edges.
Hang a 6-rod hollow windchime in front of the column to lift the energy or place a vine at the bottom to grow around the column, or place a tall plant or curtain or screen of some kind in front of the column. These columns are very dangerous if they are aimed at your table, your bed, and even worse, at your front door.

7. Wall shelves create knife blades.
Wall shelves, especially those at neck height, act like guillotines. Make sure these are covered and not at your head or neck level, especially if they are located somewhere where you work or stand a lot (such as by a stove or sink). Knife blades at the head can create very serious loss.

Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter feng shui e-zine and the ebook APPLIED FENG SHUI, The Science of Determining and Applying Authentic Feng Shui to Your Space In 9 Easy Steps. For more information, logon to http://www.redlotusletter.com and receive this special report “16 Feng Shui Secrets for Greater Prosperity” FREE.

kweber@redlotusconsulting.com

[tags]feng shui, interior decorating, interior design, home improvement, poison, arrows, edges[/tags]

In this article we’re going to reveal the gardener’s most hated weeds. You may or may not agree with this list.

One thing most gardeners agree with is that weeds are annoying at best and downright nasty at worst. So what are the gardener’s most hated weeds?

Annual bluegrass is at the bottom of the top ten list but it’s still a tough nut to crack. It rears its ugly head in the fall and then really grows like a weed (no pun intended) in the spring. This stuff really crowds out your grass. You’re going to need pre-emergent to keep this from taking over your lawn come springtime.

Coming in at number 9 is wild onion. This weed grows from bulbs that have an onion like odor. It usually grows in clumps and has round hollow leaves. Best way to get rid of this thing that grows in the spring is to hand dig it out to get to the bulbs.

Coming in at number 8 is crabgrass. This grass grows very fast and in very large clumps. It pops up in the spring and continues to grow all through the summer. You’ll need a pre-emergent for this in the spring and then a product made for crabgrass control in the summer.

In the number 7 position is Ragweed. This is actually part of the sunflower family and can really make you sneeze plenty. This pretty much grows everywhere, anytime. Best to hand pull this one before it flowers and starts to seed.

At number 6 is spotted spurge. This grows very low and has tiny leaves. In the summertime it produces small pink flowers and will spread all over your lawn. It is best to hand dig this with a trowel and use weed killer.

Coming in at number 5 is purslane. This thing can take over a flower bed or lawn in no time flat. It grows low and has yellow flowers. Hand dig this one with a trowel and use broadleaf weed killer to keep it under control.

At number 4 we have poision ivy. This one is easy to spot by its three leaflets. It starts out red and turns green as it matures. Poison ivy is just about everywhere. Use something made for poision ivy. Don’t hand pull.

In the number 3 spot is clover. This comes in red and white and some people actually plant it on purpose. What it does is actually crowd out your grass and it attracts bees. A granular weed killer is best to get rid of clover.

One spot from the top is plaintain. Plaintain grows close to the ground and its thick oval shaped leaves can crowd out your grass in a hurry. You can hand pick this one but make sure you get it by the roots. A broadleaf weed killer will usually take care of this one.

And finally, coming in at number 1 is dandelion. This is a perennial weed that is found just about everywhere. And while they may have been fun to pick as children they are no fun for gardeners. These things can literally overrun your garden or lawn in no time flat. Hand picking these is useless because the roots are so deep. Best way to get rid of these is with spot treating and a broadleaf weed killer.

——————————————————-
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Gardening
——————————————————-

[tags]gardening,weeds[/tags]

When building a house, installing the sill plates correctly
will determine how straight and square the finished product
will be.

Hopefully the concrete contractor did his job and left you
with a reasonably straight and square foundation. A good
concrete contractor can make a framing contractors job of
building a house a piece of cake. Even if the foundation is
slightly out of square, a good framing contractor can adjust
his sill plates and correct the problem.

When laying out the sill plates, snap chalk lines on the
biggest square of the foundation. This will usually be the
main part of the house. After snapping the front or back and
one side, check for square. This is easily done by using
the 3-4-5 method. Measuring 3′ from the corner on the side,
and 4′ from the corner on the front or back. Make a pencil
mark on the chalk line at these dimensions. Measure the
distance between these two marks on the diagonal and if
perfectly square will equal 5′. If it is not square, adjust
the shortest of these two lines so that your measurement
equals 5′.

Once squared these lines can be used as a reference point to
square and keep parallel other sections of the houses
foundation, like a garage or sunroom. By using the biggest
square portion of the house, your work will be more
accurate.

After your chalklines are all snapped, your ready to lay the
sill sealer and sill plates. The sill sealer is put on top
of the foundation wall first. This material comes in two
forms. One is very similar to fiberglass wall insulation
except thinner and with the same kraft paper backing. The
other is a 1/4″ foam similar to laminate flooring
underlayment. Both materials come in widths to accommodate
2×4 and 2×6 sill plates. I prefer the foam sill sealer for
its ease to work with and what I feel will keep drafts and
moisture from penetrating under the sill plate better. Both
sealers are installed butting up to the chalk line to the
inside of the foundation wall. Both are pushed down over
the anchor bolts till it pops through the sealer.

The exterior finish determines the placement of sill plates
on the foundation wall. If the exterior finish is siding,
the sill plates will finish flush with the outside of the
foundation wall. In this case I like to measure in the width
of my sill plate, 3 1/2″ for a 2×4 and 5 1/2″ for a 2×6. If
the exterior finish is brick, the sill plate will be 4 1/2″
from the outside edge of the foundation wall.

Holes must be drilled in the plates to install them over the
anchor bolts. These 2x plates are usually required to be
treated lumber to resist rot. To locate the bolt hole in the
2x, put the plate up against the anchor bolts. Using a speed
square or a combination square, put the square on the edge
of the 2x and against the anchor bolt. Hold your pencil
against the squares edge with the lead 1/4″ away from the
blade of the square and draw a line. This will give you the
center of the 1/2″ anchor bolt along the length of the 2x
plate. to get the center off the edge of the plate, measure
from the chalkline to the center of the bolt. This will give
you the location to drill the holes in the plate. Drill a
3/4″ hole in the plate. This allows some wiggle room to drop
the plate over the anchor bolts which are not always
straight up and down.

Once the holes are drilled in the plate, bolt it down with a
washer and hex nut. Continue the process by butting the next
plate to the one just put down and locate the next set of
holes, putting the sill sealer down ahead of the plates. Toe
nail all joints where the plates butt one another.

This is an important step when building a new home. By
installing the sill plates straight and square, it gives a
solid reference to follow when framing the rest of the
house.

(c) Mike Merisko www.sawkerfs.com

Mike Merisko has been a carpenter for 26 years. Most of those years were spent in the homebuilding and remodeling industries. He was also in business as a carpentry and general contractor. While that is his forte, he also has experience in bridge building, commercial construction, and exhibit building which is how he earns his living these days. You can browse through articles by him and others at his website http://www.sawkerfs.com or visit his blog at http://www.sawkerfs.blogspot.com

[tags]homebuilding, home improvement, remodeling, houseplans, building your own home,windows,carpentry,c[/tags]

Today more and more consumers are looking for effective methods and ideas on how to redecorate their bathrooms. One of the best ways is to start the process is to plan ahead and figure out what sort of look or feel that you might want to demonstrate. Often a good plan starts with looking thru some samples and magazines so you can figure out the style, patterns or fixtures that you are planning to have.

Quite often when doing some bathroom decorating you often want to explore the options of beautiful bathroom vanities. Often bathroom vanity cabinets are used to storage purposes where you can hold your best household personal care items. One consideration that comes to mind is the size of your current bathroom. Designs for smaller bathrooms have often been a concern as there is limitation of space and options available in the marketplace. If you have room to enlarge it with the features that you want- that would definitely be a bonus.

A very common element of the redecorating is the current flooring. If you have carpet, perhaps you would like to add some nice tile or marble as an alternative. Ceramic tiles increase the longevity of the bathroom with adding good support. Quite often you can achieve a polished and sharp appearance with this item. The most used part however of this room is the sink.

A bathroom sink places a big role in your decision making process. The choice is massive for you here. You can get creative with wall mount sinks or even under mount designs. It really depends on the look that you want. Perhaps you are seeking a stylish, modern look or something that is functional. It sure looks amazing when you have a nice mirror and lighting in that room. Just let your creativity do the work for you.

Bathroom decorating- Where Alan Zunec is a regular author and contributor on bathroom decorating tips.

[tags]bathrooms showers, bathroom vanities, bathroom cabinets[/tags]