BUY IT: As the season of darkness continues its forward creep, we continue to be enchanted by all the brilliant excuses for creative lighting. And we found one here in something called Light Affection (lamps and night lights).
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You send in a favorite photograph (black-and-white or color) and the folks here turn it into a carved translucent “tile.” Illuminated from behind, that carved tile, which is made from a plaster composite, turns magical.
The process is easy: You send in your photo (e-mail or hard copy) and decide on the light affection of your desire: There is a personalized carved night light for $39.95. And there are several sizes of standing lamps (they look like framed photos that stand on your dresser, illuminated). Prices run from $79 for a standing light that measures 4 by 4 inches to $239 for one that measures 8 by 10 inches. You get bulbs and cords/plugs with all products.
For more information and to order, visit www.lightaffection.com.
— Karen Klages
READ IT: What first grabbed our attention about “Amy Butler’s Midwest Modern” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 225 pages, $35) was the inclusion of the word “Midwest” in the title. What is Midwest modern, exactly? It took us a while to figure it out, but we had a lot of fun in the process. Butler, a designer and longtime contributing editor to Country Living magazine, uses the term in reference to practical, resourceful, highly personal style — a style she describes as “artistic but not showy.” The book uses Butler’s eclectic Ohio home as an example of Midwest modern and, also in Midwest fashion, is generous in sharing all of her tips and projects with readers.
— Shaila Wunderlich
BUY IT: No more fishing speaker wire through walls. Southwire Co. has developed FlatWire, a wafer-thin copper conductor that can be attached to any flat surface and concealed with paint or wallpaper.
FlatWire can be used for home entertainment systems, voice and data lines and even low-voltage lighting. It’s attached to the wall with a spray adhesive and can be covered with a thin layer of joint compound to make it virtually invisible. Special connectors work with existing wiring and make installation possible for do-it-yourselfers.
The product can be ordered at http://flatwiretv.com. Prices vary according to the type and gauge; 25 feet of flat speaker wire, for example, costs $37.25 to $62.25.
— Mary Beth Breckenridge, McClatchy-Tribune newspapers
ATTEND IT: Interior Visions Designs, an interior design firm based in Park Ridge, is hosting a color event from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday [Oct. 17]. Hilary Sopata, principal of the firm, and her team of designers will discuss color therapy as it relates to coloring one’s home and give attendees a free personalized color reading. The “Color My World” evening is free, but spots are limited and reservations are required. Call 847-825-0450 or e-mail [email protected].
520 Devon Ave., Park Ridge
— K.K.
DO IT: Help scientists keep track of bees by reporting when you see them. Bees do essential work by pollinating flowers, but they are threatened by mites, viruses, the mysterious colony collapse disorder, the decline of home beekeeping, loss of habitat and the use of pesticides. But in figuring out what’s wrong with bees and how to help them, scientists have a problem: They don’t know as much as they’d like about how many bees there are, where and what kinds. Now the University of Illinois is enlisting volunteers to report bee sightings through a new BeeSpotter Web site (beespotter.mste .uiuc.edu). The scientists are especially interested in wild bees, such as bumblebees; there is a key to bee species on the site. Sounds like a great project for a grade-school classroom or home-schoolers.
— Beth Botts
GREEN IT: Those interested in recycling spent printer cartridges now have another option other than getting a $3 store coupon (at OfficeMax, Office Depot, Staples). Both Walgreens and OfficeMax offer in-store refilling stations. Bring in your empty cartridge and a store clerk will refill it on the spot (or in matter of 10 minutes or so) and at a price that beats buying a new one.
Walgreens rolled out its refill program last year in 1,500 stores across the country and added another 1,500 stores this summer. It charges $10 for black cartridge refills, $15 for color. Epson and Canon cartridges are excluded. Check the Web site ( www.walgreens.com ) for the list of refillable cartridges and for the list of participating stores (3,000 is about half the number of stores in the Walgreens chain).
OfficeMax launched its refill program in 2006 as well. Currently, 50 stores in the Chicago area have the capability with more being added monthly. Prices are $12.49 to $26.99 depending on the make of the cartridge and whether it’s color or black ink. Customers are advised to call their local OfficeMax store to inquire about participation; visit www.officemax.com for store locations or call 800-283-7674.
Cartridges can be refilled several times, provided they’re in good condition. Refilling them relatively soon after running dry helps ensure that.
— K.K.
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