September 2005

1716 LOCUST

VOTE for your favorite! We created two covers for this issue and want to know which one you like best. Go to bhg.com to cast your vote.

Win a new home!

Autumn's new beginning

While many gardeners lament the end of throwing season, Martin Stern celebrates his garden's waning days.

Style In spades

STIR IT UP These tumblers score big points with easy-to-apply embellishments. Enlarge a copyright-free playing card motif on a copier. Place the motif on self-adhesive stencil plastic, trace, and cut out the motif using a crafts knife. Wrap the stencil around straight-sided glasses and apply etching cream following the manufacturer's instructions. When etching is complete, remove stencil to reveal the etched motif. For winning swizzle sticks, hot-glue plastic chess pieces to ordinary stir sticks.

TRIO OF PINKS

PRETTY MEETS PRACTICAL

A new kitchen in a historic Savannah, Georgia, home incorporates items collected along the way, enhancing its vintage style.

CLASSIC QUILT RACK

PLAYING ALL THE ANGLES

On a river island near downtown Memphis, an architect adds a twist to traditional Southern design for a look that's jazzy and low-maintenance.

FROM BASEMENT TO BEDROOM

A San Francisco resident transforms his dark and dowdy basement into a sun-filled master suite, gaining additional living space for down time.

SMART SHOPPING, SMART STYLE

An eye for color and design, along with creative buys, wrap a Minneapolis home in polished, timeless decor.

Easy steps TO A new space

Throughout this year, you've been following along as we plan and build our Better Home Better Living house in suburban Atlanta.

REVIVING A HISTORIC GARDEN

Owners of a former inn along the Harvard, Massachusetts, commons clear and replant renowned grounds to allow a glimpse of history.

BIG IDEAS, SMALL SPACE

The Mediterranean architecture of this Silicon Valley house inspired a new look for its closed-in side yard. Now it is open, elegant, and inviting.

THE EAST ARTISTRY OF MOSAICS

While preserving the fragments of an heirloom cake plate, a Southern California gardener discovers a way to add personality to her garden.

Homespun gets chic

Lily Chin, who holds the world record in speed crocheting, believes handmade furnishings fill a home with lively color, warmth, and texture. "Crochet means a hug went into every stitch," says Lily, who created this gingham table runner (left) just for Better Homes and Gardens. The runner can also be used as a stole. "When you make something, there's never going to be another piece like it, and it gives you the opportunity to choose the color and size, sometimes even the design itself."

BAMBOO GOES BOLD

PAPER CHASE

Art to Go

OFFICE HELP

Chart your course

SMART SCREEN

Revved-Up Retro

Innovations

Cooking Magnet

Get Smart

BLOOMS IN CRIMSON

Cold Brew

Tastings, Espresso-Size

Make Mine Marshmallow

The Shape of Smart Cooking

Profile: Vic Firth

Fluffy Matzo Balls

Seasoned Salts

Home Cooking on the Go

Try a Trio of Corn

Lunch Bags with Style

HELPING KIDS BECOME money-savvy

In Part Five of our Resolutions series, we offer ways to give kids a better understanding of money to help them earn, spend, and save wisely.

CARING FOR care-givers

Taking care of older relatives is a labor of love, but one that gets easier to manage when adult children remember to take care of themselves too.

EXPLORE NEW worlds

Starting a parent-child book club encourages reading and exposes your whole family to new adventures, knowledge, and fun.

WINNING scholarship strategies

Students and their parents reveal proven, effective ways to earn big-time tuition money-- and steer clear of scholarship scammers.

It's a storybook life

"It's space you live in, so why not make it comfortable?" says Nancy of the kitchen. The sofa is a place for sleep kids to hang out in the morning or for Nancy to work on her laptop. Breakfast is eaten and coloring done at the table alongside the island. On Sundays, Martin, the chef in the family, whips up the kids' favorite: roast beef with Yorkshire pudding and gravy.

Living from the Outside In

For a young landscape designer with an eye for modern design, a run-down 80-year-old

Open House

To make room for his growing family, George Myers expanded his 1890s home to more than three times its original size. Its new, less formal dining room makes accessing the front porch a breeze.

SOUP-ER SPOONS

STACK 'EM UP

NUTRITION INFORMATION

With each recipe, we give important nutrition information. The calorie count of each serving and the amount, in grams, of fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, fiber, and protein will help you keep tabs on what you eat.

YOU CAN WITH WE CAN!

There's a new ally in the quest to keep kids healthy: The National Institutes of Health just launched a Web site called We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition). It's a national program designed to be a one-stop resource for parents who want to help their children 8-13 years old stay at a healthy weight. Go to www.nhlbi.nih.gov and click on the We Can! link for tips and activities to get you started.

A Bus That Walks

Simplest Stress Busters

Almost everything on your to-do list remains undone. The kids can't seem to share the backseat in the car without pinching each other. The supermarket's packed. Every terrible driver on earth seems to be angling toward you on the road. Supper isn't started yet and the chicken's still frozen. Arggghhhhh.

Buzz VACCINE FOR WEST NILE?

Room For Sharing

With American houses getting bigger and American families getting smaller, children have less reason than ever before to share a room. Yet some parents are opting to have their children bunk together even when there's lots of space, arguing that it offers valuable life lessons and can instill character.

Fit Dog, Happy Dog

Like people, dogs needs exercise. Fit dogs are healthier, live longer, and are better behaved. You know you can take your dog for a walk, but there are plenty of other activities you and your four-legged pal can enjoy too. Here are some to get you started. Don't be surprised if a few have you breaking a sweat.

THE COUCH POTATO POOCH

Asthma On The Sidelines

Nearly 6 million children in the United States have asthma, and many of them are active athletes. In most cases, asthma is not a reason to give up sports. But aerobic activity can trigger an asthma attack, especially in fall when pollen and mold counts are high.

BECAUSE WE can

It's a scene from many an American childhood. A huge cauldron of water simmering on the stove, turning the kitchen into a temporary sauna. Mother or Grandmother wielding a pair of tongs, plucking a Ball jar from its steaming bath.