Roses like this Knockout variety are fun to grow, but do require some care in pruning.

















Roses are a beautiful addition to any garden but they do require some maintenance to keep them looking beautiful. In the south our roses start giving us beautiful color a little earlier so knowing the proper time and way to prune them is key to having a great show of color. Pruning and dead heading your roses is one part of the maintenance that must be done every season. Here are some basic steps to follow for pruning your roses. For the tips and a how-to video see: How to correctly prune your roses

8 Repurposed IKEA's items for your kid's roomNeed inspiration for your kid's room, or maybe you'd just like to come up with the coolest new toy? We've just discovered IKEA Hackers, an amazing site full of creative new uses for IKEA's affordable, well-made products. It's especially useful for designing a kid's bedroom or playroom, as they've got everything from a LACK table turned into a play kitchen to a rainbow bed using duct tape. We've picked 8 of the best kid's furniture IKEA hacks that are guaranteed to get the creative juices flowing!












Castle Bed1. Castle Bed
Your child could literally live in a fairy tale with this KURA bed that is transformed into a castle fit for a knight!
Get the tutorial












Related: 16 ways to save space in your kid's room








BILLY Baby Changing Station2. BILLY Baby Changing Station
Two BILLY shelves create a cosy baby changing station. This design also adds a ton of additional storage space to your nursery.
Get the tutorial






















Bookshelf Dresser3. Bookshelf Dresser
A BEKVAM dresser and IKEA spice racks combine create a cool bookshelf dresser for a kids room.

By Ayn-Monique Klahre

desk with blue wallIn early 2011, interior designer Vanessa de Vargas (Turquoise-LA.com) and design consultant Vanessa Kogevinas (VanessaKogevinas.com) came up with a unique idea for a good deed: to make over a residence at Los Angeles' Good Shepherd Center for Homeless Women & Children where women live for up to two years as they move from homelessness to self-sufficiency. Within six months, 30 local designers had transformed one room apiece, working nights and weekends and using donated furnishings to complete the makeovers. "We wanted to inspire these women to move beyond the hardships they've suffered," says de Vargas. Here's a look at some of the character-rich spaces they created, plus some tricks of the trade that could work in your home. Photos by Erika Bierman
Get five pretty ideas for sprucing up your floors.




The Look: Easy Elegance
"I wanted this room to be an oasis, a place that gives a sense of calm." - KRISTINE KAMENSTEIN, DESIGNER, JacksonPaige.com.

habits of organized people















Being truly organized extends far beyond keeping a tidy workspace or home. It's about keeping your life in order, from your schedule to your chores to your thoughts and beyond. Sound like an overwhelming task? Consider the benefits: While getting yourself into a habit of being organized requires an investment of time and energy, once you're in a groove you'll reap huge rewards, including less stress, more efficiency, a sharper mind, and the knowledge that when you want to find something, you'll know exactly where it is. If you're ready to join the ranks of highly organized people, adopt the following eight habits.

1. They keep only what they need.
Ever notice how clean your organized friends' spaces are? There's a reason for that. Organized people don't hoard a bunch of stuff they don't need. They amass only things that they actually use and keep decorative objects to a thoughtful minimum. With fewer things to keep track of or care for, they are surrounded by clean, mind-calming

I don't know about you, but I find window treatments the most difficult to decide upon when it comes to home decor. I guess that's why the majority of the windows in our home don't have anything yet (thanks to the big trees around us we can get away with that). But still we do need to cover a few windows and in my hunt I've come across a ton of clever DIY shade and curtain projects/ideas. Here are my 7 favorite creative window treatments:

Tea Towel Window1. Tea Towel Window
Using two kitschy tea towels clip drapery hooks to the top edge of a dishtowel and hang from a cafe curtain rod. I love this one because it would be easy to switch up with a new festive design every season.
Get the tutorial

















Related: 25 home projects you can get done over the weekend









Floral Stencil2. Floral Stencil
A zinnia stencil and fabric paint is used to create this pretty motif on a plain white Ikea curtain. Such an attractive and affordable option!
Get the tutorial




















Bold Stripes3. Bold Stripes
These thick stripes on a pair of panel curtains are a

The next time you're planning to throw a little soiree, you may want to turn to the famed sister of Duchess Kate Middleton for a little advice. Pippa Middleton is notorious for her fashionable style and ability to turn heads just about everywhere she goes. A recent unfortunate scandal involving Pippa made headlines when she was seen with a male brandishing a toy gun in front of paparazzi as a joke.

But now in need of a little redirect, Pippa would like for the attention to go toward her new party-planning book project.

It's not surprising that someone known for throwing and attending great parties would write a book with some insider tips and secrets on how to put together an affair to remember. A recent E! Online report says the book, Celebrate, will be due out in October and will be full of party etiquette tips, recipes, and planning pointers.

As daughter to parents who own a mail order party company called

Hello.My name is Kira Santoni and I love music! I have been singing ever since I was seven years old. I was born in New York, New York at Lennox hill hospital. I am currently 13 years old and want to pursue my dream. I have tried posting videos and recordings but get no responses. My favorite singer is Christina Perri. I currently live in Norwich, New York and in this small town it is hard to get noticed. My family cant really afford any musical equipment or classes. The only music envolvment I am in is NYSSMA and the middle school chior. I really do have a good voice and just want to be noticed.
My mother has MS. It has been hard for us to handle we are doing well with it. My father has had many surgeries because of his spine, stomach, and he is scheduled for a hip surgery. I have one brother and three half siblings. My younger brother is 12 years old and my other siblings all live in Florida except one who lives in Texas because he is in the military. Really, my brother and sister