If I ever win the lottery.......

Wouldn't you love to build a house like this? One question, how on earth would you keep the moths out? You'd have a blanket of insect wings coating all the light fixtures by the end of your first evening. I once opened my kitchen door for but a minute to let out a waft of smoke from the stove and had to deal with 3 very hair-raising ones that had a knack for terrorizing my daughter all night. Still, I've always loved the idea of integrating the outdoors with the indoors. Moths be DAMNED! Love it.

The REAL shire!!

This is soo amazing! I found this on sk*rt- my new favorite place to surf the web. If you've ever watched "The Lord of the Rings" and wished you too could live in the shire then check this out!

Simon, Jasmine, Cosmo and Elfie a Welsh family found a unique solution to the high-cost of housing while also indulging their desire to live closer to nature and built a small eco-home into a hillside. It took them a few months, a few thousand dollars, and a tolerance of mud and slugs.

Built by Dale, his father in law, visiting friends and "help from passers by" (good morning to you, oh and by the way, do you want to pick up a hammer and help me bang in this beam? weird.), none of whom were trained architects.

Said Dale, "This kind of building is accessible to anyone. My main relevant skills were being able bodied, having self belief and perseverence and a mate or two to give a lift now and again." (Umm, I have my doubts)

Some of the eco features include:
a skylight to let in natural light
solar panels to fuel lights and electronics like a cd player and computer
a refrigerator cooled by air coming underground through the foundation
water supplied by gravity from a nearby spring
collection of roof water for use in the garden
a compost toilet

At any rate, I think it's amazing! Check them out and find out how to make a hobbit home of your own (i'm a bit skeptical) on their website here.

I have a dream........house.

I've always loathed the majority of new developments in Pennsylvania. To me, they look like glorified modular homes with their beige vinyl siding, pre-fab windows and cookie cutter plans. My wish is to have some developer come along and do for Pennsylvania what Ross Chapin Architects is doing in Washington (state). Communities with smaller, finely crafted homes with the character of the 20s but all the modern amenities of the 21st century (ie second bathrooms). This is my new dream home courtesy of Ross Chapin Architects. Picture this in front of a black bottom pool, with limestone edges and creeping fauna. It's called Dine's Point House and *surprisingly* it's a one-level and I *still* love it.