THE ALBANY HERALD • WWW.ALBANYHERALD.COM • SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011

2 THE ALBANY HERALD • AT HOME • Saturday, July 30, 2011

BRITS & GRITSThe first day of school is just around the

corner. Here are some recipe ideas from TheBread House. Your child will love these recipesfor their school day meals. They will have themost envied lunchbox in the class!

The Bread House & Granary Snack Packs

Our new Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars aresure to satisfy children and adults alike. Withwholesome products such as agave sweetener,freshly milled whole wheat and raspberry pre-serves they are a filling, convenient and nutritioussnack.

Our new cinnabar tastes exactly like acinnabon, but with a fraction of the calories. Withbrown rice crisps, agave syrups, and pecans thisall natural convenient snack is sure to satisfy yoursweet tooth.

Granola and Yogurt1 serving of your favorite yogurt sprinkled

with The Bread House granola is the perfect after-noon snack to finish out the rest of your school orwork day

Article by Lara Lyn Carter

Jalapeno Turkey Sandwich

1 serving your favorite turkey deli meat1 slice cheddar or American cheese1 slice tomatoLettuceMayonnaise, mustard or red pepper hummus

2 slices of The Bread House’s Jalapeno Cheddar Bread;guaranteed to make any sandwich gourmet!!

Rosemary Parmesan Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup

1 slice of mozzarella, Havarti, or Provolone cheese (pick your favoriteany cheese will be delicious!)

Your favorite tomato soup in a to go container. Just heat dip and enjoy!!

Rosemary Parmesan bread also makes excellent garlic cheese toast togo along with lasagna or spaghetti night!

Brush Rosemary Parmesan with melted butter, sprinkle with garlic pow-der or finely chopped fresh garlic and garnish with dried or fresh basil.

Apple Cinnamon Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

2 TBS of your favorite creamy or crunchy peanut butter1 TBS of grape, raspberry, or blackberry preserves2 slices of The Bread House’s Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Impress your friends and family with Apple Cinnamon and CinnamonSwirl Bread French toast for Sunday Brunch!

Toast Cinnamon Swirl slices in a sauté pan with a small amount ofbutter or non-stick spray. Drizzle with your favorite toppings; pow-dered sugar, maple syrup, freshly whipped cream, chopped pecans,or chopped fresh strawberries.

THE ALBANY HERALD • AT HOME • Saturday, July 30, 2011 • www.albanyherald.com 3

What is a Home Inspection?

A Home Inspection is the opinion of theinspector of the present condition of a spe-cific property given in a detailed report. It isbased on the visual inspection of the readilyaccessible features of the property. Adetailed report is then made, along with achecklist of needed repairs.

The Inspection is not a guarantee, warranty,or an insurance policy.

Why have a Home Inspection made?

The FHA is now recommending that allhomes be inspected by a qualified, licensedinspector before purchasing.

It helps prevent any surprises that may showup after the purchase.

Peace of mind for the buyer and the loaninstitution.

The report is a bargaining tool to help thebuyer negotiate repairs that need to bemade prior to closing.

List of Services

Pre-sale inspection or listing inspection:This is an inspection for the seller which willhelp them to be prepared to put their proper-ty on the market. As a seller "disclosure"makes you responsible for the selling pointsmade about your property to a buyer, bothdirectly or indirectly. Failure to tell the wholetruth about your home's true condition couldmake you, the seller, liable in a legal situa-tion.

Pre-purchase inspection:This is an inspection for the buyer which willhelp them make a better decision on their

purchase. FHA strongly recommends thatall homes be inspected by a qualified,licensed inspector to help prevent any sur-prises after you make your purchase. It alsohelps in negotiating needed repairs beforeclosing.

Partial inspection:This inspection might cover a single systemor portion of a given property for a specificpurpose. This could be an appliance or sys-tem capability, structural or foundationreport, needed to determine if repairs arenecessary before your loan can beapproved.

Punch list inspection:This would be a list of "finishing touches" abuilder or remodeler must complete before acontract could be closed.

Relocation inspection:This is an evaluation of structural condition,property and grounds, plumbing andmechanical systems of a specific property.This report makes the move for aProfessional from one location to another alittle easier.

Progress inspection:This inspection is usually made severaltimes during the construction or remodelingof a home, condo or apartment. It is madeto verify that work has progressed asplanned and is being done in a satisfactorymanner. This inspection is usually orderedby banks or other lending institutions andcould be ordered by the individual investor.

Insurance inspection:When home or property damage occurs dueto weather, fire or any natural disaster, thisinspection will help the insurance companyto gather needed information.

Closing inspection:This would be a last minute inspectionbefore a scheduled closing. It could be justone particular system or areas in the housein question that needed to be answeredbefore the lender could finalize the loan.

Video taping properties:This service would be an asset to banks orrealtors who have prospective clients thatare not from the area. The property wouldbe taped and any major repairs would behighlighted. This would not be a full inspec-tion.

Please Call us if we can help in any way.Thank you for your business.

Jeff Cox Discusses: Home Inspections

4 THE ALBANY HERALD • AT HOME • Saturday, July 30, 2011 • www.albanyherald.com

DDeeccoorraattiinngg wwiitthh SSttyyllee� Article and Photos by JENNIFER KING | jennifer.king@albanyherald.com

n 1983, Mitch Mercer’s mother began PJ’s as a fabric store to supply Albany and surroundingareas with beautiful fabrics that were otherwise hard to find. After Mitch graduated with adegree in art, he joined in on the family business. Today, PJ’s offers a vast array of patterns

and colors when it comes to fabrics. The business has also expanded to offer a variety of rugs, cus-tom furniture, and design consultation. Whether you are looking for fabrics for new throw pillows or afabric to cover a piece of furniture, there is sure to be something for everyone! Mitch showed exam-ples of many of the current, most popular fabrics and patterns, which include everything from geo-metric patterns featuring bright blue or turquoise to a twist on a traditional toile. Not only can you still

find a traditional black andwhite French toile, but you can also get a toile with Asian scenery incolors ranging from coral or pink to blue or black. If the fabric youare choosing is for throw pil-

II

D E L T A The Showplace

2150 Gillionville Rd. A lbany, GA. 31707

(229) 888-8088

Geometric patterns in bright colors are a popular choice currently.There are a variety of colors and patterns from which to choose.

To the left is an Asian inspired toile in a beautiful shade of pink. Tothe right is a non-traditional floral print with bright blues and greens.

PJ’s has a wide selection of fringes that can be added to pillowsfor an extra bit of detail and interest.

See Style, page 5

lows, PJ’s offers a large selection of fringes that can be addedfor an extra accent.

You can also add a new look to your home by layingdown a new area rug. PJ’s offers quite the variety of rugs forboth indoors and outdoors. There are many patterns from

which to choose. Some, like the Karastan rugs, are machine made and feature intricate pat-terns. Other rugs with just as much detail are hand knotted. The hand knotted rugs are gener-

ally imported from Asia and the MiddleEast. The outdoor rugs have featuressuch as a natural grass appearance orSunbrella fabric, which is more resistantto fading caused by sun exposure.These rugs are great for creating a cohe-sive outdoor room or seating area.

Mitch’s advice for homeownerslooking for a way to freshen up theirdecor is to change your paint color,rearrange your furniture layout, addsplashes of color and pattern with newaccent pillows, or change out yourdrapes.

You can contact Mitch at PJ’s at(229) 439-7265 or visit the store at 511West Broad Avenue in Albany.

THE ALBANY HERALD • AT HOME • Saturday, July 30, 2011 • www.albanyherald.com 5

To the left you see a Karastan rug. To theright is a hand knotted rug.

To the left is a more natural looking grass-stylerug. To the right is another a fun outdoor rug.

This bed has been dressed up with a variety of colorsand patterns from PJ’s fabric collection.

StyleContinued from page 4

6 THE ALBANY HERALD • AT HOME • Saturday, July 30, 2011 • www.albanyherald.com

Impressionistic Artist in Albany: Mitch MercerMitch Mercer not only provides

his artistic expertise to customers at PJ’swhen it comes to home decorating, buthe also creates beautiful artwork.Leaning toward an impressionistic style,his paintings are brightly colored andhugely interesting. Mitch’s subjectsrange from family pets to truly unique fig-ure paintings.

If you are interested in learningmore about Mitch’s art you can visit hisfacebook page by searching MitchMercer Art. You can also give him a callat PJ’s at (229) 439-7265, if you areinterested in buying his art or having apiece commissioned.

(ARA) - Many people use just one word to describe lavish, luxurioushomes filled with the latest interior design trends: unattainable.

These dream homes that appear on television programs and gracethe pages of magazines are seen as projects that can only be executedby affluent homeowners who chase trends and change decor with everyseason. But, according to television design star Lisa LaPorta, with a prac-tical approach, it's easy to stay at the forefront of hot home design trendson any budget.

"Designer homes should be sources of inspiration and motivation,"LaPorta says. "When you're researching home renovation and style, youshould absolutely look to the most stylish and opulent examples. Then,once you know what you want, execute those ideas on a budget thatworks for you." According to LaPorta, the best way to keep your home upto date with current trends is to change elements that have high impact,and are cost-effective.

"It might seem obvious, but painting can truly transform a homefrom being 20 years outdated, to one on the cusp of modern decor," she says. "Keep abreast of the design trends, but don't forget toinclude your own personality."

LaPorta advises homeowners to be introspective and look to their own personal sense of style to identify paint colors. Yourwardrobe says a lot about you and can help guide color selection for your home, she states. Be confident in your choices and run withthem. But, she cautions people to never choose a final color while at the paint or hardware store.

"Too often I see people choose colors on the spot at a paint store, only to go home and realize it looks completely different on thewall," LaPorta says. "There's a reason you're allowed to take color chips home with you. You need to test them!"

She goes on to say that many people think color selection is the most important part of painting. Once they know what colors theywant to use, it's as simple as grabbing a paint brush and covering the wall, right? Wrong. In reality, choosing an inferior brush can have anenormous negative impact on the final result. LaPorta recommends using high-quality painting tools such as Purdy brushes and rollers fora flawless finish.

The appearance of a finished painting project is very much dependent on the quality of the applicators used. "When you're painting,the brush really does matter. A Purdy brush holds more paint, provides smooth, even coverage and vastly reduces brush marks on thewall."

Once you have the perfect, trendy colors on the walls, it's time to accessorize. LaPorta notes that many people have a tendency tooverpopulate their rooms with too much furniture. Not only does this clutter the space, but it's quite costly, as well. Instead, she recom-mends putting larger furniture pieces in a rotation to cut down on clutter.

"Design is cyclical," LaPorta points out. "Eventually, the couch you bought in the '70s will be popular again. But, that doesn't mean itshould be on display until that happens. Focus on a few pieces of large furniture and then chase the trends by purchasing smaller, lesscostly items such as throw pillows, rugs or inexpensive art and paintings. Then, as trends change and evolve, rotate the larger pieces intoyour decor. You'll save money, but still feel like your home is on-trend.

A fresh coat of paint and some new accessories can create dramatic change, but LaPorta also points out that simply changing thelayout of a room can also make a big difference.

"Homeowners sometimes forget that rearranging furniture can completely change the appeal and feel of a space," she says. "Stepoutside of the boundaries of your normal decorating style and see how you feel. Instead of having the television as the focal point of a liv-ing room, make the coffee table or fireplace the center. The best part is, it's free. And if you don't like how it looks, you can always changeit back."

These few simple design tips can help transform your home into a chic, trendy space that's the envy of the neighborhood, all at aprice tag you can afford.

THE ALBANY HERALD • AT HOME • Saturday, July 30, 2011 • www.albanyherald.com 7

How to refresh home decor and be a budget-savvy trendsetter

8 THE ALBANY HERALD • AT HOME • Saturday, July 30, 2011 • www.albanyherald.com

� Article by JENNIFER KING | jennifer.king@albanyherald.com

With school starting just aroundthe corner, many moms start to contem-plate what to make for their children'slunch. Having the same old sandwich dayafter day can become quite boring forkids, and many lunchbox options justaren't that healthy. A fun way to keeplunch interesting and healthy is to use theJapanese-style bento boxes. These aresimply divided containers in which to put avariety of healthy and interesting foodoptions. The traditional bento box is adivide container made of a hard materialsuch as wood or plastic. Typically thedivider trays are stacked and thenwrapped in fabric for portability. Whileyou can go the traditional direction if youlike, it is even easier just to use plasticcontainers of different sizes or a containerwith dividers.

The idea behind bento boxes is toprovide an interesting, colorful andhealthy lunch that your child will want to eat. Using small cookie cutters to cutcheese, vegetables or sandwiches into different shapes is one way to make a lunchinteresting. Another adorable and edible idea is to make octopuses out of hotdogs.You can do this the night before by cutting a hotdog in half, cutting the cut end verti-cally into eight segments and then boiling them. The 'tentacles' will curl up andcome to look much like an octopus. How fun! The ideas for these creative lunchesare endless, but here are a few examples of complete meals:

Cookie cutter shaped sandwichBaby carrotsRanch dipFresh cherriesBottled water

Cooked rice topped with grilled chickenSliced cucumberStrawberriesGreek yogurtFruit juice

Octopus hotdogsCookie cutter shaped cheese slicesSugar snap peasApple slicesBottled water

The important thing to remember when making a bento box lunch is to keepthe meal balanced. There are many places you can go online to get ideas and toorder bento box containers. One such site is www.laptoplunches.com. This siteprovides an American version of the bento box idea, and they sell handy containersfor making such lunches. There are also hundreds of menu ideas available there!Enjoy being creative and providing a new surprise in your child's lunch daily!

Making Lunchtime Fun