July 2011
21 posts
Awwww......
11 tags
Considering a Reverse Mortgage?
Should You Go Forward With a Reverse Mortgage?
Big lenders in the reverse mortgage business — Wells Fargo this month and Bank of America earlier this year — have pulled out of the market and won’t issue any new reverse mortgages. But MetLife and several smaller companies plan to stay in the market, so you won’t have issues finding a reverse mortgage if you want one. Read
Visit houselogic.com...
Need a Little Steam in your Shower???
Steam Shower: Make Your Life a Little Steamy
Install a home steam shower and feel the tension melt away every day. Read
Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.
Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
Oh my summer......
Sure hope I get to the beach with Trixie this year…
Fact About Me... and my brothers and sisters.
Yorkies, or Yorkshire Terriers, as they are formally known, are fascinating dogs. They have great personalities and are very smart. They are designated in the toy group of dogs because of their small size. According to their breed standard they must not exceed seven pounds.
They have a very characteristic coat as well. Almost all Yorkies have a blue and tan coat. Their coat is also very long and...
Confused About Appraisals?.........Me Too!
What You Must Know About Home Appraisals
Understanding how appraisals work will help you achieve a quick and profitable refinance or sale. Read
Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.
Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
11 tags
Need Help Buying a Short Sale?
6 Tips for Buying a Home in a Short Sale
By preparing for a real estate short sale, you can emerge with a great home at a favorable price. Read
Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.
Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
For more information on buying a short sale or to get a list of short sale properties available where you want to purchase, contact my mommy...
7 Hot Home Improvement Trends that Make Your Home...
Home improvement trends embrace energy efficiency, low maintenance exteriors, and double-duty space.
Trend #1: Maintenance-free siding
We continue to choose maintenance-free siding that lives as long as we do, but with a lot less upkeep. But more and more we’re opting for fiber-cement siding, one of the fastest-growing segments of the siding market. It’s a combination of cement, sand, and...
Architecture Coach: Life in the Great 'Outdoors'
Consumers are looking for an outdoor space that has the creature comforts of indoor rooms, which they can enjoy in any weather. Here are some of the issues they should consider on this kind of home project.Decks, pergolas, and outdoor kitchens all enhance a home owner’s enjoyment of a yard and improve the resale value of the home. But at the top of the wish list for many consumers nowadays is an...
11 tags
Luxury Town Home Living in Sterling
My mommy has this great home for sale in Sterling. Check it out!
http://www.virtualtourcafe.com/2816969
How to Pick a Paint
Flat/Matte
Where to use: Best choice for walls with many imperfections. Use on ceilings and bedroom, dining-room, and living-room walls. Do not use in the kitchen or bathrooms.
Touch-ups and scrubbability: Flat or matte finishes are easy to touch up but hard to clean. Premium flat paint, such as Benjamin Moore Regal Matte Finish or California Paints Super-Scrub Matte Finish, has better...
Stay Put Shadow
The Tarte Lock & Roll Creaseless Shadow Duo has a waterproof cream shadow on one end and a shimmery loose shadow in a roller-ball applicator on the other. Apply the cream first and top with the loose color for a long-lasting budge-proof look. Available in eight shades.
I Make The Best Pet! No Problem for Allergy...
They Shed Very Little…Good Choice For Allergy Sufferers
Another Yorkshire Terrier Fact is that they have beautiful coats with long and luxurious fur. But shedding is minimal.
The hair on top of their head is very long, and that’s why you’ll often see a Yorkie with a topknot. It’s simply a way of keeping the hair tidy with a ribbon or band.
Short-nosed pets at risk for travel by air cargo
Q: I’m moving cross-country, and I need to figure out the best way to transport my two Persian cats there. Is it safe to ship them by air cargo? — via email
A: Because Persian cats have short noses and can be prone to breathing difficulties, they should not fly in the belly of an airliner. Travel in the cargo bay is not only extremely stressful for any pet, it also exposes your pets to extremes...
Skip the Salon
By Didi Gluci
These DIY kits are filled with all the essentials for a salon-perfect look at home.
Christi Harris Precision Brow Planning System
For Impeccable Brows: Christi Harris Precision Brow Planing System
Surely the world’s most comprehensive brow kit, it comes with three brow powders that blend with all hair colors, a brow-filling cream for sparse patches, a highlighter, brushes, and a...
June 2011
7 posts
Best All-Around Iron
Rowenta Steamium
Obliterates wrinkles with its 400 steam holes (other irons tested had from 30 to 100), spread across an extra-broad surface.
To buy: $140, shoprowenta.com.
Fancy Sunglasses
Let your children create one-of-a-kind accessories with these easy craft ideas.
With sequins, seashells, or confetti hand-punched from colorful paper, kids can make the movie-star sunglasses they’ve always dreamed about.
All they need to do is apply craft glue to the object and press it onto the frame. For heavier items, an adult should use craft cement. Once completely dry, kids can start...
Are You Outgrowing Your Home?
Here are some great homes for you to look at in real estate in Potomac Falls. My mommy, Michelina Queri, specializes real estate for sale in Sterling, Lowes Island, Cascades, Herndon and Reston. Her website is www.MQSells4u.com.
Here are the links for some NICE homes!
On the 10th Fairway of Trump National Golf Club - http://www.virtualtourcafe.com/8144668
Perfect colonial home waiting...
Leftover Paint Projects
Bucket Umbrella Stand
Transform an inexpensive flower bucket into a nice-looking umbrella stand by painting the bottom of the bucket with glossy oil-based enamel paint.
Read more at Marthastewart.com: Painted Furniture Projects – Martha Stewart
February 2011
24 posts
10 tags
Break in Your New Home
By Elisa Huang, Mark Lasswell, and Elizabeth Schatz
James Merrell
New House
With its unfamiliar smell and dated stenciling in the kitchen, a new house can seem haunted by its previous owners. To exorcise the ghosts and make it feel like your own, decorate with art and family photos as soon as you move in, recommends H. Don Bowden, president of Bowden Architecture, in Mobile, Alabama. “Your...
Lick Your Lips
Talk about multi-tasking! Huge Lips, Skinny Hips lip gloss plumps puckers while simultaneously curbing appetites. Thanks to active ingredients such as lemon peel oil, which soothes lips once plumping agent vitamin B3 activates, and Hoodia, an herb that suppresses appetite, you can watch your waist and score full lips all at once. Huge Lips, Skinny Hips lip gloss, $25; at...
How to Choose a Pet
By Amanda Armstrong
Before falling head over heels, determine whether a pet is the right fit for you.
Nancy Newberry
Dogs
At a breeder: “When you are introduced to the litter, sit down in a chair, not on the floor, and observe the puppies,” says Kellyann Conway, director of animal training and behavior for PetFinder.com, an online database of adoptable animals. While the first puppy that comes...
Stain Eliminator
Problem: Fruitless attempts at stain removal make your garments pucker. Solution: Tide Buzz, created by Tide and Black & Decker, is a kind of Water Pik for clothes. It’s equipped with an electrically charged wand that injects the stain with cleaning fluid. To buy: $30, amazon.com.
Verizon iPhone: The reviews are in!!!
Posted by Philip Elmer-DeWitt
February 3, 2011 6:23 AM
The verdict is unanimous: It’s slower than AT&T’s, but it rarely drops calls
Source: Verizon
Pre-orders for the Verizon (VZ) iPhone began Thursday, and deliveries will begin next week, but Apple (AAPL) made review copies available to its favorite publications — before Verizon’s network might suffer, like...
Convertible Hosiery with Toe Flaps!
Convertibles Hosiery with toeflaps
A clever toe flap makes it easy to open the end of these pantyhose and expose your toes or your entire foot. It’s perfect for casual commutes and no-hassle pedicures. Learn more at Dailygrommet.net
Home Ownership Offers Plenty of Tax Benefits
While renting offers zero tax breaks, buying a home offers several tax benefits that can make homeownership more affordable. Real estate professionals need to be careful in providing detailed tax advice to clients to avoid lawsuits, but you can ensure clients have the information they need to understand the all of the tax benefits of home ownership. The following is a few of the tax benefits to...
8 tags
To Stage or not to Stage:
According to the a recent article in the Washington Post Real Estate section; homes located in Northern Va that were staged went under contract in half of the days of the No. VA average and for almost 3% more. Staged properties often sell more quickly, and pictures of staged homes are more appealing than empty rooms to buyers conducting online searches. Some practitioners include staging...
Clever Uses for Coffee Grounds
Fertilizer: Spread grounds over flower beds containing acid-loving plants such as azaleas and rhododendrons.
“Fridge freshener”: Put dry grounds into an old margarine tub with holes poked in the lid. Place the tub in the refrigerator to absorb odors.
Odor-eliminator: Keep grounds in a can near the sink. Rub a small amount over your hands after peeling onions, chopping garlic or...
The Eyes Have It!
Lavender Shadow
If your daytime color palette is usually confined to beige, brown, and taupe, consider this new neutral: lavender with gray undertones. “It’s a fresh variation on smoky eyes that’s wearable for day,” Page says. (Women with dark skin tones should stay away from lavenders that are too pale—it will look frosty on the skin.)
1. Clinique Colour Surge Eye Shadow...
Quench Your Skin
Going from cold, windy air outside to dry heat inside sucks the moisture out of your skin, says N.Y.C. facial plastic surgeon Jennifer Levine, who suggests switching to a heavier moisturizer in the winter (try Olay Definity Night Restorative cream, $25; target.com). If you’re acne prone, look for an oil-free formula (like Philosophy When Hope Is Not Enough hyaluronic acid–peptide capsules,...
Naughty (or Nice) Skin Slougher
Naughty (or Nice) Skin Slougher
Whether your skin needs deep exfoliation-or just a mild buffing- Sephora Dual Action Exfoliator ($24; Click to Purchase) fits the bill. The plus-sized jar is divided into two equal chambers: one contains a gentle exfoliating cream, the other a more aggressive gel scrub. The two may also be mixed to create a customized dead-cell-removing cocktail. Use once or twice a...
Scams Even You Could Fall For—And How to Avoid...
Learn how to avoid the most common swindles—from high-tech password theft to low-tech door-to-door hustles.
by Susan Stellin
Social-Networking Rackets
The rip-off: Websites like Facebook have become fertile ground for scam artists who hijack members’ accounts to spread viruses and spam. Via news feeds and messages, they distribute videos or phony gift certificates that appear to be from friends...
Daily Find!
There’s nothing worse than stuffing your feet into boots and then realizing your socks made a complete 180-degree shift. Cotton socks with no-seam toes will guarantee happy feet. Available in three bright colors. To buy: $10.50 a pair, delight.com
Peeler Gloves
Bright multipurpose kitchen gloves can tackle the toughest fruit and vegetable skins. With their nubby surface, they make cleaning and...
Budget For The Extras
Don’t wait until the month before a special occasion to begin to save. Instead, start planning now. “Look at last year’s expenses, divide that number by 10 and pay yourself 10 percent each month,” says Gail Cunningham, spokesperson for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. For instance, if you know you tend to spend $1000 on Christmas gifts, save $100 a month into a dedicated account....
10 Cities Where Home Prices Will Rise in 2011
While home prices are expected to continue to fall in most metro areas, Clear Capital’s Home Data Index report says a few cities are already on the rebound and showing some gains in home values. “There really is this segmentation of these markets occurring where the one-size-fits-all national level numbers to represent all numbers really isn’t valid anymore,” Alex Villacorta, senior statistician...
Shopping Tips for Buying a Home Warranty
Home warranties can be attractive to home owners or buyers who are looking at purchasing a property. These service contracts can cover all of a home’s major systems, such as the furnace or air conditioner, and will cover needed repairs if the appliance breaks or damaged. Some sellers are offering a home warranty to try to lure buyers. But not all home warranties are the same. Experts say you...
States with the largest # of new homes sold!
Here are the top five states with the largest new home closings and the percentage of increase in volume compared from 2009 to 2010, according to Housing Intelligence: 1. Hawaii: 26 percent 2. North Dakota: 21 percent 3. Wyoming: 11 percent 4. Washington, D.C.: 10 percent 5. Delaware: 2 percent The key — for at least the top four states on the list — is they boast low unemployment...
Get The Skinny on the SkinnyShirt!!
As seen on Daily Grommet starting at $68.00
If you love the classic look of a collared shirt under a sweater but you’re not a fan of feeling uncomfortably bulky, you’re going to be thrilled with Julie Kalimian’s creation, dubbed the SkinnyShirt.
This ingenious shirt has a stretchy, knit body paired with a woven cotton collar. From the neckline up, the shirt appears to be a classic button-front...
Do You Really Need That Beauty Product?
MAKEUP PRIMER:
What it’s meant to do: A primer is designed to temporarily smooth skin on the lips, the eyelids, or the face with silicones and polymers. “Most contain waxes that bond with cosmetics to give them longevity,” says Jim Hammer, a cosmetics chemist at Pharmasol Labs, in Easton, Massachusetts. So who needs it? “Someone with fine lines around her mouth can benefit from a lip primer,...
Need Superbowl Snacks??
SUPER BOWL GAZPACHO SALSA - Easy, Festive Dip
6| Hands-On Time: 15m | Total Time: 15m
Ingredients
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 small yellow bell pepper, diced
1 Kirby cucumber, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
dippers (such as crostini and endive)
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes,...
Closet Tips:
There’s a good reason wire hangers are free: They’re basically worthless. If you want to prolong the life of your clothes, don’t keep them on wire or flimsy plastic hangers. Wood and padded hangers are the best ways to go for maintaining the shape of a garment.
Proper clothing care calls for appropriate hangers: satin padding for more delicate items and sturdy wood hangers for...
