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(1) BranchOut on Facebook

(1) BranchOut on Facebook

“Greg has a strategic mind and is constantly
innovating. A real think-outside-the-box kind
of person.”
From: Paul Meegan on Nov 4, 2011

“A powerful talent who brings out the best in
everyone, Motivated intelligent, loving, and all
inspiring, I value you in my Network,”

From: Neil Hoag on Oct 14, 2011

“Greg always has a positive attitude. Brings a
refreshing energy to any situation.”

From: Mathis Interiors on Aug 15, 2011

“When you see something special in copper on
a home you can count on Greg being part of it.”
From: Steve Perry Design-Build on Jun 19, 2011

The Necklace

The Necklace

 The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.

"Oh mommy please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?"

Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.

"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself.. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you." "Then give me your pearls."

"Oh, daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess, the white horse from my collection, the one with the pink tail.. Remember, daddy? The one you gave me. She's my very favorite."

"That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you."

And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian style.
As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, daddy; this is for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny...

He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure. So it is, with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures.

God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.

Guest Blogger: Easy Sofa Stain Removal Tips to Save your Investment

Guest Blogger: Easy Sofa Stain Removal Tips to Save your Investment

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:46 AM PDT

Guest Blog #213, Entry #707, October 17, 2011

This is essentially the nightmare scenario of the sofa world, you have just bought a new sofa and settled it into your home and somehow you have managed to get a stain on it. Fear not there a few ways in which you can rectify the issue and flop back into your sofas in the height of relaxation.

Sofa stain tips to protect your investment

Common Sofa Stain Culprits:

To be honest a stain on your new sofa is only a matter of time, so rather than worry about your sofa getting stained just make sure you are careful with the following usual suspects:
Hot drinks like coffee and tea
Ballpoint pen or biro
Food stains like troublesome Bolognese sauce
Fruit juice drinks, usually spilt by the kids in the household
Red wine

Use these tips to save your favorite sofa from stains

Image courtesy of Be Interior Decorator

There are a few actions you should take when a stain does appear on your living room sofa:

Treat the stain immediately

Don’t leave wet stains to dry and tackle them immediately with a cleaning agent or a damp cloth this will ensure that the offending stain doesn’t get time to soak into the material of your sofa and will be broken down by the cleaning agent as soon as possible.

Never scrub the stain

Scrubbing the stain will damage the fabric of your sofa so should be avoided at all costs. It is better to wipe down the stained area and remove an excess and then work in your cleaning agent.

Check supplier recommendations

Usually sofa manufacturers will supply you with detailed cleaning instructions so be sure to check them first to see if it is possible wash your sofa covers in the washing machine. If possible this will remove most stains and can be a lot easier than working out a stain by hand.

Use vinegar solutions

Vinegar solutions of three parts water to one part vinegar can be used for removing juice stains and watering the stain down will help to disperse the offending juice. When juice is involved it is important to tackle the stain as soon as possible to avoid the juice soaking into the material.

Common stains maybe easier to remove than you thought

Image courtesy of Home Design Decorating

Don’t use bleach

Never use bleach on sofa covers as most materials will discolour badly and only make the stains worse

Removing blood stains

Blood stains need to be tackled with a salt and water solution. You should dissolve small amounts of salt into large amount of water and use this to tackle the stain.

Removing an ink stain from a sofa

Ink stains can be removed with hairspray and a good amount of washing. This is due to the alcohol content in the hairspray which works to break up the stain. This process of stain removing will require a number of applications and will gradually work its magic against the stain over time rather than removing the biro in one go.
Most sofas will come with washing guideline tags which will let you know what course of action to take for tackling a stain.
W – spot clean the stain with a water solution or mild detergent
S – spot clean with solvent only in a well ventilated room
S W – spot clean with either water based or solvent cleaning agent
X – vacuum only
If you have a large of particularly stubborn stain then it can be a good idea to buy new covers to get rid of the stain or use a dry cleaning service to tackle the stain. This may seem a little drastic but sometimes it is worth spending a bit more money rather than constantly being annoyed at having a stain on your sofa.
Jonathan is a freelance writer who enjoys finding new methods for avoiding home nightmares like a stained sofa.
For more home ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Hammacher Schlemmer

Hammacher Schlemmer

Stagetecture

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Guest Blogger: Rising Energy Bill? Leaky Air Ducts Maybe the Culprit Posted: 28 Sep 2011 03:04 AM PDT Guest Blog #195, Entry #679, September 28, 2011 As the summer ends and we start moving into the cooler months, your rising energy bill will always be a concern. For many homeowners we always assume that a high energy bill must mean that your thermostat isn’t set properly or that you HVAC unit isn’t working properly. While these can be causes as well, your air ducts throughout your home may be a bigger issue.  My Guest Blogger gives tips for checking your ducts in your home to help you save on your rising energy bill. Are your energy costs going out the window? Image courtesy of Goldline Glass _____________ What’s a duct? Ducts comprise the series of air passages that deliver or remove air for heating, ventilation, and cooling. Most ducts are found in the basements, attics, and crawl spaces of the home. Ducts can leak? Think there are only air leaks in your windows and doors? Leaks in the duct system are more common and harder to detect because of their out-of-sight locations. The impact of these leaks is most severe in locations such as the attic, where the temperature can reach a blistering 140° in the summer. There are several types of leakage: equipment air leaks, leaks from damage, connection leaks, diffuser box and grille leaks, return leaks, and leaks in the filter housing. Other areas of your home where air can leak in and out of your home Image courtesy of High Craft Home Services Damage Leak: Leaks that occur as a result of physical damage. Often ducts become damaged from contact with people when they are found in common storage areas in the home. Connection Leak: Leaks that occur from openings in duct seams or loose duct-connecting equipment. Diffuser Box & Grille Leak: Leaks that occur from loose or improper fittings in the equipment that releases the conditioned air into the home. Return Leak Leaks that occur where the air is returned to the duct system. This can be one of the hardest leaks to locate because of the negative air flow. Filter Housing Leak: Leaks that occur in the equipment that houses the filter. These leaks are very common because filters are often changed or cleaned, so the filters themselves can begin to leak air. An estimated two-thirds of ducts in the U.S. are leaking badly enough to warrant repair and sealing. Air duct diagram through a home Image courtesy of Comfort People So, my ducts are leaky. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Wrong. Leaks cause the conditioned air we spend so much money on to end up in uninhabited spaces like the garage and attic. In a time when becoming energy conscious is critical, and we’re all tightening our metaphorical belts, taking care of duct leakage is imperative. An estimated 50% of your annual electric bill is spent on heating and cooling systems. Duct leakage accounts for as much as 25% of total energy loss in homes. With 25% of energy costs back in your wallet, that vacation might not seem so far-fetched. All economic value aside, duct leakage can seriously impair heating and cooling systems from doing their jobs. Leaks in the return ducts cause the air from the outside to be pulled inside. So, in the summer, that means the hot, humid air you go indoors to avoid will be filling your home. Humid air being pulled through return leaks can drain the air conditioner’s ability to dehumidify. In the winter, it means that the dry, frigid air will be pulled into your living space, which is the last environment you want to be in during flu season. Also, pulling cold air through the leaks drastically increases the heat pump’s use of electric trip heaters, which is what racks up the heating bills. A leaky wallet and a sticky living room aren’t the only consequences. Duct leaks can cause dangerous pollutants and irritants to be pulled directly into the home. Pulling air in from crawl spaces and garages can bring in car fumes, mold spores, insulation fibers, dust, and other irritants that build up in these untouched places. Duct leakages can be a major reason that you or your family’s asthma or allergies are acting up. Even more dangerous, depressurization as a result of duct leakage can allow combustion products, like the byproducts of fuel oil, coal, and wood from heating systems, into the home. Leaky ducts can also cause dangerous pollutants Can my ducts be fixed? There are two simple ways professionals can detect and measure leakages in your duct system; a blower door and a flow hood. Blower door: A blower door is a method used to measure duct leakage for the entire house. By pressurizing the house to a standard testing pressure before and after the house is sealed, the blower door detects leakage to the outside. While the blower door is running and using a smoke puffer or a pressure pan, specific locations of the leaks can be found. An advantage to using a blower door is that it can also pinpoint leaks in the house’s casing, which can result in significant energy loss. Flow hood: A flow hood is commonly used in combination with a blower door to measure the specific flow of air in the supply and return ducts. Using a flow hood can provide a more accurate representation of duct leakage because it specifically measures the pressure within the ducts, whereas the blower door measures the pressure of the entire house. The blower door, therefore, is more susceptible to any outside factors that could affect the overall pressure of the house. Once the locations of the leaks have been found, they can be easily tightened and sealed, and the cost of repairs will usually be made back within a year. There you have it. Leaks hidden in the attic and storage spaces are causing you to pay unnecessary electric bills, wearing out your heating and cooling systems, exposing you to dangerous matter, and leaving your rooms overly hot or cold. These simple detection tools can easily allow the leaks to be found and sealed and all just with some of the money that would have been spent on accidentally air conditioning your crawl spaces. Hidden leaks are walking away with your money, your comfort, and your health, but patching it up is just a phone call away. This is an article from WellHome, which provides Energy Audits and home Assessments. They offer you the ability to upgrade HVAC, Windows, and Home Insulation and can also perform Duct Tightening and Air Sealing to allow for a more comfortable and well balanced home. WellHome Home Energy Assessments allow the homeowner see the bigger picture of home efficiency and its ability to maintain comfortable temperatures and air flow. For more green living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Sustainable Green-Roof Haworth Corporate Headquarters

The Architecture Report

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Sustainable Green-Roof Haworth Corporate Headquarters Posted: BY GEOFF TAYLOR · SEPTEMBER 28, 2011 · NO COMMENTS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE Designed by Perkins + Will, the new Haworth Corporate Headquarters 20% larger than than the original structure, and designed to not consume less energy than before. The Center has received much attention for its many sustainability efforts.  Last year, Eva Maddox of ...