Interior Design and Home Accessories

Raw food enthusiasts along with vegetarians can be grouped into many different categories, and each has a different theory of which natural food group is the best. The standard diet of a vegetarian is of course vegetables, fruits, grains and nuts. Then there are the vegans, who practice a more stringent form of vegetarianism. eating no animal by-products at all, including eggs and dairy. Then we have fruitarians who eat mostly fruit. and then there are those who eat mainly sprouts, Sproutarians.

Sprouts are one of the most nutritious foods one can consume because they have all of the building blocks for life inside them. The endosperm of a seed is where all these nutrients are stored including carbs, protiens and oils. After the seed has germinated these nutrients become  natural sugars and pre-digested amino acids which the embryo of the plant feeds upon to grow. When we consume this life force and the energy it contains it is capable of helping our cells regenerate and supplies us with new energy and  vigor. This is one of the major reasons sprouts are able to help us retard the ageing process.

Sprouts also contain large amounts of female and male hormones, in a formula that is the most easily assimilated by the body. Sprouts according to research have been shown to have one of the highest concentrations of vitamins. Sprouts are extremely easy to grow, are low in cost and are also very tasty. Sprouting can also become a profitable hobby that is not labour intensive. All people can benefit from the boost to our health systems that eating sprouts can provide.

You can sprout just about any legume, grain or seed, although some definitely taste better than others. You can try all of these, celery seed, wheat, peas, alfalfa, mung beans, chickpeas, fenugreek, fennel, and radish as well as many others. These Sprouts can most readily be acquired at health food stores.

If you would like to grow your own here’s how: You only need to soak small seeds for 4 hrs and beans for 15 hrs. Also seeds can be mixed to create different taste treats. Here is what you will need to get started: a 2 liter wide-mouth mason jar. A piece of cheese cloth large enough to cover the top, or alternatively a piece of nylon stocking fastened by a rubber band. Place seeds in the jar as follows:

2 Tsps radish or fenugreek, 2 Tsps alfalfa, 1/2 cup mung beans 1/4 cup lentils. These need to soak for 15 hrs. then drain off the water. Then you need to rinse twice daily for 3-5 days. If you would like to make large batches to share with family, friends, or to sell put 2 cups of the mixed seeds in a large porcelain pot with holes in the bottom to facilitate the rinsing. Just put under the tap morning and night and rinse with warm water and/or optionally cover with a plate. The seeds will start to grow beautifully within a few days.

No Comments »

At one point, many years ago, I planted \’woolly pod vetch\’ as living mulch/nitrogen fixer.

 

I had been alerted to this species as for reclamation of extremely poor

soils, in harsh climates. This was the opposite of my conditions, but,

it interested me.

My regret was almost immediate. Still sticks in my neck that I actually

paid for these seed, too.

It appears to be quite delicate, 3 or 4 spatulate leaves in rosettes

along the stem. Every single part of this plant is covered in tiny

hairs with the same, if not superior, properties of velcro. This

characteristic allows it to reach the sun from even the most

inaccessible places. By no means a twining climber, this brute can

climb rocks.

Having reached open space is when things start to go awry.

Almost immediately it flowers, then produces seeds at an unseemly

speed, at every leaf joint (anywhere from every inch to every foot).

From this point on the growth rate accelerates at an alarming

rate and will smother anything and everything it comes in contact with.

Some lateral shoots can reach extraordinary lengths – 10m given the

right conditions, all the time producing copious quantities of seed

along its entire length.

Whilst it is still growing the seeds are fairly stable, provided

nothing comes into contact with them, to which they immediately adhere

themselves (for that matter, so will any other part of the plant). The

seeds, or \’pills\’ look like tiny brown tennis balls, they form in pairs

- and look remarkably familiar.

The plant is quite easy to pull and readily breaks, but there is no escaping getting covered in it, especially the seeds.

Once the plant dries, either through breakage, or at the end of the

season, it looses the velcro-like hairs and the seeds now acquire all

the attributes of ball bearings – any disturbance causes the seeds to

disperse. If they hit a hard surface the ball bearing similarity comes

into play and they can be dangerous to walk on.

My big problem was that I lived in a semi-tropical area. Rich soil.

Lots of rain. Indeed, I made the classic \’new settler\’ blunder. I did

manage to get rid of it – took me 12 years. I doubt I managed to

eradicate it though, the seeds, when dry, are hard as steel -

therefore, the possibility of not all seed having germinated over

twelve years, are legion.

Woolly pod vetch will germinate and grow in full sun, or complete shade

- it is indeed a primary reclamation species. I would suggest

collecting the entire world\’s supply of seed and sending it to the moon.

No Comments »

(Contemporary Bedroom Furniture), Living Room, and Dining Ro We are the top source for urban (Contemporary Bedroom Furniture) as well as traditional. Our design showroom in Scarsdale is over 10000 square feet of inspiration.(Discount Furniture) www.islandfurniturelive.com For More…

No Comments »

Bathroom is the place where we relax completely than any other room in our home. Even though it occupies the smaller space in our home, it is better to decorate it in a trendy way so that we can have a pleasurable experience. Your hectic day becomes so cool when you step in to the bathroom. You can find many bathroom vanities hitting the market daily with new trendy design and with all latest bath vanity accessories. The modern bathroom vanities include vessel faucets, neo angle shower, shower panel, a glass sink and much more. Searching, shopping and selecting bath vanity will give you good pleasure as you can find many varieties with elegant design, shape and size. However, surely you will be in a confused state as the models are designed in such way to catch your attention. Each bathroom vanity set comes with its own uniqueness and stylish finish. The pictures are placed to please the visitor’s eye and you never return back without buying it. The quality and the price of these bath vanities are also reasonable. The bath vanity sets are mostly updated often with the latest styles and it is readily available for the visitors to take a look. The new collections come with new addition which makes your bathroom very modern and classy. These modern bath vanity appliances designed with addition amenities like glass sink, cabinets, and pull-out drawers. The neo angle shower is one of the modern varieties which come in different design, size and shapes. It also comes with different colors to attract the visitors. This shower gives your bathroom real elegant look and it one of the rich classy accessories. With low prices, the neo angle showers save your money and easily fit in your budget. It usually designed with fiberglass in rectangular or curve corner shape. You have many varieties of style and design in neo shower and you can choose which one you prefer the most. The price also ranges from low to high with brass polished handles, beautiful design and attractive look. Kitchen has many work space where you can incorporate many modern ideas to make you kitchen more modern with all latest materials available in the market. Kitchen faucets are more trendy accessories with marvelous designs, shape and sizes. You have large varieties of models like single-hole, pull-out spray, hands-free, wall-mount and much more. iTouchless, Blanco, whitehaus and Cool-Line companies comes with wide range of styles from traditional to modern-day styles with perfect polish and finish. In all styles, the pull-out kitchen faucet is mostly liked by all, for its elegant look and easy to use. These pull-out faucets gives your kitchen a new rich appearance and its price is also affordable.

No Comments »

“The beauty comes with the balance. Everyone should find his own balance in his personal as well as his professional life. Once you do so, you will feel and look beautiful”. A visitor wants to freshen up, but you’re reluctant to send him to your cluttered upstairs bathroom where soggy towels and oozing tubes of toothpaste abound. You long for a powder room where your guest could find some fresh hand towels and a spotless lavatory. If you are willing to make your bathroom subtle place for your guests than all you are looking forward to is vanities bathroom. The great thing about vanities bathroom is that you can find one to go with any decorating style you like, from ultra-contemporary to classic vintage. If you are looking vanities for your guest rooms than vanities which are sleek with modern touch will be exactly practical for storage. If you want that your vanities bathroom should lie somewhere between vintage and modern style than arches with detailing on the mirror and cabinets will indicate a more traditional feel, while the glass sinks will look very contemporary. Certain antique piece accommodates two sinks while some other vanities are like painted cabinets with adorable cottage styles giving bathroom a unique look. If you are tired of Traditional bathroom cabinet vanity than you can replace them with bathroom vanity sinks which are exclusively used with small bathrooms that have limited space and less storage area. They are available in wide range and choice of freestanding pedestal sinks and corner sink made in glass. Slim freestanding iron shelves to provide storage space and baskets to keep your towels can accompany these vanity sinks. There can be tower racks too for more storage space. Large and spacious bathrooms can accommodate double sink vanity cabinets that provide more storage space and allow two individuals to use the same bathroom at once. You may even mix and match furniture pieces and bathroom utility items to make workable and beautiful vanities bathroom. Organizing the bathroom is very necessary so that every morning you don’t need to trawl among the clutter to find what you need. Forget the inconvenience; an unorganized bathroom is also unhygienic and unaesthetic. In Feng Shui the bathroom represents abundance and wealth and so it is very necessary that there is effortless flow of energy in the bathroom. This can only be done when you organize the bathroom with vanities. For many people the main hindrance in organizing a bathroom is, after they survey the clutter, is that they think that it will take a lot of time and effort. However, surprisingly it does not take more time and effort than say cleaning the bedroom when you have a furnished vanities bathroom under your belts.

No Comments »

Vanity – the word means pride. We all are proud of some or the other thing in our life. But have we ever considered bathroom vanity. Yes! The things that make us proud of our bathroom. Some of the usual bathroom vanities are bath furniture- kitchen faucets, lavatory faucets, shower faucets, bath faucet, bathroom faucets, bath tub faucet part, water faucets, electronic faucets, bath vanity furniture, basin, rain shower head, dual shower heads, shower heads filter, high flow shower head, shower column, shower curtain, toilet paper holder, towel ring & rack, robe hook, waterfall faucet, hand held shower heads, handheld shower head, low flow shower heads, ceramic & western bathroom accessory set, grab rail, mirror, etc. Bathroom vanities are fit enough to be the centerpiece of your bathroom and installing a new bathroom vanity can change the look, feel and mood of your bath when you are doing your bathroom remodeling. Stylish and elegant vanities are available in wide range of materials such as contemporary and modern vanities that are sleek in design, antique or distressed looking vanities and customized vanities that are made to order, to meet specific bathroom vanity requirements and conform to the shape, style or function you would like your bathroom vanity to perform. While choosing a bathroom vanity, keep the bathroom decor style in mind. Since, it is the first thing to attract attention in a bathroom, make sure that it always remains neat and clean and there is no clutter on it. Organize your drawers and cabinets and keep all things in their places in them. Your bathroom vanity style and bathroom decor should match the personal touch you have given to your home interiors. The general design of the house that may range from antique furnishings to sleek modern and high-tech look should extend to your bathroom too. Explore your choices and the variety of bathroom vanities available on Internet and check out home decor stores and specialty stores near your home to see all the collections before deciding upon the best bathroom vanity that suits the theme of your bathroom decor. Bathroom vanity idea for the old world feel, Victorian bathrooms, romantic bathrooms and period style bathrooms is to install an European bathroom vanity with perhaps hand-painted vanity sinks to add more drama to your bathroom. Traditional bathroom cabinet vanity can be replaced by bathroom vanity sink for small bathrooms with limited space and less storage area. They are available as a wide range and choice of freestanding pedestal sinks and corner sink made in glass. Slim freestanding iron shelves to provide storage space and baskets to keep your towels can accompany these vanity sinks. There can be tower racks too for more storage space. Large and spacious bathrooms can accommodate double sink vanity cabinets that provide more storage space. Now is the perfect time to remodel your bath and update your vanity to reflect your distinctive personality.

No Comments »

Alternatively, it can be a skillful use of the existing artworks that you have at home, or redesigning parts of the interior and exterior. The goal of the artistic use of feng shui is to achieve the most beneficial flow of the energies in your premises.

Feng shui for a living room will be different than that for a kitchen, bedroom, or the yard.  First, you need to ensure that each room in your home bears the right combination of shapes and colors. This will help to attract and retain the positive energies, and eliminate the negative ones. Following are some tips.

Bedroom Feng Shui Art: The golden rule of Feng Shui is to avoid the oversaturation of the bedroom with bright and obtrusive colors, which may violate your peace of mind.

You can create a serene and relaxing atmosphere in the bedroom using the muted shades of purple, lilac, yellow, blue, white and gray. You also need to try to avoid sharp angles and geometric shapes in the bedroom. Choose a bed made of wood instead of metal, as metal conducts electricity, which repels the positive Chi energy. Choose soft linens and bedspreads in pastel colors. Consider using crystal balls, pretty curtains and drapes, and red decor elements (red pillows or candles). Red is the color of love and warmth.

The ceiling can be decorated with stars. Try to avoid large plants, aquariums, fountains, and equipment (computers, televisions and video-consoles).

Kitchen Feng Shui Art: The kitchen should not have too much red, pink or orange. These are the colors of the fire element, which can provoke quarrels. It’s best to use light, cool colors: white, light green, light blue, etc. The kitchen combines the elements of fire and water. In line with this, the best color is white, as it balances the fire and water. The kitchen appliances and accessories made of stainless steel will also add to this balance.

Some kitchens have fluorescent lighting, which is popular due to its bright light and low cost. Yet, fluorescent light is bad for the kitchen, as it constantly flickers and adversely affects the eyes and the nervous system (it may raise blood and intraocular pressure, and cause headaches). If you can not do without the fluorescent light in the kitchen, consider adding at least one regular incandescent bulb. 

Living Room Feng Shui Art: It’s important to balance your living room. You can energize it using crystal, create a sense of depth using mirrors, and improve the energy flows using plants, wall lights, and bells.

If your living room is the most active room, then increase the active Yang. If it’s a place of rest, then increase the calmer Yin. The optimal is the combination of quiet and rich colors, dynamic and smooth forms. Try to use more natural light, which should be bright but not too sharp. The artificial lighting (table lamps, chandeliers, and sconces) will help to regulate the light intensity depending on your mood.

To soften the room, choose furniture with rounded corners. The plants (including climbers), drapery, and accessories will also help soften the sharp corners.

No Comments »