Shift by Aragon on Vancouver’s Westside

Shift by Aragon Properties is a new 6 storey condo development located on Quebec street and 35th Avenue on Vancouver’s Westside. This project will offer 43 1-3 bedroom condominiums. Bordered by Queen Elizabeth Park one block West, and Main Street one block East, Shift will join an already thriving neighborhood.

The post Shift by Aragon on Vancouver’s Westside appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

from Buildings – Vancouver New Condos https://ift.tt/2HT3Wxr

Lily Terrace by Lanstone in Langley

Lily Terrace by Lanstone Homes is a new 3-storey condo development located in the heart of Fort Langley. This project will have an exclusive collection of 24 modern signature residences. These exclusive residences marry the best of both worlds—a contemporary vision is thoughtfully executed with the care and attention of traditional craftsmanship. Pitched rooflines and paned windows evoke the grace of an earlier era. The cornerstone of a thriving heritage conservation area.

The post Lily Terrace by Lanstone in Langley appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

from Buildings – Vancouver New Condos https://ift.tt/2FJDBQx

Hudson Place One in downtown Victoria

Hudson Place One by Townline is a new modern 25-storey development located at 777 Herald Street in downtown Victoria. This project will offer 176 luxury intelligently-designed 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom condominiums.The Hudson District is a vibrant, amenity-rich, pedestrian-friendly village with doorstep access to a unique mix of artisan shops, daily conveniences, services, and leisure and wellness activities that are the heart and soul of the community. Its central location in beautiful downtown Victoria provides easy access to transit.

The post Hudson Place One in downtown Victoria appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

from Buildings – Vancouver New Condos https://ift.tt/2jt1Tpc

Reading a Classic: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

I've realized for me, reading classics pretty much came to a halt after college. So many new titles to read, I just didn't have time for "the old stuff". Twenty-four years later, I still don't read classics. Shame on me. While high school was full of the usual suspects: The Scarlet Letter, Huck Finn, Pride & Prejudice, Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 451; college added a few: Frankenstein, Beloved...it seemed to be more of a movement away from older classics and a move towards new writers and what at the time weren't classics, but now after 20 odd years, are classics. I just didn't get to read everything I should have, and would have liked to read. 

I hope to change that going forward, and make more of an effort to look back at what I've missed and add a classic into my reading choices every once in awhile. In Cold Blood is in this month's read simply because I had to read a novel that was written the year I was born for a book group.  It was a toss up between this and Valley of the Dolls.  I did buy both, and I plan on reading VOD this summer. I was born in the middle of the 1960's; when Vietnam was raging, the Beatles were famous, and people were either protesting or, like my parents, raising kids and living a very middle class life in the burbs. I don't remember any of it, and only vaguely recall Nixon as President. I was busy playing outside and looking at National Geographic magazines at  home (I think pretty much every middle-class family had a subscription to Nat Geo!).  Loved the pictures, couldn't read just yet. 

So onto In Cold Blood. It's a book I handled hundreds of times while I worked at the bookstore; shelving it, putting it on summer reading tables; finding it for customers. I knew the basic story, but it was always "one day I'll get to it". Never intrigued enough to actually read it. 

My first night starting the book, I was hearing Truman Capote in my head. As I got closer to the night of the murders, I put it down and went to bed. Up again in the wee hours of the morning, I had to search the internet and find more about the Clutter family and why Capote wrote the novel. It is, after all, a true crime story; so why not a non-fiction book?  Simply because, while it is based on a true incident, there are enough speculative conversations and what is clearly a fictional scene at the end to make it fiction.  So if you're looking for this book in a bookstore, or in a library, it will be in fiction. 

What I found in my short spurt of research made the book that much more interesting to me.  Capote spent years on this, interviewing everyone in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas; interviewing the two suspects: Richard "Dick" Eugene Hickock and Perry Edward Smith, and even spending time in the Clutter home. It became an obsession for him, and caused a sensation when it was published.  

Here are the bones of the story: On November 15, 1959, the Clutter family: Herb, his wife Bonnie, and his teenage children Nancy and Kenyon were bound, gagged, and brutally shot to death in their home. Herb, a rancher, had not only been shot, but his throat slit. An outstanding community member, Herb had no enemies and no one could figure out why anyone would harm the Clutter family. The phone line had been cut, and it looked like robbery was the motive. Everyone in Holcomb knew Herb never had cash on him; he paid for everything with checks. A prosperous rancher, he put everything back in to the ranch, and lived simply. 

The only clues left were bootprints-one in Herb's blood. Police had little to go on, and it looked like this might end up being an unsolvable murder. It's hard to remember this was a time before the advances in forensics we have today, so I had to cringe when folks burned the blood stained mattresses and couch ONE DAY AFTER THE MURDERS. What?!

Dick and Perry, however, take up most of the novel. Leaving Holcomb, they end up driving to Mexico, and then wind their way back through Miami, Kansas, and Las Vegas in the six weeks after the murders. The two of them are ex-cons, out on parole. You don't know what exactly happened that night until both men are arrested in Las Vegas, and Perry confesses on the ride back to Kansas. Four people murdered, for $40, a radio, and binoculars. But who did the shooting? Perry confesses to killing Herb and Kenyon, but claims Dick shot Nancy and Bonnie. They had heard about the Clutter ranch, and that Herb kept $10,000 in a safe at home, and decided they were going to rob it, and leave no witnesses. They came prepared to kill. The complete lack of emotion and regret is astounding. Yet while reading about these two criminals, I was struck by Capote's attempts to make them pitiful and sympathetic. They became the focus of the novel, and the Clutters, I felt, were quickly relegated to the background.  We never get to know the Clutter family much at all; and for that reason, I can see why the two surviving Clutter daughters (neither lived at home) were so upset by this work, and to this day, have not granted interviews and do not discuss their family tragedy. 

Capote's writing is, however, masterful. His spare, unemotional writing reflects the coldness of the murderers, and the Kansas winter; wind sweeping over the plains, and cold, quiet nights. He sees the unwinding of a small town, as people move away, become less trustful, and absorb the enormity of the murders. 

I'm interesting in watching the movie Capote, which takes place during the In Cold Blood years. There is a new documentary about the Clutter murders, produced in 2017 called Cold Blooded: The Clutter Family Murders.  I haven't been able to find it to watch it, but I will! 

So, what did I really think of this novel? It took me over a week to read it, because I was filled with dread in the first 25 pages.  I just didn't want to read about the murders. I put it down, then picked it up again and read it through. Dick and Perry are cold blooded, unfeeling killers, and no bad childhood or mental diagnosis will ever make me feel differently about them. It was an interesting crime novel, and I'm glad I read it. I loved Capote's writing style, and now I understand just what lies in between the covers of a book I've held in my hands so many times.  I think it would make a good book group discussion, and I'm sure it has, many times. For crime fiction or non-fiction crime fans, this is considered the first fictional non-fiction crime novel, and set a standard for the genre. 

Rating:  4/6 for the suspense of the novel, and the writing of Truman Capote. I felt the Clutter family were mostly ignored, and Capote's obsession with the two killers was foremost in the novel. I'm not telling you how the two were finally caught and arrested. Read it and see. 

Available in paperback, ebook, and audio. 




from Bookalicious Babe Book Reviews https://ift.tt/2Kwq4ze

Top 4 Log Home Building Trends 2018

Over the last few years, we have started to see a shift in home design and functionality. More and more people are looking to maximize space instead of adding more square footage; they want more flexibility instead of more rooms, more functionality instead of more work around the home, top-of-the-line finishes and state-of-the-art appliances, but less power and water as well. It can be said that 2018 promises to be a year in which less really is more when it comes to home design. Thanks to new materials and technologies, combined with open design and sleek innovations, we have put together our list of the top 4 home building trends in 2018.

Greening Your Home

Having a home with that creates the smallest environmental footprint is a big focus for many homebuilders. These days, savvy buyers are willing to invest a little more in the beginning in order to have cost savings in the future. They are able to benefit from energy-saving strategies from the ground up, thanks to many recent advances in construction techniques and components.

The use of highly reflective shingles can enable a roof to stay more than 10 degrees cooler, which in turn helps you to conserve energy by not having to use air conditioning as often, as well as extending the life of the roof.

Additional features include the installation of Energy Star appliances, furnaces and air conditioners, LED or compact fluorescent lighting and dual flush, low-flow toilets. It is clear that green is the way to go in 2018 for log houses and homes.

Log and timber homes can be the most energy-efficient and have the lowest carbon footprint of any home design. Wood is the only major building material that is renewable and sustainable over the long term, while also being superior to steel and cement in nearly every environmental impact category. As such, log and timber homes are one of the most sustainable forms of construction, lasting substantially longer than conventional homes, and using almost four times less fossil fuels in manufacturing than a conventionally framed home. They are among the most energy-efficient homes built today. We have put together a detailed article titled “Green Building: Understanding the carbon footprint of a log home”

Making Your Home White and Bright

Last year we saw pops of color as the trend; in 2018 whites are making a huge comeback with white cabinets remaining the top pick in various rooms throughout the home. This is particularly so in bathrooms, as a result of white-tile decks and surrounds (not familiar with this word – maybe surroundings?), white porcelain soaking tubs, white-tiled floors and crisp white trim. Such a sharp-focus ambiance is beautifully complemented by bright and shiny chrome.

Another way to brighten up your home is to incorporate more windows. The trend toward bright, light spaces can also be further realized with the use of multiple skylights, huge room-width glass doors and floor to ceiling windows. Even smaller spaces can feel new and spacious through the use of crisper, brighter finishes and natural light.

Creating More Compact with More Flow at the Same Time

The trend towards smaller homes will continue to grow strong throughout 2018, especially since millennials are coming of age and are bringing their own aesthetic into play. Simultaneously, there is a need to create more open spaces in these smaller homes. This means that home design will be characterized by flow first and foremost in 2018, with site lines extending through multiple rooms and perhaps even to outdoor spaces.

One particular challenge will be catering to the growing desire for interior spaces that cascade into outdoor spaces both visually and functionally. Then again, huge expanses of windows and doors are possible thanks to advances in glass technology, all without having to sacrifice energy efficiency or comfort.

Home Automation

Today, automation is one of the fastest growing trends and automating your home is no exception. Not only can home systems be activated with the touch of a button, they can also be controlled remotely and can even learn from people’s habits and behaviours. This is something that is expected to continue in 2018 as well, especially since there have been huge leaps in the technology in just the past few years.

Examples of this include smart thermostats like iComfort and Nest, which can adjust your home’s temperature when you’re home and when you’re away just by using sensors and the location of your smartphone. These new devices keep track of various information based on your behaviour and learn to adapt to it. This includes remembering everything from what temperature you desire when eating breakfast on a winter morning to what time you wake up.

2018 aims to be a year of less is more, creating comfortable spaces that make your house a home. A place that is functional and inviting, an area for friends and family to feel welcome. It’s great to be inspired by fades and trends but don’t forget they come and go. What’s most important is finding or building a home that you love and suits your needs. Take some of these trends into consideration, but at the end of the day your home should reflect your needs.

Looking for more inspiration? Visit our log home and timber galleries.

 

 

from Artisan Custom Log Homes https://ift.tt/2Kx6JOD

PMP:111 Reflections for Education Leaders & Wearing Your Air Mask

I’m a frequent flyer. The more I fly, the harder I find it is to stay focused when flight attendants are reviewing safety procedures. They could be standing right in front of me with the safety cards in hand, but I’ve heard it so many times, I usually think about something else. On the other […]

from Connected Principals https://ift.tt/2w92S74

Strawberry Cheesecake Fluff

Strawberry Cheesecake Fluff comes together in less than 10 minutes and is the perfect dessert, or side dish for any occasion.

This recipe is sponsored by Campfire® Marshmallows, but all thoughts are my own. Thank you for continuing to support the brands that make My Baking Addiction possible.

The weather in Ohio has had me all kinds of confused. The calendar has me craving things like lemon lime cupcakes and this strawberry cream cheese tart, but the weather has been calling for pumpkin bread and caramel apple blondies.

I mean, it is May 1st today, so I’m hopeful that snow flurries and cold snaps are officially going to be a thing of the past.

(more…)

The post Strawberry Cheesecake Fluff appeared first on My Baking Addiction.

        

from My Baking Addiction https://ift.tt/2r9dk8S