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Thirty-something Gretchen Hanover is stuck. Seeking solace ... Read more

Thirty-something Gretchen Hanover is stuck. Seeking solace from a broken heart, she traded her wedding plans for home improvement shows and ice cream—but she knows she can’t live on Ben and Jerry’s forever. She also knows that her enthusiastic Lab puppy has outgrown her tiny apartment.The perfect patch for Gretchen’s dilapidated plans? She’ll become a first-time house-flipper. As ideas go, it’s daring and genius. She’ll take out a short-term loan, buy a fixer-upper, renovate it, resell it, and use the profit for an adorable house of her own. What could be easier?But Gretchen’s plans to flip quickly flop when the house turns out to be in worse shape than she expected. She is relying on her retired contractor-father, but he wants to draw in his carpenter friend Noah Campbell. And although Noah is handy with tools, Gretchen isn’t so sure about the baggage he brings with him. Will she be able to loosen her grip on the tools when it seems Noah may be her only help?A whimsical look at color swatches, mismatched curtain rods, and the building of relationships, A Mile in My Flip-Flops reminds us that it takes faith to renovate the heart, as well as the home. Minimize

Thirty-something Gretchen Hanover is stuck. Seeking solace ... Read more

Thirty-something Gretchen Hanover is stuck. Seeking solace from a broken heart, she traded her wedding plans for home improvement shows and ice cream—but she knows she can’t live on Ben and Jerry’s forever. She also knows that her enthusiastic Lab puppy has outgrown her tiny apartment.The perfect patch for Gretchen’s dilapidated plans? She’ll become a first-time house-flipper. As ideas go, it’s daring and genius. She’ll take out a short-term loan, buy a fixer-upper, renovate it, resell it, and use the profit for an adorable house of her own. What could be easier?But Gretchen’s plans to flip quickly flop when the house turns out to be in worse shape than she expected. She is relying on her retired contractor-father, but he wants to draw in his carpenter friend Noah Campbell. And although Noah is handy with tools, Gretchen isn’t so sure about the baggage he brings with him. Will she be able to loosen her grip on the tools when it seems Noah may be her only help?A whimsical look at color swatches, mismatched curtain rods, and the building of relationships, A Mile in My Flip-Flops reminds us that it takes faith to renovate the heart, as well as the home. Minimize

Every new house begins with a dream—and a home plan. But it ... Read more

Every new house begins with a dream—and a home plan. But it can be terrifying to commit a lifetime of savings to a two-dimensional drawing that's difficult to interpret and visualize. Will the space meet your needs? Is the plan well-designed? Will it really turn out to be your dream house, or is it a potential nightmare? In Home Plan Doctor, Larry Garnett makes basic design principles accessible, explaining in clear language how to navigate every stage of the planning process, from selecting a plan to evaluating the suitability of the design, room by room, and requesting needed modifications. Using sample floor plans and illustrations from readily available plans, this book is a practical guide for everything from placing the kitchen island to evaluating the effect of the roof pitch on the proportions of the house. And Garnett doesn't overlook the basics; he includes sections on what to look for in a building site, how to read a basic floor plan, and what to expect when you order the "blueprints," or construction documents.Whether you're purchasing a stock plan or working with an architect, and whether you're buying a design for am entire house or an addition, you'll find this handbook to be an indispensable guide. Minimize

In Home Cooking With Japan's First Lady, Miyuki Hatoyama of ... Read more

In Home Cooking With Japan's First Lady, Miyuki Hatoyama offers 40 original recipes for healthy, delicious food that's as easy as it is fun to prepare. Ranging from quick meals that can be put together in a few minutes, family favorites and party foods made simple, to comfort dishes with a splash of modernity, all the recipes have been created by Hatoyama and are the culmination of years of experience. An exciting and innovative blend of Japanese and Asian cuisine with Western touches, using ingredients readily available in the U.S., every dish reflects Hatoyama's inimitable flair. In addition to the recipes, the book features a foreword by Yukio Hatoyama, the Prime Minster of Japan; attractive full-color photos of each dish and its preparation; and essays about her own philosophy of cooking and hospitality. Minimize

Who's home for dinner? What shall we cook? What do we need ... Read more

Who's home for dinner? What shall we cook? What do we need to buy? And don't forget the washing-up! Helping with real tasks is a natural progression from pretend play, and is a crucial stage in a child's development. Achieving a shared goal encourages a sense of responsibility, and develops many skills useful in later life. Simple conversational text and lively illustrations are carefully designed to encourage further dialogue between reader and child. Minimize

In an effort to beat the high cost of living, Anthropology ... Read more

In an effort to beat the high cost of living, Anthropology Professor Thomas McGrath sets out to achieve energy independence by home-brewing biodiesel, a renewable fuel made from discarded cooking oil. Aided by his conspiracy-theorist, non-conformist friend, Jack Hancock, Thomas builds a biodiesel processor out of recycled appliances and produces an initial batch of high quality fuel. As Thomas sets out to find a steady supplier of used cooking oil, he is dismayed to learn that his neighbor, the avaricious businessman Vincent Tremayne, has all but cornered the waste oil market in a greedy bid to monopolize the "eco-friendly" biodiesel industry. A comedy of errors ensues as Vincent Tremayne and Thomas McGrath become locked in a desperate contest for control of the scarce raw material needed to make biodiesel. BIODIESEL is a comedic satire of environmentalism and the energy crisis, of corporate greed and government corruption. In a manner redolent of John Kennedy Toole's CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES, Joseph Heller's CATCH-22, and E. Annie Proulx's THE SHIPPING NEWS, BIODIESEL tells the story of an odd-ball cast of disparate characters--of philosophers and trophy wives--of financiers and fashion designers--of commercial fishermen, gourmet chefs and eco-terrorists--each drawn together by circumstance, on a collision course with destiny. Minimize

The poems in Hello, House describe in small, significant de ... Read more

The poems in Hello, House describe in small, significant detail what goes into daily chores, like making beds, doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, straightening. Phyllis Hoge lavishes attention on favorite things around the house and home, and in the process she examines her self, and learns that living in a house involves compromise: with pets, with clutter, with imperfection, and with loss. Many of these poems are written in formal verse, with rhyme and meter, but the poet works well in free verse as well. All the poems are strong, honest, and friendly. Each poem is Illustrated by Maxine Hong Kingston's black and white line drawings. Minimize

Updated with new illustrations showing new-issue currency, ... Read more

Updated with new illustrations showing new-issue currency, new information, and several new features, this popular title for older boys and girls tells the story of money.How and where is it printed?What do all those long numbers and special letters on currency mean?How are the newly designed bills improvements over the old ones?How can banks afford to pay interest?Here too are questions and answers that have special meaning for kids. For example, how can boys and girls find savings programs designed especially for them? How can they establish their own bank account, write checks, and use an ATM card? How can kids learn about stocks—and even start to invest their own money? The author offers ideas on how kids can earn, save, budget, and invest money of their own. She also presents puzzles and games that focus on the theme of money. The book’s fascinating text is supplemented with two-color diagrams and illustrations on nearly every page. (Ages 8 and older) Minimize