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07/20/2008

Split-level Surprise
SANTA MONICA, Calif. Consider all the potential architectural solutions for modern living, and the split-level house hardly seems an obvious candidate — not to the average person who summons the image of some postwar dwelling that appears half-sunken in quicksand, its tiny basement windows barely poking aboveground, the front door opening to dual sets of stairs and the immediate puzzle: Do I go up? Or do I go down?

Texas builder probes client’s minds about their new houses
ROUND TOP, Texas — Building a home, like getting married, is not for the faint of heart. It is a rare individual (or couple) who can manage the mix of high expectations, inexperience and a ballooning budget in service of a goal — a home! — so freighted with meaning, and come out unscathed.

Ralph and Terry Kovel: Political campaigns are a gold mine of collectibles
Politics and political campaigns are featured in every newspaper, Web site and blog, and collectors are looking at the new memorabilia that can be part of a collection. The official pins sold or given away by the party, not the souvenir pins sold by merchants, are the ones that gain in collector value. The signs, T-shirts, pencils, jewelry, mugs, hats, dishes, paperweights and other memorabilia should also be official. Some collectibles are new: TV and radio commercials, songs and viral videos (amateur Internet videos) can now be collected and stored electronically. Some political memorabilia has almost disappeared. Past campaigns featured soap babies, cigarette packs, ceramic figurines, bandannas, knives, watch fobs, wristwatches and even packing boxes that held lettuce. Some of the items that are rare today were throwaway items. Even candy and gum wrappers were made to tout the virtues of a candidate. A few, like the “gold bug” pin, promoted a party view more than a candidate. Save the interesting polit ical items you see. Usually the material from primaries is of little interest later, but this year the first black and first woman candidates created a “crossover” appeal for collectors. That means three groups will be searching for these. They’ll be wanted by collectors of black memorabilia, women’s rights materials and political items.

Mark Patinkin: Be a sponsor and make a difference in Hillary’s life
I read that Hillary Clinton is getting few donations to help pay off her $20 million campaign debt, half owed to herself, and half to vendors. Even Barack Obama’s request that his supporters step up has fallen flat. They’re not rushing to bail out the woman who spent months tearing Obama down. As someone who feels for Clinton, I’ve been trying to find an appeal that would work, and inspired by Rhode Island-based Plan International, which helps Third World children out of poverty, I’m pretty sure I’ve got it. So today, consider this a personal request to you:

What was in ... is out

Filter the air as you vacuum
A new line of Arm & Hammer accessories claims to transform the common vacuum into a virtual air filter using baking soda particles to neutralize odor-causing mold, bacteria, fungi and pet dander.

07/13/2008

Design from square one: Learning to cope with a bare apartment
Don’t be jealous, but I happen to live in a fabulous place.

Tips on taking care for your finest works of art and craft
WASHINGTON — If you have learned even a bit about caring for fine furniture, artwork and collectibles, you know that all preservation techniques are not created equal. Some actually can be detrimental to the history and resale value of a piece.

‘Zero-emissions house’ on display during political summit in Japan
As leaders of the world’s most powerful nations discussed climate change at the Group of Eight summit in northern Japan last week, Japan’s big tech companies displayed some of their most cutting-edge solutions in a nearby “zero-emissions house.”

Antiques Corner by Ralph and Terry Kovel: Old baseball fabric might be a home run
How old is Grandpa’s unusual silk “pillowcase” decorated with a picture of a baseball team? Because the records of baseball teams and players are so well documented, it’s easy to learn what the logical age of an item should be. But remember, today many items are being copied and sold to those who want to remember the “good old days.” And sometimes the new pieces find their way to a garage sale or flea market and get sold as old. But fabrics featuring sports are rarely reproduced. And fabrics, especially silk, age noticeably, so a pristine, colorful item would be very rare.

Is your bedroom a nightmare? Wake it up with a few good tips

Simplicity by the sea

What’s cool in pool design
Taking a dip in a backyard pool has never looked so refreshing.

07/06/2008

Put your stamp on deliveries with unconventional mailboxes
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Strictly utilitarian and ornately decorative mailboxes are easy to find. However, chic, sleek letter holders are foreign to most U.S. stores.

Kelly Lavigne William Nester
Kelly Lavigne of West Warwick and William Nester of West Warwick were married Dec. 29 in SS. John and James Church, West Warwick, by the Rev. LaPlante. The bride is the daughter of Patricia Lambert of West Warwick and James Lavigne of Midlothian, Va. The groom is the son of Donna Nester of West Warwick and the late William Nester.

Shade trees and windbreaks can cut heating and cooling costs
Utility costs are on the rise, along with so many other expenses. One way to cut bills is to landscape your home for energy efficiency.

CAN’T LET GO
Melodie Bryant, a New York City composer, never wanted the portrait of her Uncle Ivins.

Sunday July 6 Antiques: An original Uncle Sam doorstop auctioned recently for $16,000
Uncle Sam has changed since he was first pictured in 1852. There is disagreement about how Uncle Sam came to be. Most sources say that by 1816, meat barrels sent to the Army were stamped “U.S.” and soldiers claimed it stood for “Uncle Sam,” the nickname for Samuel Wilson, a meat packer. But these stories did not appear in reliable printed sources until years after Wilson died.

Wear old shoes and make nice for Brimfield bargains
BRIMFIELD, Mass. Just a few moments into my inaugural trip to the Brimfield Antique Show in May of last year, I managed to commit a faux pas that would make the most seasoned garage-sale lover wince: I paid asking price.

Diagnosing a child’s ills should start at home
Tips on how to get the most out of a visit to your child’s health care provider:

Sampling the news 10 years from now
If you were able to peek at the news 10 years from now, I’m guessing these are some of the stories you’d find:

06/29/2008

Tree houses for all
PHILADELPHIA Bill Allen’s Burlington, Vt., nonprofit is aptly named Forever Young Treehouses. Nothing brings out the kid in us like a tree house.

Solar-powered attic ventilator fans are a good investment
Q: We’ve had a whole house fan in our attic for many years and while its noise occasionally bothers me, I think it’s working great and saving us money. When I asked a local contractor about solar-powered attic ventilating fans, he told me they didn’t put out even power to make much difference. Do you think that’s true?

Antiques: Cast-iron heating stoves can bring $500 or more
Houses in America were originally heated by open fires in a fireplace. By the mid-1700s, cast-iron heating stoves were introduced. Many were “five plate” stoves made of five iron plates assembled as an open box. The stove was put in an opening in the wall of a room adjacent to the kitchen. Live coals were put inside it from the kitchen fireplace. This heated the room without carrying the smoke from the kitchen. Other styles of stoves were made, many with elaborate designs cast in the iron plates. Stove improvements could be patented after 1793, and new designs after 1842.

Mark Patinkin: Aah, nature: Feels great (for the first 5 minutes)
There seems to be a new syndrome out there.