Tacoma Home & Garden show starts today at the Tacoma Dome and runs through February 3, 2008. It features over 700 exhibits; including plant sales, garden and floral displays, model homes and so much more. If landscaping or home remodel is in your plans….this is the place to visit. There are so many new and great ideas! For ticket information or directions visit http://www.tacomadome.org/
Tacoma Boys looks like just a fruit stand seeing it from the freeway Hwy 16, but actually it is much more then that. Colorful ceramic flower pots and fresh flowers grace the entrance. Not only do they have the best fresh fruits and vegetable display but also high quality of pasta, cheese, breads, and assortment of wines and much more. There full service butcher and seafood section is one of the best. The prices are reasonable and the service is friendly, knowledgeable and you are always greeted with a smile. I was in there yesterday and discovered they are now making their own cream and butter fudge! Click RealEstateShows.com/245076 to see a video of Tacoma Boys.
Ask Alex the General Manager, he is always ready to answer your question!
My Amaryllis bloomed! I don’t really know much about this flower except I see them in the stores in December. They are sold with a pot, some dirt and a bulb and are a big hit during the holidays! I purchased one this year and planted it. It amazed me how fast it grew and then this big gorgeous bloom appears. It makes me feel like such a green thumb! This particular one is called a Red Lion Amaryllis. I wonder if it will come back next year!
Now that the holidays are behind us people are now ready for spring and wondering what home improvements they should do to add value to their home. A national study was done by the Remodeling Magazine surveying 65 markets. The cost recovery rate was more than 80%; however, in the Pacific Northwest the cost recovery was more than 100% on the following remodel projects:
Project Cost Recouped
Deck 120.4%
Windows 116.6%
Siding Replacement 117.5%
Kitchen Remodel 125.9%
(The kitchen remodel is minor including countertops; replace fronts of cabinet doors and drawers and hardware. Replace oven and cooktop with energy-efficient models. Replace laminate countertops; install sink and faucet and replace floor covering.)
I think when buyers are shopping for a home they look at these items as most costly and want to make sure that the outside of the house is in good shape. I was surprised not to see roofs included in over 100% cost recovery. If you are planning to do any of these outside projects it would be good to start planning before spring. Builders get more busy as summer approaches and it becomes difficult to retain a good one!
Yesterday, I went to The 5th Avenue Theater downtown Seattle. I saw the musical “Jersey Boys” a story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. It was fantastic….the music, dancing and story was exciting and well worth the money. The songs….Sherry, Fallen Angel, Bye Bye Baby, Sunday Kind of Love to name a few, took me back in time! The 5th Avenue Theater was built in 1926 featuring top entertainers and went through a $2.6 million renovation in the 1980’s. Today it brings approximately 150 live musical performances per year and attracts over 200,000 people from the Pacific Northwest. I always enjoy visiting The 5th Avenue Theater and it is only 30 miles from Tacoma.
I have written a couple of articles highlighting Dale Chihuly’s glass art. It crossed my mind the other day wondering if people reading my blog in other states would know who he is. I receive a call from a Beverly who works at the Franklin Conservatory in Columbus Ohio. Beverly was surfing the net and found my article and pictures of Chihuly and contact me. The Franklin Conservatory has a glass exhibit displaying numerous pieces from Chihuly’s glass art. Living in Tacoma all my life, I knew he was well known in the Pacific Northwest but I didn’t realize how far across the world his fame grew! I did some inquiring to find out more about Chihuly and how famous he really is. I want to share with you my discovery……
Dale Chihuly was born in Tacoma, Washington, in 1941. In 1967 he graduated from the University of Wisconsin and in 1969 established and taught at the Glass Department at the Rhode Island School of Design until 1983. He then returned to the Pacific NW where he created his own glass art and working with a team of glassblowers he was able to create large glass sculptures. His creation of abstracted glass flowers in vibrant colors were inspired from his mothers’ garden in Tacoma. Chihuly served as a director until 1989 at the Pilchuck School in Stanwood Washington which he helped co-found and today is a school visited by international artist. Driving through Tacoma you get a glimpse of Chihuly’s fabulous large scale glass art. He has also graced numerous other places in the world with his unique and colorful design of glass. He has created exhibits in Venice, Jerusalem, Chicago, Atlanta, Florida, Missouri, New York and Palm Dessert, California. If I only knew how famous he was going to be, I would have asked him for his autograph when I sat next to him on an airplane in the 1980’s. He stood out from the rest of the passengers with his black pants, lime green shirt, black shoes with bright colors of paint splattered over them and his patch over his left eye due to a car accident in the 70’s. Tacoma is proud to display the glass creations of Dale Chihuly and be a part of his inspiration!
Here is a picture of Chihuly’s glass artwork with Tacoma Union Satation behind it.
