May 2005

1716 LOCUST

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May

Give your home a summer facelift. Add strokes of color and fashionable swatches of fabric to energize rooms.

A garden to grow in

Winners

When you improve your home, you improve your life. The more than 7,500 entries received in our Better Home Better Living contest proved that point in spades-- and in wood, drywall, stone, and paint. You shared your incredible new homes, kitchens, bathrooms, retreats, party ideas, play spaces, gardens, and more. Our judges pored over the entries with the task of selecting 20 category winners, each of whom received $1,000 cash. Here they are, the 2004 Better Home Better Living contest winners. (See them at bhg.com/winners2004). Congratulations!

PARTY STYLE THAT'S TAKEOUT EASY

A quick stop at the local import store yields the right ingredients to set the scene for a festive outdoor gathering.

BIG COLOR IN A SMALL SPACE

The no-holds-barred decorating in this Brooklyn apartment combines a riot of color, pattern, and intense, rich wall art.

VINTAGE CHARM FOR TODAY

Details borrowed from a Tudor home's classic architecture temper modern surfaces and appliances, helping this brand-new kitchen fit in.

LIVING BY THE BOOKS

Turning a former laundry room into a tiny library tamed a runaway cookbook collection in this North Carolina vacation home.

Give gardens a focal point

FLAMES AFLOAT

HIGH FASHION AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

A New Twist on Tablecloths

Revitalizing Country

Innovations

Smartly designed products are integral to our Better Home Better Living house, and we're always on the lookout for fresh finds. These picks are accessible, affordable, and easy on the eye.

MIX AND MATCH ANNUALS

In our Test Garden, we planted annual flowers so they mingled in casual, long-lasting carpets of blooms. Here are 10 of our favorite combinations for you to try at home.

RIGHT-HEIGHT GARDENING

Raising the beds in this San Francisco Bay area garden to no-bend height eases work and prevents backaches.

SPECIAL GIFTS FOR A SPECIAL MOM

FRIENDS AND FAMILY PLATE This hand-painted plate makes an ideal gift and cherished keepsake. The sentiment reads: "This plate shall have no owner for its journey never ends. It travels in the circle of our family and friends. It carries love from home to home for everyone to share. The food that's placed upon it is filled with love and care. So please enjoy what's on this plate, then fill it up again, and pass along the love it holds, to family and your friends."

SCENTED GERANIUM COLLECTION

IMMACULATE PERFECTION

When your garden is small, it's easier to groom it meticulously and keep everything under control. This multifaceted gem of a garden in Atlanta is a case in point.

HOME OFFICE HEROICS

With a slim budget of about $1,000 and a little elbow grease, Donna Talley transformed her dreary New York home office into a winning workplace.

CHARMING AN URBAN ADDRESS

Years as a rental property had left this little house in need of restoration, until Dallas resident Susie Clark transformed it into her own cottage-style home.

Planning for a family fun space

In Part Three of our Resolutions series, we help one family plan to finish their basement with a long-term strategy and smart ideas you can use too.

A STACK OF LOVE

Grab a Napkin

Trivet Trivia

FOR THE HOSTESS

Design Duo

KITCHEN CENTRAL

Checking out the new library

Books are just the beginning of the offerings within the walls of today's public libraries, which now provide the latest in technology and comfort.

Happy campers

From rock star classes to building spaceships, the range of offbeat and fascinating summer camp experiences will make you wish you were a kid again.

Passport to a safe journey

Make sure you get bitten only by the vacation bug, not by bugs of the microscopic kind. A few precautions before and during your trip can save the day.

Down on the neighborhood farm

Families get a true taste of fresh produce-- and a new perspective they can't buy in any store-- when they join a community supported farm.

Where love grows

A curbside planting of lavender, yarrow, golden oregano, and miniature 'Baby's Blanket' roses is Mindy and Jeff Pettit's gift to their neighbors.

A Summer Romance for keeps

Although Jamie and Scott Honour have lived in California for more than a dozen years, strong family ties and an abiding affection for their hometown of Minneapolis lure them back to Minnesota every summer. Their pilgrimage has become especially meaningful since the births of sons Everett, 3, and Owen, 2. "We wanted our kids to have all the fond memories that we had, spending time with their grandparents," says Jamie, a full-time mom.

MOTHER'S DAY DESSERTS

GREAT WINES, MODEST PRICES

TRAVEL WINE JOURNALS

A compact, portable package with all the necessities to record your wine experinces, including a journal pad with notations and terminology, label lifters to save the labels of your favorite vintages, cellar tags to identify bottles at tasting events or stored in racks. Tucks nicely into a pocket or purse. 5x7-inches. Set of two journals (specify AAP408427), $29.95.

UPDATE ON ADDERALL

Backseat Bullets

THE TROUBLE WITH TRIPLES

A routine for restfulness

Don't lie in bed tossing and turning. Drift into a relaxing sleep with this 10-minute routine designed to wash away the day's stress and strife.

Trim down

Don't let your teenager diet dangerously. Here are three off-the-shelf solutions for young adults who want to lose weight safely and effectively.

Pinpointing pain with acupuncture

Looking for an alternative to painkiller pills? Consider the safe and effective art of acupuncture.

DELTA QUEEN STEAMBOAT COMPANY, INC.

Charmed

My granddaughter was turning nine soon, so I gave her a call. "What do you want for your birthday?" I asked. She sent a list.