Posted by bethany on Oct 30, 2009 in
Guest Writers When I was a little girl, we used to have pancakes at brunch every other weekend. Now that I’m “grown up” I still get a little bubble of glee rise up in my stomach at the thought/sight/smell of this simple food which brought our family together time after time.
It’s been a crazy couple of weeks around here as we shuffle around the website with sick children on our laps and deal with changes of the “left-field” variety.
How does that relate to pancakes? Well normally it wouldn’t. But this weekend I’m vowing to put the books, work and other stresses of life aside while I sit around the table with my family to share some simple pleasures.
… then, perhaps, we’ll install the new loft window :)
www.jackieconnelly.com
Posted by bethany on Oct 26, 2009 in
Writing It can be hard to identify what your personal style is when it comes to the home. This lack of certainty is often the first hurdle to overcome before re-decorating, or even purchasing a single piece of furniture. Hiring an Interior Designer is a great solution for people who would rather have someone else help them through the process of re-design.
However, some enjoy tackling this task on their own without the help of a professional. If you choose this route, here is a simple method that can help you along.
Step One. Gather as many magazines as you can get your hands on.
Step Two. Go through the magazines and mark any images that jump out at you.
Step Three. Scan and print the images.
Step Four. Arrange all the images together on a table or on the floor.
Step Five. Observe. Make notes about common themes you see. Are there common textures present? Perhaps there are a few special colours that stand out consistently? You may spy a little detail that you never noticed before! (When doing this with a friend of mine, we noticed that all the pictures she selected had coloured trim – there wasn’t a single picture with white trim!)
Step Six. Make a plan of action. Look around your home and determine what will stay and what will go based on the style cues you received from the previous step – sometimes what you get rid of is half the battle. Make a list of to-do’s based on a time-line or an overall budget. Knowing what needs to be done and when means you can take on each task step by step.
Step Seven. Make a mini style-inspiration-card and keep it by the door. When you go out shopping use it as a guide for your purchases.
Step Eight. The main rule for creating your own look in the home is:
Go With What You Love.
Images:
Better Homes and Gardens April/May ‘09
Better Homes and Gardens Winter ‘08
Better Homes and Gardens Winter ‘09
Country Living – March ‘09
Posted by bethany on Oct 19, 2009 in
Writing Crossland Sheds is local Comox Valley company that provides quality hand-built storage buildings to residents across Vancouver Island.
Hugh Van Hecke, a carpenter with over 20 years experience, decided to put his residential construction experience into developing a business that would meet the needs of the local community. After five years and nearly five-hundred happy customers, Crossland Sheds is becoming a household name for sheds on Vancouver Island.
Part of the success of Crossland Sheds can be attributed to the hassle-free building process. Because of the stream-lined system Hugh has created over the years, these sheds are usually built on site in about 8 hours - that’s just one work-day!
All that the customer has to do is provide Crossland Sheds with 9 12″ cement pads which need to be 1″ thick. The builder (in the case below, it’s Hugh himself!) will lay them out in the appropriate spots.
The rest of the process goes like this:
After the cement pads are put in place, three 4″x4″ pressure treated runners are leveled on top as the foundation for the shed. These runners allow for air flow under the shed, keeping moisture away from the building.
The floor is then constructed with 2×4 floor joists every 12″. This specific placement of floor joists is required for homes in the BC Building Code. Although it is not required that sheds are built to all building code standards, Hugh chooses to build these small structures to meet the demands. Sheets of 1/2″ plywood make up the floor of this particular shed. This will be more than enough support for a standard garden shed. However, if a customer requires extra support, like in the case of a custom motorbike garage, the floor can be upgraded. (Yes, Hugh has built custom Harley Houses – very cool!)
After the floor has been secured to the floor joists, the walls are put in place. The walls are made from 2×4 construction framing and a product called SmartPanel™. This product has a 50 year transferable warranty. (SmartPanel™ is primed and ready for paint – painting is required for the warranty.) The doors, which are specially built to be extra durable, are hung with 6′ aluminum piano hinges that will not rust or warp.
When the walls are up and the custom trusses are in place, the roof is sheeted. A layer of tar-paper is properly applied to the sheets and then 20-year roofing shingles are nailed on top.
After a thorough inspection of the shed, paying close attention to the doors for smooth opening and shutting, the work-site is cleaned up. At this point happy customers to come on out and marvel at their new shed.
Crossland Sheds offers many styles and sizes of sheds. Optional features include work benches, shelves, lofts, windows, skylights and ramps. Talk to Hugh if you have any other special requests. You can visit the website, www.CrosslandSheds.ca , for more information.
1-888-751-4885
This particular shed is a 10×10 “Islander” with 6′ sidewalls. The price of this shed is $2499.00 +tax installed.
Sources:
Interview: Hugh Van Hecke – Crossland Storage Sheds
Photos: Two Happy Customers
Posted by bethany on Oct 16, 2009 in
Guest Writers Happy Friday!
Today we have a guest to teach us how to make a custom pillow slip cover. Thanks Katie!
Enjoy…
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If you haven’t used your sewing machine in a while this is the perfect quick and easy project to revive your sewing inspiration. If you sew all the time then this is a totally satisfying project to freshen up your home décor.
I was inspired by this gorgeous piece of silk fabric recently given to me (Thank you Mo!).
Fiber Facts ~ Silk is a natural fiber that is highly regarded for its strength, luster and dye-ability. The intense and vibrant colour of silk fabric is inspiring in itself. Silk production is labour intensive and therefore costly, but its luxurious and luminous qualities can’t be matched by any synthetic fiber that has been developed in imitation
A small project such as a pillow slipcover is THE perfect way to indulge in this spectacular fabric without spending a fortune. Of course, you can also use any of the beautiful home décor fabrics currently available locally.
You will need:
- a pillow form in your desired size (mine is 20” x 20”)
- approximately half a meter of fabric (your measurement will depend on the size of your pillow)
- matching thread
- ruler, pins, marking pencil
Cutting:
1.) Cut the front of the slipcover to the exact size of your pillow.
My piece is a 20” square.
2.) Cut two back pieces ½ the length plus 4” for hems and overlap.
Note ~ This is one of the few times when you are not going to add seam allowances – this creates a plumper and more professional looking pillow. If you add seam allowances the slipcover will actually be loose.
Sewing Instructions:
1.) Measure and press ½” to the wrong side of one long edge of each back piece. Fold ½” again to hide raw edge and press. Stitch close to the folded edge as shown.
2.)Lay front piece right side up. Place back pieces face down, overlapping in the middle. Pin. Use a pencil (any colour that will show up on your fabric is fine) to mark ½” pivot points for the corners.
3.) Using the ½” seam guideline, start sewing in the middle of one side (do not start sewing at a corner). Stitch around the entire pillow cover, backstitching when you meet your starting point. You can pivot at the corners or try the professional technique below. Trim excess seam allowance at corners.
Professional Tip ~ One stitch across the diagonal at the corners actually creates better-formed points when the fabric is turned right side out.
4.) Turn right side out, stuff with your pillow form, and Voila!
There are endless options for embellishment with contrasting stitching, appliqué, hand embroidery… Watch out for a future DIY pillow post…
Happy Sewing!
Author Bio
Katie Leikermoser is a Home Economics Teacher, enviro-conscious mother of 4, living with a renovation-in-progress who loves to share her passion for sewing and all things related to making a house a home. When she’s not in the kitchen she tries to find as much time at her sewing machine as possible.
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Recipe Feature with Jackie Connelly
This recipe for Harissa Prawns calls for the sauce on the side, but I like to marinate the prawns in the harissa sauce for a short while before pan frying. Served with something fresh like this cucumber and tomato salad with fresh mint balances the heat of the harissa. Source local, in season prawns in your area to make it even better!
Harissa Prawns Recipe
©2009jackieconnelly
www.JackieConnelly.com
