mail order delight: pie for a cause from the sweet potato project
I love food this time of year. Heavenly spiced cakes and hearty stews hit the menus and seasonal pumpkin treats are everywhere. The typical sweet potato pie is a mainstay at most Southern Thanksgivings, but the folks at The Sweet Potato Project want you to eat it all year ’round by ordering Sweet Potato Pie from Addie’s Fine Foods. The recipe was created by Mississippi resident Addie Simon back in 1966 — it was the only dessert she could stomach while going through chemo and radiation treatments for cancer. Not only does she feel her pie is “a true blessing in providing her with a healthy dessert alternative rich in cancer-fighting nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C and beta-carotene,” when you order your own for just $15, you support the Children’s Heritage Foundation. While it doesn’t take much to convince me to eat a piece a pie, supporting a good cause while taking down a tasty dessert is like the whipped cream on top! –Erica P.
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home design on 990,000 dimes
I love to see people coming together to make the future brighter through design, so I was thrilled to see the results of the 99K House Competition. Sponsored by the Rice Design Alliance and the American Institute of Architects, Houston Chapter, the goal of the international competition was “to create an innovative design for a small house that is affordable, sustainable and energy efficient.” All entrants had to design a single family home with up to 1,400 square feet, three bedrooms, and 1 1/2 to 2 bathrooms that could be built and sold for $99,000 or less. The winning design was built in Houston’s Fifth Ward in the hope of revitalizing the neighborhood. For more inspiration, you can view all the finalists here or purchase a book on the competition. They’re all so different and inspiring it’s hard to choose a favorite, but I guess that’s a good problem to have when good design and good intentions come together! –Sarah C.
revisit: enviro-friendly outdoor stain, one year later
As I wrote last year, we thought the Penofin Aquafin we used on our deck railings was great — easy to apply, easy to clean up, non-flammable, and much more environmentally friendly than regular stain. After a Seattle winter, however, parts of our project weren’t holding up like we’d hoped. The stain looked pretty good on anything that was vertical, but the horizonal portions of the railings did not fare well — there was some peeling and a lot of spots that weathered as if they hadn’t been stained at all. Two weeks ago, we went ahead and ordered several more gallons to reapply. We were staining newbies last year, so what do you think — was the weathering normal, is the stain not up to par, or did we do something wrong? My theories and more photos after the jump. –Mary T. (more…)
got an extra million (give or take)? a sunset idea house can be yours
An “Idea House” built in Menlo Park, CA for Sunset magazine in 2005 is for sale. With green features like solar panels, a tankless water heater, and low-e windows, you’ll only pay $50 in utilities per month. Which is a good thing — you’ll need your cash for the $939,000 asking price. I love the trend in green building, but the truth is, I’m pretty “Meh” about the exterior and the interior of this house — though I do very much like one of the bathrooms! See more and learn more here. –Mary T.
green find: custom wood furniture from bugbee furniture design+build
I’m trying to scrape together a little cash for a custom-built table by Bugbee Furniture Design+Build. Designer Jeff Harmon’s goal is to “provide custom furniture for people with an eye for detail, design, and not the deepest pockets.” He often re-uses materials that the client already owns, bringing new life to wood that would otherwise be scrapped and, as a bonus, keeping costs low. I love the mid-century-inspired “dean” coffee table, constructed by gluing and laminating together scraps of Keruing (a durable Malaysian hardwood) from a local salvage yard. And how fun is “Archie’s Lounge,” the industrial-esque patio set made from cedar and recycled white picket fence? If you don’t need a large-scale piece, there’s the playful “rocket lamp” made from found driftwood. Harmon is in the process of moving the shop to Southern California, but you can find his work at Hunt and Gather in Portland or contact him through the Bugbee site for custom work. –Megan B.
