Tour Pearl S. Buck's home in Bucks County, Pa., and you'll feel as if you've discovered a treasure as prized as an oyster's pearl.

Layer after layer of Buck's story will peel away and inspire you as you go room to room, walk the grounds and visit her grave.

A best-selling author, Buck was the first American woman to win both the Nobel and Pulitzer prizes for literature.

But her work went far beyond the printed page.

Buck counseled presidents, mothered a brood of children (one birth child, seven adopted children and at least 10 foster children), changed the lives of thousands more children and fought for racial harmony through cultural understanding.

The daughter of missionaries, she used her vast knowledge of China, where she lived for 40 years, to bridge major gaps in understanding between the East and the West.

Beloved and admired, she also accepted keys to more than 30 cities, collected 13 honorary degrees and was featured on a postage stamp.

She deserves as much admiration as other Bucks County luminaries, including Henry Chapman Mercer, James A. Michener and David Burpee.

"We worry young people will not know who she is because 'The Good Earth' is gone from most school reading lists," said Janet Mintzer, chief executive officer of Pearl S. Buck International, referring to Buck's famous novel about the lives of a Chinese peasant family.

Buck, who died in 1973, was born in West Virginia 122 years ago, grew up in China and lived for nearly 40 years at Green Hills Farm in Hilltown Township near Perkasie.

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Pearl Buck home will inspire those who visit

Are you a fan of midcentury modern? Drawn to classic elegance? Does the handcraft of global dcor grab you?

There was an era when experts said to pick just one, but now we can mix and match or go all in. Each season brings updated versions of successful pieces, plus an interesting array of new looks.

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Fall 2014 home dcor: An ensemble production

Liz Dennery Sanders and husband Peter Sanders had been looking for a corner-lot house in Carthay Circle for more than a year when they saw a For Sale sign go up on their street.

"The day I saw that sign I thought 'This is meant to be,'" said Dennery Sanders, who owns a brand consulting firm. "We knew we were adopting our son, Jack, in May."

Like many Los Angeles real estate scenarios, this one had the couple in a bidding war with a developer, but they ultimately won the house after writing a note to the family who had lived there for 50 years.

In a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone filled with Spanish Colonial Revival homes, the corner lots stand out for their commanding placement in the Mid-City L.A. neighborhood.

"Being on the corner makes you feel like you have more space," said Sanders, public information director for the Los Angeles Fire Department. "But I wouldn't call the house grand."

Indeed, the 1926 Spanish house had not been touched in years and was in desperate need of an update. With the arrival of their son imminent, the couple moved half a block down the street and proceeded to renovate the five-bedroom, four-bath 3,500-square-foot home over the next six months.

Although they took 60% of the house down to the studs, for them the remodel was about staying true to the home's roots both architecturally and historically while bringing it into the 21st century.

"We wanted to preserve the architecture and spirit of the house," said Dennery Sanders.

From the street, the house looks much as it would have in 1926 (a turret, which is now a second-floor office and guest room, was added in the 1960s). But once inside, the updated interiors feel contemporary and stylish while retaining the original home's warmth and family-friendly feel.

Collaborating with interior designer Seyie Putsure of Seyie Design, Dennery Sanders furnished the home in earth tones and added whimsical details such as animal prints and dramatic wallcoverings for personality. The look is elegant but the mood is casual as Sunbrella-covered furniture mixes with fun leopard prints and glamorous wall coverings by Christian Lacroix and Donghia.

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Renovated 1926 home in Carthay Circle shows its past yet feels modern

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Shares of home furnishings retailer Pier 1 Imports (PIR) hit a 12-month low after the company's second quarter results fell below analysts' consensus estimates and it reduced its fiscal 2015 earnings per share outlook.

WHAT'S NEW: Pier 1 Imports reported Q2 EPS of 10c on revenue of $418.6M, missing analysts' consensus estimates of 14c and $426.02M, respectively. Same-store-sales for the quarter were up 4.5%. The retailer lowered its FY15 EPS outlook to 95c-$1.05 from $1.14-$1.22. Analysts' consensus estimates for FY15 EPS prior to the earnings report was $1.13. The company sees FY15 SSS in the mid-to-high single digits and gross profit, as a percentage of sales, are expected to be 40.5%-41.5%. Pier 1 Imports CEO Alex Smith said that he foresees online sales to surpass $400M in 2016.

WHAT'S NOTABLE: During the company's conference call, Pier 1 Imports said that it expects to see improving merchandise margins in coming quarters with fewer coupons. The company noted plans to continue returning cash to shareholders in the form of dividends and share buybacks.

ANALYST REACTION: This morning, Wells Fargo analyst Matt Neemer downgraded Pier 1 Imports to Market Perform from Outperform. He feels that the stock will be a difficult one to own in the medium term as the retailer moves towards a multi-channel approach. Neemer believes that the company has a difficult journey ahead as it cuts broad-based discounters, and he feels that consumers will take time to get accustomed to the new messaging. He cut his price target range to $15-$16 from $19-$20 for the company. Barclays analyst Alan Rifkin downgraded Pier 1 Imports to Equal Weight from Overweight due to slow revenue growth and heightened promotions. He feels that that the "soft" revenues could continue. He believes that the company's elongated online profitability pipeline and increased promotions are certain to be a burden on the business in ways that the company had not initially thought. Rifkin said that growing the top line will be even harder in the absence of promotions. He reduced his price target for shares to $14 from $18. Argus analyst Christopher Graja downgraded Pier 1 Imports to Hold from Buy due to the company's lower than anticipated Q2 earnings. He feels that in terms of the home furnishings market, companies such as Williams-Sonoma (WSM) , Home Depot (HD) and Lowe's (LOW) are more "resilient" for shareholders. Pier 1 Imports was also downgraded to Hold from Buy at BB&T and to Perform from Outperform at Oppenheimer this morning.

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Pier 1 Imports Falls to 12-Month Low After Weak Q2, Lowered Outlook

GTA 5 - If a Psychopath did home restoration
I seriously died of laughter when I rewatched this. But today, we review 4401 Procopio Drive in Paleto Bay. Part of the Independence Day DLC for GTA 5. The c...

By: Ninjaman349

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GTA 5 - If a Psychopath did home restoration - Video

The Willamette National Forest will hold meetings next week in Sweet Home and Gates, seeking comments on long-term road management strategies

The meetings are scheduled for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, at the Sweet Home Ranger District, 3225 Highway 20, Sweet Home; and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, at the Gates Fire House, 140 E. Sorbin St., Gates

The Willamette National Forest is working on a road investment strategy to help guide future road management decisions, addressing the twin challenges of an aging road system and a limited maintenance budget.

In addition, Forest Service roads are important for almost every activity on National Forests: managing fire, hiking and fishing, timber harvest, hunting, ecological restoration, firewood, and more.

Both meetings will start with a presentation about roads management on the Willamette National Forest and a chance for questions and answers. After the presentation, there will be maps of the on tables, and visitors will be encouraged to draw on the maps to show areas or roads that are important to them.

An earlier meeting in Detroit about road management strategies spurred a lively discussed

Those unable to attend the Sweet Home or Gates meetings can use interactive mapping tool that lets them draw on digital map and comment. The mapping tool is available at http://go.usa.gov/KqGH.

For more information about the Willamette National Forests road investment planning, see http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/willamette/roads. For more information about the meeting, contact the Detroit Ranger District at 503-854-3366 or the Sweet Home Ranger District at 541-367-5168.

The Willamette National Forest hosted a successful public meeting last weekend in Detroit, Oregon, with lively discussion and conversation about Forest Service road management. Residents of Sweet Home and the North Santiam Canyon have an opportunity to share in these discussions in two upcoming meetings:

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Forest Service seeks comments on long-term road management strategies

With the late morning sun back-lighting them, the stained glass windows in the sanctuary at First Presbyterian Church look as resplendent as they did when master glassmakers David and John Povey installed them in 1910.

They used warm colors because of the gray days we so often have here, said Lynne Neville, who is a member of the churchs stained glass restoration project.

Started with fundraising in 2011, the project has restored two of the main windows, which were buckling over time due to softening of the leading and came (a kind of putty) that holds the stained glass pieces together.

But a closer look shows that the newly restored windows are cleaner, straighter and let in more light.

The middle panel of one window, the Good Shepherd, is completed, but the side panels feature white boards to hold the place of the glass panels now under renovation by a Mill City stained glass artist.

Still awaiting funding for full restoration is a piece called Jesus Knocking at the Door.

That title inspired the idea for a tour of historic homes and sites to benefit the glass restoration effort, Neville said.

Participants not only will get an inside look at some of Corvallis most significant historic homes, they will get a look at some innovative recent restoration projects.

For example, the 1905-06 Horner House, built by John and Isabelle Horner, whose collection formed the basis for a museum collection, has been occupied by its current owners only since November. They are in the midst of an extensive interior remodel to make the house functional for the 21st century but also preserving its historic features.

Proceeds from the house will go to the Jesus Knocking window restoration, which is set for 2015.

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Historic home tour benefits stained glass rehab

Restoration Hardware reported earnings recently and its revenue growth showed a significant deceleration in comparison to what investors have come to expect. Nonetheless, for investors with a long-term outlook, Restoration Hardware has a plan in place to keep growth robust, thus allowing for long-term stock gains.

Its past growth is undeniable Restoration Hardware is luxury to the core, vintage yet modern timeless designs, selling home improvement furniture and goods created by hundreds of small and medium-sized vendors who sell specifically to Restoration Hardware.

Albeit, Restoration Hardware's stock traded lower on Thursday after quarterly earnings revealed that revenue growth decelerated from prior quarters. In the second quarter, comparable sales increased just 13% year over year, which represents a significant slow-down from what investors are used to seeing, such as 20% to 30% comparable growth over the last two years. Nonetheless, when compared to other home improvement retailers, Restoration Hardware's growth is undeniable.

To explain, Restoration Hardware's most recent quarter's comparable sales growth can be seen below, compared to home improvement competitors Lumber Liquidators , Home Depot , and Lowe's Companies . In addition to the single-quarter performance, the same period for the previous two years is also included, further illustrating the degree of growth for Restoration Hardware long term.

Quarter/Year

Restoration Hardware

Lumber Liquidators

Lowe's

Home Depot

Q2/2014

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Here's Why Restoration Hardware Holding's Inc's Growth Is Here to Stay

With the late morning sun back-lighting them, the stained glass windows in the sanctuary at First Presbyterian Church look as resplendent as they did when master glassmakers David and John Povey installed them in 1910.

They used warm colors because of the gray days we so often have here, said Lynne Neville, who is a member of the churchs stained glass restoration project.

Started with fundraising in 2011, the project has restored two of the main windows, which were buckling over time due to softening of the leading and came (a kind of putty) that holds the stained glass pieces together.

But a closer look shows that the newly restored windows are cleaner, straighter and let in more light.

The middle panel of one window, the Good Shepherd, is completed, but the side panels feature white boards to hold the place of the glass panels now under renovation by a Mill City stained glass artist.

Still awaiting funding for full restoration is a piece called Jesus Knocking at the Door.

That title inspired the idea for a tour of historic homes and sites to benefit the glass restoration effort, Neville said.

Participants not only will get an inside look at some of Corvallis most significant historic homes, they will get a look at some innovative recent restoration projects.

For example, the 1905-06 Horner House, built by John and Isabelle Horner, whose collection formed the basis for a museum collection, has been occupied by its current owners only since November. They are in the midst of an extensive interior remodel to make the house functional for the 21st century but also preserving its historic features.

Proceeds from the house will go to the Jesus Knocking window restoration, which is set for 2015.

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Historic home tour Saturday benefits stained glass rehab

Home furnishings retailer Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc (RH: Quote), Wednesday reported a swing to profit in the second quarter, due largely to an increase in revenue and lower expenses. Earnings for the quarter came in ahead of Wall Street expectations, but revenues fell short dragging Restoration Hardware shares down 5 percent in after-hours trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

Corte Madera, California-based Restoration Hardware reported a second-quarter profit of $27.3 million or $0.66 per share, compared to a loss of $17.8 million or $0.46 per share for the same quarter last year.

Excluding items, adjusted earnings for the quarter rose to $27.7 million or $0.67 per share from $19.8 million or $0.49 per share last year. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected earnings of $0.64 per share for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

Revenues for the second quarter grew 14 percent to $433.8 million from $382.1 million a year ago. Analysts had a consensus revenue estimate of $454.38 million for the quarter.

Comparable brand revenue growth, which includes direct, increased 13 percent in the second quarter. Gross margins improved to 38.7 percent from 36.4 percent last year. Selling, general and administrative expenses dropped to $119.0 million from $167.1 million last year.

Looking forward to the third quarter, the company expects adjusted earnings of $0.46 to $0.48 per share and revenues of $475 million to $485 million. Analysts currently estimate earnings of $0.43 per share on revenues of $478.96 million for the third quarter.

For the fiscal year 2014, the company now expect adjusted earnings of $2.29 to $2.33 per share, compared to its prior outlook of $2.24 to $2.30 per share. Restoration Hardware now expect revenues of $1.85 billion to $1.87 billion, down from prior estimate of $1.86 billion to $1.89 billion. Analysts currently estimate earnings of $2.31 per share on revenues of $1.88 billion for the full year.

RH closed Wednesday's trading at $82.05, up $0.04 or 0.05%. The stock, however, dropped $4.30 or 5.24%, in after-hours trade.

by RTT Staff Writer

For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com

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Restoration Hardware Swings To Profit - Update