Hey, neighbor Question for Josh Blanthorn, co-owner of Out of the Box: What are some inexpensive ways to make a porch or patio more private?Answer: Start by thinking about screens and shades, says Blanthorn. They come in every material from fabric to teak, from bamboo to woven wood, and your choice will determine your cost. […]
What’s on your browser? This month’s surfer: Peter Loach at the Piedmont Housing AllianceWhat’s on his browser: hud.gov What it is: The official site of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Why he likes it: Although Loach admits it can be a fairly “cumbersome” site to negotiate, it has everything under the sun […]
Get on board as local eating picks up speed By the time you read this, Earth Day will be over and three new “green initiatives” will have been launched by our local Earth Day organization. One of these, “Growing Food and Community,” involves promoting the local food scene in Charlottesville—a vibrant cause, and getting more […]
Hand off “Where’s your best friends?” a chef instructor at cooking school used to chant; he referred to tongs (in the dominant hand) and a dry kitchen towel (in the other hand). The ideal set of tongs should be loose enough (in their action) so as not to cause hand cramping; the ‘teeth’ of the […]
Almost frostless The average last day of frost for Charlottesville generally occurs in mid-April, but out here in the hollow we sit in a frost pocket—a low spot where cold air settles—and can get nipped as late as the first week in May. Cool crops like lettuces, spinach, cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli thrive with spring […]
Craftsman is big these days among the builders and buyers of brand-new houses, and it’s not hard to see why: The first generation of these liveable, finely made houses stand out in older neighborhoods for their solid forms and friendly details. Consider this specimen, which we spotted in the JPA neighborhood, exhibit A. And get […]
A fool for April Everyone’s a sucker for spring in Virginia. What’s not to like? Pale confetti flowers shower from cherries and crabapples onto candy-colored drifts of azaleas, daffodils and tulips all surrounded by that jazzed-up green that nature saves just for April. The lawn care industry uses such idyllic scenes to sell products that […]
I screen, you screen Summer is almost upon us with days full of sunshine, long languid evenings, barbecues…and bugs. No one likes a party crashed by insects, so now is the time to make sure your screens are in tip-top condition. Cat got your screen? You can probably repair it yourself The first place to […]
Mixed media Got a book you want to bid goodbye, and a CD you covet? Here’s one solution: swaptree.com. The idea on this site is to list what you want to trade, then list what you want, then put your feet up and let Swaptree do the rest. It works by matching your “haves” with […]