SCORE! The MINI Bar Progress continues...

 LOOK WHAT I FOUND:
I am very excited to show you what I found for $3.99.  This is my cool art nouveau Ice Bucket for the MINI Bar.  It is beautiful in amber, but I am still toying with whether to paint it with mercury glass paint or not.... I think I may just leave it as is.  I also found this awesome towel holder, but I don't have it yet, so I won't reveal it.  This past winter I have searched and searched for all the missing parts that I need to complete this transformation and those two are all I have come up with.  So far, the casting of the handles I want is not perfect, so i will continue to try to master that skill, and to look for ones that already exist.  There also is no such thing as hinges with a 90 degree stay for downward opening shelves, so my shelves will not be suitable for holding drinks, as they have a slight downward tilt.  It is ever so slight, but enough for a top heavy glass of wine to go tumbling, so I cannot use the shelves for that purpose, but still working on that design. Also, it is decided that the glass rack that hangs from the top cannot be lucite or clear, due to limits on sizes, it must be wood, so since that will cover the sky ceiling, I am going to just go with the wood, but paint it to match the sky ceiling.
This is one of those projects that I very well may be still playing with when I am old, but the truth is that I am having fun even at this pace.
Until we meet again...

SWITCH: THE NEW LED LIGHT BULBS

Do you want to be energy conscious, but you can't deal with the bluish LED lights, and you have bought into the idea that Eco friendly bulbs lasts for years, but bought them only to have them blowout on you.  Want to iron your shirt, but you have to wait longer for the light to come on than the iron to warm up?   YEP, me too!

The solution:
Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15ScE5sLofw

Introducing an LED light that can be used in dry or damp environments in nearly any fixture including recessed and enclosed applications to provide full warm, soft light wherever needed.  It works with most dimmers, bringing control to light and energy use in each space.

It produces beautiful glowing light, but even the bulb itself is a work of art!  It comes in 8, 12, and 18.5 watts, and 21 which are comparable to 40, 60, 75, and 100 watt incandescent.  You can choose between clear or frosted bulbs, and between 2700k and 4000k.  The difference is the 2700k make everything look great with a warm natural light, and the 4000k version brings white light to more functional spaces, but neither has that bluish cast that most LED's are known for.
The bulbs cost anywhere from $25-$50 a piece, but over the life of the bulb, which is on average 22 years, you will save about $150.00.  

This bulb is like something from the Jetsons, it is super cool, and I mean that literally.  You see, this little engineering feat of genius is ... Just that.... GENIUS.

It has a metal base that is shaped like an ice cream cone which drives heat up through the base and up to the top, then it comes back down through the bulb through liquid food-grade silicone, which then cools the bulb, so it doesn't burn out and thus saves energy.  This same liquid silicone is used in food products, cosmetics, and for cooling large machinery and power plant equipment.  It is electrically non conductive, non-toxic, and non-staining. If the bulb should break, it won't hurt you or your kids, or your pets, and it won't hurt the earth either.

If you ask HOW DID THEY DO THAT?
The answer is..... 86,000 hrs of research and development, 1600 FAILED experiments, dozens of consultants, 11 engineers working for over 3 years, 1100 cases of soda, 400 pizzas, 30,000 LED chips, and 26,000 cups of coffee (approximately:)

If you can't stomach replacing all of your bulbs at once, start with ONE, and MAKE THE SWITCH!

As always, if you need to know where to buy ask me and I will find out who sells them in your area.

Until we meet again...