Good Resource for Tools For the Chef in Your House

Sur La Table is a Seattle based retailer with a their Atlnata store in Perimeter Mall.Founded in 1972 by culinary aficionado Shirley Collins, Sur La Table was created at a time when it was difficult to find many of the premium-quality culinary tools Shirley had found on her travels.

Shirley began her dream with an intimate retail space located in Seattle's Pike Place Market, the oldest continuously operated farmers market in the United States. As someone who cooks with fresh local ingredients, Shirley chose a location that made Seattle's bounty of fresh produce and seafood easily accessible to Sur La Table customers.

Word quickly spread about the quirky little shop packed to the rafters with everything for cooks. Guided by Shirley's culinary passion and prowess, Sur La Table's expansive selection of hard to- find and cutting-edge utensils soon had food enthusiasts from around the globe making a pilgrimage to Seattle.

Many successful years later, in 1995, Sur La Table was purchased by the Behnke family of Seattle (Sally Behnke, John and Shari Behnke, Carl and Renée Behnke). Kindred culinary spirits, the Behnkes soon set out to share this wonderful Seattle institution with other cities. Opening a second store in Berkeley that same year, Sur La Table has since expanded and currently operates locations throughout the United States.

Sur La Table carries thousands of products for the kitchen, including exclusive and hard-to-find items. The company offers a vast assortment of bakeware, barware, books, cleaning products, cookware, cutlery, electrics, furnishings, gadgets, glassware, grilling tools, linens, serving pieces, table décor and more.

Worldwide vendors include All-Clad, Anolon, Bialetti, Bodum, Breville, Chilewich, Capresso, Cuisinart, DeLonghi, Demeyere, Dualit, Emile Henry, FrancisFrancis!, J.A. Henckels, John Boos & Co., KitchenAid, Le Creuset, Lodge, Nespresso, Peugeot, Riedel, Rösle, Scanpan, Shun, Staub, Waechtersbach, Waring and Wüsthof.

For more information please visit their website at http://www.surlatable.com

New Study Shows Positive Signs for Atlanta

A new study from the Atlanta office of MetroStudy has shown that the Atlanta residential real estate market may have hit the bottom. This would be good news for all home owners and anyone trying to sell their home.“Atlanta’s housing market has hit a bottom,” said Eugene James, director of Metrostudy’s Atlanta division.

“Almost all housing indicators have reversed and are now heading in a positive direction. Finished inventory has been reduced to a level where builders have been forced to resume building new homes.”

This September, Atlanta’s finished inventory was reduced to about 11,000 units, which is a 37 percent decline from September 2008 and a 48 percent decline from September 2007, according to Metrostudy.

Atlanta Magazine Dream Home In Big Canoe this year

The 2009 Atlanta Magazine Dream Home resides in the mountain-top development of Big Canoe, located in Pickens County, nearby Jasper, Georgia, and Dahlonega, Georgia, just an hour north of Atlanta. The community of Big Canoe is comprised of many different neighborhoods encompassing 8,000 mountainside acres of pristine land, lakes and nature trails.

The newest and most exclusive neighborhood, The Bluffs at Ridgeview, will be the site of the 2009 Dream Home. At an impressive elevation of 2,220 feet, this neighborhood will provide a spectacular backdrop for this rustic architecture combining the historic look of Adirondack and Appalachian styles while incorporating Craftsman and Western Log and Timber construction.

Among the 8,000 acres of Big Canoe rests three pristine lakes comprising over 100 acres of shoreline in addition to a 27-hole championship golf course that weaves in and out of valleys, rushing streams and mountain peaks. Nearly 2,400 acres of Big Canoe is reserved for nature comprising useable green space for residents to live, work and play among a gorgeous mountaintop retreat.

Big Canoe is a joint venture development combining the Byrne Corporation of Georgia with Greenwood Communities and Resorts under the firm Big Canoe Co. LLC.

Tickets
Admission to the 2009 Atlanta Magazine Dream Home is FREE! You do not even need a printed or electronic ticket. Big Canoe is a gated/secure community. Once you arrive at the main gate, simply announce you are coming to visit the Dream Home and you will be provided entrance and directions to the actual Dream Home.

Dates and Times
The 2009 Atlanta Magazine Dream Home will be open to the public from Saturday, October 3, 2009 through Sunday, November 15, 2009.

The 2009 Atlanta Magazine Dream Home will be open the following days and times:

Thursdays – Sundays from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
(Please note the last attendees will be allowed into tour the home up to 4:00 pm each day of the tour)

NOTE: the home will not be open for public tours Mondays – Wednesdays.

Directions and Parking
For directions from metro Atlanta to Big Canoe, click on the link below:
Directions to Big Canoe
Once at the Main Gate inside Big Canoe, you will be directed to the site of the 2009 Atlanta Magazine Dream Home.

Parking will be allowed at the actual Dream Home site and along the residential road that leads to the Dream Home. Golf cart transportation will be provided to those who need additional assistance.

For questions or additional information please call
404 527-5500
or
770 893-2733

Tour Homes in Madison During the Holidays

Once again Madison is offering a Holiday Tour of Homes December 3-6. Just a short drive from Atlanta, Madison offers unique shops, restaurants and six distinct house tours. You can choice from daylight or candleight itineraries. Tickets are $25 day of the tour or $20 if you pre-order.This year's Holiday Tour features the following homes:

Bookhaven, Brady Inn, Buttermore, D'Huart Residence, Hilltop, Jones Cottage, Knight Residence, Madison Oakes Inn & Gardens, Martinese Residence, Sterrenberg Residence, Tate Residence, Valley Farm Farmhouse, and more!

For more information please go to their website-http://www.madisonga.org/2009holidaytour.htm

Atlanta Home Prices Rising

Data through August 2009, released by Standard & Poor's for its S&P/Case-Shiller(1) Home Price Indices, the leading measure of U.S. home prices, show that the annual rate of decline of the 10-City and 20-City Composites improved compared to last month's reading. This marks approximately seven months of improved readings in these statistics, beginning in early 2009.

The annual returns of the 10-City and 20-City Composite Home Price Indices, declined 10.6% and 11.3%, respectively, in August compared to the same month last year. Nineteen of the 20 metro areas and both Composites showed an improvement in the annual rates of decline with August's readings compared to July. Cleveland was the only exception.

"Broadly speaking, the rate of annual decline in home price values continues to improve," says David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at Standard & Poor's. "The two Composites and 19 of the 20 metro areas showed an improvement in the annual rates of return, as seen through a moderation in their annual declines. Looking at the monthly data, 17 of the MSAs and both Composites saw price increases in August over July. While many of the markets remain down versus this time last year, the relative rate of decline has shown some real improvement. California, in particular, has seen some real positive prints in recent months. We see this general trend whether you look at the as-reported data or the seasonally adjusted figures. Once again, however, we do want to remind people of the upcoming expiration of the Federal First-Time Buyer's Tax Credit in November and anticipated higher unemployment rates through year-end. Both may have a dampening effect on home prices."

The index levels for the 10-City and 20-City Composite Indices show that as of August 2009, average home prices across the United States are at similar levels to where they were in the autumn of 2003. From the peak in the second quarter of 2006 through the trough in April 2009, the 10-City Composite is down 33.5% and the 20-City Composite is down 32.6%. With the relative improvement of the past few months, the peak-to-date figures through August 2009 are -30.2% and -29.3%, respectively.

In terms of annual declines, all metro areas and the two composites remain in negative territory, albeit most showing an improvement over the previous month's figures. Dallas and Denver are continuing their trend from the past month, edging closer into positive territory with August figures of -1.2% and -1.9%, respectively. In addition, both New York and San Diego have emerged out of double-digit declines. New York was down 9.6% in August and San Diego was down 8.9%.

In the monthly data, only Charlotte, Cleveland and Las Vegas reported monthly declines in August over July. Minneapolis and San Francisco reported positive returns greater than +2.0%, and nine of the MSAs plus the two Composites reported monthly returns greater than +1.0%.

The table below summarizes the results for August 2009. The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices are revised for the 24 prior months, based on the receipt of additional source data. More than 22 years of history for these data series is available, and can be accessed in full by going to www.homeprice.standardandpoors.com.



August 2009 August/July July/June
Metropolitan Area Level Change (%) Change (%) 1-Year Change (%)
----------------- ----------- ----------- ---------- -----------------
Atlanta 111.19 1.0% 2.3% -10.6%
Boston 155.95 0.9% 1.2% -4.2%
Charlotte 120.72 -0.4% 0.6% -8.6%
Chicago 130.55 1.7% 2.7% -12.7%
Cleveland 107.42 -0.5% 1.5% -2.8%
Dallas 121.44 0.2% 1.2% -1.2%
Denver 130.07 1.0% 1.5% -1.9%
Detroit 71.59 1.9% 1.1% -22.6%
Las Vegas 105.78 -0.3% -1.1% -29.9%
Los Angeles 166.52 1.6% 1.8% -12.0%
Miami 148.91 1.1% 1.3% -18.8%
Minneapolis 122.66 3.2% 4.8% -13.7%
New York 174.89 0.5% 0.9% -9.6%
Phoenix 108.41 1.6% 1.8% -25.1%
Portland 150.46 0.3% 1.1% -12.5%
San Diego 153.34 1.6% 2.5% -8.9%
San Francisco 132.47 2.8% 3.3% -12.5%
Seattle 149.54 0.1% -0.1% -14.7%
Tampa 143.43 0.4% 1.4% -17.7%
Washington 178.84 1.4% 1.9% -7.9%
Composite-10 157.93 1.3% 1.7% -10.6%
Composite-20 146.00 1.2% 1.6% -11.3%


Source: Standard & Poor's and Fiserv
Data through August 2009

The Latest Furniture Idea for Your Favorite Cat

It’s not easy to find cat-scratching posts that add anything to a well-designed interior. So Jeanne Byers and Rochelle Klein, partners in an advertising agency, decided to create their own. One is shaped like a cat and can be hung on the wall or lain on the floor like a rug ($300); another resembles a modernist French chair ($575); and the third is a bull terrier-like sculpture ($1,200), left. All are custom made of sisal, and delivery takes about four weeks. Information: (917) 612-8180 or thecompanyofpets.com.

Ballard Designs Signs Atlanta Based Designer

Ballard Designs, an Atlanta-based home decor company, has signed interior designer Suzanne Kasler to produce four collections of home decor products, the parties confirmed Friday. The move marks the first time the 26-year-old catalog and web-based retailer is working with an independent designer to create exclusive signature pieces.

Kasler, also of Atlanta, has collections with luxury manufacturers including Hickory Chair, Safavieh and Visual Comfort lighting. This is her first effort with a mid-market retail line, thus introducing Kasler to a new audience looking for more affordable buys.Her collections are still in the development stage, Kasler spokeswoman Janie Wilburn said.

Ballard Designs mails more than 30 million catalogs each year, said James Pope, director of business development and retail. The company is known for French and English reproductions created by its in-house team of designers.

Kasler will first be seen in the March/April 2010 catalogue, for which she is styling six to eight spreads, he said. Her new home decor products will debut in August 2010.

The retailer will also sell Kasler's new book, "Inspired Interiors" (Rizzoli $50), Pope said.