Rose Darden apologizes that her occasional-sale shop in Buffalo, Minn., is 'long on charm but short on authenticity.' Don't believe her. Darden's Second Hand Rose is every bit as charming as promised, but it's plenty authentic, too, in a wildly imaginative and recycled way. So what if those men's boxer shorts are turn-of-this-century Target. They're enjoying a rebirth as quaint window curtains. And, aren't those Mason jar rims and old house numbers hanging regally (wink-wink) from a Christmas tree? And who says silver trays can't be hung from a dining room wall?
Turns out that most of downtown Buffalo, nestled along pretty Buffalo Lake, is like that: One delightful surprise after another, whether you're shopping for unique gifts, seeking holiday decorating ideas or trying to escape the madding mall crowds with a tasty cup of joe for a buck. After an easy 50-minute drive from the Twin Cities, I parked my car once and spent the day strolling through vintage home furnishing and craft stores, an abundantly stocked basement yarn shop, and two great bookstores, one with a coffee shop.
If you want still more, head to downtown Litchfield, 50 minutes farther west, for a smaller collection of shops and eateries
Source link: http://www.startribune.com/218/story/1565539.html
Phthalates (pronounced 'THAL-ates') are the chemicals that make plastic flexible and allow creams and personal-care products to hold their smell. U.S. chemical companies produce more than 2 billion pounds of these compounds a year. They are commonly found in nail polishes and hair sprays, shower curtains and even Halloween costumes.
For more than a decade, government agencies have said that several of these chemicals are safe at levels that people are exposed to every day.
Chemical makers have relied on these assurances as proof that their products are safe. They bolster these conclusions with millions of dollars of research and testing.
But the newspaper's review of 258 studies of bisphenol A, a common ingredient in baby bottles, reusable water bottles, eyeglass lenses and DVDs, shows otherwise.
More than 80% of studies analyzed by the Journal Sentinel show that the chemical adversely affects animals, causing cancer and other diseases
Source link: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=689731
Related:
Southwestern curtains
How to make bedroom curtains