Browsing Tag

shopping

The Great Compact Car Search of 2014

The Great Compact Car Search of 2014: Scion IQ

09/04/2014

The Great Compact Car Search of 2014: Scion IQ | This American House

We’re in the market for a new car and we’re taking you along with us! It’s time to retire our 2005 Honda Element after 170,000 dependable miles. We’re going to keep the Element for hauling but it’s time to take it out of daily use. Since we’ll still have the Element for cargo, we want to replace it with a compact car. Follow along as we go on the great compact car search of 2014. First up…

2014 Scion IQ

We’re the kind of guys who were thrilled when the Smart Car arrived in the US. Those cute little two-seaters had us swooning on a trip to Europe back in 2001 and we contemplated getting one when they landed stateside. The Smart Car’s terrible service record and bad handling were enough to keep us from pulling the trigger. (Although it didn’t stop us from buying a Mini Cooper, a car that came with its own set of problems.)

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American made, bedroom, setting up home

10 Sources for American Made Bedding

09/03/2014

7 Sources for Bedding Made in the USA | This American HouseIf you get the suggested eight hours of sleep per night, you’re spending one third of your day in bed. If there’s any place to try to buy American, surely the bedroom is one of the most important rooms in the house. And yet finding sheets and duvets that are made in the USA can be a difficult task. I know this firsthand because I’ve been trying to buy only American-made goods for This American House.

In searching for new bedding for the house, I learned that there are a number of companies that are still producing goods stateside. Here are ten companies to help outfit a bedroom with everything from sheets and duvets to mattresses and pillows, all made in America.

  • The Company Store has been producing sheets, duvets, pillows and other bedding basics in their LaCrosse, Wisconsin factory since 1911.
  • AJ Moss has a Made in the USA section on their online shop. They offer everything from luxury sheet sets to modern duvets to old fashioned Martha Washington bedspreads.
  • Kelly Green Organic offers organic hemp and cotton sheets, pillows, mattress covers and even kids bedding and diapers, all produced in Ashland, Oregon.
  • Brahms Mount blankets and throws are made in Maine using premium cotton, linen and wool that’s woven on antique shuttle looms.
  • Celia Rachel has blankets, comforters and sheet sets – including jersey knits sheets – that are made in the company’s Mohican Mills plant in North Carolina.
  • Holy Lamb Organics creates organic cotton and wool bedding – and even some US-grown sheets! – in their factory near Olympia, Washington. They also make mattresses, pillow toppers and pillows for a completely domestic sleeping experience.
  • American Made Dorm, as their name would suggest, specializes in US produced duvets, comforters and other bedding and soft goods. Headquartered in Kentucky, the company works with suppliers and mills in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
  • Rough Linen produces natural linen bedding that is individually hand finished. The company was a Martha Stewart American Made nominee and has been featured on Apartment Therapy, Remodlista and a host of other trendy home and design blogs.
  • Cuddledown’s comforters, pillows and feather beds are all made in the USA. Their sheets, however, are imported.
  • Linoto has been making linen sheets, duvets and other home goods in their New York City workshop since 2007.

Image: This American House

bathroom, renovation, setting up home

Which Throne Will We Own? Shopping for a New Toilet

07/29/2014

Which Throne Will We Own? Shopping for a New Toilet | This American House

Starting with baby steps on the bathroom project is starting to pay off. I’ve gotten most of the woodwork stripped and once it’s sanded and I’ve applied a finish it will be time to move on to the big stuff.

We know that we’ll need to replace the toilet and sink and vanity in the bathroom. While I thought that shopping for a new toilet would be an easy task, I’m finding the choices daunting. We know that we want a toilet with a skirted design that hides that trapway. Not only does this skirt makes the toilet easier to clean, but we also prefer the streamlined look of it. Other than that, I’m finding there to be a lot of options out there. After spending a few days researching, I’ve narrowed it down a bit. These are the seven toilets that are the current leading contenders:

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history, small town life

Small Business Spotlight: Turkey River Mall in Elkader, Iowa

07/07/2014

Turkey River Mall in Elkader, Iowa | This American House

We found Turkey River Mall pretty quickly after we moved into our house. I don’t remember how we found it – whether it was recommended by a local or whether we just stumped upon it – but it’s where we picked up our $10 bedside table, our $29 dining room table, and many, many more things to furnish the house. Each time we’ve gone into the mall, I’ve marveled at the ingenious use of this former hotel. After months of shopping at Turkey River Mall, I finally sat down with the owner, Becky Dietzler, to get a little history on the building and the business.

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secondhand stories

Secondhand Stories: I Found All the Answers at Goodwill

02/25/2014

022514-answer-jar01

There’s a big new Goodwill store that’s about halfway between the city apartment and the Dream House. No matter which direction I’m going, whether to or fro, I make a point of stopping at this particular Goodwill. It’s a big store, nice and clean in its newness, and I usually find at least one interesting thing. On yesterday’s visit that interesting thing was this answer canister.

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