Monthly Archives: February 2015
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.
