Seeing Red

Hello everyone,

       It is time to welcome February-the month of romance! 

These shots are just a little tribute to Valentine's Day.

This was my treat of the week today.

It was pretty much calorie free since I was going to eat the biscuit anyway and raspberries are fruit and I need to have a few servings a day of fruit to maintain good health so just a little whipped cream with a tablespoon of sugar or two-makes for a pretty good low calorie dessert wouldn't you say??? Ha!Ha!

It was good!

I am still seeing red!

I couldn't share red without showing my dishes again-could I?

Thank you for seeing my reds.

Take care,
Carolyn

Are You Looking For Agricultural Land For Sale?

Well, the term farming includes a wide range of agricultural production. So if you say that you want to start farming, there are a few things that you need to consider before that. There are a lot of people who plan to switch to farming from a mundane 9 to 5 job but what they need to realize is that there will be an equal amount of hard work that you would need to put it.

Before looking for agricultural land for sale, you need to decide on which part of the country you would like your farm in. this will in turn depend upon what kind of crop you would like to produce; for instance, whether you would want a dairy farm, a ranch or plain organic farming.

The thing that you need to figure out is how much you would like to produce on a yearly basis. This will help you to have a clear idea about the size of your farm and how much of it you would like to reserve for the animals and how much for the farming itself. For this, you have to analyze the quality of the soil. If the ph content of the soil is extremely low, then you have to put in a lot of effort to bring back the balance. Different kinds of fertilizers and manures would enable you to do just that.

If you live in the city or the suburbs, the suburban countries that surround the metropolis are a good place to look into as far as agricultural land for sale is concerned. While you are location hunting, you need to check whether there is enough water available in the particular area. Also try to find out if there has been any flood in the region. A flood can be disastrous for agricultural land. If you planning to sell your farm produce in the market, kindly check the proximity of your land from the target market.

In case you are finding it extremely difficult to find an agricultural land for sale, consider hiring the services of real estate agents. They specialize in this area and will be able to help you find some of the best lands.

For superior quality agricultural land for sale, visit Dalhart Real Estate. These guys have a lot of experience in the subject and they will make sure that your search ends at their website.

Agricultural Land For Sale - Whether you are looking for dairy farms & agricultural land for sale, Dalhart Real Estate will provide you a finest agricultural land & farm properties in the northwest Texas panhandle.

Nursery Progress - 4

Yeah the molding is done!!! My contractor did an amazing job--it is exactly what I had envisioned. Seriously if anyone is in the MD/DC/VA area and is looking for a great contractor--email me. He is my "Angel" :)

Tonight, I need to start sanding the wood. And then repainting white (in hindsight we should have probably waited to paint white :) and then this weekend...the stripes go in!

I propped a photo on the shelf to give you an idea of what I plan to do. It will be so nice to lean pictures all around the room so I don't have to worry about hanging photos and I can rearrange easily.

I have also found the perfect brass/gold curtain rod that I'll install this weekend, with the curtains further apart this time. And I bought these beautiful gold frames from Potterybarn which I think I'll wait to add black/white photos of the baby.

9 more weeks to go!

Tea Time

Hello everyone,

    It was a beautiful sunny day here today so I enjoyed a nice walk and a skate on the pond.

Of course, a cup of tea is in order after a some fresh air.

So,I dug out my blue and white china today.

The china I used today came from an antique shop that has since closed down.

And once again,they are not matching but co-ordinate well.

This is the teapot pattern-in case anyone wants to know.

Biscuits always go well with a good cup of tea.

My husband bought me some pretty white tulips.

I got this iron thingy at a thrift shop awhile ago.

/Can't believe we are almost into February and not a single snowstorm- what is the Island coming too!!!

I am joining Rose Chintz Cottage for Tea Time Tuesday again this week.

Thank you for visiting,

Carolyn

Stone Homes - The Environmentally Friendly and Aesthetic Habitat

Stone houses are environment friendly structures that display an aesthetic sense of its owner. Easily available, stone can be considered as one of the most durable construction materials with a wide range of texture options.

In ancient times, various civilizations made use of stone to build their houses. This was because stone was probably the only available building material excluding mud and trees. Even in the modern era, eco-friendly houses have gained immense popularity because of their magnificent properties. Houses constructed with the help of stones are capable enough to resist fire, wind, water as well as various insects including termites.

Some stone houses provide a natural, unique appearance that reminds one of the European castles.

To avail the maximum benefits of these artistic constructions, it is suggested to use durable stones such as granite and avoid stones the wear down over time, such as limestone. Furthermore, purchasing of previously chopped stone is a wiser alternate to escape from the time consuming and laborious phase of stone cutting. However, the top suited stone for home construction is one, which is available in the respective local area so that transportation does not become an issue.

Sustainability and durability adds an extra spark to the elegance of these stone homes without costing much for maintenance and care. There are many historical examples to speak about sustainability of simple yet graceful stone houses where they have witnessed many centuries.

Pyramids, made up of stone, attributed to be a one of the beautiful creators, across the world, are best examples to display stone's strength. Various historical stone buildings, especially constructed following the European-style stone houses have been around for thousand years and will probably remain the same for centuries.

Beside environmentally friendly abilities, stone homes also deserve a round of applause for their natural beauty that does not demand any painting or siding. In addition, the stone homes are comfortable nests and if constructed with passive solar design, they have ability to store heat within its walls. The absorbed heat is likely to radiate throughout the house, all night, creating a cozy and warm environment for the users. Above all stone homes are easy to clean and can be washed with simple water.

Proper planning as well as availability of a construction expert plays an important role to maximize stone home benefits. Furthermore, it is crucial to choose a quality stone along with proper technique to assemble them. It can be seriously harmful to choose an inferior quality stone that is not strong enough to support the required weight.

In spite of an array of benefits, the stone home owner also faces some difficulties with them. Customization is one such issue. For older homes, replacement of stones may present a particular challenge.

Some expensive stones, commonly used for flooring, including tiles may be cold and very hard under foot. It's not recommended to use softer stones because they are prone to strains, moisture and scratches.

All in all, however, the owners of stone homes are generally happy with the strength, durability, security, energy savings, environmental soundness and natural beauty of these structures.

Nursery Progress - 3

Okay I know I promised some amazing photos...but due to Friday's inclement weather my contractor couldn't install the molding until today. But he's upstairs as we speak making the nursery look AMAZING! Pictures to follow this week.

But my in-laws did come over and help us set up the crib and bookcase. Every time I walk past the room I peek inside to make sure the crib is still there. It feels very "real" with the crib set up!! I love how the black-out curtains look with the rug! I can't wait for stripes on the walls, some frames set up on the shelf molding...and of course in 9 weeks THE BABY!

Kitchen Details

Hello everyone,

     Did you have a lovely weekend? I spent some time taking pictures of everything from tulips to little ones in pink tutus so I will have more to share with you this week.

I have made a few changes in our kitchen. This harvest table was one we bought many years ago when all our children were young and used to sit around this table having their meals and doing homework etc.It was a dark pine when we bought it. Anyway,my daughter had it for her family and recently got a new one so when we got it back I thought it was time for a coat of white paint-now I like it a lot better but it only has the base coat on yet.

The red and white pitcher and basin came from Coulson's in Summerside a few years ago and I love it filled with white tulips locally grown.

The shelf above the wood pellet stove.

The walls in our kitchen are a gray color with a hint of taupe.

I like being able to display my red and white transferware in these little racks.

I enjoy making a few changes around the house this time of year - it is the little details that make a home cozy don't you think?

Thank you for visiting.

Carolyn

Are PassivHaus' The Way Forward To Zero Carbon?

Passive houses are a German design but can have a British location with a tropical climate, how is this possible? Because PassivHaus' are super efficient and their construction makes for warmer homes which translates into lower energy bills for the homeowner. Sounds too good to be true doesn't it. So if a PassivHaus offers this why aren't all new builds built this way?

Passive houses, as they are known in the UK, were designed in Germany in the 1990's by the PassivHaus Institute. Since then more than 30,000 homes, schools and offices have been built to their standard, although most of the builds have been in Germany and Austria. One of the first certified PassivHaus' in the UK was a three bedroom house in Denby Dale, Yorkshire and was completed in May 2010. The owner of the house says that it is as easy to run as any house as the technology is in the building of it. The PassivHaus is ideal for new builds as the high levels of energy efficiency are embedded into the house when it is being built. The end product is a house which uses 90% less energy than a standard house. The owners admit that the only big difference between their house and a normal one is the bills.

The first gas bill that the couple had for the house was just £26 for the quarter and the electric bill was even lower at £17. Compare these bills to the couple's last ones when they lived in a 300 year old terraced house where their bills were £1,800 a year and you can really notice the difference, as the owner said the difference was "phenomenal".

So what sets a Passive House apart from a typical eco-house which is becoming popular now? A PassiveHouse has no obvious green giveaways as it is the invisible components of the house that make it green. A PassivHaus works like a tea cosy, wrapping the house in continuous insulation rather than just the loft and walls. The company also insists on stringent levels of air tightness to create minimal thermal bridging or "the tea cosy effect". Like other eco houses a PassivHaus is designed to optimise the heat generated from the sun and they also have a MVHR system installed. This system provides the house with fresh air and helps to warm it by recovering heat from the extracted air and transferring it to the incoming air. Heat from inside the house, generated from humans or cooking etc. . is then retained within the building. Therefore this means that the house needs very little heating or air conditioning.

The owner of the house said that when the house was being built he visited it at night, it was -14C in the garden but the house was 10C. The Denby Dale PassivHaus is a pioneering project as there was, at the time, nothing similar in the UK. They visited ones in Austria instead and found them modern and light. It is possible to import them from Germany but builders over here are not familiar with erecting them and planning can be an issue. So the house was built locally with the stone from the builder's yard up the road and this house has cavity walls so it is like a traditional British house but with a Passive twist. The budget was £141,000, which proves those eco houses are not just for the wealthy. They have been tried and tested for twenty years and have proven methodology in achieving low energy buildings.

Garden Design

Hello everyone,

    It is a cold windy day here so it is a good day for me to enjoy looking through my garden pictures from past years to see what changes I would like to make to the design of the garden. There are always changes that need to be made to improve color combo's or adding little bits onto the beds etc.

 So in the process I picked out some of my favorite summer collages just in case you too are in the mood for some garden color.

With January quickly coming to a close it won't be long until I am seriously longing to get back in the garden but for now I will be content to just know that garden season is coming soon!

I am joining The Rose Garden in Malevik today for Show off Saturday.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Carolyn