Kansas.com: Home and Garden

Pillows give a punch to decor

Orlando Sentinel — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:03 CST

It takes just moments for Sam June to decorate his family room for the holidays. He simply swaps the earth-toned throw pillows on the sofa for pillows in shades of red, green and burgundy, adds a few ornaments to the fireplace mantel — and he's done.

"It's a subtle change, but it still says 'holidays.' And it's easy to take it down when the holidays are over," says June, a designer who lives in Longwood, Fla.

June and designer Debbie Sheaf offer these suggestions for decorating with pillows:

Pick a good base then reinvent your wreath every Christmas

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:03 CST

I love a gorgeous garland. I adore shimmering, showy Christmas tree ornaments. And I've never met a set of holiday dishes that hasn't set my heart on fire.

But if I had to pick the single-most-amazing holiday decorating tool that you can use to transform your home for the season, my vote would go to the humble, versatile, never-fail wreath. This timeless classic is a must-have, whether you want to add just a spark of holiday spirit to your home or make it a showstopping spectacle. How could you not love a gorgeous gem that's so low-maintenance that it's easy to store, won't break, is a snap to put up and just as easy to take down?

In my new holiday decorating book, "Nell Hill's O Christmas Tree," I share some of the tips and tricks the Nell Hill's designers and I use to make our holiday wreaths look like a million dollars. Here are just a few.

Refresh dining room before guests arrive

Washington Post — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:03 CST

From our design experts, here small things you can do to give your dining room a minor face-lift before Thanksgiving Day dinner.

* If you have a favorite vintage textile or piece of fabric, hem it and have it cleaned. You can layer it on top of a simple white tablecloth, to create a rich texture on your dining table.

* If your floor is bare or your area rug is worn out, an inexpensive sisal rug will add an instant pick-me-up. To determine the size, Meredith Ericksen says: "Measure the top of the dining table and add 27 to 30 inches to all four sides."

Gardener's almanac

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:03 CST

Vegetable hardiness — I guess the temperature has dropped below freezing at my house, but I can't see much loss of plant life because of it. If you're wondering how low the temperature can go before hurting your garden vegetables, here's what to expect, from Ward Upham of K-State:

* Semi-hardy crops that can take a light frost but are damaged by temps in the mid- to upper 20s are beets, Chinese cabbage, collards, Irish potatoes, Bibb lettuce, mustard, radishes, spinach Swiss chard and leaf lettuce. Covering these plants when cold weather is forecast can extend the harvest.

* Hardy plants that aren't damaged until temps get in the low 20s include cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, carrots, turnips and kale.

'Grand Tour' items good quality, expensive

TERRY KOVEL — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:03 CST

The wealthy and the almost-wealthy of the late Victorian era in the U.S. chose to take the "Grand Tour" of Europe to show off their sophistication, education and good taste. The tour could take a year or more. Young men went to be educated in a language, usually French, or in architecture and art. Young women traveled with a chaperone and visited museums, attended concerts and went to other cultural sites and events.
Some went to meet eligible men from wealthy or royal families. Middle-age couples and their servants traveled to England, France, Italy, Greece, Germany and other countries to see the sights and to buy things.
Furnishings for the house were important, and everything — from large oil paintings to floor-standing vases to huge carved pieces of furniture — was carefully shipped back to the United States. Many pieces were copies of earlier works: Greek vases, marble statues, Egyptian relics and more. Gold and precious-gem jewelry was popular, and so was souvenir jewelry, carved lava set in bracelets, agate or shell cameos and micro-mosaic pins and necklaces.

Hip hearths

Stacy Downs — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:34 CST

Since men were cave dwellers, the hearth has been the heart of the home. Over time, fireplaces naturally became the focal point in the family room, dressed up with elaborate moldings and ornamental mantels. But designers are seeing fireplaces turn to sleeker looks, where the fire itself is the star of the show. Behold the modern fireplace. "More people are gravitating toward minimal surrounds," says Jonathan Kelly, manager of Fireplace & Bar-B-Q Center in Overland Park. "Fireplace interiors are becoming more streamlined, too."
Until recently, gas-insert manufacturers tried to replicate real logs. But now tumbled glass or river stone inserts are becoming more popular.
"People don't want to look at big, massive logs," Kelly says. "What's soothing and relaxing are the flames."

Do you have a special tree topper?

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:03 CST

Maybe it's a lighted star, an elaborate bow or a hand-crafted angel. Do you have a Christmas tree topper that wows guests or warms your heart?
Send us a brief description and a photo along with your name, hometown and a daytime phone number by Dec. 9 and we'll consider it for inclusion in a Home & Garden story before Christmas.
E-mail information and a jpeg to acalovich@wichitaeagle.com or mail a photo with the information to Annie Calovich, The Wichita Eagle, 825 E. Douglas Ave., Wichita, KS 67202.

In bloom at Botanica: ornamental oregano

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:03 CST

Botanical name: Origanum laevigatum "Herrenhausen"
Location: Perennial Border
Description: This herbaceous perennial is grown for its aromatic leaves and its showy flowers. Tiny, dark-pink flowers with reddish purple bracts bloom in the summer and into the fall. Small oval-shaped green leaves appear on contrasting red stems, deepening to a reddish-purple as the season progresses. Reaches a mature height and spread of 12 to 24 inches.

On the garden hotline

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:03 CST

Here are some of the questions the master gardeners fielded this week at the Extension Service. If you have horticulture questions during the winter, you can call the Extension at 316-660-0100.

Do we need to winterize roses?

Boys' toys have long topped collectors' lists

TERRY KOVEL — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:06 CST

Although there's lots of bad news about the economy, there are some bright spots in the antiques world. An important collection of toys is being sold in a series of auctions by Bertoia Auctions of Vineland, N.J. At the two auctions held so far, several records have been set, including $149,500 for a 1912 toy fire pumper.
Toys were made to replicate real full-size items, and this German-made Marklin toy powered by live steam was a copy of a real fire truck. It was in very good condition. Only five examples of the toy are known to exist, and this one is going back to Europe. In spite of the economy, the spring sale of this collection brought $4.2 million, and the fall sale took in more than $3 million.
More sales of the collection are to come. The lesson for collectors is clear. Boys' toys have long been at the top of toy collectors' choices. Trains, cars, robots and mechanical banks are popular with grownups who remember them from their childhood. The best-of-the-best of any type of collection holds its value and can be resold at good prices.

Sign up for free programmable thermostats

DION LEFLER — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:06 CST

Looking to save on energy bills, about 900 Kansans have taken Westar Energy up on its offer of a free programmable thermostat since the program began a month ago.
That's 900 down, 89,100 to go, said Karen Smith, a manager of the "Wattsaver" program.
"We hope to install 90,000 by the end of 2016," Smith said. "That's (a population) about the size of Lawrence."

A banquet for birds

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:06 CST

It took a few weeks, but the birds are finally finding the new heated birdbath in my side yard. For a while I was feeling rejected by my feathered friends, a presence that I always have an ear and an eye out for beyond the windows.
The look of the heated bath — a green plastic bowl in a wrought-iron stand — is different from the stone bath that sits out in non-freezing weather. But the stone would crack in the cold, so it's drained and protected — at least one thing I've done to prepare for winter. (It's still OK if it doesn't come.)
If you're feeling the neglect of birds at your feeders and baths right now, it's probably because nature's banquet table is pretty full.

Gardener's almanac

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:06 CST

Frosty forecast — We keep dodging bullets, but the forecast shows a dip into the lower 30s next week, as of this writing. I hope it spares the tender new geranium and impatiens buds and all the glorious roses growing in my yard and all over town. Let's keep 'em blooming as long as we can.
Gardeners, stop your pruners — I've heard reports of gardeners going after clematis and roses and who knows what with the pruning shears lately. Remember that pruning encourages growth, something we don't want to do now. That growth will be killed in a freeze.
"Though light pruning and/or removal of dead wood is fine this time of year, severe pruning should be left until spring," Ward Upham of K-State says. "Keep in mind that even light pruning of spring-blooming shrubs such as lilac and forsythia will reduce flowers for next year. We normally recommend that spring-bloomers be pruned after flowering."

Dining room gathers people around new table, fireplace

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:35 CST

Ruhuni and Barry are the ultimate hockey parents. Sons Jacob and Noah are so heavily into the sport that their lives revolve around game schedules, ice times and practices. But when not at the rink, Ruhuni and Barry love hosting the team's social events in their large home.
They recently renovated their kitchen and had plans to continue into the adjoining dining room. But once the kitchen was completed, they ran out of steam, and the dining room morphed into a storage room for the boys. When they wanted to entertain in the room, Ruhuni and Barry would pull out a cafeteria-style table and a bunch of fold-up chairs.
The couple were eager to reclaim the space and turn it into an inviting place for family and friends. So I gathered together my crew and got set to turn the space from a sports locker into an all-star room that would be casual enough to suit little hockey players, but elegant enough to host their parents, too.

Historical Museum to have Wreath Festival

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:16 CST

The Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum will be decked out for Christmas and open for holiday shopping during the annual festival on Nov. 19 and 20. The festival will feature decorated wreaths and holiday gifts, decorations and baked goods for sale to benefit the museum, which is at 204 S. Main. Admission to the festival is free. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. both days for $12. For group lunch reservations of six or more, call 316-265-9314.

Broken dishes tell a story with their thrifty repairs

Terry Kovel — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:07 CST

Recycling and reusing is not a new idea. In the 18th century, well-to-do European and American families bought made-to-order dinner sets from China that were sent across the ocean in ships. It took a year to get the dishes, and if one broke it was even more difficult to get a replacement.
So plates were repaired by the best system known. Small holes were drilled in each broken part and metal rivets were inserted in the holes. Then the rivets were bent to force the broken parts together. Animal glue was added to fill cracks or holes. The finished piece could be used, but it had what we now consider unsightly repairs.
A few collectors today like examples of "waste not, want not" from the past. Sometimes the repair made the piece resume its useful life. Sometimes the repair created a "make-do," a new item made from old recycled parts. An 18th-century Chelsea porcelain teapot with a replaced spout of silver, a broken candlestick transformed into a pincushion by the addition of a cushion top or a kitchen grater made from a tin cup with newly punched holes are good examples.

Get ahead of the holiday chaos by putting your plans on paper

Brenda Gutierrez — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:07 CST

The holidays typically send many families into high-stress mode. Before you start panicking, "the No. 1 thing is put the pressure on paper," says Deniece Schofield, a home management expert and author of several books on organization, including "Confessions of a Happily Organized Family."
"Make sure everything is written down, because if it's in your head, it's stressful," she said.
Schofield recommends starting a notebook and making lists to keep yourself organized and save time. The real key is to get your planning under way ASAP.

Hot trends will warm the Christmas season

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:23 CST

When you're a home-decor retailer, it's a bit like living at the North Pole: It's always the holiday season. As soon as the decorations are down for the season, we're off to market to pick out next year's. Our warehouse fills up with holiday decor in spring, and by summer, we're transforming the stores into winter wonderlands. Call me crazy, but I love living Christmas year-round because I get to check out the new holiday trends early in the season. To get your holiday-decorating juices flowing, here are a few of the great looks you'll see this season.
* Ice blue: This chillingly beautiful color is subtle and enchanting, and it's taking the holidays by storm. Designers are pairing it with silver and white for a cool monochromatic effect. You'll also see ice blue adorned with pearl accents, which gives it a warmer, more elegant feel.
I love to combine ice-blue ornaments and ribbons with greenery that looks like it was plucked from a frozen forest, like bare sticks sprinkled with clear or silver glitter, evergreen garland that seems dusted with snow or boxwood wreaths that appear to have been caught in the season's first freeze.

Floral design workshops will lead up to the garden show

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:07 CST

As a lead-up to next year's Wichita Garden Show, the show's educational foundation is sponsoring a series of five floral design workshops this fall and winter.
The workshops, co-sponsored by the show's Amateur Flower Show Committee, are meant to teach design elements and principles, build confidence in design ability and give hands-on experience on how to win at the 2010 Wichita Garden Show Design Competition.
The schedule of topics: grape vine wreaths, Nov. 16; all-green arrangements, Dec. 15; designs using tropicals, Jan. 11; designing outside the box, Jan. 26; and judges critiquing your arrangement, Feb. 8.

Garrity's new book is about Christmas

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:07 CST

Need a little Christmas now? Step into Mary Carol Garrity's "Nell Hill's O Christmas Tree."
Garrity, owner of the home-decorating store Nell Hill's in Atchison and Kansas City, Mo., shares her holiday decorating ideas and advice in the book. It takes readers inside several homes, including her own 130-year-old Greek Revival.
The book reflects the updated traditional look that is Nell Hill's trademark, a style that relies heavily on elements from nature and classic decorating accessories such as silver serving pieces and garden statues.