Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Jan. 8, 2014, 9 p.m.

The Coledale ocean pool is well-used by locals and visitors in all seasons. Pictures: CHRISTOPHER CHAN

MERCURY SERIES - Saltwater sanctuaries

When the tide is high, its easy to overlook the Coledale ocean pool. Carved deep into the rock between the pebbly shore and the wide ocean, it could be mistaken as part of the natural landscape.

That is until you walk a little closer, and notice swimming caps rhythmically bobbing up and down the length of the pool, and groups of young girls in mutilcoloured rash vests perched on the edge before practising their perfect dives.

Like all the Illawarras ocean pools, it is beloved by locals and visitors alike. When the Wollongong citizens panel recommended two or three pools be reduced or run to fail to cut costs for Wollongong City Council, the outcry was swift and strong.

Beau Edwards and Marita Van Dermeys at Coledale rock pools.

No-one wanted the pools to close, with the council sent 360 responses in relation to the suggestion.

Built by volunteers in 1915, the Coledale rock pool has been the swimming spot of choice for many for almost a century.

Some visitors just want to cool off in the shallows, others are more serious about their strokes and continue to swim on frigid winter mornings, steadily tallying lap after lap.

Read more from the original source:
Seaside jewel almost 100 and still going strong

Jan. 8, 2014, 9 p.m.

The Coledale ocean pool is well-used by locals and visitors in all seasons. Pictures: CHRISTOPHER CHAN

MERCURY SERIES - Saltwater sanctuaries

When the tide is high, its easy to overlook the Coledale ocean pool. Carved deep into the rock between the pebbly shore and the wide ocean, it could be mistaken as part of the natural landscape.

That is until you walk a little closer, and notice swimming caps rhythmically bobbing up and down the length of the pool, and groups of young girls in mutilcoloured rash vests perched on the edge before practising their perfect dives.

Like all the Illawarras ocean pools, it is beloved by locals and visitors alike. When the Wollongong citizens panel recommended two or three pools be reduced or run to fail to cut costs for Wollongong City Council, the outcry was swift and strong.

Beau Edwards and Marita Van Dermeys at Coledale rock pools.

No-one wanted the pools to close, with the council sent 360 responses in relation to the suggestion.

Built by volunteers in 1915, the Coledale rock pool has been the swimming spot of choice for many for almost a century.

Some visitors just want to cool off in the shallows, others are more serious about their strokes and continue to swim on frigid winter mornings, steadily tallying lap after lap.

The rest is here:
Coledale jewel almost 100 and still going strong

This is the first in a series of articles with tips for maintaining your landscape, using 90 percent less time and effort compared with traditional methods. Each months column will lay out what you need to do, based on the weather patterns here in Waltham. In other words, we will follow the local plant phenology (the study of how seasonal light changes and weather influence plant life cycles) for a do-it-right-the-first-time approach that provides safety, value, convenience and beauty through horticultural expertise and sustainable design.

-Safety: Removing hazardous sticks and branches, blocked sight lines, slippery areas and poison ivy, while maintaining effective lighting, drainage and security.

-Value: Adding to your property value through aesthetics, better air quality, rainwater management, reduced noise and an improved balance of shade vs. sun.

-Convenience: Using the proper tools and correct timing for results that last longer, keep you and your neighbors more satisfied, and provide faster completion of seasonal chores at lower cost.

-Beauty: While effecting safety, value and convenience, also gaining proper proportion, balance, form and density as well as color. Making everything from drainage management to the development of utility space meet your aesthetic standards that consider key views, seen from both inside and outside you home.

No matter the size of your property, these principles are the same, and become only more important within the small spaces typical of many Waltham yards.

January: Systems Documentation

You may perceive our cold Waltham Januaries as a rest time for landscape management, but in fact this is when we do critical work that sets the course for the year.

Most property owners are at the mercy of their memories to keep track of what has been done in their landscapes and the locations of the underlying systems. This causes waste when the person with the institutional memory leaves, and someone new must start fresh, or when contractors do harm or need to take more time and charge more money because of unknown factors such as the depth of pipe, location of wire, or species of tree.

See more here:
Waltham Voices: A monthly guide to maintaining your landscape

Jan. 8, 2014, 9 p.m.

The Coledale ocean pool is well-used by locals and visitors in all seasons. Pictures: CHRISTOPHER CHAN

MERCURY SERIES - Saltwater sanctuaries

When the tide is high, its easy to overlook the Coledale ocean pool. Carved deep into the rock between the pebbly shore and the wide ocean, it could be mistaken as part of the natural landscape.

That is until you walk a little closer, and notice swimming caps rhythmically bobbing up and down the length of the pool, and groups of young girls in mutilcoloured rash vests perched on the edge before practising their perfect dives.

Like all the Illawarras ocean pools, it is beloved by locals and visitors alike. When the Wollongong citizens panel recommended two or three pools be reduced or run to fail to cut costs for Wollongong City Council, the outcry was swift and strong.

Beau Edwards and Marita Van Dermeys at Coledale rock pools.

No-one wanted the pools to close, with the council sent 360 responses in relation to the suggestion.

Built by volunteers in 1915, the Coledale rock pool has been the swimming spot of choice for many for almost a century.

Some visitors just want to cool off in the shallows, others are more serious about their strokes and continue to swim on frigid winter mornings, steadily tallying lap after lap.

Read more here:
Coledale jewel almost 100 and going strong

Dial Area Code first please.

If you are seeking landscaping in Fountain Hills AZ, then Creative Green Landscaping is the landscaper you have been looking for. Landscaping Fountain Hills since 1999, Creative Green Landscaping has built a reputation for beauty and efficiency.

No matter what type of landscaping service in Fountain Hills you need, Creative Green Landscaping can provide it for you. Fountain Hills homeowners and business owners use Creative Green Landscaping for many different landscaping needs such as lawn cutting, pruning, edging, fertilizing, and planting. The end result is a beautifullymanicured Fountain Hills lawn produced by a company which knows the ins and outs of the lawn care business.

Customers also love the fact that the Fountain Hills landscaping services offered by Creative Green Landscaping are quite affordable. This means that you can obtain the lawn cutting or planting services you desire at a competitive price.

Reputation says it all and Creative Green Landscaping has a great one. With so many years landscaping Fountain Hills AZ, it is no wonder that our stellar reputation often precedes us.

If you live in Fountain Hills AZ and need landscaping services for your home or business, now is the perfect time to call Creative Green Landscaping. Our professional Fountain Hills landscapers can meet with you to determine your exact landscaping needs are and then carry out the work to perfection. Contact Creative Green Landscaping today at (480) 378-0920 and obtain the landscaped yard you have always wanted!

See the article here:
Landscaping Fountain Hills AZ

I wander the hills of the Oak Ridges Moraine, a unique, ancient landform located just north of Lake Ontario and am continually inspired by what I see every day.

......intersection of country roads.......a bright but very cold early January afternoon.......

This painting is one of many small, intimate landscapes I have created over many years.

Click on the zoom feature if you wish to see the work in detail. Each brush stroke and pencil mark will be visible.

This image measures 9.5 x 13 inches. It is signed and dated bottom left lightly in pencil, H. Stooshinoff, 2013. There is a narrow white border around the work that helps with framing. External paper size is 10.25 x 13.75 inches.

The painting is completed on heavy, gessoed archival Whatman paper. A quick pencil sketch is followed by a bold, intuitive treatment with acrylics. Pencil was also used in the last stages.

Sold unframed. Image #5 is a framing example only.

I have been painting and exhibiting my artwork for over 30 years and will continue for many more. I hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts, a Master of Fine Arts, and a Bachelor of Education.

All paintings are placed in plastic sleeves and shipped in sturdy cardboard mailers.

Paintbox.etsy.com

See the original post here:
Lost Dog Hill January Orignal Landscape Painting on by Paintbox

The pendulum of photography swings back and forth and it seems to me that photographers have never had it so good. I can take a 35mm Delta 100 negative, scan it on my Imacon and with a couple of Nik plug-ins and a few clicks of the stylus, I can make a 16 inkjet print from the tiff that competes on quality with a traditional medium format darkroom wet print. The old rule book has been re-written and the true benefit is that I can use the film, lenses and cameras that I love to combine workflows and produce print output that exceeds traditional methods. Wild horses would not drag me back into a darkroom, I firmly left all that behind years ago but Ill continue to use film of several formats until the option is no longer viable.

I happened across this old, gnarled hawthorn tree during a days walking on Dartmoor. The Leica MP was loaded with a roll of Ilford Delta 100, which I love for its almost grain-free pictorial qualities, and the 90mm Elmarit-M f2.8 lens gave the subject the isolation I was planning for. Where granite tors are the perpetual guardians of Dartmoor, theses old hawthorns are the keepers of this living landscape. Find a hawthorn, sit down in its company, brew a mug of tea and enjoy the peace of Dartmoor!

Leica MP

Elmarit_M 90mm f2.8

Ilford Delta 100

Heliopan O22

Here is the original post:
Steve Walton UK Landscape Photographer - UK Panoramics and ...

Janet Yellen, who was confirmed Monday by the U.S. Senate as the first woman to lead the Federal Reserve, will take the helm of a Federal Reserve facing a significantly different economic landscape from the one that dominated Ben Bernanke's tenure as chairman, confronting her with different decisions as well.

Bernanke's eight years leading the Fed were largely consumed with the recession and his efforts to cure it by pushing down interest rates and pumping cash into the economy.

Many economists think Yellen's big challenge will be deciding how to ease off some of those very policies, which Bernanke took with Yellen's support.

Here's a look at the Fed's new chairwoman and the challenges she faces.

- Birthplace: Brooklyn, N.Y. Age: 67

- Experience: Vice chairwoman, Federal Reserve, 2010-present; president, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, 2004-10; chairwoman, White House Council of Economic Advisers, 1997-99; member, Federal Reserve Board of Governors, 1994-97; faculty member, University of California, Berkeley, 1980-94 (on leave); lecturer at London School of Economics and Political Science, 1978-80; economist, Federal Reserve, 1977-78; assistant professor at Harvard University, 1971-76.

- Party lines: Nominated by President Barack Obama, Yellen was confirmed by a 56-26 Senate vote that included 45 Democrats and 11 Republicans.

- Under scrutiny: Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, warned that a continuation of the Fed's easy money policies "risks fueling an economic bubble and even hyperinflation," which he said could cause "real and lasting damage to our economy."

Follow this link:
New Fed chairwoman faces changing landscape

The Chanel designer is keeping himself very busy...

Karl Lagerfeld is designing to 'grand apartments' in the Hotel de Crillon

Rex

Karl Lagerfeld has swapped fashion for interiors, as he gets ready to design two luxurious suites for the historic Htel de Crillon in Paris.

The Chanel creative director has been tasked with designing two of the palatial hotel's most prestigious suites, which Karl has called 'grand apartments'.

The Crillon, which opened as a hotel in 1909, dates back to 1758. Situated on the Place de la Concorde, it is steeped in the culture and history of 18th century Paris. It has 103 rooms and 44 suites, which have hosted the world's most famous people.

Speaking to WWD, Radha Arora, president of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, said: 'No-one understands Paris or the heritage of the Crillon better than Mr. Lagerfeld.' Given the years the designer has spent living and working in Paris, we would have to agree.

But this won't be Mr Lagerfeld's first foray into the world of interiors the Chanel designer has also lent his design talents to the create the emblem for Sofitel So Singapore, and he also advised on the interiors of the Alma Schlosshotel in Berlin. If you happen to be travelling to the Hotel Metropole in Monte-Carlo, you'll see Karl's work in the restaurant and by the pool, too.

Karl, the interior decorator? We love it.

Excerpt from:
Karl Lagerfeld Turns Interior Designer For Iconic Parisian Hotel

In our on-demand world, being connected to information and entertainment around the clock with is practically a given. To get that, youll need a high-tech home wiring system that can deliver the infrastructure youll need for a connected world.But how do you bring this 21st century convenience into a home from a completely different era?

New homes offer the best opportunity for integrating high-tech home wiring systems, but many manufacturers offer smart products to retrofit existing homes. As a result, you can now improve your homes automation, security, and value with options ranging from in-room conveniences to household-wide systems easily controlled from a single touch screen.

Heres a sampling of solutions to mix and match in the creation of your very own high-tech wired home.

Entertainment on demand:If youre entranced by your HDTV/DVR combination or cant go a day without your personal MP3 playlist, there are ways to add even more convenience to their entertaining delivery. Whole-house high-tech wiring systems allow you to centralize all audio and video delivery equipment, load up your favorite music and movies, and then enjoy them from any connected point in the home any time. Zoned controls also mean that different folks can enjoy a range of entertainment simultaneously: jazz can serenade a casual gathering on the patio while a childrens movie entertains in the living room and a vacation slide show rolls in the kitchen.

Lighting for mood, effect and safety:The advent of wireless home lighting control systems has made it easier than ever to integrate convenience, luxury and security into a homescape. Without tearing down walls for wiring or rerunning electrical wires, RF technology can make use of existing 110-volt home wiring for a retrofit as brilliant as the custom designs built into new homes. Convenient features for setting the scene include one-button vacation/alert, all on/all off and soft on/soft off modes, and security can be enhanced by setting indoor and outdoor lights to go on and off automatically. Even better, you can save money with dimming and overload detection that extend bulb life and conserves energy.

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Home Network Wiring | High-Tech Home Wiring System | The Money Pit