The latest buzz Most morning routines hinge on that first hit of liquid sanity known as coffee. If you have a regular habit, even with a downgrade from Starbucks to 7-11, your fix can end up costing you. If you brew at home, the cost of the machine, paper filters, and energy used to crank […]
The latest buzz Most morning routines hinge on that first hit of liquid sanity known as coffee. If you have a regular habit, even with a downgrade from Starbucks to 7-11, your fix can end up costing you. If you brew at home, the cost of the machine, paper filters, and energy used to crank […]
What to bring home It’s the smell that brings vegetarians back to the Meat Side; that, and the promise of a crispy yet succulent strip of pork, hardly begun and yet devoured already. Bacon is pork belly that is cured, smoked and usually sliced for easy peeling, although it is possible to purchase slab bacon […]
Bless this mess There are many parallels between gardening and housekeeping. Each is a commitment that never ends. You need to keep a regular schedule and find ways of maintaining interest and regenerating enthusiasm. Things get out of hand sometimes, but often enough you feel you’ve been part of creating something beautiful (which will perish […]
Leafy greens A set of modern, nature-loving vases, $17.99 each at Hedge, proves that the bouquet itself is not the only place where the intricate grace of flora may be found. Petite in size, they’d do well cradling bold, single blooms, or even paintbrushes. Future forward Let’s take a few steps back…into the future? Donna […]
SEE MORE • For a complete photo gallery of the images from this month’s feature, click the "Photo Gallery" link at right. • For a slideshow of the project’s before images, click here. In a neighborhood like Fifeville, every old house is a potential dilemma. Many homes are in rough shape, and the neighborhood’s prime […]
As a potential homebuyer, it’s only natural to assume that the gorgeous four-board fence surrounding the property you want to buy is what demarcates it from the neighbor’s, right? Wrong. A fence—or any structure, really—can be way, way inside the official property line or encroach into the adjacent property. Not knowing a property’s true borders […]
From left, Amanda, Diana, Dan, and Liz Welch. The day before we met, Amanda Welch had returned from a run of events to promote a memoir she co-wrote with her siblings, The Kids Are All Right. The book is about the process of losing both parents at a young age, in a span of four […]
Sunny side The home of Spackled Egg receives a sunnier, satin-finish outlook. We’d been wanting to paint our house for a long time—ever since we painted the roof red, which made a comical combo with our medium-blue exterior. After a couple of years with a flag-themed home, we finally executed the plan we’d had all […]
Charming the snake Think of the plumbing snake not only as a cool, money-saving D.I.Y. tool, but also as an investment in foregoing many future embarrassing moments. Because if you have to call a professional at 10pm (in tears) on the night before hosting your entire family for Thanksgiving dinner after thinking it would be […]
Put your stamp on it Kind of like a buffet table on Thanksgiving, we here at Instant Decorator like to give you options. This month’s project does just that: Use this fabric-stamping technique on hankies (they make a nice stocking stuffer), shower curtains, window coverings, table cloths…even bed skirts! Since the holidays are coming up, […]