Victorian Architecture

Victorian architecture the style that emerged from the period between 1830 and 1910, under the reign of Queen Victoria, has always been my favorite style of home. Victorian homes are really elaborate pieces of art and full of history from the era of a long period of peace. As you approach a Victorian home, you can clearly see the detailed art work and intricate design all around it. A fine and timeless craftsmanship. When you stand inside a Victorian home, you can almost feel its strong history, wealth and the serenity of the era. The style is about romance, grace, beauty and excess rather than practicality, so they don't fit the needs of the modern family of today. Victorian homes are wonderfully large and ornate with wrap around porches, lots of color, beauty and a elegant combination of style. However, the rooms and closets within them are usually small, which doesn't make them very practical by today's standards. Although they are no longer in fashion, you can still find many of these wonderful pieces of art around the country, usually in historic communities. Many owners of these fine pieces of architecture have updated them and still use them as their primary homes. Others have turned them into a comfy and cozy Bed and Breakfast, conversational Tea Rooms, Museums or elegant Restaurants. Since I am in real estate, I enjoy and appreciate many different styles of homes and architectural designs but my first love is Victorian Architecture.

White Chocolate Strawberry Parfaits

Now here is a "Light" dessert that tastes heavenly!

It's made of lucious layers of white chocolate mousse, juicy strawberries and yummy vanilla wafers. These decadent treats are only 198 calories and only 3 grams of fat.

To serve 4, you will need:

1/2 cup low-sugar strawberry preserves

1 1/4 cups of sliced fresh strawberries

1 pkg. (1 oz.) of sugar-free, fat free white chocolate instant pudding mix

1 1/4 cups (1%) low-fat milk

1 1/4 cups thawed frozen fat-free whipped topping from 8 oz. cont.

24 mini vanilla wafer cookies from 12 oz. pkg.

A few whole strawberries, optional

In microwave-safe bowl, microwave preserves on High in 15-second intervals until melted. Add sliced strawberries; toss to coat. In separate bowl, whisk pudding mix and milk until blended, 1 minute; let stand until thickened, 3-5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup topping. In each of 4 (8oz.) dessert glasses, layer 1/3 cup pudding mixture., 2 Tbs. sliced strawberry mixture, 6 cookies and 1/4 cup pudding mixture. Top with remaining sliced strawberry mixture. Cover; refrigerate 4 hours. Just before serving, top with remaining topping. If desired, garnish with whole strawberries. Delicious!

Porsche 918 Spyder Concept

Who would have ever thought that Porsche would embrace the green concept? As a long time huge fan of the Porsche, I was excited to see this new 2011 Porsche 918 Spyder Concept was green and still a supercar! Porsche says that, when driven accordingly, the plug-in hybrid 918 Spyder Concept gets an outstanding 78 mpg, with an emissions level of just 70 grams of C02 per kilometer. Great mileage, fast and beautiful! I don't think it has gone into production yet, so a price hasn't been firmly established. You can bet it won't be cheap though. Check out these links on this awesome fast supercar!

http://autos.yahoo.com/auto-shows/geneva_auto_show_2010/1320/Porsche-918-Spyder-Concept

http://www.automobilemag.com/green/news/1003_2011_porsche_918_spyder_hybrid_concept/index.html

More Ideas For Your Home

We can all use some helpful hints to make our lives easier around the house and I wanted to share a few that I have tried.

Unstick a Rusty Screw
A screw and a nut that have rusted into place can be difficult to remove but here is way that might make it a bit easier. Soak a soft cloth with cola and wrap it around the rusty pair. Leave it on for a couple of hours. It is the phosohoric acid in the cola that will wear away the rust allowing them to come apart easily.

Fast Way to Find Something Small
So you have dropped your contact lens or small earring on the carpet and can't find it. Now here is an easy solution to finding those tiny missing items. Cover the end of a vacuum hose attachment with a cut-off piece of pantyhose and secure it with a few rubber bands. Then hold the hose about an inch above the carpet and run it over the area. The suction will pull up the missing item, but won't let it go into the tube. It will be right there on the pantyhose for you to retrieve.

Good Way to Clean a Lampshade
Instead of using a cloth that can leave streaks behind, try using a lint roller. Just lightly run the lint roller up and down the outside of the shade. The sticky surface will pick up all the dirt and prevent it from floating to other surfaces.

Keep a Shower Curtain Clean
One of the best ways to keep a shower curtain clean is to rub it with the juice of one lemon. Lemon's natual disinfectant stops mildew growth and eliminates odors too!

Lift Floor Gunk Naturally
Just add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to a bucket of water and use your favorite mop on the floor. The vinegar will cut through grease buildup and gunk to restore your tiles' sparkle. (If you have marble tile do not use this vinegar solution)