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As you may have seen in our post last Friday, I've volunteered to host a baby shower at our home this coming weekend. Well, in true Old Town Home fashion, I may have underestimated the time and detail needed to successfully pull off this project. In an effort to get back on track, the co-host and I set out this past weekend on an all-day shopping excursion to pick up the necessary party supplies and decor needed for next weekend's bash. The most surprising aspect of our trip? Discovering just how many hideous baby-themed supplies are out there for the picking, just lurking and waiting for someone with questionable taste to come along and snatch them up. We're talking armies of ugly and scary infant replicas....
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Posted 0 sec ago on Old Town Home

Who smells smoke? Don’t panic, that’s just Clara’s dragon party, rollin’ into town (er, the internet?). Note: you can’t really smell this party through your computer, so if you smell smoke, please look into it. This year’s party was lower key than our last two (here’s her first birthday party, and her worm party from last year) and even though it was rainy and wet outside, eight kiddos and twelve adults jammed out inside. It was fun. And Clara made me cry. She’s just so big and sweet and hilarious and I’m the luckiest mom in the world. Plus, dragons. I mean if that’s not a trump card for a party, I’m not sure what is....
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Posted 7 hours 53 min ago on This Young House

Recently a friend was having a professional home energy audit performed, and I asked to tag along. I was curious to learn what tools and techniques a professional uses to analyze the efficiency of a home. I also wanted to learn what actions an auditor would recommend. The audit was performed by James from Energy Services Group, a local business specializing in residential energy conservation since 1981. If you live in central Maryland, Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) is probably your energy provider. The state of Maryland requires BGE (and other providers) to develop energy efficiency programs with the goal to reduce electric consumption by 15% by the year 2015. Examine your monthly bill next time and look for the EmPower Md. Charge....
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Posted 11 hours 14 min ago on One Project Closer

RIDGID Tools – Industry Hidden Gem! I’ve been using Ridgid Tools for years now and I consistently call them the hidden gem of the power tool industry. They make really great PRO grade tools and sell ... Home Construction & Improvement published by: The post Father’s Day... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] ...
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Posted 11 hours 32 min ago on Helpful Advice for Home Construction Improvement

About four years ago, my daughter made a couple stepping tiles for the garden. One was a father-daughter project that we did one summer afternoon. The other was a project she did while at pre-K. Last year I bought the supplies to make a few more but never got around to it. Yesterday we did another batch of stepping tiles and they came out pretty good. We also decided to try to make something new. I had this idea to cast bowls and other objects because I thought the forms would be interesting for the garden. I had a left-over light globe and my daughter taped glass tiles to the inside surface and then we filled it with concrete. I think we can perfect the process but it still looks pretty cool....
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Posted 21 hours 22 min ago on Tiny Oak Park Bungalow

Who doesn’t love “Before and After” home improvement shots? It’s always amazing to see how just a couple of changes, like a coat of paint or a quick do-it-yourself project, can transform a living space dramatically. It’s no different when it comes to WordPress.com blog themes, in which a little customization can go a long way. Today let’s take a look at Beau and Arrow Events, a wedding inspiration blog run by Ellen and Kate, two San Diego-based event planners. You’d never know that this chic blogazine is running on Comet, one of our sparest themes. Here’s how the bloggers behind Beau and Arrow Events transformed grayscale Comet into cursive and gold elegance....
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Posted 1 day 6 hours ago on Edmund Barry House in Heritage Hill

So I'm trying to work on Agatha's baby book a little at at time but I'm struggling what is important to include and what is best to leave out.  I tend to be drawn to really simple book designs that are almost entirely photos but part of me wonders if I'll be sorry I didn't have more details included.  What do you think: Is less more?  What details did you include in your baby's books? On that subject, here are some fabulous baby memory keeping that inspire. Arden's First Year by Copy Cat Chic / Fill in The Blanks by Strange Birdy Bee's First Year by Pencil Box / Chalkboard Design by HannaMac Did you do a baby's first year book or other memory keeper you want to share?  I want to see it!Want more?...
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Posted 1 day 9 hours ago on Brooklyn Limestone

In the spring of 2011 word broke that the massive mansion which had inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald’s magnum opus The Great Gatsby, was being demolished. Since public interest in the novel has piqued again in 2013 with the recent release of the latest Great Gatsby movie, I thought I would revisit the fictional ”West Egg” and try [...]...
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Posted 1 day 13 hours ago on housecrazy

Controlling Dust At The Job Site A good dust control strategy is essential to being a professional contractor and keeping your customer happy throughout a construction project. I’ve learned early on... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] ...
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Posted 1 day 18 hours ago on A Concord Carpenter Comments

Cleo and I have just spent three days in Charleston, S.C., an amazing city if you like old architecture. It’s as old here as anywhere in the U.S.A. What’s amazing about the architecture is that in the 1700s, well-to-do Charlestonians were living in as high a style as their counterparts in London. In other words, their buildings were neither crude nor modest. As one historian explained to me: “Charleston was New York before there was a New York to speak of.” Early on, there was surprising diversity in Charleston, due to its port traffic, its proxmitiy to the Carribean, and its religious tolerance. It became known as the “City of Steeples” and remains distinctive for its numerous grand (mostly protestant) churches. ...
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Posted 4 days 21 hours ago on Houselove