September 2009

A month of decluttering

If you're among the fashion frugal, gather some friends and neighbors for a clothes and shoes exchange.

BETWEEN FRIENDS

This issue, I've invited some friends onto the editor's page. Meet a few of the winning entrants, right, from our recent Home Improvement Challenge.

Your Summer in Pictures

What's Hot for Your Kitchen

"I've got to have your recipe!"

Coming soon!

A Giveaway Every Day!

Things to do this month...

INDISPENSABLE: JOURNALS

Can I plant salad seeds now?

Blogged...

Spin it

$10 Magnetic Message Boards

Freeze Frames

Printing pictures at home is a snap with these affordable photo printers.

Maizing Grace

Grab the gusto of fall with armloads of colorful Indian corn turned into easy autumn decor.

Making It Personal

Making It Personal Adding a layer of artful but budget-minded accessories gives a basic decorating scheme warmth and personality.

Moss Green

Moss Green hints at a lush home, so imagine the boost this earthy color could give your rooms.

Out of The Bag

Here's a decorating secret: Good old burlap is handsome, versatile, and outrageously affordable. Try it in our no-sew ideas for windows, tabletops, and walls.

House Calls with Stephen Saint-Onge

Mismatched beds begone. This inexpensive headboard is actually a solid pine door (and comes together without any special tools).

6 Pattern Plays

Mixing patterns is like learning to ice skate: It's all in the balance. Take some tips from two pros who teamed multiple prints in one lively yet graceful room.

Problem Solved with Danny Lipford

Before you turn your attention to inside projects, take care of these fall fix-ups.

Clear Vision

Family time gains focus in this remodeled kitchen with its new island, sunny eating area, and smart window placement.

Rich & Handsome

Blues and browns, classic furniture, and accessories that only look expensive turn this modest 1970s ranch into a keeper.

Character Builder

A mix of cottage-style details and modern lines gave this typical suburban house a unique personality.

One for All

To handle the growing needs of three siblings, this bath gained room to groom.

Living green

Taking Steps LAURA STUKEL WATCHED AS HOUSE AFTER HOUSE IN HER COMMUNITY WAS TORN DOWN AND REBUILT. Determined to take a different approach with her own, she and her husband, Ray, embarked on a thorough, thoughtful green remodeling of the 1960s house they bought last year.

The Case for Remodeling Now

The Case for Remodeling Now Inspired by our winning stories? Here are 7 reasons why right now could be the very best time to improve your home.

Perfumed Peonies

Sweet Sips of Autumn

A backyard apple orchard yields family fun and cider for all.

Pots of Cold

Fill late-summer containers with the luxurious colors of fall, and watch them thrive in cooler weather.

Reblooming Daylily Quartet

Create a Private Paradise

Qa: Peonies

September is the perfect time to plant or move peonies-- and to answer your questions about these classic beauties.

Lawn smarts

SHADY SHOWOFF

Night Light

Qa: How do I keep those pesky squirrels out of my birdfeeder?

Garden smarts

CAN'T MISS IT

THIS MONTH IN THE GARDEN

EASY DOES IT

90% of households believe

Just Right

Seeing past the present

Deciding they're in it for the long haul, a couple max out every inch (and period detail) of their small fixer-upper.

Welcome addition

A California couple's new kitchen ushers in natural light, ocean breezes, and the satisfaction of building green.

Crowd pleaser

A RENOVATED PATIO IS THE PERFECT VENUE FOR PARTIES OF TWO-- OR MANY MORE.

Learning Curve

Six steps to help kids move from grade to grade and school to school

Brain Food

Quick, easy, and healthy ideas for meals and snacks.

Let the Countdown Begin

GO THROUGH THE CLOSETS Set aside a morning or afternoon for clothing review. If kids are old enough to dress themselves, let them start sorting what's still wearable and what isn't (you get final veto over everything). Donate clothes you don't need, or get together with other moms and host a clothing swap for the kids. Not a bad theme for a late-summer party.

Cool gear

Before your kids hit the books, hit the stores for gadgets that are anything but old school.

College care kit

Back in the day, a clever college-bound kid could pack everything he needed in a Volkswagen Bug: TV, stereo, phone, typewriter, a battered dictionary, and torn jeans. The jeans have stayed the same, but the rest of it all packs into a laptop smaller than the dictionary. Add a few accessories and your student will be a multimedia mogul. by CHRISTINA TYNAN-WOOD photos KRITSADA

Job Gone Away

Unemployment isn't just a financial strain, it's a family one. Minimize the stress of a job loss with these tips.

A Manageable Mortgage

Low rates and new programs can make your house payments lower.

Look of the month EAT, SHRINK & BE MERRY

Healthy home

Red Plaid Cook Book Goes Green

I Did It!

"I decided the room's walls had a destiny-- to reflect as much light, shimmer, and personality as possible."