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some are gorgeous. I'd agree with the 'poor choice of words" for upcycling, but there's many buildings that are too small for their congregations and aren't located in a place another wants to move in, or an older congregation has sold the building to put the money towards international missions. (my "insider perspective" as a minister).

Less positively, I'm wondering what iteration II will look like in twenty years, when all the churches that bought cheap land in the country to (at the time) make responsible use of limited resources realize that their parishioners driving to church on the outskirts of the city is getting less and less sustainable..


The Ultimate in Upcycling: Homes in Converted Churches
5/15/12 8:04 PM

the rococo reference is a stretch, but you get the point i'm sure :)


Before & After: Dana's Updated Bathroom House*Tweaking
5/3/12 7:53 PM

It depends on what you value. Do you want to preserve an aesthetic and the original stuff, just the aesthetic (redo with a newer version of the older style) or do something new?

Personally I wouldn't put in something that clashes with the style of the house (Rococo bathroom in a MCM house...) but I see little value in preserving simply for its own sake, other than the environmental factor. If it doesn't work, do something that works better..


Before & After: Dana's Updated Bathroom House*Tweaking
5/3/12 7:52 PM

thought process -- "that would look great in Hamilton...WHOA that's IN Hamilton!!! Yesss....!" (Reading from downtown Hamilton right now.)


Diane's Craftsman Porch Renovation My Great Outdoors
4/19/12 6:25 PM

Pestle, you cannot be serious. AT makes a habit of giving pictures of the people associated with a space. The fact it's the entire family including the kid (gasp!) doesn't remove it from that position...


Surya & Dave's Fun and Friendly Studio Creative Workspace Tour
4/17/12 4:56 PM

i like busybhive's suggestion.

I just quickly copied a picture into an editor and "removed" the backsplash, replacing it with pure white That made an enormous difference! Even the tiled "kickplate" doesn't draw too much attention.

So I would suggest starting there. White contact paper (shelf liner) can cover all of the coloured tiles, and the "white" ones if the shades don't match too well. Also hang a nice-sized white tea towel on the stove to add another pop of white, make sure all of your light bulbs are the brightest wattage allowed and pure white.

Then re-evaluate. The rest isn't too bad.

The remaining "blue" tones (the counter and the kickplate) could be covered with contact paper as well, or you could buy a chunk of butcher block (like a large cutting board) and place it overtop a significant section, or just the island. If that won't hold up to the amount of use you see in your kitchen, you can contact-paper just the small "backsplash" section of counter" and make the it blend into the tile backsplash.

As for the brown, It would be nice if you can paint the cabinet handles white, but it's not necessary. The floor is good-quality and a neutral, but if you find it's too much brown, you can put down a rug on top.


Ways To Pull This Rental Kitchen Together?
Good Questions

4/5/12 4:49 PM

Isn't the answer fairly obvious? It's much more helpful to give increasing responsibility, with real consequences, all bookended with loving support and knowledge that kids will fail. But if you never have them work, they don't learn responsibility, to delay gratification, compensation for the work they do or that life involves more than living off the effort of others until much later.

That's incredibly simplified, but it's important to contribute and develop the skills to be a grown-up, not be an 18-year-old engineering student with no idea of how to cook a meal or a 22-year-old nurse who can't budget for anything. those are both "normal' things that should make us pause.

I want to do a lot of my thesis on similar topics - how we perpetuate helplessness and delay adulthood further by going along with extended adolescence in our institutions (schools and workplaces but specifically the church because that's the context i work within). Are we helping people grow into self-sufficient adults or maintaining learned helplessness?

And in the development of the brain, how much can we truly attribute to undeveloped brains and how much behaviour is due to our expectations and norms (what do we see in other cultures at the same age?)

I could go on.. haha.


A "Dependency Dilemma": Will More Chores Help Kids Develop Independence?
3/19/12 5:14 PM

We have found one of the advantages to getting married while still in school (and then, unexpectedly going back to school!) is that sometimes one of us is making much more than the other; sometimes the other one is pulling all the financial weight; and we constantly have to readjust expectations about who does what, and how much, instead of getting into a "she provides, he does dishes" rut or vice versa.

Not everyone can or will experience that; but it's been very helpful for us.


Home Ec.: What is Your Housework Worth?
1/31/12 2:07 PM

Although there's many excellent options for furniture and use of that space; the FIRST thing I would do is put a light (either recessed or pendant) in the centre of that space to highlight it as a little feature area and make it special.

That could work with almost any option besides up-to-the-ceiling built-ins; and it sets the space apart (as well as lighting the bench/desk/cabinet or whatever option you put in there)

Personally I would either put in a desk if I needed one; or a great old dresser or credenza and mirror with good lines; either in a gorgeous stain or eye-catching colour. And I would put one large decorative bowl/trifle bowl that is the ONLY thing allowed to catch clutter on it :)


Removed 80's Wet Bar - Now What?
Good Questions

1/31/12 10:33 AM

Am I the only one who looked at that picture and thought "Yum, ham."?


A Crustless Pie We Simply Have to Try
Honest Fare

1/29/12 11:07 PM

from Hamilton, Ontario here - I really like the layout of the kitchen and how the cabinetry was done. I wouldn't have guessed it was IKEA if you hadn't mentioned it. Bravo on a beautiful space.


Mazen's Tailored Toronto Townhouse
House Tour

1/19/12 9:00 PM

Debit cards and an Excel spreadsheet work really well for us.

I like how this article talks about both the big AND small areas of spending; and I think it's important to look at both.

Our rent is low; probably $300 less than most places around here are. That makes a huge difference; but it's the kind of thing that's difficult to change very often.

Groceries are an easy area to have "margin" in but cut back when you need; and I'm always amazed by how cutting down the frequency of shopping trips cuts down on the amount of items bought.

The biggest grocery tip I have is freezing meat on sale. In Canada, we don't get great sales on meat; but occasionally we get ground beef, sirloin roast, or chicken breast on sale for $2/lb. So we buy a LOT of it; then cut sirloin roasts into steaks or stir-fry strips or divide it up otherwise into half-pound portions (2x1/4 lb portions) and freeze tons of it in zippered sandwich bags. (Adding marinade to chicken or beef helps avoid freezer burn). We flatten the ground beef to make square, stackable freezer bags of ground beef; as a bonus; you can tear the bag off, put it on a plate and defrost it quickly that way.

And yes, when I have a chest freezer, I'd love to buy a grass-fed half-cow from the local butcher, but that's not practical in our current space.


You Can Do It: 100% Realistic Budgeting Tips & Resources
1/13/12 2:35 PM

The post itself says bedroom, so that's what I'll answer here.

If you like more minimal/modern, perhaps looking for a great wallpaper that incorporates at least two of the colours in the window would tie it into a more updated look. Of course, it could also freshen up a more traditional room.

or use a stencil with nice lines like this one (I just pulled this one off Etsy as an example, I'm not affiliated with the seller) and stencil a bit of the colours in the window over the walls in the style of wallpaper
e.g.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/62763007/wallpaper-stencil-hourglass-reusable?ref=sr_gallery_5&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=wallpaper&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade%2Fhousewares

http://www.etsy.com/listing/73305449/wall-stencil-vision-reusable-wallpaper?ref=sr_gallery_13&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=wallpaper+stencil&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

I think white bedding, wrought iron furniture, painted or stained wood furniture, and either a pale blue wall or a pale version of any of the colours in the stained glass would work very nicely.

It depends whether you want to parlay this into a kind of shabby-chic, or an updated-Victorian, or a true-craftsman type thing.


Bathroom Colors That Work with Original Stained Glass?
Good Questions

1/3/12 10:59 PM

You can make healthy foods for you; and then modify them slightly for him - think lean ground beef chili for you; with some salt, a tablespoon of olive oil added to his portion, and sour cream and cheddar on top for him. (Over rice too).

That also works for soups or stews - make it lean for you, then add the most calorically dense thing (fat) in as many forms as possible (e.g. olive oil, dairy) for him; with carbs if he can handle them.


Help Me Feed My Boyfriend High-Calorie Yet Healthy Food
Good Questions

12/15/11 8:09 PM

I love the amount of stainless and the wood wall.

However, I picture any tween having a fit at the author calling her social interactions a "play date."


Betty's Multi-Purpose Kitchen
Kitchen Tour

12/15/11 8:02 PM

Moose or no, Konzelmann Estates is the farthest thing from kitsch. Good job, rouquinne!


Oh Canada! Gift Guide for the Canada Lover
11/7/11 8:22 PM

you can stew/soup laying hens (and the butcher will do all the dirty work for about $3). i like that people's priorities seem to be less about cost and more about source; but i think that if you care about cost too you'll find ways to do it cheaply. we used to keep chickens in the country; and when i have a yard again i would like to.


Is It Worth It? The Cost Of Having Urban Chickens
Mint Life

9/3/11 4:29 PM

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks Twinings already was dishwater.


Twinings Changes Earl Grey Recipe: Tea Lovers Outraged
The Daily Mail UK

8/31/11 10:21 PM

another vote for medium/dark grey.


What Color to Match Dresser with Chair?
Good Questions

8/31/11 9:44 AM

i was thinking those were the $1 dollar store certificate frames and the calendar used up the remaining $1.99.


Make A Gallery Wall Art Display For Only $13
8/30/11 9:26 AM