Film festival aims to promote green living in Portsmouth
Portsmouth Green Film Festival is being held for the second year in a row and is taking place on May 24 and May 25 at the Omega Centre and Victoria Park. The two-day festival is organised by the Portsmouth Film Society. Together with a number of local …
Read more on Portsmouth News

Travelers who visit the Windy City for its great number of festivals should be prepared to have their socks blown off with the latest deal from the Chicago Marriott Suites OHare.

The Rosemont hotel is offering rates from $ 99 per night with a Friday or Saturday stay and seven days advance bookings. That means its not too late to enjoy deluxe accommodations in a convenient location for Chicago events including:

** 30th annual Chicago Blues Festival: The free event in Millennium and Grant parks includes performances by Otis Clay, Uvee Hayes, The Bar-Kays, Eddie Floyd, Sir Mack Rice, James Cotton, Billy Branch and Eddy The Chief Clearwater. (June 6-9, 2013)

** Chicago Gospel Music Festival: Hear Kevin Gray, Vickie Winans, Chicago Mass Choir, Kierra Sheard, Ricky Dillard and Donald Lawrence and shop for fine art, crafts, jewelry and clothing at unique venues. (June 20-23, 2013)

** 44th annual Chicago Pride Festival: One of the largest and well-known Pride events in the world includes stages of music, exhibitors, food and drinks as well as plenty of club activities at night. The event winds up with a parade on June 30. (June 22-23, 2013)

** Taste of Chicago: Sample an array of ethnic and regional foods including pizzas, hot dogs, barbecue and cheesecake complemented by music by Robert Plant, Robin Thicke and Jill Scott. (July 10-14, 2013)

** 55th annual Chicago Air and Water Show: The free show on the shore of Lake Michigan showcases daredevil pilots, parachute teams and jets flying in formation as well as water skiing and boat-jumping events. (Aug. 17-18, 2013)

** 35th annual Chicago Jazz Festival: Hear the great sounds of Jack DeJohnette, Wadada Leo Smith, Jason Moran, Donald Harrison, Jimmy Heath and Rudresh Mahanthappa in the breathtaking setting of Millennium Park. (Aug. 29-Sept. 1, 2013)

Whether listening to sweet music, tasting delectable treats, enjoying death-defying stunts or celebrating pride, guests will return to well-appointed suites at one of the premier hotels in Rosemont to find luxury and comfort waiting. The OHare accommodations feature separate living and sleeping quarters with customized furnishings, oversized work desks, mini-refrigerators, coffeemakers, HDTVs and microwaves. The Rosemont hotel rooms feature cotton-rich linens, custom duvets, down comforters and fluffy feather and down pillows with king and double beds to provide a sound nights sleep. High-speed Internet access and marble bathrooms are high-end amenities all guests will appreciate.

Fort Bragg's First "Green" Living Roof Installed
Today marks a significant event as Fort Bragg's first "green roof" in unveiled. As part of the Army's efforts to conserve energy and find innovative ways to promote sustainability, an Army Corps of Engineers project at Fort Bragg has installed a …
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Sustainability Committee Brings “Green Living Guy” as Earth Day Guest Speaker
On Monday, April 22 (Earth Day itself), the Committee invited the “Green Living Guy” to speak about issues facing our environment. Seth Leitman has worked on nine green living guides during his career so far, both as an author or editor. He worked for …
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The 2013 NKBA Design Contest results are in! After judging over 400+ kitchen and bath design projects from the U.S. and Canada, a panel of National Kitchen and Bath Association [NKBA], industry experts selected two Drury Design client projects as winners in the Before and After Bath and Large Kitchen categories. Brigitte Fabi, CMKBD [Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer] designed each of the winning Drury Design client projects. View Drury Design’s Chicago kitchen and bath design gallery.

A luxurious natural spa won the before and after bath design competition. An Arts and Crafts kitchen in a Chicago loft inspired by Charles Rennie Mackintosh won third place in the large kitchen design category. Since 1998, Drury Design has received over 50 NKBA kitchen and bath design awards. Founded by Gail Drury, CMKBD in 1987, Drury Design was also recently recognized as one of Trends Top 50 American design studios.

We take great pride in announcing to the public the topnotch kitchen and bath designers that our industry has to offer, said 2013 NKBA President John K. Morgan in an NKBA 2013 Design Competition Winners press release. Hundreds of entries are received every year, and our designer members continue to impress. The competition this year boasted of innovative concepts, creative expressions and cutting-edge designs.

Gail Drury, President and Creative Director of Drury Design states, We are very proud of Brigitte for receiving not one, but two, 2013 NKBA kitchen and bath design awards a first for our firm. Whenever we win awards however, I am reminded that it would not be possible without our clients. We are so fortunate to work with incredible clients whose vision inspires our designers and powers our team’s results.”

Brigitte has won numerous awards for her work, including a first-place in the NKBA Midwest Design Vision Awards. Brigitte says, Its always exciting to get a pat on the back from your peers and clients, but it does get a bit daunting when you think of all the incredible projects that were submitted. To know that they chose mine above all these other wonderful designs, is very gratifying, but very humbling.

Transitional Kitchen Design Inspired by Arts & Crafts Architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh

From top to bottom, this kitchen reflects the homeowners love of the Arts and Crafts era. Inspired by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, an Arts & Crafts pioneer often referenced as the European counterpart to Frank Lloyd Wright, it was important to be as historically accurate as possible while incorporating all of the modern conveniences needed today.

The winning large kitchen design features a beautiful, mellow toned quarter sawn oak for the bulk of the cabinetry with black, hickory cabinets as accents. Authentic Motawi tiles bring in beautiful, rustic Arts and Crafts colors in mustard yellows, greens, flat blacks, and rich reds. A wrap-around, built-in banquette easily seats eight, but could accommodate up to 12 or 14 people. Storage drawers under the seats maximize every inch of space.

To aid in the efficiency of entertaining guests, a secondary kitchen with a wet bar leads directly into the dining room and living room. This area provides an additional work space for a caterer with an extra oven, wine storage and floor to ceiling cabinetry to tuck away fine china, crystal and wine glasses.

2013 NKBA Award-Winning Before and After Bath Design

As a busy young couple with three very small children, the homeowners dreamed of replacing their cold and cavernous bathroom with a new bathroom that would become their in-home oasis. In their ultimate relaxation space, they pictured a modern, but warm environment with natural materials and a private shower retreat.

The winning bathroom design features a soothing, neutral color palette using only natural materials including slate tiles, a rug of pebbles, walnut cabinetry, a teak ceiling, and limestone counters; all contribute to the calming environment.

The private shower is the perfect place to recharge or unwind with six body jets, a stationary showerhead, large rain head, hand-held shower, and an integrated steam unit. An elegant soaking tub frames the view from a prominent picture window.

About Drury Design Kitchen and Bath Studio

Drury Design’s Client Focused Design approach integrates design recommendations, materials selection and construction management into one seamless customer experience from design concept to materials selection to complete installation.

Drury Designs media mentions include 50 Dream Kitchens, Better Homes and Gardens, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Tribune, Country Home, Chicago Home and Garden, Daily Herald, HGTV, Distinctive Kitchens, Kitchen and Bath Business, Kitchen and Bath Custom Planner, Kitchen and Bath Design News, Liberty Suburbans New Homes, Professional Builder, Qualified Remodeler, Shelter, Womens Day, West Suburban Living, Trends, Luxe Magazine, HGTV.com and Kitchens.com.

Located at 512 N. Main Street in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, Drury Design Kitchen and Bath Studio is one of the largest showrooms in the Midwest. To interview Gail Drury, CMKBD, about kitchen, bath and home design trends or to request permission to use an image, contact Jim Drury at 630.469.4980. View Drury Design’s kitchen and bath design portfolio at http://www.drurydesigns.com/portfolio/.

About The National Kitchen and Bath Association

Celebrating 50 years in 2013, the NKBA has educated and led the kitchen and bath industry since its founding in 1963. NKBAs mission is to enhance member success and excellence, promote professionalism and ethical business practices, and provide leadership and direction for the kitchen and bath industry worldwide.

Neeraj Jain believes that we could be living in homes that are much more sustainable than what is currently on the market. The former CEO of an electronics company realized that the moves the industry was making toward greener homes were baby steps, so he commissioned the construction of Canadas Greenest Home.

This home is not another government funded demonstration project. It received no outside funding, and will be going head-to-head with regular homes on the open market in Peterborough, Ontario later this month. Built on an infill lot in the desirable East City area of the small city, the home is not just loaded with green features, but is a complete re-thinking about how a home can be built and operate. Based on the Living Building Challenge standards, the home is designed to generate all the power it requires, collect and filter its own water and treat all its own waste. It uses locally sourced and natural materials, and not a single chemical-laden product made its way through the door of the house. From the home, the whole city is within walk-able or bike-able distances, including key employers like the Ministry of Natural Resources, Quaker Oats and Trent University.

That the home is a remarkable technical achievement is beyond doubt. But will anybody want to buy it? Jain is betting that there are buyers who will be intrigued by the idea of living in a completely healthy, self-sustaining way, with no utility bills and a monthly income from the rooftop solar panels.

I think that the interest and enthusiasm for sustainable building among the buying public is higher than most developers and builders seem to think. Awareness is growing that energy costs are rising, and a home that consumes a fraction of the energy of a typical new home is a great investment, says Jain. Plus, people are becoming much more conscious of their health, and a home with clean, filtered air and no toxins at all is going to be very desirable.

The home was designed and built by the Endeavour Centre, a not-for-profit sustainable building school in Peterborough. The team at Endeavour really impressed me with their ability to blend sustainable building technology with really modern, functional design, Jain insists. I knew that the features of this house had to blend into a design that appealed to mainstream buyers. The idea is to show that we can raise the bar on the technology without losing any aesthetic appeal.

Advanced energy modeling using Passive House software shows that this house will use about 80 per cent less energy than an identical house built to meet the building code. Its amazing to me that its possible to reduce a homes energy footprint by that much, he marvels. Its almost revolutionary, and its not that hard to do!

Jains interest in sustainable building has also led him to invest in NatureBuilt Wall Systems, a Welland, Ontario-based startup that manufactures prefabricated straw bale wall panels called BioSIPs. The Canadas Greenest Home project was an excellent way to showcase these walls, that are no more expensive than conventional framing but are much better insulated and made with completely natural and non-toxic materials. The walls are a perfect example of how the technology to radically improve home performance while reducing environmental impacts is readily available and waiting to be used, Jain explains.

He has succeeded in having built Canadas Greenest Home. Now he will see if it turns out to be the wise investment decision he believes it could be. The home will have its debut with an open house on May 25, coinciding with the listing of its availability for sale.

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Nominations for The Gazette's Community Giveaway
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Student to live the community life
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In the midst of Spring, Pricecurv.com is introducing fragrances from brand names such as Burberry and Calvin Klein. These new daily deals will match your scent with the refreshing season by having the best brand name fragrances available at significant discounts. After receiving many requests from our existing customers, we are pleased to introduce our new line of brand name fragrances. We made an effort to carry products for both male and female and, as always, we strive to meet all our customers needs by working hard with our merchant partners. The name brands we chose to carry are the most popular according to data from our market research, said Ron Chan of Pricecurv Ltd.

The company revealed two colognes they will debut for men from Burberry – Brit for Men and Touch for Men. Brit for Men carries a fresh oriental woody fragrance with unique top notes combining a blend of juicy green mandarin and sparkling bergamot while Touch for Men conveys a more subtle refreshing scent with top notes of Artemisia, mandarin tree and violet leaves. These bottles will make a perfect gift for males of all ages, especially with Fathers Day coming up.

For female customers, theres Calvin Klein Eternity and Elizabeth Arden 5th Avenue. Designed by Piere Dinand, Calvin Klein Eternity has a floral scent with an iconic hand polished beveled bottle with a silver-tone cap. Elizabeth Arden 5th Avenue is inspired by the classic architecture and distinctive Manhattan skyline. It captures the alluring style of the most famous streets and personifies classic femininity and luxury.

Pricecurv is an online-based company with an innovative approach to group buying. With their dynamic pricing system, they strive to provide the best discounts as they leverage off the viral support it generates. As a result, customers will benefit greatly by simply sharing their favorite deals, through word of mouth or social media, with their friends and family. Pricecurv has partnered with a variety of merchants offering a broad range of products and services including, but not limited to jewelry, electronics, accessories, beauty spa, accounting service, and graphics design.

For more information, please visit https://www.pricecurv.com

Sweden is a beautiful Scandinavian country famous for its enjoyable lifestyle and prosperity. The capital city of Sweden is Stockholm. Throughout recent hist…

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Green Dot is partnering with Material ConneXion to place their new Terratek