fadedcharacter's Profile

why? why? why do I continue to read comments posted under articles on apartment therapy??? The self-righteousness of some posters makes me sick...I'd love to show up to their homes with a camera & see the hypocrisy.

This is a lovely man, with a lovely idea that he has agreed to share. I have more old books than Solomon would have collected and I think it's a great idea.

If you can't say something nice about these people who have made themselves vulnerable, then don't say anything at all.

http://www.gardenerguy.com/

This is Paul James' website of the HGTV canceled "Gardening by the Yard". A ridiculous move on HGTV's part as this show was one of their best. He offers real life advice that is practical and of use to beginning through advanced gardeners...plus he has a great personality! His webisodes are entertaining and informative. What a loss HGTV decided to take...I stopped watching the channel for a long time after they canceled his show.

Most cut flowers are grown in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia in large greenhouse environments staffed by underpaid, non-unionized workers. The greenhouses are carefully climate controlled to yield the best cut flowers, and they are also heavily sprayed with pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. Because cut flowers are grown in nations with more lax environmental laws, many banned substances including DDT and methyl-bromide are used in flower production. These substances have a profound impact on the health of the workers: many suffer from health problems such as skin conditions, respiratory problems, impaired vision, and birth defects thanks to their exposure to these chemicals.

In addition to hurting the workers, these chemicals are also extremely harmful for the environment. Methyl-bromide has been linked with destruction of the ozone layer, for example, while DDT usage worldwide led to serious problems for many animal and bird populations. Most greenhouses which produce cut flowers dump chemicals on their crops in large amounts. These chemicals later enter the bodies of workers, the flowers, and the ground water. Water pollution around commercial greenhouses hurts animal and fish populations and also has an impact on human life as well, by reducing the amount of drinkable water.

Once the flowers are grown, they still must be shipped to a final destination, greatly contributing to global pollution. Some cut flowers may be shipped thousands of miles, adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere at every step of the way. At the florist, the flowers are arranged and prepared for sale, and some florists have complained of skin and other health problems as a result of prolonged contact with cut flowers. Finally, the consumer brings the flowers home, perhaps tossing them carelessly into a shopping cart laden with organic, fair trade produce and other food stuffs.

Source: http://www.wisegeek.com/are-cut-flowers-bad-for-the-environment.htm

We just did a complete renovation/addition to our new home and we actually chose dark/black bamboo floors. We painted everything white, but with your gorgeous trim I could easily imagine it bright white with slight contrasting pale interior walls. Go neutral for sure (even paint can add up big $$$ when you are on a limited budget).

For those of us in the more rural areas, Big Lots is the closest thing we have to Ikea...My mother has this island on wheels made of bamboo w/ a stainless top. It looks great in person.

http://www.biglots.com/Furniture/item.aspx?cid=12&scid=39&iid=6677