An August deal from my pals at Alessi

Alessi's running an August promotion specifically for their network of affiliates. I'm happy to be a part of said network, very happy indeed.

Free delivery on all orders until August the 31th

So between now and the end of the month you too can have a Pisellino Q-Tip holder just like me and you can get it with free shipping. Hurray!

Renovate now

The other day, I came across some interesting return on investment numbers from the National Association of Realtors. Based on what I've been seeing, I think these nationally averaged numbers are pretty accurate for my market. The average returns are just that, averages and they take into account everything from Home Depot specials to projects that are well-thought out and executed. But if the average return on a major kitchen remodel is 81%, maximizing that return would be easy to do. How? You may ask? Why, by hiring me of course.

Check this out:

Source: Remodeling Online/Hanley-Wood.

Resale value

The psychology of newness and more spacious quarters translates into top resale value when several conditions work in conjunction:

Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is the impression your home's exterior conveys. It should create an emotional desire to own the home and to live the lifestyle and status it represents, which hopefully continues inside. Curb appeal is what gets the prospective buyer inside to see your new master suite and remodeled kitchen and bath.

Remodeling to Existing Standards

If most of the homes in your neighborhood don't have a second story and you add one, the neighborhood could drag down the value of your home. If however, you rip out the old kitchen and put in a new one, your home will sell faster and at a better price than comparable homes with the original kitchen.

Quality Work

Ask family, friends, co-workers and others you trust for referrals to licensed contractors specializing in the work you need completed. In states that don't license contractors, seek those with strong association ties and proof of insurance.

Finding a Contractor

Interview several contractors and don't favor the one with the lowest estimate. [italics mine] "Frequently they don't have enough money to do the job and will leave you hanging," says Salem, Oregon-based Myron E. Ferguson, author of "Build It Right" (Home User Press, $18.95). "Get everything in writing and don't commit to a verbal contract," he added.

Willis says the best contractors have lots of solid work they are willing to show you and homeowners who have had quality remodeling jobs often have no qualms sharing success. "For really fine finish work, you just about have to go see something else that this person has done. Fine craftsmen always have some clients willing to show off their kitchens. If they don't they are just putting up smoke and mirrors," Willis said.

If you're thinking about undertaking a renovation project of your own, now's an opportune time. Look around and just think, there's enough time left to get your kitchen renovated by Christmas.

No doubts about Doubt

I went to see John Patrick Shanley's Doubt at the American Stage in St. Pete last night. Doubt took Broadway by storm and won the 2005 Tony for Best Play, the Pulitzer for Drama and the Drama Desk Award. I was in New York in 2005 and I couldn't get a ticket to see it. It was frustrating, but what can you do? I knew it would trickle down to the regional theaters eventually. I'm a big booster of our professional theater in St. Pete and I knew that they'd not only do the show, but that they'd do a great job with it. Starting in 2009, Doubt started working its way into regional Equity theaters and my beloved American Stage included it as the last play in its 2008-09 season.

Wow. What a masterpiece. John Patrick Shanley deserves every ounce of praise that's been heaped onto his work. If you live anywhere near an Equity playhouse and they're mounting a production of Doubt, drop what you're doing and go see it.

Well, in a great example of coincidence, the New York Times ran a profile of John Patrick Shanley yesterday and talked to him about his quirky and colorful Manhattan apartment. Gramercy Park never looked so good. I love this man's work and I love his eye. What do you make of some of these rooms?

Mad Men's coming!

Here's the Dyna Moe version of me reporting for work at Sterling Cooper.

Mad Men returns for its third season on August 16th and on AMC's website, there's an interactive tool that will allow you to Mad Men-ize yourself. Give it a whirl.

I can't remember a TV show that's mesmerized me as much as Mad Men has. If you've never seen it, you have a couple of weeks to catch up on the first two seasons. It's funny, everyone I've introduced the series two has the same reaction. After seeing the first episode, everyone says "Gee, nothing happens. What's the point?" "Keep watching," I tell them. After the second episode they're hooked. The action on Mad Men reveals itself in real time, nothing happens in the typical hour-long time frame of a TV drama. Stories arc over weeks and months and years and they pull me right along. Never has a group of unhappy narcissists (who look incredible by the way) strung me along like this. The sets are perfect and the action's set against the current events of the mid-1960s. The characters are so deliciously self-absorbed that few notice that the world as they know it is about to come crumbling down.

I think though, what I appreciate most about Mad Men is the creators' steadfast refusal to inject any 21st century sensibilities into this period piece. The sexism and racism are blatant and disturbing. The lone gay character is trapped and miserable; he knows that his secret would ruin his career and life if it ever got out. Pregnant women smoke, everybody smokes for that matter. They smoke and they start drinking cocktails before lunch (at work). Their kids play with dry cleaning bags and sneak drinks. Mad men doesn't have a sentimental bone in its body, and in an alarming blast of real-ness, time unfolds without regard to who gets squashed.

It's funny, by themselves none of these characters have any redeeming qualities. I take great care in keeping people like Don and Peter and Roger and the rest of them out of my life. Yet week after week I find myself sympathizing with who ever's the least reprehensible. It's great fun, really.

So go Mad Men-ize yourself and get ready for the return of the gang from Sterling Cooper.

Bloggery housekeeping

Two things. First, I wrote a guest post for the ever delightful Jamie Goldberg yesterday. In case you missed it, here it is. Jamie's blog, Gold Notes is celebrating its one-year anniversary and to mark the occasion, Jamie asked a couple of her favorite bloggers to write a column. It's an honor to be included with such august company, let me tell you. Adrienne and Susan Palmer, Kelly James, Amir Ilin, Joni Webb and little old me. Jamie knows some cool and influential people I'll say that much. I'm still getting used to the idea of being included with this crew of taste makers. Thanks for the opportunity Jamie!

Secondly, I am still looking for some more brave volunteers to write posts here while I'm away on vacation. I have nine days up for grabs and four people have volunteered to write a post. Ideally, I'd like to fill the time that I'm gone and I'd like to see a couple more voices added to the mix. I'm considering August 8th through August 16th to be an open mike night of a sort. You can write about anything you want to, your topic needn't be kitchen, bath or design-related. Got a good story to tell? Tell it here with my blessing.

The only real rules are that you tell an interesting or useful story, don't be inflammatory and respond to any comments your post generates. What could be easier? I don't want to know what you plan to write about in advance. I'm granting author status to any takers and that means you'll write and post your story directly into this blog without my editing it.

This blog is a big part of who I am and I take it pretty seriously. With that said though, letting go of my blog for a couple of days is a good exercise for me. So whattya say? If you're a new blogger and you'd like to drive some traffic your way this is a prime opportunity. If you're not a blogger but have always wanted to give it a whirl, now's your chance. If you just need to get something off your chest in public, go for it. If you're interested in sharing the spotlight, just drop me a line.

** Added later: If you're interested but at a loss for a topic, I have a ton of story ideas in varying stages of development and they range from interviews that need to be conducted, artists and people to profile and new products to consider and review. I will pass along any of that stuff gladly if you want to take a stab at being part of the New Media.