Blog Posts by Country Living

At the nursery, the profusion of colors and scents, varietals and blooms can sometimes make even the most enthusiastic gardener a shrinking violet. But there is an easy-to-adopt strategy for making a visit to the local nursery a successful shopping experience.
BEFORE YOU GO

- Make a List: Just as you would for most shopping excursions, when venturing to the nursery make a written list of what you hope to accomplish and buy. Be as specific as possible, taking into account such factors as sun vs. shade and container vs. ground plantings. The more specific you can be about the cultivars you want, the easier it will be for the staff to expedite the order and fill you in on availability (if you're really ambitious, have an alternate list of plants in mind, in case what you want is not in stock). Consider bringing along pictures of the space you are going to plant.

- Choose a Color Palette: To build a color palette, clip images from catalogues and magazines, or use swatches of your favorite

This Atlanta homeowner injected delightfully unexpected personality with industrial items, many of which were discovered on-the-cheap from sources such as eBay, Home Depot, and antiques fairs.


Patience and resourcefulness turned up nifty solutions:

• The newly renovated kitchen is now bright with skylights and glass pendant lights that formerly hung in a school ($20 each at an antiques fair).
• The counter stools were nabbed on eBay ($50 each).
• A big metal sink, with its integrated backsplash and countertop, was picked up at an auction "in the middle of a field" for a mere $50, says Aaron.

• The narrow stack of lockers, bought at an antiques fair for about $100, finds its place by the sink where it now conceals cleaning supplies.

• Two large shelving units outfitted with metal baskets came from a factory and were purchased for $350 each at an antiques market. Some shelves were left open for easy access to frequently used tableware.

• The huge

Whether you have five minutes over a weekend or an entire day, you can start (and finish) at least one of these easy improvements. And you don't need to spend the whole weekend to see results. Here you'll find a roundup of basic maintenance tasks, simple switches, and quick decor updates that can be accomplished in minutes or an hour or two. Tackle a few of these now, and you can rest easy on your days off.

EASY 5-MINUTE UPDATES
1. Switch to energy-saving bulbs. Save money and energy by replacing incandescent bulbs around your home with compact fluorescents.

2. Install a luxurious showerhead. Oversized showerheads offer wider coverage and soothing spray. Moen's Isabel model keeps water flowing at a steady pressure. moen.com.

3. Liven up your lamps. Give lamps a color or style makeover with new shades from target.com
or restorationhardware.com.

30 MINUTES
Update old furniture with new knobs to create a custom look!



1/2 DAY

Hang your artwork. Make a statement with your favorite

A tight budget presents the ultimate challenge: Devise inexpensive ways to achieve a stylish setting for elegant meals.

5 STEPS TO STYLE:

1. PURCHASE vintage frames at flea markets for as little as $5, says Country Living's Nicole Esposito Polly. "Paint them and hang them on their own, or use them to draw attention to 'floating' art. It's a great way to quickly create interest on a plain wall minus a big investment of time or money."

2. REPURPOSE transferware too crackled or fragile for serving food and turn it into art. Fasten to the wall with plate hangers. Gluing silver spoons to platters rounds out the theme for a dining room. Keep the silhouettes simple and uncluttered for the best results.

3. A KEEPSAKE, such as a simply framed menu from a favorite restaurant or occasion, becomes a conversation piece when you give it pride of place on a wall or shelf. And scour eBay for menu covers; use them to enclose handwritten menus for dinner guests.

Four easy improvements that up your home's worth.

1. PAINT

Updating your color scheme or even just applying a fresh coat of paint are among the easiest ways to breathe new life into your home's appearance.

Think of your shutters as mascara for your windows. Choosing the right style and color for your home will add definition as well as a little extra pizzazz.

Set the tone for the rest of your home with a welcoming entry featuring a clear path to your front door, an attractive porch, and well-tended greenery.

Let there be light that highlights the beauty of your home and landscaping while increasing safety. Picking the right fixtures and bulbs for the job is key.

Related Links:

Paint

Shutters

Entryway

Lighting

Limited Time Offer - Order Country Living & Save up to 81%

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

Cord keeper

Recharge your portable electronics - cell phone, iPod, BlackBerry, PDA - without getting your wires crossed. By repurposing a low-tech shoebox, you can organize and safeguard your high-tech accessories.

STEP 1 Empty a clean, sturdy shoebox. Measure and cut wallpaper or decorative fabric to its dimensions, wrapping the top and bottom pieces separately. Secure the material with spray adhesive.

STEP 2 On one long side of the box, measure and mark placement for four evenly spaced eyelet holes. Make the first hole about 3 inches in from the box's edge. Cut eyelet holes with an X-Acto knife. Repeat on the other long side, aligning holes so the wires cross through the box.

STEP 3 Purchase an extra-large eyelet kit from a hardware store, and fit the pieces using the manufacturer's directions as a guide. Feed the wires through both sets of holes and close the lid; recharge your gadgets.

SAFETY TIP
Keep electrical devices such as plugs and power strips outside the shoebox, to avoid

Want a workspace that's both functional and pretty? Clear an ample work surface, keeping it free of piles of paperwork and clutter. Items that you use regularly - phone, computer, reference books, writing implements - should be within reach, while nonessentials can be neatly stowed on shelved or filed in drawers. To maximize space and for visual appeal, attach jelly jars to a shelf above your desk. Fill them with colorful craft and office supplies.

Space-saving storage shelf
Measure your shelf to determine the number of jelly jars to attach. Space them out evenly and mark their placement with a pencil.

HOW-TO Start with clean jelly jars. Turn the shelf over and position the jar lids along the underside of the shelf. Attach each lid securely with two small nails; if the lid is too loose, it will spin. Fill the jars with colorful office and craft supplies - check out seejanework.com - and twist onto the lids.

See more crafty storage solutions.


Related Links:
Elegant Desktop Organizer

Sandra Ivan/Jupiter Images

Looking for a practical, inexpensive, and ecologically sound way to grow your best garden ever? With compost you can improve the soil, deter disease, mulch, prevent weeds, conserve water, and fertilize plants. Compost happens when the right ratio of nitrogen- and carbon-rich organic waste is mixed with soil, water, and air. How it gets from garbage to gold might seem like magic, but the breakdown of organic waste is due to billions of soil-dwelling critters and good microbes that include bacteria, fungi, earthworms, and other beneficial creatures. Here's the proper recipe to follow.

Measure out a space on your property that is at least three feet square. Your compost heap can be a simple pile or mounded into a ready-made or custom-built compost bin.

Use branches or twigs to start the bottom layer, then add alternating layers of carbon (or brown) material - leaves and garden trimmings, for instance - and nitrogen (or green) material such as kitchen scraps and manure (processed waste of