Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Quick Link: The Basics of Show Don’t Tell

Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web. I know, I know. We share a lot of “show don’t tell” posts. But in my defence, I think it is one of those subjects that seems easy until you try and do it and this is a really great post by Julie […]

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3 Curtain Rod Alternatives

From time to time, it’s good to change things up a bit. Instead of going with a traditional curtain rod, why not try one of the following alternatives for a more creative option?

Image Source: Flickr

Rod-Free Curtains
Curtains don’t have to be hung with rods. Instead of using a store-bought or homemade rod, hammer a line of nails across arched and straight windows. Evenly space the nails and paint them to match the walls or the curtains. Once the paint is dry, loop the curtains over the nails or hang them with ribbons or large hooks. Another unique option is to space old door or cabinet knobs about 12 inches apart along the top of the window; use wood screws or nails to secure them in place. Cut holes in the curtains or use tab top panels and loop them over the knobs. If you’re using brass or metal knobs, paint them to ensure that the curtains won’t be stained should the knobs tarnish. Source: EHow

Coat Hangers
You can use coat hangers as another alternative for curtain rods. Put the coat hooks on the window frames. You can simply attach the curtain to the rods. Or, if you want something really eye-catching, you can use a ribbon to tie the openings of the curtain to the rod. This will add a whimsy appeal to your curtains. This style goes best in the living room or children’s room. You can even paint the coat hangers to make it stand out or blend with the colors of the walls. Source: DoItYourself

Branching Out
Sometimes the perfect object for a lightweight drapery rod may be sitting right outside your window. Branches can make for excellent, sculptural drapery rods with a few simple do-it-yourself updates. Search for a branch with the proper length and width to fit above a window and handle the weight of the chosen drapery panel. Next, cut it to size and spray-paint it in a color which contrasts well against the wall. Lastly, secure standoffs, ready-made drapery rod brackets or L-brackets directly to the wall using plastic drywall anchors, then attach the branch with screws or bailing wire. Source: HGTV

Tell us your creative plans! We’ll try our best to help you out. Contact us!

 

Contact:
Universal Blinds
601 – 1550 W. 10th Ave
Vancouver, V6J 1Z9
Canada
Phone: (604) 559-1988

The post 3 Curtain Rod Alternatives appeared first on Universal Blinds, Shades & Shutters.



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3 Tips for Buying Bathroom Faucets

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

Having a hard time looking for faucets that best match your bathroom style? Luckily, we have some tips for buying bathroom faucets, such as: knowing the different styles, choosing the quality and matching with the number of mounting holes.

Below are 3 tips for buying bathroom faucets:

Knowing the Different Styles
Widespread: Most commonly found on pedestal sinks, widespread faucets are made for sinks with three pre-drilled holes that are 8″ apart. When purchasing a widespread faucet you’ll receive three individual components: two handles and one spout.
Vessel/Single-hole: On single hole faucets, the handle is attached to the spout and is for use on a sink with 1 pre-drilled hole. If you are in the market for a vessel style faucet but have a sink with 3 pre-drilled holes, it’s sometimes an option to purchase an additional deck plate to cover the existing holes on the sink. Contact the faucets manufacturer to see if that is an option before buying.
Wall-mounted: Ready for it? Wall-mounted faucets are mounted to …the wall! Normally, your water supply lines come up from the sink, but in this case they’ll need to be installed into the wall. One thing to be aware of when purchasing these types of faucets is that the spout is actually long enough to reach from the wall over the sink basin.
4″ Centerset: These faucets are found on sinks with 3 holes set at 4″ apart. The components sit on a deck plate that connect the handles with the spout body, and can also be found with single handle components.
4″ Minispread: Similar to centerset, these faucets fit 4″ configurations on sinks with 3 pre-drilled holes. But instead of purchasing a faucet with a 4″ deck plate, a minispread faucet looks more like a widespread faucet with three individual components: two handles and one spout. Source: ApartmentTherapy

Choosing the Quality
You’ll have to pay for it up front, but buying quality now means you won’t be paying during the life (or lack thereof) of your faucet. Look for an all-brass body, as opposed to brass- or chrome-plated. And keep in mind that the tub faucet has a larger flow rate than other household faucets, which means you can’t use a kitchen faucet or your tub. Bathtub faucets should have a 3/4-inch supply line, as opposed to 1/2-inch for the rest of the house. Some tubs hold up to 60 gallons of water, so you’ll want a faucet that can get the job done in a timely manner. Source: HGTV

Matching with the Number of Mounting Holes
Most sinks come with mounting holes pre-drilled for faucets and accessories such as side sprays or soap dispensers. If you’re keeping your original sink, you’ll need to match what you have or get a base plate to cover any extra holes. The base plate sold with your new faucet can be used to cover holes in your countertop, but don’t buy a faucet that requires more sink holes than your sink has; it’s not a good idea to try to drill additional holes in an existing sink or countertop. Get additional information on how to best match sinks and faucets.  Source: ConsumerReports

 

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

The post 3 Tips for Buying Bathroom Faucets appeared first on Perfect Bath Canada.



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Parc East – by Trillium Development

Coming soon to Port Coquitlam is Park East by Trillium Developments. Park East will be centrally located on the corner of Atkins and Shaughnessy, a short walk to the Main Village with its all it shops and services, as well as the West Coast Express.

Park East will be consist of 57 condos consisting of one bedroom, one bedroom plus den, two bedroom, or two bedroom plus den, with size ranging from 446 square feet to 1077 square feet. Each suite at Parc East will be designed with quartz counters, stainless steel appliances, and large islands in the Kitchen, with laminate flooring throughout.

Amenities include a gym, furnished amenity room that includes a lounge area with kitchenette, and an outdoor entertaining space, as well as outdoor play area for the kids (little kids, not the big kids, thats what the lounge is for 🙂

Sales expected to start in the late winter of 2017 or early Spring with price to starting the mid 200’s. Register with us to be kept up to date with floor plans, and vip sales.

 

 

 

 

 

E. & O. E. This is not an offering for sale. An offering for sale may only be made after filing a Disclosure Statement under the Real Estate Development Marketing Act

The post Parc East – by Trillium Development appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.



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The Arden

 

The Arden is coming soon to Port Coquitlam  The Arden will be a boutique building with just 22 executive size suites with Quartz countertop, stainless steel appliances and laminate flooring.  The Arden will sure be a great spot for first timers or down-sizers.

Pricing is expected to be:

1 bedroom from high $200’s

1 bedroom + dens from Low $300’s

2 bedroom 1 bathrooms from Mid to high $300’s

2 bedroom 2 bathroom over $400,000

Completion anticipated to be Fall of 2017.  Previews start soon, register with us today to get access to this development and many others

 

 

 

E. & O. E. This is not an offering for sale. An offering for sale may only be made after filing a Disclosure Statement under the Real Estate Development Marketing Act

The post The Arden appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.



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The most successful signings in buyout season (lately)



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Douguya Stool

Just in case you’re in the market for a small stool, you should train your eyes towards the Douguya Stool. It’s a replica of a vintage design (of unknown origin) and shows honest construction paired with sturdy materials. The brass metal frame is finished with an urushi (Japanese lacquer) coat and topped with a seat of Nara wood. It sure looks like it could take a few punches and still look good as new, and who doesn’t want that?

Dimensions: W 24cm x D 24cm x H 41.5cm

Weight: 3.6kg
Material: Brass (Laquer Finish) / Nara Wood

Made in Japan

Douguya Stool

Douguya Stool



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Basketball is jazz: Stories and lessons from a basketball lifer

Excerpted from Basketball is Jazz: Stories and Lessons From a Basketball Lifer by David B. Thorpe, published by Winn-Chester Publishing.

book-thorpe-jazz

Me and Cal and Red

It was early December, 1995, and I found myself sitting in the old gym at George Washington University, watching the Florida Gators practice. At least I think I did. The events that came later literally have wiped out my memory of everything else that happened that day.

The Gators were in town for a four-team “Classic” event hosted by the University of Maryland. I had a few contacts involved with the event, starting with a few players at Florida, plus the entire coaching staff, along with a close friend whose company was a big sponsor at Cole Fieldhouse, where the games were played. I’m thinking I must have watched the Gators practice first, before some pretty amazing things took place, because otherwise, I don’t know how I would have gotten into the gym.

You see, I was also able to watch UMass practice. That’s the University of Massachusetts, coached then by John Calipari, and led by All-American Marcus Camby. Bad things happened to that team (NCAA troubles) a decade or so later, but to all of us who followed college sports, it was a magical team to watch.

camby-ncaa-calipari

Coach Cal was just getting started building his Hall of Fame resume and notoriety, and though we had never met, we had dozens of close mutual friends. He too was a long time Five-Star guy, and in fact, one week we were assigned to room together in a suite in the dorm room on the Robert Morris College campus that hosted the camps. I ended up getting a cheap hotel room, figuring he’d likely do the same as he was already a head coach at UMass.

There was electricity in the gym that day for two reasons.

One was that UMass was there, just a day or so after beating Kentucky. And that magic wasn’t just about the upset, it was the kind of upset no one forgets. UK was the top-ranked team in the nation, loaded with future lottery picks and NBA players, when UMass beat them. Ultimately, nine guys from that Kentucky team played in the NBA, and that UK team won the NCAA Championship in the spring of ’96 (beating UMass in the Final Four). Experts rate Kentucky’s team that season as one of the best in Division I history.

Here I was sitting in the bleachers of an old gym, maybe five or six rows off the court and behind one of the two main baskets, watching UMass hold their practice as they got ready for games against Florida and Maryland. I was amazed at the poise of the guys, the focus, knowing they had just pulled off the impossible.

They were ranked fifth in the country when they beat UK, so though college hoops experts were not shocked, it’s not as if it was one huge basketball power beating another. UMass had not been a strong program in decades. Ranked or not, the upset sent shockwaves through the college game.

camby-1995_2

I was actually blown away with the connection these guys had, and one incident in particular hit me the hardest, and it still impacts my coaching life today. It happened near the beginning of the practice, as the guys were split up into smaller groups and doing some individual work at the baskets around the court.

Coach Cal was watching the guys go through their reps, and after seven minutes or so he called them into the center circle to speak to them all quietly. As each arrived, they took a moment to high five each other, or just slap hands. It looked like something they always did, and it seemed like players and coaches all participated.

I loved it. It was like each guy was making a commitment to his teammates to have a good practice, as well as recognizing his role to be a good teammate. They didn’t do it with the passion two guys might after a monster dunk or something, more just a pre-practice ritual to help the guys grow as teammates. But I noticed that Camby was not with the team at first. An assistant had kept him at a basket going over something with him, and maybe two minutes later he was done. So Camby then headed to center court to hear his coach talk. Here’s the part that blew me away. Now remember that Marcus Camby was one of the nation’s top players that season. He ended up as the national player of the year, and he was a record-setting player all three of his seasons at UMass.

Just over six months after I saw him in this practice, he was drafted second overall in the NBA by the Toronto Raptors, where he earned first team All-Rookie honors. A year later he led the NBA in blocked shots. He played 19 seasons in the NBA and just under 1000 games there. We are talking about a very unique, deeply talented, successful basketball player.

On this December day though, he was just a young man who helped lead his upstart team from a small school to an enormous upset over the top ranked and most talented team in America.

Yet as he approached his team as they listened to their coach, I could see he was facing a problem. Each player was totally locked in to their coach, so if he tried to give each guy a little hand slap, it would have broken the focus they were giving their coach. I watched in awe though when Camby walked around the circle, lightly touching the head or a shoulder of every player on his team, managers too, all while never letting his eyes drift from Coach Cal’s. I mean I don’t think he blinked, and I am sure he didn’t miss any player either. I got chills as I watched it unfold, and that’s when the second jolt of electricity hit.

calipari-1995

You see, sitting alongside me was a famous coach who I just assumed was visiting the team. It turns out he lived nearby. I recognized him immediately and wanted to say something to him but he was a pro guy, not a college coach, and I didn’t have any NBA clients or anything then. I was 30 years old and a bit intimidated, plus, I always hated his franchise. I had been a Lakers fan since Jerry West starred there, so there was no way I could say something cool to Mr. Celtics himself without also showing my true colors. But as I saw what Camby did I couldn’t help but turn to Coach Red Auerbach and say “Wow, when Marcus Camby is that kind of teammate, your team can be special.” He smiled and shook his head.

We ended up chatting throughout, but I was mindful to not pester him. He had someone there with him as well and I didn’t want to intrude. We had some special exchanges that I keep to myself and always will. I know he was as impressed as I was with the UMass team. Their talent was solid outside of Camby, not special, but thanks in large part to both Coach Cal and Camby, they had that undeniable look of a team for the ages. UMass ended up spending most of that season as the #1 ranked team in America, and they had one of the four top seeds in the NCAA tournament. Their loss to UK in the Final Four was very memorable as well.

I’ll never forget what good luck I had that day, nor what the UMass kids did when they huddled together at the start of practice. Since that day I have done the same thing with any practice I am involved with, though we do it at the end. Everyone slaps five, players and coaches, and makes it a point to look each other in the eyes as we do it. We are saying “I see you” to each other, seeing being more than just the visual part. I have been a part of practices at every level of basketball, and no practice hit me in me my core like that one did.

One final takeaway – there is much to be learned by Camby’s actions that day. I don’t know how selfless he was as a pro, or what he was like in high school. But this star player was absolutely not going to disturb his coach during a pre-practice lecture, I observed, nor was he going to ignore what was clearly an important aspect of their practices. For coaches, players, and parents, it is a fair thing for you to be looking for in your life and your career. The people who have respect for the culture of the team/family are the ones who will build even more love and respect into that culture. And that is an extremely valuable thing.

You can buy Basketball is Jazz: Stories and Lessons From a Basketball Lifer by David B. Thorpe on Amazon.



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PIFF Hooks

The all-black set of PIFF Hooks is decidedly suitable for many a modern interior, with its shiny Bakelite and ash posts capable of holding coats and scarves and other miscellany. However, if you don’t mind a bit of color, you absolutely have to consider the color sets: full red, orange/pink/purple, and pink/yellow/blue. So fun.

PIFF Hooks pink yellow blue

Each box contains a SET of 3 PIFFs (1 SMALL single bead, 1 MEDIUM-double-bead and 1 LARGE-double-bead). Easy to mount to the wall. Each PIFF comes with a screw set and a wall-plug.

Designed for Tamawa (BE)
Made in Belgium
Year of design 2012

Materials: Ash and Bakelite

PIFF Hooks

Updated price and link; originally posted Jan 14, 2015.



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Trending stories: Kawhi Leonard, Khris Middleton, Chris Bosh and more

These are the articles the top NBA reporters have been sharing on Twitter the last 24 hours. Enjoy!

On Kobe’s old stage, Kawhi shines – via expressnews.com

February 26 10:57 PM
LOS ANGELES — Just like in the old days, they darken the crowd and crank up the high-priced incandescent lighting over the court for Lakers games at Staples Center. The goal is to make the arena feel like a theater, with every detail of the show in stunning clarity, and it works. In the building’s heyday, its biggest action star was known for a repertoire of quick, decisive, often otherworldly movements that would make the unseen thousands in the shadows gasp in astonishment. [.. …

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February 27 08:02 PM
FEB 27, 2017 – Taj Gibson still is living in a hotel room, barely four days removed from his trade to the Thunder from the Chicago Bulls. On Tuesday he’ll play just his third game in an Oklahoma City uniform. The present is packed, so the power forward hasn’t looked too far into the future. That doesn’t mean…

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February 27 12:04 PM
Bucks sharpshooter Khris Middleton was headed in the right direction before a hamstring injury changed the course of his career.

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February 27 06:02 PM
Bogut, who was traded by the Mavericks, officially reached a buyout on Monday.

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February 27 02:07 PM
Meet David Pick, international basketball’s top information merchant and someone who definitely works harder than you

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February 27 04:49 PM
Rachel Nichols reflects on Russell Westbrook’s fourth 40-point triple-double of the season. If anything, Russell Westbrook’s numbers prove he’s having his best season yet… without Kevin Durant.

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February 27 11:02 AM
Coach Gregg Popovich said Sunday the Spurs will continue to monitor the emerging buyout market for veteran players who might shake loose. “We all pay attention to it, I’ll say that,” Popovich said before the Spurs’ 119-98 win over the Lakers. According to multiple reports, however, Bogut is expected to sign with the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers once he clears waivers …

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February 28 01:35 AM
Chris Bosh said late Monday night on TNT that his health is “great.”

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February 28 12:42 AM
The Cavs are ending February on a high note. And things are looking up even more moving forward, with the roster adding reinforcements.

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February 27 09:01 PM
Point guard Deron Williams signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, giving the NBA champions another playmaker to help them defend their title.

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February 27 09:58 PM
The Warriors’ depth showed as Stephen Curry tied an all-time marksmanship low by missing all 11 shots from 3-point range in a win at Philadelphia.

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