Looking for a little gift to give someone just buying their first home, condo, or even going off to live in an apartment alone for the first time? Look no further. DIY Quick Fix has come to the rescue.

When my husband and I bought out first home, a fixer-upper that would have been more efficient to have demolished, we owned a hammer, a couple of screw drivers, and perhaps a wrench or two. Other than hanging pictures on walls, we had no idea what to do with even those limited tools.

We quickly learned. But a book like this one for the very clueless novice would have been perfect for us.

In the style that we have all come to expect from DK publishing, the book is filled with step by step photos, detailed instructions, and a spiral binding that lays flat. You can follow along in the book while you are making the repairs.

The book covers topics like:

patching drywall

fixing a bad paint spot

removing a cracked piece of tile in the shower or on the floor

fixing a leaky copper pipe

fixing sticky or creaky doors

replacing a broken wall outlet

Providing quick-fix techniques for tackling the most common DIY home improvement problems-from freeing stuck windows to repairing burst pipes- this handy book features step-by-step sequences, combining close-up, annotated images and clear instructions that are easy to follow while completing the tasks at hand. Each sequence explains the problem, considers the options, and discusses the technique that follows, with tool and material requirements for every job. Presenting solutions to problems occurring in every part of the home, DIY Quick Fix is a must-have for every first-time homeowner or novice DIYer put off by the market’s large DIY manuals.

Earlier this month, Governor Matt Blunt pitched a ‘green’ tax holiday for Missourians.

Missouri residents shopping for new appliances would receive an extra incentive to purchase energy-efficient alternatives under a state sales tax holiday, named the Show-Me Green Tax Holiday. The plan calls for a week long elimination of state sales tax on Energy Star designated appliances each year.

Appliances must exceed federal energy standards by 20 percent to receive the Energy Star distinction.

The Energy Star is a US government program, started in 1992, that is a joint project of the Department of Energy (DoE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The list of consumer goods that can qualify for an energy star rating has expanded steadily ever since.

Some Energy Star labeled products give tax credits to purchasers and switching to Energy Star rated appliances can save an average of $80 a year on home energy bills.

For those of us NOT living in Missouri, the Sierra Club has a list of ‘green’ tax incentives. Go to this page which highlights environmental issues around the country. Click on Energy Incentives. A new window will open and prompt you for you zip code. From there you can search for local incentives.

Things like:

* Hybrid vehicle tax credit: this credit varies by make and model, but can up to $3,000.
* Home energy efficiency tax credit: up to $500 for home improvements designed to make your home more energy efficient, such as new windows or a more efficient heating/cooling system.
* Residential solar and fuel cell tax credit: up to $2,000 for installation of a solar electric, solar water heating, or fuel cell system. Any excess credit can be carried forward one additional year.
* Energy subsidy exemption: Any rebates or incentives you receive for energy conservation measures, directly or indirectly, from utilities are not counted as taxable income.

With tax incentives and lowered operating costs, lessening your impact on the environment has become easier on your wallet.

Sometimes when you are renovating a house, your wish list collides with your available space. I know I would love to have a large soaking tub, but given the fact that I would probably only use it twice a year, it would not make sense to enlarge our bathroom just to accommodate one.

However this tub makes me revisit the possibility.

The Wind Tub by Neptune nestles into a corner the way that a traditional tub would, only the outer edge of the tub is a wide graceful curve. At 20 inches deep it is perfect for soaking. The Wind tub would be perfect for those who desire high style but have limited floor space. With a curved side instead of traditional rectangular shape there is room for walking around it, yet it does not appear cramped.

Though Neptune’s claim that the Wind Tub can be used for two people seems to be stretching it. Or maybe I am just a greedy tub hog.

When your garden is growing on your computer screen and not outside in your garden.

This new PC software allows you to plant and grow realistic 3D flower gardens on the screen. When I was first reading about the program I thought perhaps it was a tool to help you with your outdoor gardening. For instance, you could plant the flowers and see how they would look next to each other. Or co-ordinate their bloom times, so that your entire garden doesn’t bloom in early May and then leave nothing but green scruffy plants for the rest of the summer. Which seems to happen to me every year.

Or it could tell you when you were going to plant a shade loving flower in bright all day sun, so you would know this before you ended up with a shriveled brown plant. And yes, this also seems to happen to me every year. Somehow the colorful flowers distract me from things like reading the labels on the plants.

But apparently that is not the case. It is simply a program to grow a flower garden on your computer. Which begs the question, why bother?

Somehow I don’t think this can replace the feeling of getting your hands in the dirt.

Remember years ago, back in the Dark Ages of your youth? (And by your youth I mean my youth.) And watching the Jetsons on television and speculating about not eating food in the future. Instead we would eat pills and squirt a Tang -like substance into our mouths from toothpaste tubes. The one element that was left out of the equation was that we all love to eat good food. Eating is more than just providing fuel for our bodies.

I think gardening is a lot like that. There is something about getting dirt under your fingernails and nurturing plants that can not be replaced by a computer screen.

And to quote Martha, that is a good thing.

One of the easiest ways to add style and revitalize your kitchen is with a new backsplash. It can protect your walls near the sink from water and as well as grease damage from around your cooktop all at the same time.

If you think of your cabinets, floor, and counter tops as the foundations pieces of your kitchen, then the back splash is the jewelry. The eye candy that can define the kitchen as uniquely your own.

1)Figure out what you like.

Sounds easy doesn’t it? But surprisingly most of us can not articulate what it is that we like. We are apt to say things like, “Well, I know when I see it!” While that is true, it is not helpful when you are trying to describe the sort of backsplash that you want.

Before you even begin to go shopping I would suggest getting your hands on every magazine you can that features kitchens. Cut out the kitchens and backsplashes that you like and make a scrap book. After awhile you will begin to see a pattern emerge of what appeals to you.

Do you love the look of glass tile, or does the more traditional subway tile appeal to you? Natural old world tile of tumbled stone or bold, bright modern colors? Tiny mosaic tiles or larger field tiles with small accent tiles?

2)Match the style of the rest of your house.

If you live in a 100 year old home and have traditional furnishings and fixtures, suddenly going with a dramatic and modern backsplash will look out of place. You want your house to flow from room to room, not to feel like the kicthen exists in isolation from the rest of the house. Your backsplash is not the place to dip your toes into the water of a completely different style.

If you long for the modern aesthetic consider instead bold wall hangings that can be changed out should you tire of them, and seek a compromise for the backsplash design. You want people to come into your kitchen and admire your backsplash in a good way. You want it to take their breath away like a beautiful diamond necklace, not a heart shaped rhinetsone belt buckle.

3) Sit down and think about your whole design.

Graph paper is your friend. If you are designing your own backsplash you owe it to yourself to sketch out your design to scale on graph paper. It really is fun and addictive. And it helps those of us who have trouble visualizing a design on a grand scale really see the way that it will look.

I would be willing to bet that the first design that you sketch out is not the one you end up going with. How do I know this? Well, all of us tend to focus on the one part that stands out for us–a design behind the cooktop, a border around the window– and not consider other places where the tile design might become awkward. You want to avoid having pieces smaller than an inch at the top and the ends, they are difficult to cut and look unprofessional.

4)Be honest with yourself.

Consider the manner in which you really use your kitchen. You want a beautiful design, but it is important to remember that you actually have to live and work in this kitchen. Are you a messy cook who splashes sauce and oil all around you? Are you the type who doesn’t always feel like cleaning up right that very moment? Do you splash a lot when you are using your kitchen sink or perhaps have children whose idea of washing their hands means that there is water dripping off the every surface within 20 ft of the sink?

If it makes you feel any better I am raising my hand on all accounts here. Well, then you should probably eliminate unglazed and porous tile from your design plans. Both of these types of tile will stain if not properly maintained.

5) See the Light

Installing under-cabinet lighting will help highlight your backsplash and provide additional workspace light. I consider this an integral part of the backsplash design. There is nothing worse than standing at your counters and casting shadows on everything you are trying to prepare because the lighting in behind you.

A well designed backsplash can be functional and bring new life to a tired, boring kitchen.

Pull up a seat and get comfortable.

DIY This N’That is a blog focusing on home improvement where design and tile intersect.

DIY This N’That will feature various types of tile and discuss their applications, offer design ideas, profile innovative products and upcoming designers. Home improvement projects and sharing personal stories will be also be a featured part of the blog.

Updated several times a week, we hope to bridge the gap between designer and homeowner and make it all seem less intimidating.

Anchor Bay Tile is a family run company. Their goal is to seek out unique products to offer their discerning clients. Products range from glass tile, ceramic tile, (real) wood tile, and metal tile. With Anchor Bay Tile you have the ability to shop from the comfort of your living room. And really, don’t we all want that, the ability to shop in our pajamas?

And who am I? My name is Chris and I am a serial remodeler. There really should be a 12 step program for this illness.

I currently live in an old house in New England that my husband and I are trying to rescue from a century of neglect and bad taste. Every single room has had to be gutted, most floors replaced, electrical redone, all new plumbing, brand new furnace… the list goes on and on. We bore our friends with our renovation tales, we see their eyes gaze over and yet we can not help ourselves.

Other people carry a wallet filled with photos of their children, I carry paint swatches.
I will be sharing tales of our extensive renovation as it happens, discussing our thought processes and design ideas.  Always welcoming feedback and input.

I graduated from college with the ever lucrative degree in studio art. And immediately went on to acquire the just as lucrative degree in English. Writing about design, it would seem, is a perfect fit.