THE DIRT ON HERBS IN A LANDSCAPE

Herbs aren’t just for the windowsill anymore. Find out how basil, chives, rosemary and thyme can work double duty in the landscape.

Basil(1 of 4)
Dark purple varieties provide beautiful color and make a nice contrast to the standard green varieties. Basil is an annual herb that needs full sun and regular water. If you’re using this in cooking you don’t want to let it go to seed. Pinch off the tips of the plant, removing flowers when they develop.

Rosemary (2 of 4)
If you have a slope in your yard, try a cascading variety. It’ll creep down the slope and fill in nicely. This evergreen shrub enjoys full sun and good drainage. It needs little water once it’s established and requires little or no fertilizer.
Lavender can make a unique hedge. The plants will grow in mounds with little flower heads peaking up over the top. Dwarf varieties will stay under two feet tall so they make nice edging plants for borders. Plant lavender in an area with good drainage and trim 1/3 of the plant back after it blooms, thinning out the stems at the same time.

Thyme(3 of 4)
Lemon thyme is also readily available and has the added benefit of the lemon fragrance. If you’re going to use this in cooking, make sure to ask if the variety you buy at the nursery is edible. Some people plant this as decoration only, so not all thyme plants come from a pesticide-free grower. You could always start from seed as well.

Chives(4 of 4)
The flowers will pop up between 12 and 14 inches tall. This makes for a nice accent plant interspersed throughout the garden, used much like you would an ornamental grass. The flowers will attract bees and the onion smell has been known to repel some pests. These plants can act as a protective border for other plants, blocking out the enemy and inviting friendly bees in.
All of these herbs are easy to incorporate into your landscape and will blend right in with your other ornamentals. With a few herbs, a few more perennials and some annuals, your landscape will look great, smell great and taste great. You can’t get much better than that.

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HOW TO BUILD A CUSTOM WOOD BATHTUB

Materials
wood
wood stain
wood glue
construction adhesive
screws
staples
polyurethane topcoat
Tools
safety goggles
gloves
tape measure
miter saw
screwdriver
staple gun
orbital sander
foam brush
cheesecloth
clamps
Kreg jig

Step 1: Get a Custom-Made Wood Stain
Get the wood stain custom-made to match the existing vanity or other woodwork perfectly. Measure the height and width of the tub front carefully to get the exact dimensions of the area to be covered.

Step 2: Measure and Cut the Planks of Wood
Cut two planks of wood to the exact width of the tub front for the top and bottom rails. Subtract the dimensions of the top and bottom rails from the original height to get the height of the risers. Lay out the top and bottom rails and lay one riser on each edge. Measure and space the remaining two risers evenly to create three window sections of the same size.

Step 3: Apply the Wood Glue
Use wood glue on the edge of the board and press into place. Gorilla Glue is water resistant and has a strong bond for high water areas like bathrooms.

Step 4: Make the Pocket Holes
Use a Kreg jig to make the pocket holes. Clamp the jig to the board, and drill the hole. Carefully align and drive in the screw.

Step 5: Cut Square Pieces
Measure three window openings. Add 1″ on each side for overlapping, and cut the square pieces.

Step 6: Attach the Square Pieces to the Frame
Glue the square pieces on to the back of the frame and use a staple gun to attach these pieces to the frame (Be careful not to use a staple that is too long or it will come through the front.)

Step 7: Sand the Entire Surface
Use an orbital sander to sand the entire surface. Wipe down the surface with a cheese cloth.

Step 8: Apply the Stain
Apply the stain with a sponge brush for a smooth application. Allow to dry. Add coats of stain until the color matches the existing woodwork in the bathroom.

Step 9: Apply Polyurethane and Secure the Wood
Apply three coats of polyurethane. For a smooth finish, sand between coats with a high grit sand paper. Matt used a fine 180 grit paper.

Once the wood is dry, glue it to the tub with construction adhesive.

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HOW TO REMOVE TILE FLOOR

Materials
painter’s masking tape
Tools
plastic sheeting
hammer
chisel
safety glasses
floor scraper
hammer drill
chisel bit
pry bar
putty knife
angle grinder with diamond blade
vacuum

Step 1: Remove the Molding
Remove the baseboard and shoe by gently tapping a pry bar, putty knife or chisel behind the baseboard while using a thin piece of scrap wood to protect the wall. Care at this stage will allow the baseboards to be reused after the floor is installed. Use a pencil to mark the backs of the baseboards so they are easily identifiable to be reinstalled in the same spot.
Step 2: Remove Appliances
Take out any appliances that stand on the flooring.

Step 3: Cut the Tile for the Thresholds
For any threshold between the new floor and remaining tile floor use an angle grinder with a diamond blade to cut through the tile flooring. Carefully cut down the edge of the grout line on both sides. This will give a nice, even cut.


Step 4: Remove the Floor
Put up a plastic barrier in order to keep the dust and debris from the tile removal from spreading throughout the house. This is a messy, dusty job. Use plastic sheeting or cut up plastic bags to seal all air vents to prevent dust from entering the ductwork. Use a hammer, hammer drill, floor scraper, chisel and safety glasses and remove the old tile. Scrape the old dried thinset off the plywood. Vacuum the floor to ready it for installing new flooring.

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HOW TO PREVENT WEEDS WITH LANDSCAPE FABRIC

Materials
landscape fabric
landscape fabric ground staples
mulch
plants
Tools
utility knife

Step 1: Lay Down Landscape Fabric
Cut and place the landscape fabric over the entire bed. Use landscape fabric ground staples to hold it in place while you work.

Step 2: Position Plants
Arrange the plants in their pots on top of the landscape fabric. Step back and make sure the arrangement works and looks good. Avoid overcrowding and read all plant labels to make sure they are placed in the appropriate light type.

Step 3: Place Plants in Ground
Using a utility knife, cut an X into the landscape fabric where each plant is located and dig a hole appropriate to the size of the plant. Remove the plant from the pot, loosen the roots by hands or with the utility knife and then place it in the new hole.

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HOW TO REMOVE TEXTURE FROM THE WALL

Step 1: Test the Wall Area
Cover your flooring with plenty of drop cloths. This is a very messy job.

Use a 5-inch or an 8-inch floor scraper. Gently test an area of your wall to see how easily the texture comes off. Once you know the amount of pressure needed, determine the best angle to hold the scraper while you work.
Step 2: Remove the Texture from the Wall
Do not work at too severe of an angle or you may gouge and damage your drywall.

Scrape the wall and remove the texture working on one four square foot area at a time.

Once the entire area has been scraped clean, go over the area with a damp cloth to remove any dust and debris. Clean your cloth often. Once the area is clean, let it dry completely before doing any further work on the wall, like applying paint or any other finish.

Step 3: Apply an Oil-Based Primer
Apply an oil-based primer all over the wall. Be sure to wear gloves and properly ventilate the area when working. Let it dry completely.

Step 4: Smooth Out the Texture
Use ready mix joint compound and apply it with a wallboard knife. Apply a generous layer. If your knife is scraping the wall you’re pressing too hard and more mud is needed on the knife. About 3/8 inch thick is a good amount. Feather the edges to an almost invisible finish to maintain an even look.

Let the first coat dry for 24 hours
Step 5: Apply Second Layer to Compound
Use a spray bottle to dampen the area with a fine mist of water. Then, apply a second layer of joint compound just as you did the first. Again, let dry for 24 hours.

Apply a thin skim coat and be careful to evenly feather out the edges and create as smooth and even a finish as possible.

Once this dries for 24 hours apply primer and paint as desired.

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Baileys Banana Karma

Baileys_blended_Drink

Drink Recipe Ingredients:
2 oz. Baileys Original Irish Cream (25 oz. per bottle)
.25 oz. Godiva Mocha Liqueur (25 oz. per bottle)
.25 oz. Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka (25 oz. per bottle)
1 splash(es) milk/cream
1 banana

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Apple & Ginger Martini

Apple-Ginger-Martini

Drink Recipe Ingredients:
0.75 oz. Stirrings Apple Liqueur
1 oz. Crown Royal Deluxe (25 oz. per bottle)
0.5 oz. fresh lime juice
0.25 oz. Stirrings Ginger Liqueur

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Economy ‘Turning Toward Recovery,’ Dotzour Says

COLLEGE STATION (Real Estate Center) – The “real economy” — economic activity that is not
stimulated by tax credits — appears to be “turning the corner toward recovery,” Dr. Mark
Dotzour said this week while speaking at the Texas Society of CPAs Financial Institutions
conference in Dallas.
Dotzour, the Real Estate Center’s chief economist, said corporate profits and new orders for
manufacturing have clearly rebounded.
He also said commercial real estate markets will not clear until two issues involving the U.S.
banking system are resolved. First, when will the banks recognize the losses on the real estate
loans in their portfolios and begin to sell the troubled assets to new buyers? And, will the Office
of the Comptroller of the Currency tone down its strict limits on commercial real estate lending
for commercial banks?
“As of today, there doesn’t appear to be an encouraging answer to either question,” Dotzour
said.
When asked about this week’s headlines proclaiming that the recession ended in 2009, he said
he thinks such headlines are premature.
“The health of the residential and commercial real estate industries depends not on gross
domestic product (GDP), but on job growth,” he said. “When the economy (i.e. GDP) grows by,
say, 3 percent, but productivity also grows by 3 percent, it just means that currently employed
workers produced 3 percent more things. Job growth is the essential engine of growth in this
country. Until we start producing jobs, it’s premature to say we are out of the recession.”
Dotzour will speak later this week at the IMN Distressed Commercial Real Estate Forum in New
York City. The audience will include 300 investors from all over the world who have raised funds
to purchase real estate in the United States.

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Texas Faring Better than Nation Overall

COLLEGE STATION, Tex. (Real Estate Center) — The Texas economy continues to
outperform the U.S. economy in the current recovery. The state’s economy gained 194,400 jobs
from November 2009 to November 2010, an annual growth rate of 1.9 percent.
Over the same period, the U.S. economy gained 842,000 jobs, an annual growth rate of 0.6
percent. Texas’ private sector continues to play a key role in creating jobs, according to the Real
Estate Center’s Monthly Review of the Texas Economy for December.
The state’s private sector posted an annual employment growth rate of 2.2 percent compared
with 1 percent for the U.S. private sector from November 2009 to November 2010, said the
report’s authors Research Economist Dr. Ali Anari and Chief Economist Dr. Mark Dotzour.

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Texas Outperforms Nation in Job Growth

COLLEGE STATION, Tex. (Real Estate Center) — When it came to creating jobs, Texas
outperformed the rest of the country from February 2010 to February 2011.
According to the latest Monthly Review of the Texas Economy published by the Real Estate
Center at Texas A&M University, Texas gained 230,000 jobs during those 12 months. That’s an
annual growth rate of 2.3 percent. Over the same period, U.S. nonfarm employment rose 1
percent.
The state’s private sector posted an annual employment growth rate of 2.5 percent compared
with 1.5 percent for the U.S. private sector.
The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.2 percent in February 2011,
unchanged from a year earlier. Meanwhile, the nation’s rate decreased from 9.7 to 8.9 percent.
All Texas industries except financial activities and information industries had more jobs, and all
Texas metro areas had more jobs. Petroplexes Odessa and Midland ranked first and second,
respectively, in job creation followed by Longview and Dallas-Plano-Irving.
The state’s actual unemployment rate was 8.2 percent. Midland had the lowest unemployment
rate followed by Amarillo, Lubbock, College Station-Bryan and San Angelo.
Despite job growth, existing Texas single-family home sales in February were down 10 percent
from a year ago.
Just over 12,000 homes were sold this past February according to the latest Multiple Listing
Services (MLS) data compiled by the Center.
The median home price was up 3 percent from the previous year, at $145,800. There was a 7.2-
month inventory.
For more on the Texas economy, read the Center’s Monthly Review of the Texas Economy

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