HELLO 2013!

 

Happy New Year to all!

The eve of a new year is always a time to reflect on the many blessings we received in the year just ended.

 

Photo by Laitham Haddad

I am thankful to you for stopping by my Blog this year.  I look forward to making positive changes here in 2013 and to posting a lot more.   I hope you will stick around and come back and visit me then.

So best wishes as you look to tomorrow and a year full of many possibilities ahead!

Where will your path take you in the coming year?

Playgrounds for the Ages

Playgrounds aren’t just for kids anymore!  Gone are the playgrounds of yesteryear …





They are OUT with the old. 

Here is what is IN with the new …

Playgrounds for all ages.  The new trend in playground design is the creation of MULTI-generational facilities that will accommodate seniors as well as children and everyone in-between.



Fun for all ages!



Playgrounds today are designed to be ACCESSIBLE to everyone.  Double-wide ramps and handrails allow just about any person to enter and play.



Play equipment is placed at just the right height for use by all!



Playground surfaces are soft and firm allowing everyone, young or old, to have access to the area.  Landscape Structures has developed a PebbleFlex® surfacing system that provides enhanced safety and durability.  This material is softer, making for a safer play surface.  It comes in a variety of colors and will accommodate custom graphics.



Concrete walks as well as sitting areas are built around the perimeter to allow walking surfaces for mom’s who want a little exercise while keeping a close eye on their children at play.



Today’s playgrounds are better than ever and FUN for all ages!

Wall Coverings to the Rescue

Photo by Astek, Inc.

When Product developer Eric Chu built his prefab house on a narrow lot in LA, he put it face to face with another identical one.  Both featured vast walls of glass overlooking a motor court, and each other.  What to do about views and privacy?  According to dwell magazine (Dec/Jan 2013), Chu and Architect Whitney Sander brought in Astek, Inc. to cover the facades with a graphic wall covering using bus wrapping material.  The material only covers 50 percent of the window thereby allowing views from the inside out and preventing views from the outside in.  The mural features a photograph of a Chinese Pistache tree also found on site.

Emerald is the Pantone Color of the Year

According to the people at Pantone, this emerald green is … “Lively.  Radiant.  Lush … A color of elegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony.”
The closest green I could find in nature that matches this emerald, was found on the leaves of the Sedum ‘Autumn Joy.’  It appears more as a blue-ish green than a true “emerald” green to me.



Pantone’s emerald appears to be a color not readily found in nature.
When I think of Emerald green, some of the plants that come to mind are …
Emerald Green Arborvitae.


Green peas.


And of course, the Irish Shamrock.



Let’s just throw the whole Emerald Isle in there too.

And, who can forget the Emerald City from the Wizard of Oz?

Carbon footprint

I’ve been reading lately about our carbon footprint.  Here is what I have learned. 

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.  It also defines our carbon footprint.  Basically, this is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, and especially, climate change.  It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases or carbon dioxide that is produced in our day-to-day lives, typically through the burning of fossil fuels for electricity, heating and transportation.   Simply put, it is the amount of total carbon dioxide emitted for us to carry out our daily lives.

The carbon footprint consists of two parts.  The primary footprint is a measure of our direct emissions of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels including domestic energy consumption and transportation (e.g. car and plane). We have direct control of these.

The secondary footprint is a measure of the indirect CO2 emissions from the whole lifecycle of products we use - those associated with their manufacture and eventual breakdown. To put it very simply – the more we buy, the more emissions will be caused on our behalf.

Are you aware that your home is typically the largest contributor to your carbon footprint annually? 
Why is it important to reduce our carbon footprint?  Because carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that damages the environment and contributes to global warming.  It is important for all of us to be aware of this and take steps to reduce our carbon footprint.  To see what you can do to reduce your carbon footprint, go Here. 

Finally, if you’re interested, you can also go Here to calculate your own carbon footprint.

WHOOOO likes Topiary?

Topiaries are FUN!  I came across this one on the Internet over the weekend.  It’s in Thailand and is more like a green wall than a topiary actually.

Happy Mother’s Day!

California Dreamin’

Who remembers this beautiful garden?

The Donnell Garden

The Donnell garden in Sonoma, California was designed by Thomas Church and Lawrence Halprin in 1947.  According to Architectural Historian Mark Treib, it is the “most famous garden of the twentieth century.”  Truly, an icon of classic modernism, the gardens’ owners Sandra Donnell and Justin Faggioli, have maintained and protected the original design of the garden.  What an inspiration it was then and now!