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Carnival of the Green #167!

Carnival of the Green #167! published on 8 Comments on Carnival of the Green #167!

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At last! My long awaited hosting spot for Carnival of the Green! I signed up over a year ago and wasn’t even sure if I’d still have a blog by now. But I do. And it’s game on!

Firstly, thanks to Lighter Footstep for hosting last week’s Carnival. Please check them out!

Want to learn more about hosting or submitting posts? Find out at Treehugger.

And now, without further adieu, may I present this week’s Carnival #167 ala Reclaimed Home…..

From Ancient Wisdom Modern Mind, Kerry ponders What affect do our Thoughts, have on Our Health, Our Relationship and Our Environment? Really interesting article.

C Richey writes about the Green Products Showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show on Las Vegas Realty. When I first saw it was from a Vegas RE firm, I thought they were trying to pass one over on us, but no, it’s a legit green article right outta Vegas, baby!

Dana from A Very Nearly Tea sends us Trash For My Garden. Unfortunately, my black thumb was all like “Wha?” But it’s a great article for anyone even THINKING of their garden.

Read up on Five Eco Ideas for Your Holidays. That’s vacation to us Americans. Mircea posted that one on Journey Etc. Gotta bookmark this.

Here’s one I like. Something for free! Dr. Joseph M. Peck, PhD fills us in one Free Tote Bags over at Eco Joe’s. Three different offers. And I here I am paying 99 cents!

Heather  from The Greenest Dollar does a nice review of three Green Wines. That means boxed, ladies and gents. Remember I got over that snobbery here a few months ago.

Marty Hayes of Ethical Superstore brings us the A to Z Guide of Fair Trade. That’s a keeper. Must bookmark!

Julie of Thrifty Frugality shares Healthy Food on a Thrifty Budget. A list of practical tips for eating healthy on a budget. Green doesn’t have to be expensive, ya know!

David presents Just Because It Was OK In The Past Does Not Mean That It Still Is. posted at The Good Human. Warning: If you want to keep your head in the sand, don’t read it.

Verna Morris gives us her Top 100 Organic Living Blogs over at Radiography Schools. Wow, 100? With descriptions? Verna was hard at work!

Speaking of overachievers, Peter of  We Overstep sent in not one, not two, but three submissions. The blog ain’t called “We Overstep” for nothing. There’s a Go Vegan post and a Raw Vegan article. He also posted some of his Ireland photos. Get it? Emerald Isle? Green?

Myscha Theriault sent us Green for Girls: A Feminine Perspective  posted at Wise Bread. Ok, this is a must read! You should’ve seen the wide eyed, jaw dropped look on my face as viewed the post. I consider myself an eco-conscious soul, but a menstrual collection cup? Sorry, I’m just not ready to go there yet.

People are complaining about all the little water bottles floating around, but what about the Brita filters? Huh? Well, Beth Terry of Fake Plastic Fish gives us the rundown with her Gimme 5, Brita, Preserve and You.

Ken Kneidel used an ecological footprint test to compare the benefit of driving a hybrid car to the benefit of a eating a vegan diet. Which one reduced his footprint more?  Read Less Meat Smaller Footprint from Veggie Revolution to find out!  It includes links so you can figure out your own.

James the Beacon Artist has been dumpster obsessed. Check out all of his dumpster posts here.

Julena presents Organic Skin Care on a Budget posted at Organic Makeup and Skin Care.

Barry Wright III gives us (Almost) No Trash: An Inspiration at 3stylelife.

Travelcat4 wonders Where Does All The Plastic Go? over at Eco Friendly House And Garden. She also offers up travel tips at Eco Holidays and Green Holidays. She also blogged about ASUS Technology – Leading The Green Revolution! posted at Latest Inventions. She’s a busy gal.

Darren Collins is talking shit with his Green Manure Crops posted at Green-Change.com.

Finally, Traci Hayner Vanover presents Americans Show Increased Interest in “Voluntourism” posted at News About Green Living.

Oh wait…Anne from Sustainable Flatbush just woke late in the game to send her Worm Potluck Post. Warning: Yucky worm photos!

Next Week: Blog Carnival & Vacay

Next Week: Blog Carnival & Vacay published on 1 Comment on Next Week: Blog Carnival & Vacay

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It’s been a year in the making, but Reclaimed Home’s number is finally up to host Treehugger’s Carnival of the Green next week. What does this mean? Monday will be an orgy of green links. I’m hoping there’s enough material to last the entire week because…..

I’m off to Dublin on Wednesday. Won’t be back until the 24th. Yeah, I know that I can post until Wednesday and even write posts to upload whilst I’m away. But do I want to? No. The gal deserves a little break.

And speaking of breaks, the Dublin trip is really no vacation. The mother in law fell and broke her leg. We’ll be visiting her at the rehab center and preparing the house for her return…which means putting a bathroom on the first floor or figuring out how to get a lift put in.

Don’t get me started with the Irish. Why can’t they plan ahead? I’ve been telling my husband for years that his 80something year old mother cannot live forever alone in that 2 story home with bedroom and bathroom ONLY on the second floor. Sure, it would be nice if she lived to see a healthy, vibrant 120 and then just dropped dead one day, but people deteriorate as they age.

As I hear it, there’s no Florida in Ireland. Retirement communities and assisted living aren’t all that common. Maybe this was ok when people had Suleman sized families and they all sat around on the dole scratching their arses and getting piss drunk. Sure, they had time to take care of the elders. But it’s a different country now. Birth control. Jobs. Welcome to the 21st Century. You have options now. Use them.

Ok. End rant here.

Weekender: Country Home Deals

Weekender: Country Home Deals published on

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$159k: Livingston Manor

Get ’em while the prices are low! There are short sales and foreclosures popping up everywhere. Although I don’t like the idea of being a vulture, a short sale actually saves the seller from from foreclosure, so maybe it’s good karma?

Here are some huge party/weekend homes you may not otherwise be able to afford. Of course, you can live in these places full time too!

House in above photo is zoned for commercial and residential in Sullivan County. Hello B&B! The 6 bedroom 4700 sq ft house was built in 1902.

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$130k: Liberty

5 bedroom on 12+acres. This house needs work. The guy ran out of money and wants to unload it. I’m sure you can find friends to help out in exchange for a country retreat.

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$360k: Red Hook

4 bedroom farmhouse on an acre with a barn.

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$425,500: Putnam Valley

Dated 3000 sq ft contemporary on 8+ acres. Babbling brook on property. *Felix would’ve loved this! (*for Odd Couple fans only)

My New Favorite Veggie Restaurant

My New Favorite Veggie Restaurant published on 2 Comments on My New Favorite Veggie Restaurant

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It’s not difficult being a vegetarian in NYC these days. Everywhere pretty much has one or two items on the menu for us. Most places have an entire vegetarian section. Woo-hoo! Would I prefer to eat at a place that caters only to vegetarians? Sure. But I have to admit that some of them are a wee bit boring for me.

Last night I had dinner at Blossom in Chelsea. My eyes teared as I read the menu. Everything looked SO good and I had SO much choice! I don’t know if any of you remember a West Village restaurant called Shojin. Now, THAT was my favorite restaurant for real! Well, the Blossom menu was sort of reminiscent of Shojin. Unfortunately, nothing compares to the Shojin decor. The restaurant was housed in a brownstone and the dining area looked like an old lady’s living room. It was so friggin cozy.

Ok, so this is about Blossom, not my long lost love, Shojin.

Unfortunately, we were too rushed to order appetizers. This definitely isn’t a quick meal kind of place. Entrees run about $20 so you want to savor that. But we were in the neighborhood and I’ve always wanted to try it.

I ordered the Port Wine Seitan Cutlets with a side of mashed. OMG, I’m crying again just thinking about it! It was good, ya’ll! Hubby ordered the Feijoadinha with smokey tempeh. It’s a vegetarian version of a Brazilian stew. I tasted it and thought it was good, but the hubby prefered my dish. Not that I let him have it.

I wish I could have tried everything on the menu. How does this sound? Seitan Scaloppini? Porcini Rubbed Tofu? Phyllo Roulade?

This place just might be up there with my other fave veggie restaurant, Hangawi.

Hartsdale, NY Estate Sale

Hartsdale, NY Estate Sale published on 3 Comments on Hartsdale, NY Estate Sale

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Everything but the mantle for sale here.

 (The latest update here.)

Finally, after dropping hints here and there, this is the official Hartsdale Estate Sale announcement.

WHEN: Saturday, February 28 & Sunday, March 1

WHERE: 28 Jennifer Lane, Hartsale, NY (that’s Westchester)

TIME: 8:30am-4pm both days. *Earlybirds, we’ll probably arrive shortly before 8am, so don’t bother.

WHAT: A little background. This is a 1950’s home that up until recently housed a couple whom, let’s just say, didn’t update too often. They didn’t need to. They had pretty good taste.

ATTN: This is a cash only sale! No checks or credit cards will be accepted.

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Antique and Vintage Furniture

Oak China hutch, piano, dining room table, set of 8 chairs (some broken), couches, comfy chairs, garage full of antiques in need of restoration

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Collectibles

Antique scales, cash register, Japanese ceramics, old tools, china

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Artwork by Jay Hyde Barnum, Harry Leroy Taskey and others.

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Outdoors

Wrought iron patio furniture, cement planters, 1970’s chairs, statuary

Household “stuff”

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Pyrex, pots and pans, utensils, Tupperware, pasta maker, wastepaper baskets, professional beauty supplies

There’s something for everyone…honestly! From the $500 crystal chandelier to the $2 tschotske. Too much stuff to photograph and list.

Flickr Photos


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Preparing For The Estate Sale

Preparing For The Estate Sale published on 3 Comments on Preparing For The Estate Sale

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I’m teaming up with Beacon clean out guy Mario to do our very first estate sale. He’s on schmoozing and pricing and I’m photography and marketing. The home is in Hartsdale, Westchester and the date will be Feb 28/March 1. Mark your calendars! I’ll post more details as we work them out.

But let’s talk about the house for now. It’s a 1950’s not-much-from-the-outside. The interior is pretty cool! There’s a pink tile bathroom as well as the fabulous one in the photo. I was just loving all the gaudy little details like the door pulls and light fixtures. Very “Aunt Lenore has plastic slipcovers”. Disclosure: My Aunt Lenore had plastic slip covers.

Obviously, the furniture and tschotskes reflect the style of the house.

Sneak peek at Flickr photos.

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There are 2 crystal chandeliers and a crystal lamp for sale. 

Asbestos PSA

Asbestos PSA published on 2 Comments on Asbestos PSA

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Author: Joe from Asbestos.com

Considered the birthplace of the asbestos industry in America, citizens of New York are no strangers to asbestos. In the beginning of the industrial revolution, asbestos manufacturers mined and produced the mineral for automotive, construction, insulation and later, aerospace purposes.

The state of New York contains three naturally occurring locations of asbestos. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the deposits are located in Jefferson county and the New York/Rhode Island state line. About 400 public facilities, job sites and oil refineries are still known to have asbestos exposure issues. These cities include Brooklyn, Bronx, Long Island, Manhattan, Albany, Rochester, Staten Island and others. Homes and buildings built prior to 1980 still may contain asbestos-containing materials. If you are a potential home buyer or are seeking to remodel older homes in New York, you should be aware that asbestos exposure can cause many health concerns.

The inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers has been found to cause serious ailments such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of asbestos lung cancer for which the only known cause is asbestos exposure. Accounting for three percent of cancer diagnoses in the U.S., steps should be taken to avoid exposure. Mesothelioma metastasis can occur when the illness spreads through the lymph nodes or the blood stream. This happens in the disease later stages as it can take anywhere from 20 to 50 years for mesothelioma to develop, making it extremely difficult for physicians to accurately diagnose this disease.

The amount of serious asbestos-related injuries and incidents in the last century has lead to mesothelioma law firms advocating victims’ rights. The asbestos industry was well aware of its health hazards back in the beginning, but continued the manufacturing anyways. This century old scandal has lead to millions of civilians, workers and military personnel wrongfully victimized by asbestos.

The New York Division of Safety and Health oversees the abatement of toxic hazards such as asbestos during remodeling, reconstruction or demolition. They enforce state and federal laws regarding the safe disposal and removal of asbestos. Prior to hiring an abatement contractor, an inspector can determine if any suspected asbestos should be removed or left undisturbed. Not all asbestos is considered dangerous, so leaving it undisturbed is recommended.

Once the removal is finished, green alternatives should be considered as replacements. These options include the use of recycled building materials like cotton fiber, cellulose and lcynene. The use of these eco-friendly materials will also result in a decrease in energy costs. The United States Environmental Program states that that cotton fiber insulation can reduce costs anywhere from 25 to 35 percent annually. Not only do these alternatives save you money, they allow a lifestyle free of health corroding materials.

Here’s the Story of the Brady House

Here’s the Story of the Brady House published on 2 Comments on Here’s the Story of the Brady House

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The exterior of the Brady Bunch house was a real home located in North Hollywood, CA. As a kid I thought the house was totally groovy. Looking back, I’m even more impressed with the retro design ala architect Mike Brady. That’s one rockin’ splanch!

These photos and cad drawings come from an obsessive fan. Glad someone did it! Check out his Flickr page and Brady house tour.

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Jenny, I Got Your Number!

Jenny, I Got Your Number! published on

Ain’t Twitter grand? How else would I have found out about the sale of one of the last remaining Jenny numbers? DIY Scene posted the ebay link to a DJ selling his company with the phone number 201-867-5309. With 6 days to go there are 123 bids at the time of this writing and the current price is up to $ 365,100.

For the price of a dime I can always turn to you, indeed.

Ghost in the Table?

Ghost in the Table? published on 4 Comments on Ghost in the Table?

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Humor me here. So, the other day I was photographing a house full o’ goodies for my first estate sale (more on that later). Everything was going swimmingly until I got to this table near a window in the basement. I kept getting glare on the top, so I had someone hold a sheet over the window. As you can see, he didn’t do a very good job. Anyway, check out the series of photos. First of all, they are the only shots of the day that are out of focus. The camera was on a tripod. But what really puzzles me is that “thing” that appeared in every shot, even when I changed the position of the table. If nobody can tell me what is is, I’m going with my original theory that it’s a ghost.

The baby pram was in the same room and I thought it could have been that crown reflecting the light. I moved the pram and the mysterious orb was still there. Then I thought it could be my camera or lens. The pram shot was taken immediately after the table shots and it’s perfect.

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Coney Island Back in the Day

Coney Island Back in the Day published on 3 Comments on Coney Island Back in the Day

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Coney Island has been around longer than any of us and has gone through many incarnations. Like the cockroach, it’s a survivor. Coney has outlived Robert Moses and Fred Trump, two of the  developers who molested the down and out amusement park. But will it survive Thor?

I dunno. There’s not much left to save at this point now that Astroland is gone. Perhaps people have been saying that for years (minus the Astroland part), but it was one of my favorite destinations when I was growing up in the 1970’s.

Coney was already run down by then. It was like the (old) Times Square of amusement parks. Dirty, forgotten and desolate at times. But the crowds still came on the weekends. They were the families who couldn’t afford to go to Long Island or the mountains for the summer. The kids who weren’t sent away to camp. Those without cars or money to get them all the way out to Great Adventure, the great new amusement park that kicked Coney Island in the ass.

I have few memories of going with my parents in the 60’s when I was really young. My brother used to do a mean “laughing lady in the funhouse” impersonation to scare me. I have photos of myself on the kiddy rides. I remember the Stillwell Avenue train station was kind of festive and I’d get excited as we exited.

By junior high I was able to go myself. I cut school with a few friends one day and we rode the water flume (my favorite ride) at least 4 times in a row. We also ran into some other cutters who had the same idea that day.

What made the rides scary was the fact that they were so old and rickety. Like the Cyclone. There were other roller coasters that were just as bad. Even the spook houses. It wasn’t the monsters popping out that was spooky, it was the creaking sounds of the old wheels as they made their way through the dark. The jerking of the cars. It was all part of the scare factor.

I remember going on the pirate ship ride one night. It was a quiet evening so the guy running it gave us an extra long ride. So long, I got nauseous and almost lost it. I wondered if someone across from me got sick, if it would hit me. Luckily, I didn’t find out. I think the guy did it purposely just to torture us.

By high school, my family was living in Coney Island. We had an apartment right across from the aquarium where I could hear the sea lions chatting with each other. I could also hear the screams from The Cyclone and other rides. According to the Astroland website, The Cyclone will remain open for the 2009 season, along with The Wonder Wheel.

Across from the boardwalk back in the 80’s, there were stalls where vendors sold inexpensive vintage items. This was the best secret in the city at the time because NOBODY was coming out to Coney Island from Manhattan. Mermaid Parade and Polar Bears? What’s that? Furniture, vinyl (well, there were no CDs back then and definitely no iPods), tschotkes and best of all…clothing. I bought 1940’s wool suits for $2 and 60’s mod dresses for a buck. If you ask me, those markets were the biggest lose.

Guess Coney Island will metamorphose into something more suitable for the new cleaner, safer, characterless New York. She’s not going anywhere. But her spirit may wane.

Coney Island History Project

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