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Real Life Decor: 100 Easy DIY Projects to Brighten Your Home on a Budget
by Jean NayarThe economy may have stalled but life goes on. Chair legs break, pillows lose their puff, painted walls get scuffed and sheets get torn or go out of style. Real Life Decor brims with ideas for repurposing, reusing or replacing your accents and furniture to keep your home fresh and functional as well as wallet-friendly. Comprised of a collection of 100 easy, appealing projects illustrated with lively photos and simple how-tos, the book is divided into 7 sections that offer multiple approaches to dressing up walls, sewing simple soft furnishings, recycling old furniture, brightening lamps and accents, making multipurpose furnishings and storage, and sprucing up floors and ceilings. The photos include inspiring ideas that the reader can interpret and emulate as well as pretty projects they craft to the T. Sidebars with simple solutions on topics such as Displaying Your Collections, Easy Vintage Fabric Ideas, and Small Space Ideas enrich each chapter with additional tips.
The Resilient Gardener
by Carol DeppeScientist/gardener Carol Deppe combines her passion for gardening with newly emerging scientific information from many fields - resilience science, climatology, climate change, ecology, anthropology, paleontology, sustainable agriculture, nutrition, health, and medicine. In the last half of The Resilient Gardener, Deppe extends and illustrates these principles with detailed information about growing and using five key crops: potatoes, corn, beans, squash, and eggs. In this book you'll learn how to:-Garden in an era of unpredictable weather and climate change-Grow, store, and use more of your own staple crops-Garden efficiently and comfortably (even if you have a bad back)-Grow, store, and cook different varieties of potatoes and save your own potato seed-Grow the right varieties of corn to make your own gourmet-quality fast-cooking polenta, cornbread, parched corn, corn cakes, pancakes and even savory corn gravy-Make whole-grain, corn-based breads and cakes using the author's original gluten-free recipes involving no other grains, artificial binders, or dairy products-Grow and use popbeans and other grain legumes-Grow, store, and use summer, winter, and drying squash-Keep a home laying flock of ducks or chickens; integrate them with your gardening, and grow most of their feed. The Resilient Gardener is both a conceptual and a hands-on gardening book, and is suitable for gardeners at all levels of experience. Resilience here is broadly conceived and encompasses a full range of problems, from personal hard times such as injuries, family crises, financial problems, health problems, and special dietary needs (gluten intolerance, food allergies, carbohydrate sensitivity, and a need for weight control) to serious regional and global disasters and climate change. It is a supremely optimistic as well as realistic book about how resilient gardeners and their gardens can flourish even in challenging times and help their communities to survive and thrive through everything that comes their way - from tomorrow through the next thousand years.
RHS Can Anything Stop Slugs?: A Gardener's Collection of Pesky Problems and Surprising Solutions
by Guy BarterRHS Can Anything Stop Slugs assists with all of the most common problems encountered in a garden - as well as some slightly more unusual ones. The RHS's Chief Horticulturist, Guy Barter, provides expert advice, responding to the questions posed by thousands of gardeners every year.This entertaining and informative guide provides a wealth of information. Feature boxes of interesting facts enable you to really get to grips with the issue at hand.As the cause of a problem is not always apparent, the main symptom is used as the starting point in each section, enabling you to troubleshoot all your garden problems. This is not a dull reference book full of lists - it is an easy-to-read and amusing look at how we battle with nature in our gardens, showing you how to either come out top or to surrender with dignity.
Rustic Elegance
by Ralph KylloeA collection of breathtaking log cabins where everything new is old again, from the author of Ralph Kylloe&’s Rustic Living. Exuding luxury and comfort, history and innovation, here are thirteen newly handcrafted log and stone homes that surpass all expectations of quality and creativity. All are the creations of Larry Pearson, AIA, who is recognized as a leader in rustic design. These luxurious cabins from Montana, Wyoming, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Minnesota and California are replete with hand-hewn logs, dry-stacked stone, artistic doors and staircases, and furnishings that meld modern convenience with age-old beauty. Pearson Design Group was the recipient of Mountain Living Magazine&’s prestigious 2009 Home of the Year Award and has been featured on HGTV&’S Spectacular Homes.
Save Energy And Cut Your Bills: Teach Yourself (Teach Yourself General)
by Nick WhiteSave Energy and Cut Your Bills offers you straightforward and achievable strategies for reducing your energy bills and living a more environmentally aware life.With lots of useful tools to assess your energy and carbon use, it gives practical advice on everything from heating your home to managing teenage consumers. Includes:-Energy-saving actions categorized into 'no cost', 'low cost' and 'investment' actions.-Detailed installation costs and savings help you to make more effective decisions.-Topical issues, such as HIPs and smart metering-Guidance on the most effective ways of generating your own power.- Suggestions for green driving and being more sustainable in the garden.-Resource sections for further investigation and assistance.NOT GOT MUCH TIME?One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started.AUTHOR INSIGHTSLots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author's many years of experience.TEST YOURSELFTests in the book and online to keep track of your progress.EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGEExtra online articles at www.teachyourself.com to give you a richer understanding of how to save energy.FIVE THINGS TO REMEMBERQuick refreshers to help you remember the key facts.TRY THISInnovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.
Save Energy and Cut Your Bills: Teach Yourself (Teach Yourself General Ser.)
by Nick WhiteSave Energy and Cut Your Bills offers you straightforward and achievable strategies for reducing your energy bills and living a more environmentally aware life.With lots of useful tools to assess your energy and carbon use, it gives practical advice on everything from heating your home to managing teenage consumers. Includes:-Energy-saving actions categorized into 'no cost', 'low cost' and 'investment' actions.-Detailed installation costs and savings help you to make more effective decisions.-Topical issues, such as HIPs and smart metering-Guidance on the most effective ways of generating your own power.- Suggestions for green driving and being more sustainable in the garden.-Resource sections for further investigation and assistance.NOT GOT MUCH TIME?One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started.AUTHOR INSIGHTSLots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author's many years of experience.TEST YOURSELFTests in the book and online to keep track of your progress.EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGEExtra online articles at www.teachyourself.com to give you a richer understanding of how to save energy.FIVE THINGS TO REMEMBERQuick refreshers to help you remember the key facts.TRY THISInnovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.
Seed, Soil, Sun: Earth's Recipe for Food
by Cris Peterson David R. LundquistSeed, Soil, Sun. With these simple ingredients, nature creates our food. Once again, noted author Cris Peterson brings both wonder and clarity to the subject of agriculture, celebrating the cycle of growth, harvest, and renewal. Using the corn plant as an example, she takes the reader through the story of germination and growth of a tiny corn seed into a giant plant reaching high into the air, with roots extending over six feet into the ground. This American Farm Bureau Foundation's Agriculture Book of the Year also discusses the make-up of soil and the amazing creatures who live there--from microscopic one-celled bacteria to moles, amoebas, and earthworms. David Lundquist's stunning photographs bring an immediacy and vibrancy to the seemingly miraculous process.
Self Sufficiency Bible
by Simon DawsonIn today's economic climate, self-sufficiency is increasingly seen as a viable means of taking control of our lives and safeguarding for the future - this is the book that will help every householder do just that. Each of the twelve chapters focuses on key topics for living a more self-sustainable life, with practical information and expert guidance that will make the subject come alive for everyone, whatever their needs, circumstances and resources. This means that the gardening chapter, for example, is appropriate both for people with an urban back yard or a more substantial plot of land. Written in a down-to-earth, engaging and often amusing style, the book will appeal to single people as much as to those with large families, to women who want to be more creative, resourceful and independent, to men who want to rediscover their inner 'hunter-gatherer', and to parents looking to equip their children with basic life skills.
The Self-Sufficiency Bible
by Simon DawsonPacked with practical information and expert advice on everything from gardening to cooking, and from health and beauty to raising livestock, this is the indispensable guide to self-sufficiency. Whether you live in a small flat in the city or have land of your own in the countryside, The Self-Sufficiency Bible encourages you to sit up and say, ?I can do that'!
The Self-Sufficiency Bible
by Simon DawsonPacked with practical information and expert advice on everything from gardening to cooking, and from health and beauty to raising livestock, this is the indispensable guide to self-sufficiency. Whether you live in a small flat in the city or have land of your own in the countryside, The Self-Sufficiency Bible encourages you to sit up and say, ?I can do that'!
Serious Microhydro
by Scott DavisWaterpower is the largest source of renewable energy in the world today, and microhydro is a mature, proven technology that can provide clean, inexpensive, renewable energy with little or no impact on the environment. Serious Microhydro brings you dozens of firsthand stories of energy independence covering a complete range of systems, from household pressure sites to higher pressure installations capable of powering a farm, business, or small neighborhood. Topics include: Low head and medium head sites AC-only systems as well as ones using a battery/inverter subsystem Stand alone power supply or grid intertie setups Hybrid systems (combined with photovoltaics or wind) With all the variables involved in microhydro, there is no "typical" system. These case studies represent the most comprehensive collection of knowledge and experience available for tailoring an installation to meet the needs of a site and its owner or operators. If you are considering building a system, you are bound to find a wealth of creative solutions appropriate to your own circumstances. Serious Microhydro shows how scores of people are achieving a high standard of living from local energy sources with a minimal ecological footprint. It has particular appeal to homeowners, teachers, renewable energy professionals, activists, and decision makers who want to understand the technology from a "hands-on" perspective. Scott Davis is an award-winning renewable energy project developer with decades of experience operating, installing, designing, selling, and teaching microhydro technology. He is a founder and president of Friends of Renewable Energy BC, and the author of Microhydro: Clean Power From Water.
The Shopping Diet
by Phillip Bloch"Stop me before I shop again!" When the clothing budget is tight, when you have to squeeze every dollar and stretch it further, it's time to go on The Shopping Diet. But don't worry! This diet won't deprive you of having a fashionable and up-to-date wardrobe--in fact, you will find exciting ways to look fantastic, make more of the clothes and accessories you already have, and come out ahead with the one thing that's always in style: more money in your wallet! Whether you're an impulse shopper, whether you shop out of boredom or other emotions, or if "the tough go shopping" has always been your motto, you may feel that you simply have to shop--that there are never enough clothes, or the right clothes, to make you feel complete, confident, and in control. But in tough economic times, there is a better way--a whole new lifestyle of evaluating your true wardrobe needs, making smart choices, and changing your spending habits from the inside out. The results? More time (no more Saturdays spent wandering the mall aimlessly), more space (your closet makeover will turn that priceless piece of real estate into your favorite go-to boutique!), and more cash (or, if you prefer, less credit card debt). Now that's being in control! Premiere celebrity stylist Phillip Bloch's unique and thought-provoking approach to looking great for less gives you fascinating insights and practical solutions to the very real problem of overspending that affects millions of people.
Simpler Living: A Back to Basics Guide to Cleaning, Furnishing, Storing, Decluttering, Streamlining, Organizing, and More
by Mark Victor Hansen Jeff DavidsonLife moves too quickly these days, as technology, work, and personal commitments make it almost impossible to relax and enjoy life. Finding yourself stressed over the clutter in your kitchen or the mass of paper in front of your computer? Relax. This book will help. Filled with tips on how to uncomplicate your daily routine, eliminate stress at home and work, and more, this book will help you free up your time so you can once again enjoy doing the things you love. Author Jeff Davidson has compiled more than 1,500 ways that you can simplify your life. Divided into sections for easy reference, this book will show you ways you can eliminate stress in your home, your personal life, and in your professional life. You will learn the six questions you should ask yourself before buying something new, the most efficient way to clean your pots and pans, the pay-ahead technique to get yourself out of debt, ways to make your commute more comfortable, and advice on hassle-free vacation planning for you and your family. This book is the guide you've been looking for to lead the peaceful, productive life you've always wanted.
Simply-Built Furniture
by Danny ProulxKeep it simple, keep it basic, keep it fun! Simply-Built Furniture is part of Danny Proulx's legacy to the woodworking world. He showed us that furniture doesn't have to be ornate or highly decorated to achieve a "timeless" status. Sometimes simple is best. Simple lines and simple joinery. This collection brings together special projects from Proulx's 16 books-most of which are now out of print-with pieces such as a rustic pine chest of drawers, a bed with built-in storage, a window seat, a contemporary display cabinet, a tall bookcase, an armoire work center, a writing desk, a memorabilia sideboard, and more. Both beginning and experienced woodworkers will appreciate Proulx's no-nonsense approach to woodworking and his easy style of teaching, as well as the minimal time and materials needed to create these beautiful projects that are more than a just another piece of furniture for your homes. The projects in this book will fit in almost any design setting and won't become passe after a few years. And best of all, you can build this furniture with basic woodworking tools and easy-to-find materials. It's really very simple.
Simply Creative Faux Finishes with Gary Lord: 30 Cutting Edge Techniques for Walls, Floors and Ceilings
by Gary LordSophisticated Home Decor Made Easy Nothing can transform a room quite like paint! In this groundbreaking guide, professional decorative painter Gary Lord presents 30 brand-new finishes for your walls, floors, ceilings and furniture. Designed by Gary and 23 of the top names in the industry, these cutting-edge finishes bring style, sophistication and value to every part of your home. Each project shows you step by step how to use the newest tools and painting products on the market to achieve elegant, updated home décor without the expense of hiring a professional. Everything you need to do-it-yourself successfully is included, such as: Complete lists of tools and materials Large, full-color step-by-step photos Tips from the pros that help you customize your project and avoid mistakes Detailed instructions for room and surface preparation Inspiring photos of completed projects in actual homes Whether you're a seasoned home decorator or a novice faux finisher, with this guide you'll have the inspiration and knowledge it takes to create a truly unique and beautiful home. Best of all, the designers featured here keep you ahead of the curve with their up-to-the-minute styles and techniques. From floors and walls to ceilings and beyond, make your home the best it can be. Please note that the digital version of this book does not include the bonus DVD.
Site Furnishings
by Main Bill Hannah Gail GreetIntroducing the first all-in-one guide to site furniture principles, processes, and best practices Furniture matters-outdoors as well as in. Understanding the connections between site and site furniture enhances the creative opportunities for designers of outdoor spaces and increases their ability to influence the long-term success of the spaces they design. Site Furnishings comprehensively examines how to elevate the design of site furnishings to achieve programming goals. Intended for landscape architects, designers, and contractors, as well as urban planners and designers, civil engineers, and other professionals, this accessible resource explores the ways that furniture contributes to the quality of outdoor spaces, and provides conceptual tools, technical information, and examples of successful applications. Just as important, it provides an in-depth overview of the elements that comprise site furnishings and the critical issues that inform site furniture selection. Supported by case studies and an abundance of high-quality photographs, Site Furnishings introduces professionals from all fields involved in site design to: Best practices, with a look at how these approaches lead to functional, responsive, and supportable outdoor spaces A step-by-step process for developing a furniture plan A typology of places that encompasses a wide spectrum of outdoor spaces, including parks and plazas, streetscapes, retail malls, theme parks, and transit hubs Management's role in the success of public spaces, supported by a detailed case study of how site and furniture management is implemented at New York's Bryant Park Sustainability, including the major issues involved in making sustainable site choices, where to obtain information, and industry initiatives to promote them Technical information on materials, installation methods, maintenance, and functional requirements of street and site furniture
Smartcities and Eco-Warriors: The Ecological Landscapes For Urban Resilience
by Cj Lim Ed LiuModern methods of agriculture have led to cities growing out of control and reducing the available agricultural land, threatening the sustainability of our food system. The previous mutually sustaining relationships of animals, humans and the land have been lost with the progress of industry. The Smartcity – an ecological symbiosis between nature, society and the built form – is the innovative response to contemporary problems from one of the world’s leading urban design and architectural thinkers. Addressing the problems of unchecked city growth, the idea of the Smartcity questions whether we could begin to live once again from first principles, focusing in on the inhabitants of the city. The holistic construct of the Smartcity is developed through a series of international case studies, some commissioned by government organisations, others speculative and polemic. Reframing the way people think about urban green space and the evolution of cities, CJ Lim and Ed Liu explore how the reintegration of agriculture in urban environments can cultivate new spatial practices and social cohesion in addition to food for our tables. Representing an emerging architectural voice in matters of environmental and social sustainability, Smartcities and Eco-warriors is a long overdue treatment of the subject from a designer’s perspective, and is essential reading for practitioners and students in the fields of architecture, urban planning, environmental engineering, landscape design, agriculture and sociology. An inspiration to government agencies and NGOs dealing with climate change, it also resonates with anyone concerned about cities, energy conservation and the future of food
Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders®: 101 Patterns That Go Way Beyond Socks! (One-Skein Wonders)
by Judith DurantSock yarn isn’t just for socks anymore! Veteran knitter Judith Durant presents 101 original projects that can be created from just a single skein of sock yarn, including adorable baby clothes, warm hats, beautiful scarves, and even a dog sweater. A quick and creative way to use up leftovers, many of these projects knit up in less than three hours. Adapted from designs contributed by yarn shops and crafters from throughout North America, knitters of all types will delight in these fun and stylish creations.
Soil Mates
by Kelle Carter Sara AlwayMatchmaking in the garden! In this charming guide to companion planting for your vegetable-garden favorites, you'll learn why Broccoli Rosemary and whether Cucumber + Corn = friends with benefits. (Just watch out for Celery! Leggy and leafy, she is notoriously easygoing and will happily settle down with just about anyone, raising a ruckus in your raised beds.) Complete with 20 pairings, tasty recipes, prep-aration tips, and more, Soil Mates is the perfect partner for your horticultural matchmaker.
A Solar Buyer's Guide for the Home and Office
by stephen Rebekah HrenSolar power, once a fringe effort limited to DIY enthusiasts, is now fast becoming mainstream. Many home and business owners are curious about solar electric and solar thermal systems, and wonder how to go about getting a clean energy generation system of their own. The vast majority will hire a professional installer to do the job. But what should they be asking of these installers? What system makes the most sense for their home or office: solar electric, solar hot water, solar heating, or some combination of these? A Solar Buyer's Guide for the Home and Officeexplains the options so that property owners can make the right choices both for their energy needs and their financial security. Understanding how solar power systems work will enable readers to be informed customers when dealing with professional installers-the book also provides advice on how to select a qualified installer and understand the expanding variety of tax credits and other incentives that are popping up around the country. The market for solar systems has been growing at an exponential rate and strong tax credits ensure continued growth even in a sluggish economy. Many of those who would like to catch this undeniable wave of the future are held back by widespread confusion. A Solar Buyer's Guide for the Home and Officeclears the air, allowing property owners to move forward with confidence to make their homes and offices more comfortable, environmentally sound, and secure against wild swings in energy prices.
Solar Electricity Basics: A Green Energy Guide (Mother Earth News Books for Wiser Living)
by Dan ChirasThe future will be powered by renewables. As we transition away from finite and polluting fossil fuels, clean, reliable, and affordable renewable technologies such as solar electricity will become the mainstay of our energy supply. Solar Electricity Basics provides a clear understanding of electricity and energy. It discusses the types of solar electric system you can choose from, their components, solar site assessment, the installation of photovoltaic systems, and much more. Whether your goal is to lower your energy bill or to achieve complete energy independence, Solar Electricity Basics is the introduction you need.
Solar Water Heating--Revised & Expanded Edition: A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Water and Space Heating Systems (Mother Earth News Books for Wiser Living)
by Bob Ramlow Benjamin NuszHeating water with the sun is a practice almost as old as humankind itself. Solar Water Heating, now completely revised and expanded, is the definitive guide to this clean and cost-effective technology.Beginning with a review of the history of solar water and space heating systems from prehistory to the present, Solar Water Heating presents an introduction to modern solar energy systems, energy conservation, and energy economics. Drawing on the authors' experiences as designers and installers of these systems, the book goes on to cover: Types of solar collectors, solar water, and space heating systems and solar pool heating systems, including their advantages and disadvantages System components, their installation, operation, and maintenance System sizing and siting Choosing the appropriate system This book focuses on the financial aspects of solar water or space heating systems, clearly showing that such systems generate significant savings in the long run. With many diagrams and illustrations to complement the clearly written text, this book is designed for a wide readership ranging from the curious homeowner to the serious student or professional.Bob Ramlow has been involved in renewable energy system sales, installation, and manufacturing since 1976. He is an IREC/ISPQ certified solar thermal independent master trainer and a NABCEP certified solar thermal installer. He writes and teaches workshops about solar energy.Benjamin Nusz has worked as an installer, site assessor, designer, and consultant for solar thermal systems. He currently trains renewable thermal technicians at Mid-State Technical College in Wisconsin.
Starter Vegetable Gardens: 24 No-Fail Plans for Small Organic Gardens
by Barbara PleasantDevelop your green thumb as you learn to grow your own food. In this introductory guide to growing vegetables, Barbara Pleasant addresses common problems that first-time gardeners encounter. Using simple language and illustrated garden layouts, Pleasant shows you how to start, maintain, and eventually expand an organic vegetable garden in even the tiniest backyard. With handy tips on enriching soil, planting schedules, watering, fighting pests, and more, you’ll quickly discover how easy it is to enjoy your own homegrown vegetables.
Storey's Guide to Keeping Honey Bees: Honey Production, Pollination, Bee Health (Storey’s Guide to Raising)
by Malcolm T. Sanford Richard E. BonneyEnjoy the sweet rewards of keeping your own honey bees. Learn how to plan a hive, acquire bees, install a colony, keep your bees healthy, and harvest honey. Full of practical advice on apiary equipment and tools, this comprehensive guide also includes an overview of colony life and honey bee anatomy.
Succulent Container Gardens: Design Eye-Catching Displays with 350 Easy-Care Plants
by Debra Lee BaldwinDefine your individual style. With their colorful leaves, sculptural shapes, and simple care, succulents are beautiful yet forgiving plants for pots. If grown in containers, these dry-climate jewels—which include but are not limited to cacti—can be brought indoors in winter and so can thrive anywhere in the world. In this inspiring compendium, the popular author of Designing with Succulents provides everything beginners and experienced gardeners need to know to create stunning container displays of exceptionally waterwise plants. The extensive palette includes delicate sedums, frilly echeverias, cascading senecios, edgy agaves, and fat-trunked beaucarneas, to name just a few. Easy-to-follow, expert tips explain soil mixes, overwintering, propagation, and more.