Painted Ladies contest expanded to non-Victorian home styles
The annual "Painted Ladies" contest is under way, with a few changes this year.
Sponsored by the Chicago Paint and Coatings Association, based in Schaumburg, the contest is now called Chicago's Finest Painted Ladies and Her Court Competition, and has expanded to include not only the more traditional Victorian style, pictured, but also other styles including Tudors, Georgians and Colonials, as well as gazebos, entry doors and other projects as separate categories.
Homes must be painted between Labor Day 2008 and Labor Day 2009 to compete. Entries are judged on how the paint and colors chosen were used to enhance the appearance of the property, as well as how well the colors fit the neighborhood.
The contest divides the Chicago area into five geographic sectors and professional and nonprofessional categories. To enter, submit before and after photographs. For other contest details and an entry form, visit chicagopaint.org or call (847) 240-0102.
New technique used for aged bronze look
Who would have guessed? Turns out the secret to creating an aged look in faucets is the newest trick in the book.
The designers who pull out the gradual color shading and elegant brush strokes from under black nickel-covered faucets are creating works of art, according to the manufacturer, Price Pfister.
The new process they use, called gradient relieving, is almost like sculpting, and results in beautifully warm tones in what they call Velvet Aged Bronze. The fixtures then get a tinted low-gloss clear coat for a high-end finish.
The finish is debuting on the Treviso WaterSense line of faucets and accessories and is available only at Lowe's. The 4-inch center-set faucet here is priced at $128.
Visit www.pricepfister.com/vab or lowes.com.
Need a pencil with that smiling face?
Walk through the office and you can spot the dads easily because they display pictures of their kids somewhere - tacked to a cubicle wall, framed on the corner of the desk or taped to their computer monitor.
This Father's Day, the dad in your life can display those keepsakes and have an orderly desk.
Kodak's desk organizer gives dads (and, who are we kidding, moms too) a place to store their pens, pencils and highlighters and still have the pride of their lives smiling back at them every day.
The organizer is made from hardwood, has three compartments and sells for $29. Other photo gift ideas Kodak suggests include a frosted beer stein ($19), photo tie ($29) and a photo card ($2.49) to complete the gift.
It's all available online at KodakGallery.com. Get 25 percent off by entering "DADDYO" at checkout.