A Brief Digression into the World of Spring Fashion

I dropped in on my pal Danette's way-cool boutique L'Arterie (176 Bernard Ave. W.) yesterday while I was up in Mile End. The boutique is a blend of vintage clothes, designer threads by local creators and earth-friendly and vegan shoes and accessories.  Some smartypants once dubbed Danette the "den mother of the Mile End demimonde" a title that fits her like a glove. Plus, she's kind to animals, so what's not to like?

The shoes for spring had just come in and these babies from Unstitched Utilities immediately caught my eye. They are made from recycled Tyvek, a Dupont product used as a vapour barrier in the construction industry. Tyvek is lightweight, windproof, breathable and water-resistant, pretty much every attribute you want in a sneaker. Best of all, these kicks retail for a very affordable $69.  I suspect I might have to have some. Check 'em out at L'Arterie and throw a little change in the can by the cash to support Danette's local animal-rescue efforts.  

Now back to regularly scheduled programming.

Things You Didn't Know You Needed

I've lived this long without a temperature-gauging shower head but now I'm not sure I can manage another day without this über-geeky bit of technology. The LED light shows blue when the water is cold but turns red when the temperature hits 89 degrees Farenheit. Did I mention that it also serves as a water-flow regulator, reducing the water flow to 2.5 gallons per minute at a pressure of 80 psi? Nice!
And to think that for all this time we've been sticking our hands under the shower and saying "Yup, that's hot."
You can order one here.

That Sinking Feeling

The New York Times had a good piece in yesterday's Home & Garden section about five easy fixes any homeowner can do to make their home more efficient.
Face it, not everyone is in a position to install photovoltaic panels on the roof to capture and convert the sun's rays into energy (though one of my Verdun neighbors seems to have done just that). Everyone can fill a 2-litre pop bottle with water and place it in the toilet tank to reduce the amount of water that goes swirling down the bog every time you flush.
Perhaps the smartest fix is replacing your old electromechanical thermostat with a newfangled electronic gizmo. Hydro-Québec offers residential customers up to $65 back on the purchase of programmable electronic thermostats and another $65 (maximum) rebate if installation is done by a master electrician.
I have no idea how hard it is to install an electronic thermostat but I can't imagine it's a job that requires the services of a top-drawer electrician. He'll charge you an easy $65 just to cross the threshold. Maybe I'm asking to be electrocuted.
Bottom line? Swapping out the imprecise old thermostats will save you 10 per cent on annual heating costs. It'll also allow you to preset the system so that the furnace kicks in just before you wake in the morning, ensuring a toasty wake-up and cooler temperatures during the day if and when no one is home.
But I digress. The thing that really caught my eye in the Times pieces, was mention of the SinkPositive, essentially a toilet tank topped with a hands-free sink. Everyime you flush, water comes out the tap. The water you use to wash your hands then cycles into the toilet tank and is used to flush.
By the looks of the installation video, it's pretty easy to hook up. Here's the big problem: no hot water. That's right, you have to wash your hands with the icy cold water from the main water line. Yikes! Besides, call me crazy, but I think there's a cognitive disconnect involved. Rationally, we all know that the water in the toilet tank is perfectly clean. And yet, ewww! I'm washing my hands in the toilet.
I'm not sure it's an idea whose time has come.

Getting Light Where It's Tight

I spotted an ad for this handy golf-ball sized LED light and knew immediately I had to have one. The wide-angle light has 12 super strong magnets so you can point the light to exactly the right spot. Perfect for those tight, dark spaces (like behind the TV, under the kitchen sink or the fuse box. There's no sign of a Canadian distributor, but you can order directly from the manufacturer. Doesn't it look like the kind of thing you'd see in the Lee Valley catalogue or at Mountain Equipment Co-op?

You can see more pix and watch a little video here