Blog Posts by Woman s Day

By Donna Duarte-Ladd

simply vera vera wang handkerchief hem pieced dress

Yes, you can wear prints!

If you shy away from patterns because you're afraid they draw attention to places you'd rather hide, think again. These clothes are both flattering and affordable.

"This is the perfect summer dress!" says Anne Gallagher of Hoboken, NJ, who's sporting the frock here. "It can easily go from day to evening."

Vertical brushstroke stripes visually elongate Anne's legs and torso, while the horizontal ones nip in her waist. Simply Vera Vera Wang Handkerchief Hem Pieced Dress, $70; Kohls.com.

A structured handbag with prominent hardware balances the flowy style of Anne's maxidress. Lulu*s handbag, $52; Lulus.com.

Wedge sandals give Anne a height boost so she looks longer and leaner. The gold color makes them a fun finishing touch. White Mountain Swift sandals, $55; Zappos.com.

Wildlife by Heidi Klum for QVC Reversible Enamel Stretch Bracelet, $49.50; QVC.com.
Reinvent your look with 10 quick tips.

Shape Up

A

Read More »from Pretty Patterned Pieces

By Woman's Day Staff

Pink Sofa, Red Kitchen Chair, Colorful Storage Boxes, Colorful Blankets

Hue knew?
It's easy to move beyond beige, brown and gray with these seven inspiring ideas. Photo credit: CB2.com; SeeJaneWork.com; Target.com; IKEA.com



















Paint outside the walls.
Though your first instinct may be to use that can of Duchess Rose or Tucson Teal to create a backsplash or an accent wall, remember: There are more than four surfaces in a room. Brush brights onto the floor, ceiling (try it in an entryway) or stair risers, or around your doors and windows (molding doesn't have to be white). Photo credit: Tria Giovan/GAP Interiors
Spruce up your floors with 5 easy ideas.


Treat everything as a canvas.
Peek over, under and inside furniture, fixtures and cabinets to find surprising spots to bring in color. Don't limit yourself to wood, either-you can paint on glass, cast iron and plastic too. Photo credit: Gridley Graves




















Go high-gloss.

Shiny pieces really stand out, so use them in place of matte materials such as wood or brushed metal. Try a

Read More »from How to Add Color to Your Home

By Lexi Petronis

Keep these eats away from little ones, and find out what to serve instead this season

50 Foods Under 100 Calories

Foods That Look Like Body Parts They're Good For

8 Home Remedies That Actually Work

Read More »from The 7 Worst Summer Foods for Kids

By Woman's Day Staff


Nail Polish, Hair Bands, Face Wash, Shea Butter, Taming MistGlossy hair, luminous nails, gorgeous bronzed skin…these shine-enhancing bargains are worth their weight in gold. Click through to see seven steals that'll get you glowing. Photo credits: Greg Marino/ Studio D

Glittering Gloss

The finely ground micropearls in this lipcolor give you a shimmering, mostly sheer, finish. Available in Coral (shown), Sunset (a soft pink), Ultra Violet and Nude. Avon Glow Lip Gloss, $7; Avon.com.
Learn how to apply makeup the right way with 5 easy tricks.

Perfect Polish

These metallic shades are a chic finishing touch for hands or feet. Essie Mirror Metallics in (from top) Penny Talk, Nothing Else Metals and Good as Gold, $8; Essie.com for stores.

Double-Duty Elastic

Wear one around your wrist as a blingy bracelet, so it's always at the ready to sweep hair up into a ponytail. Goody Double Wear Colors, $5.99; at Walmart stores.
Find out 10 surprising things about your shampoo.

Shine Spray

Smooth fly-aways and

Read More »from Glow from Head to Toe

By Brian Underwood

porch

An Outdoor Oasis

The back porch Kelley Vickery built was meant to be a quiet refuge and a charming spot to entertain. But it sat unfinished until Woman's Day sent in designer Annie Selke to bring it to life. Photo credits: Mark Lund/Woman's Day

When Kelley Vickery, now 46, was going through her divorce, the Lenox, MA, resident's biggest concern was making the transition easier for her three children. "We sold our home and I used the money to build a new one next door," says Kelley. "I wanted my kids to be able to stay in the same school."
Find out 9 fights you should have with your spouse.

Hitting Roadblocks

Construction on the new house went smoothly until money became tight. Suddenly, there wasn't room in the budget to complete everything. "I focused on the bedrooms and the kitchen and had to skimp on other areas like the basement and the garage," she says.

Room for Improvement

One neglected spot-the porch overlooking Kelley's lushly

Read More »from A Perfect Porch

By Ilisa Cohen

young blonde family holding gray kittensLisa Hanes's kids have always been animal-crazy. Even with a cat, two dogs and two guinea pigs in the house, Paige, 8, and her brother, Hunter, 11, often stop at the local pet shop in Monterey, CA, to visit the animals. Paige declared she wanted to be a veterinarian when she was in preschool. So Lisa wasn't shocked when two years ago, the kids suggested that their reward for completing chores be volunteering at Animal Friends Rescue Project (AFRP) in nearby Pacific Grove. Kitty love: (from left) Lisa, Paige, Hunter and Mark Hanes

Eager to encourage their passion for animals and their desire to contribute to the community, Lisa and her husband, Mark, drove the kids to the shelter to sign up as volunteers. But they soon realized that with their work schedules and the kids' baseball, soccer, basketball and ballet, there just wasn't any spare time. That's when they decided to foster and care for cats at home.
Try 8 home remedies that actually work.

Read More »from Fostering Kittens

By Sara Eckel

Why spend money on dressings, marinades and rubs when you probably have all the ingredients to make your own at home? Cookbook author and food blogger Jorj Morgan explains how. Photo credit: Kana Okada
See the best homemade hair treatments.

Salad dressing

A good rule is 1 part acid-such as orange juice, lemon juice, rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar-to 2 parts oil. Add a little scallion, garlic and fresh ground pepper and you have homemade dressing for half the cost of the store-bought variety. "The extra limes that you buy for your margarita party on Saturday will be perfect for your vinaigrette on Sunday," says Morgan. Photo credit: Thinkstock
Snack on 50 foods under 100 calories.

Beef or chicken marinade

Mix 3 parts tomato juice or sauce with 1 part lime juice, and season with soy and Worcestershire sauce. Add whatever fresh herbs are in your refrigerator or growing on your windowsill (Morgan likes thyme and rosemary) and a little garlic. Photo

Read More »from Make Your Own Marinades and More

By Melody Warnick

War Veteran Kerri LudwigWhen the soldiers burst into the cavernous hall at Fort Bliss, in El Paso, TX, Richard Ludwig couldn't see his wife. No surprise there. Even in her combat boots, 33-year-old Kerri Ludwig is just 5'4"-not tall enough to stand out among the primarily male members of the 2-43 Air Defense Artillery Battalion.

Richard scanned the ranks as the welcome-home ceremony drew to a close, and watched as sign-waving civilians embraced loved ones back from their yearlong deployment to the Middle East. Still no Kerri. It wasn't until Richard stood on a chair that the two finally spotted each other. "She ran to me and just held me for a while," Richard recalls. At last Kerri looked up and said, "Let's go home."

Kerri's fourth deployment-her toughest yet-was officially, thankfully over. It had been a very long year.
Reinvent your look with 10 quick tricks.

Joining Up

When Kerri joined the Army in 1996, she was 18 years old and thinking more practically than

Read More »from Coming Home from War