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Views from the house

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

A view towards the porch.


A living room view


Out the front door

Many years ago, a couple of our longstanding volunteers suggested to me that views from your windows were important. It was a revelation.

She and her husband had transformed a normal suburban plot into something extraordinary, so I was listening. I don't think I 'd thought about that before.

The house where I grew up had a lovely view into the treetops from the living and dining rooms, thanks to protection of the woods surrounding the house. My parents weren't gardeners at all, but clearly chose the lot (because it was steep and wooded with natural Central Texas vegetation) to build the house based on the surroundings.

But I was thinking about the views from the windows this afternoon, as lovely fall light illuminated the landscape.

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Cowardly Calves.

The sun came out this afternoon for my drive home which made a pleasant change after all the greyness of the last few days. School seemed quite relaxed today. A lot of the children are falling ill with coughs, colds and sickness, the usual thing for this time of the year. You have to be real psychologist to work out if a child is unhappy because they are feeling ill or if they are simply missing home. I always err on the side of caution but some children would end up going home every day if I rang home each time they said they felt ill.
I stopped on the way home to take a few photos of the countryside bathed in the evening sunshine. This field of Mr Lewis' heifers were very interested in what I was up to, until I walked right up to the gate, whereupon they all ran away.


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Oh my goodness ...



I am, as a close friend of mine would say, gobstruck. Now I know what they feel like on Oscar night. You know, they're sat there at their tables trying to look as if they're really enjoying themselves while someone a lot more famous jokes around and fumbles with the envelope. Smiles are fixed on with Bostik and they're all ready to applaud and make gracious comments when they lose. And then come the words And the winner is ... and suddenly they're up on the stage looking dazed and stuttering out something about being sure they'd lose and not having even thought about an acceptance speech.

No, I've never believed it either, but in this case it's true. When The Balcony Garden was nominated for Best Container Gardening Blog in the Blotanical awards, I looked at the competition and thought Well, you can forget about that then .... I knew three of the other blogs nominated well - Soliloquy, Flowergardengirl, and Plants are the Strangest People - and when I toddled over to have a look at the fourth - Garden Geek - the depression just deepened.

I was sure I knew the order we'd all come in. I'd even got this post mentally written out, congratulating the winner, talking about how chuffed I was even to get into the final five and thanking the people who did vote for me.

But that's where I don't have to change anything in the planned post. Because I was over the moon to think that enough people liked the BG enough to get me into the final five, and I do want to say a huge thank you to all of you who voted the blog into first place - OK, OK and even to those who just thought about voting for me, Mania.

Because, for all the categories, voting was enormously difficult. Time after time there were at least two blogs nominated which I thought were equally good. How do you choose ? I tied myself in knots trying to be fair, looking carefully at all the blogs in the categories I was voting for and mentally awarding points for all sorts of things to see who came out top. And I'm still not sure that I got it right.

As for the winners - well, all of them are obviously excellent blogs and well deserving. And in general, a blog which I thought missed out in one category won in another. But there are a few results which, personally, I found surprising - blogs which I thought would walk away with an award but "only" came third or fourth. "Only". It's a word which doesn't make sense given just how strong the competition was in many of the categories. And as I said, it was certainly true in mine. So if you've never come across any of the other four blogs which were nominated, do yourself a favour and go visit them. But only, of course, if you promise not to vote for them next year :)


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Black and White Minimalist Furniture for Home Office Design

Black and white minimalist furniture for home office to best design, your one-stop solution for your home office decor needs. Best design presents a variety of collections in home office furniture, furnishings, and home decorator accessories for fans of modern home design. Black and white minimalist furniture for virtual home office from Italian company Porro come in simple design that would give your home office space look more modern and elegant. Available in various type for any different space, Choose the colour that in accordance with your interior home and give the touch that was different in your virtual home office room with Italian company Porro.







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Black and White Minimalist Furniture for Home Office Design

Black and white minimalist furniture for home office to best design, your one-stop solution for your home office decor needs. Best design presents a variety of collections in home office furniture, furnishings, and home decorator accessories for fans of modern home design. Black and white minimalist furniture for virtual home office from Italian company Porro come in simple design that would give your home office space look more modern and elegant. Available in various type for any different space, Choose the colour that in accordance with your interior home and give the touch that was different in your virtual home office room with Italian company Porro.







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Unique wall shelving system for your house plans

I ran into this interesting new wall shelving system the other day and thought I would let you in on it. The product is called Vita and it is produced by an Italian company name MDF Italia. It is a modular system made from medium density fiberboard (mdf). The system includes wall panels, shelving units and cabinet boxes. You can seemingly produce endless configurations based on how you put the modular components together. I think it is very cool and would be a great way of dressing up one of those blank walls in your house.



For more information on this see MDFITALIA VITA. Go to "products" and then find to "Vita".

The wall system is obviously quite contemporary but I think it would look great in a number of the Simply Elegant Home Designs house plans including the "scandia modern cottage" and the "marine farmhouse".

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europe home design top architecture

europe home design top architecture
europe home design top architecture
europe home design top architecture
europe home design top architecture
europe home design top architecture

europe home design top architecture

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canada home design top search gallery

canada home design top search gallery
canada home design top search gallery
canada home design top search gallery
canada home design top search gallery
canada home design top search gallery


canada home design top search gallery

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Minimalist Home Designs | Home Interior Design Beautiful


Minimalist home designs-free home design software-home interior design Beautiful

Minimalist house design suitable for your family. There is a swimming pool and fitness equipment for health is controlled. Is suitable for your family. Minimalist house design build like above and feel how much helpful for your family.

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Modern kitchen design

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Kitchens have become a place to gather as a family, entertain, socialize and for some a place to do home work. Use can lights to accent certain areas such as the stove or sink and other main areas used in food preparation. Use a simple rope light or specially made under counter light to accent the cabinets and counter tops. In selecting kitchen cabinets for a modern kitchen, most designers like to choose a single style of door, usually a flat design, to maintain consistency of color and form. Hardwood with evenly sized planks or large tile flooring materials will be the most commonly used styles.Here are some photos of modern or contemporary kitchen designs. These designs have a sleek clean look to them.

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Love the kitchen faucet.

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Decorating Inspiration

You may feel that you have no idea what you like when it comes to decorating. But if you look a little, you'll find great ideas. Check out the sources here for sources of decorating ideas and inspiration.Have you ever been in the position of knowing that you just have to do something to your living room or bedroom, but don't know where to start? Our sources of inspiration will guide you to ideas, pictures, and resources for beginning your decorating project.

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/cm/goodhousekeeping/images/Living-Room-Decor-Gallery-2-fb-28760833.jpg

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Decorating Styles

With so many things on the market available for home decorating, it may be difficult to decide just what your favorite style is. Read here for information about different styles of decorating, find resources for products, and get help deciding which is best for you.Whether you're decorating a single room or a whole house, a cottage or a castle, you'll find our guides to decorating styles helpful.

But you seldom get education on styles of decorating. This short guide from About will steer you to quizzes and resources to help you determine your specific decorating style.



The style guides will help you focus in on your likes and dislikes and learn elements that will help you achieve your dream room or make your home express your very unique taste.You learn so many things through the years in school.






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Wedding Decoration Tips

Traditional Hindu weddings are grand affair. It normally takes place over several days with elaborate ceremonies, which lasts up to one week. Indian wedding function is divided in to three sections pre wedding functions, main day functions and post wedding functions. These functions include the entire family, friends and relatives in the celebration and involve many costume changes. The bride and groom are treated royally for the days preceding the wedding and are showered with gifts and attention. The main day ceremony is nothing less than a fairytale. On the day of the wedding the groom mounts a grandly decorated horse and rides to the wedding ceremony accompanied by his family and friends. Nowadays the grooms mostly travel by decorated car. The bride on the other hand is dressed in traditionally attire, which is normally a pink or a red sari with heavy zari work and embroidery on her wedding day and sparkling jewelry given to her by family and close friends.


http://www.wpic.ca/WPIC%20Wedding%20Planner%20with%20bride.jpg

Earlier main wedding function use to take place on a mandap, which is normally decorated with flowers. Today modern Indian wedding decoration is a mixture of Indian ethnicity, richness and Western culture and custom. Mostly today's Indian wedding decorations are theme based, as people mainly don't have the time or resources. The mandap is decorated with red color cloth because red is considered auspicious for the wedding occasion. Hire a henna artist a day or two before wedding to entertain out of town guests and get them in the mood of the wedding. Flowers have always been a part of Indian wedding decorations. So there is an extensive use of flowers of different kinds like roses, jasmine, and many more. Decorative tents or "shamianas" are often rented for Indian weddings celebrations. Different pattern of tents are available like bandhani print, Gujarati work and ethnic mirror work and satin cloth depending on the budget and theme of the wedding. And if your wedding is an outdoor one than shamianas are a wonderful idea. The full wedding place is decorated with elaborate carpets to line the tent. Gold and red are the colors associated with Indian wedding decoration so most of the Decor is of these two colors. The tents are lighted with Indian inspired lanterns and candles. Exotic incense stick is burn in the room to create a refreshing and pure atmosphere. In true sense the Indian wedding decoration is an amalgamation of Indian culture, tradition and custom and encompasses all the senses, which makes it an occasion to remember for lifetime.

Engagement Decor Tips

Engagement is an important ceremony, as it marks the beginning of the relationship not only between two individuals, but also between also two families. Different kinds of decorations can be seen in different parties, depending on the budget and the chosen theme. However, flowers and artifacts find a special place among the decorations used for the engagement parties, irrespective of the theme.

Mandap Decor Tips

Traditionally, Hindu weddings are solemnized at a well decorated mandap - a four-pole canopy erected at the center of the stage. Although the Decor of the mandap varies from region to region across India, the basic concept remains the same - to bless the bride and the groom, who tie the wedding knot. Mandap is erected at the wedding venue, primarily to conduct rituals like tying the mangalsutra, pheras and exchange of garlands (jaimala).

Mehendi Decor Tips

Mehendi is one of the important pre-wedding rituals followed in many parts of India. It holds significance, primarily in the northern parts of the country, where henna is considered auspicious for festive occasions. While mehendi is an indispensable part of the pre-marriage celebrations of Hindu and Muslim weddings, people following other religions have also adopted it, with the changing times.

Sangeet Decor Tips

Predominantly a ladies-only affair, sangeet is an important pre-wedding ceremony observed in different parts of north India. It is a fun occasion, wherein the close female relatives of the bride and the groom gather at their respective places, to celebrate it. The conventional way of celebrating lady sangeet is to sing traditional songs related to the auspicious occasion of marriage.

Wedding Kalash And Thali Decor Tips

The ceremonies and rituals performed in Indian weddings have certain social significance. The rituals that are performed before, during and after the wedding symbolize the physical, spiritual and mental unison of the couple, who has tied the wedding knot, as well as the special bond between the families of the two. To indicate the union, certain things are used as 'symbols' of shagun for the ceremony.

Tilak Decor Tips

Centered on the groom, tilak is a pre wedding ceremony and signifies that the prospective groom is affirmed by the father of the to-be bride, for his daughter. Mainly held at the groom's residence, the members from the bride's side bring gifts for the groom and his family in the form of fruits, sweets and clothing. Traditionally, the bride and her mother do not attend this ceremony. Mostly, it's the male family members and relatives of the bride, who attend the function.

http://www.freewebs.com/brockphotos/Noosa-Wedding.jpg

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Holiday Wedding Decorations

Are you stuck for a theme for your wedding? Not sure how to decorate or what colors to use? Don’t panic, this should be the least of your worries! There are several ways to choose your wedding décor, especially if the happy occasion falls on or near a holiday? Holidays are the perfect backdrop for weddings and can only make the day more special. Read on for some holiday wedding decorating ideas.
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You don’t need ghosts and goblins for elegant Halloween décor but you can take some of the nicer elements of the day’s decorations and incorporate them into a Halloween wedding theme. For instance, at the reception, use orange, purple or black linen table cloths for color and class

http://weddings.iloveindia.com/pics/wedding-decorations.jpg


 Instead of carving a jack o’lantern, use a small pumpkin with an elegant, elaborate carving and a candle inside for a centerpiece. For favors, give your guests a crystal candy dish filled with your favorite treats. Use red, orange and gold fall flowers and incorporate autumn foliage into the bouquets and hang orange, black, yellow or purple twinkle lights.

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