Author Archives: charlesprogers
Bedroom Design: 5 Benches for the Foot of the Bed
Post by Tracy Kaler.
If you have enough clearance in your bedroom, consider placing a bench at the foot of your bed for practical and/or decorative purposes. Benches are not only for sitting, but ideal for removing your shoes after a long day or even laying out an outfit the night before an important meeting.
Benches prove to be one of the most useful and versatile pieces of furniture. These five show different design options when placing a bench in a bedroom.
Unusually practical because it offers space underneath for storage, this bench is perfect for a young person’s bedroom. Tchotchkes such as toys and stuffed animals fit neatly inside the wicker boxes without detracting from the clean lines of the bench. A boxed cushion on top makes for comfy seating.
Tufts and acrylic legs on this bench help complete the look in this somewhat feminine bedroom. Decorative starburst pillows and a pink throw at the foot of the bed add the right amount of texture while the zig zag rug adds pattern. Overall, this space is fresh, interesting, and serene at the same time.
With an upholstered back, this bench strays from the norm, and the chrome arms and legs are unexpected. The scale is just right and the almost monochromatic scheme works to its advantage. More than a spot to throw a handbag or put on your boots, this bench looks fit for sitting too.
An all-white bedroom welcomes this modern yet primitive DIY walnut bench with metal hairpin legs. Probably more aesthetically pleasing than functional as a piece of furniture, this bench finishes the space, in my opinion.
A grey and white scheme might seem boring to those who love color, but there’s no lack of design in this well-though-out room. Two benches hug the foot of the king-size upholstered bed, both of which boast chrome nailhead trim. The pattern in the headboard marries nicely with the legs of the twin benches.
Breakfast in Bed – Cherry Pie Oatmeal
Post by Alison Hein.
I’ve been thinking about Washington state since the Super Bowl last week (one I’m sure Seahawks fans would like to forget). But Washingtonians can still be thankful for the glorious bounty of local food products. If you’ve ever been to colorful Pike Street Market in Seattle you’ll know what I mean – fresh seafood piled artfully on crushed blue ice; reds and purples and greens of giant radishes, eggplants and peppers; and the lovingly grown apples, berries and ruby red cherries.
Many years ago I picked cherries while I was living in eastern Washington. They were so lush and plump, so fun to snap off the branches, a sturdy pop and then the freeing of the fruit. Many were eaten right on the spot, but many more ended up in a heavy cardboard box. I took them home and ate some more. Then I froze some, canned some, dried some, and made cherry jam. Finally, I made the pièce de résistance – bubbling hot, sweet and spiced, lattice work cherry pie.
Later that year, during a sparse winter, I remembered my dried cherries. Why not bring some cheer to my boring oatmeal breakfast? I would add some dried cherries to my rolled grain, some brown sugar and a touch of cinnamon, then let the flavors slowly simmer and meld. Why not have a cherry-pie-like breakfast in bed?
Ingredients
1 cup water
Dash of salt
½ cup rolled oats
¼ cup dried tart cherries
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Dash of cinnamon
Pat of butter
Preparation
Pour water and salt into a small heavy saucepan. Bring liquid to a slow boil over medium heat. Stir in oats, reduce heat to low, and cook for a minute or two, stirring occasionally. Stir in dried cherries, brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Cover and cook on very low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until oats are soft and mixture is thickened. Spoon oatmeal into a bowl and top with a pat of butter. Serve immediately.
Makes 1 serving.
Bedtime Stories: The Glass Sentence
Post by Mark T. Locker.
The Glass Sentence by S.E. Grove.
A fantastic new series by debut young adult novelist S.E. Grove is taking the world by storm! And for good reason. It’s a totally unique perspective in a world full of magical abilities and/or teen dystopias. One day, in the 1700s, everything freezes. A child mid-leap stays suspended over a pool of water while her friends freeze below while the days and seasons fly by around her. When she lands, time has fragmented. Suddenly, different ages are existing concurrently. Go to the north, and you find an Ice Age world. Travel east, you will find yourself in the Triple Eras, where three distinct eras converge. In this new world, mapmaking becomes a wholly different art. Shadrack Elli is one of the greatest cartologists in the world, mapping not only place but time. When the parents of his niece Sophia disappear on an expedition to the Ice Age era in the north, he takes her under his wing, always seeking and gathering clues to her parents’ whereabouts. But all is not well in the world. Extremists in their home town of Boston want to lock out intruders from other eras and keep their city isolated. If that happens, Sophia may never see her parents again.
When Shadrack is suddenly abducted, it is up to Sophia and a mysterious boy from the Triple Eras to put together the clues left behind to figure out where Shadrack is, and maybe find clues to her parents as well. Armed with a number of mysterious maps, maps of memories etched in glass and on clay, Sophia heads into lands unknown in an exciting and dangerous adventure.
This book is a fantastic start to what promises to be a great, action-packed series, perfect for tweens looking for fresh adventures.
Bedroom Design: 4 Tufted Headboards from Charles P. Rogers
Post by Tracy Kaler.
I don’t know about you, but I adore upholstered headboards. The soft, cushy backdrop looks luxurious and keeps me ultra comfy while I sleep. Readers will find beds with upholstery more comfortable than wood or metal options. Prop up a few pillows, and you’ll find yourself cozy as can be.
Charles P. Rogers boasts a few lovely designs and depending on your taste and style, one of these gracious tufted beds could be giving you a good night’s sleep.
Tansy Platform Bed
Get star quality with this higher-than-average tufted bed. You can’t help but feel slightly glamorous in white leather. If you prefer a more masculine aesthetic, opt for espresso hides instead. Either way, Tansy will transform any bedroom.
The Hampton Bed
Available in three configurations: traditional bed, platform bed, or headboard only, the Hampton is hand tufted with buttons in high-quality linen for a classically modern look. This bed is also available in plush grey velvet, sleek white leather, and chestnut vintage leather.
Pavilion Platform Bed
Feel stately while sleeping in this crisp-looking bed covered in a soft micro-suede. The Pavilion includes inner upholstery, which adds durability, as well as a more luxurious feel. This headboard comes with fully upholstered rails and an upholstered platform.
Newhouse Bed
Upholstered in extra sturdy pebble-grained black leather, the Newhouse has a Bauhaus sensibility but has been brought into the 21st century. With its tufted buttons, classic proportions, and solid mahogany rails and feet, this bed is bound to make a design statement in any bedroom.
For more info on upholstered beds from Charles P. Rogers, visit the website.
Bedtime Stories: A Pirate’s Quest: For His Family Heirloom Peg Leg
Post by Mark T. Locker.
A Pirate’s Quest: For His Family Heirloom Peg Leg by Laura Sams and Robert Sams. Illustrated by Heiner Hertling.
We don’t read too many picture books anymore. They’re still fun to read but all the ones we have at home have been read to tatters and the boy, now a fully independent reader, gravitates to the comics and graphic novels section now. This book was given to us as a Christmas present. It’s a somewhat silly story (though you wouldn’t guess it from the very artistic illustrations) about a pirate who lost his peg leg, an heirloom handed down from one-legged generation to the next. The pirate hopes to pass it down to a one-legged son or daughter one day. So when he awakes in his boat and finds it missing, he follows the lake to the river, river to the sea, searching for his precious heirloom peg leg.
It’s a fun book to read, though sometimes it rhymes and sometimes it doesn’t, and when it doesn’t, it feels like it should. But the pictures are fun, and there are a bunch of animals hidden that you are supposed to find. (Actually they’re not hidden, you just have to see them.) An entertaining read for 3-6 year-olds. Plus, there is a song you can download from the authors’ website for free!
