 
Dec. 15 -- Latest
kitchen gadgets, appliances make truly useful gifts (PAMELA
PERCIVAL) No matter what the song
says, most people these days would not appreciate receiving a
“partridge in a pear tree” for a Christmas present.
Dec. 11 -- It’s
a small world, after all (BRIAN BETHEL)
The town of Liberty Falls, Colo., is an orderly place. Each building,
carefully and lovingly crafted by its many residents, reflects
the thriving community’s charm.
Dec. 2 -- Homes
For The Holidays (BRIAN BETHEL) Four
Abilene homes in the River Oaks area will be showcased Sunday,
benefiting St. John’s Episcopal School. The 1999 “Home
for the Holidays” tour of homes will kick off Friday with
a tour, dinner and silent auction for $75 per person, then throw
the doors open wide to the public Sunday from 1-5 p.m.
Nov. 8 -- Interior
designer offers 18 ideas for adding charm to your bathroom
(CHRIS CASSON MADDEN) Several weeks
ago I was a weekend guest at a friend’s house and I was charmed
by the wonderful touches that she had added to the bathroom that
adjoined the guest bedroom.
Nov. 4 -- A Year
Of History - Preservation League calendar for 2000 showcases historic
architecture in Abilene (JAN WOODWARD) The
Abilene Preservation League is offering Abilenians a chance to
be ready when the century turns with its sale of “Architecture
in Abilene,” a calendar for the year 2000.
Oct. 10 -- Look
for the artistic and unique at the 1999 Tour of Homes (JAN
WOODWARD) Homes on one of Abilene’s
most historic streets will be on parade during “At Home on
the Boulevard,” the 1999 Abilene Preservation League’s
Annual Fall Home Tour, set for Oct. 17.
Oct. 5 -- Now
is the time to plant bulbs for spring color (BRIAN BETHEL) Bulbs are in this fall. Actually, they’re
in every fall, but now is the right time to start planning which
bountiful blooms will grace your yard or maybe a pot or two in
the coming springtime months.
Sept. 7 -- Couple
finds Abilene quite suitable site for orchids (BRIAN BETHEL) Local residents Joe and Shirley Roeder have a tropical
paradise nearby most of the year — and they don’t even
have to leave the house to see it.
Sept. 4 -- Getting
the garage out of the front of the house: If visitors from another universe ever land in
our streets, it won’t take them long to figure us out.
Aug. 21 -- Custom
walkways enhance beauty of lawns and gardens: The shortest distance between two points may be
a straight line, but it’s also pretty boring if you’re
talking garden paths.
Aug. 17 -- Things
to consider when designing a teen-ager’s room: Once they pass the portals of childhood, teen-agers
need independence. Ideally, a teen bedroom should be like an apartment
— an efficiency without a kitchen, but with a private bathroom.
Aug. 3 -- Buyers
can overindulge in catalog ‘yard candy’: Trying to choose seeds and bulbs from a gardening
catalog is an exercise in restraint.
Aug. 3 -- Where
to look when ordering seeds, bulbs:
Here is a sampling of seed catalogs. Order by calling, writing
or through the Internet: (Includes clickable listing of Internet
addresses).
Aug. 3 -- Growers
going back to ‘nature’ with green gardening: Pesticides revolutionized gardens forever, but
organic gardening is bringing the hobby back to its roots.
Aug. 3 -- A
little water can go a long way in garden: Summer dry spells are a given for gardeners. But
with a little help, flowers and vegetables can thrive in hot weather,
even when rain doesn’t fall.
July 27 -- Posture
is important when gardening:
Bend! Squat! Dig! Lift! I’m a part-time gardener, and I know
those motions. I put enough hours of them together on a square
of good ground, I add the right seeds, water and fertilizers and
I’m on my way to a nice garden. Right?
July 9 -- Murals
add another dimension to home decor:
In the early 1960s my mother came home with stencils and paints,
determined not only to stencil a toy chest but also to paint a
mural in the breakfast room.
July 6 -- Here’s
how to keep your house cool this summer:
It’s warm outside, but keeping your cool may be costing you
a fortune. While you can’t do much about the sun and the
generally warmer summer temperatures, you can, with a few simple
changes, make your home a much more frigid place to live.
June 29 -- Good
lighting is crucial in kitchen:
Almost any task is easier to accomplish if the area is well lit.
The kitchen is no exception. Come to think of it, good lighting
in the kitchen is essential for distinguishing fingers from carrots
when chopping with a sharp knife.
June 22 -- Look
to things you love for color scheme:
Before you open that can of paint, plan a color palette. It’s
the first step to a beautiful paint job. But where do you start?
“You start with the givens,” said Kenneth X. Charbonneau,
color marketing consultant for Benjamin Moore.
June 22 -- Faux
painting styles go beyond sponging:
Many faux finish techniques require wiping the paint off immediately
after applying it.
June 14 -- Don't
spend wads to get the 'old stuff' look:
People in the decorating industry who know all about this sort
of thing call it “retro.” I think it’s better to
call it exactly what it is — the “old-stuff” look.
June 14 -- Orchids
lure former broker into greenhouse:
Stan Gordon was a rising star at a Denver brokerage firm when
he received an orchid upon the birth of his daughter, now 13.
Related article:
Orchid guide for beginners:
Many orchids are surprisingly easy to care for. Stan Gordon, owner
of Fantasy Orchids in Louisville, Colo., says most varieties sold
as houseplants need a bright spot and only basic care to bloom.
June 11 -- Imported
designer accessories are jewelry for rooms: Nasira Awan, born in Pakistan, is a woman of ideas,
a retailing whiz captivated by American capitalism.
June 1 -- Expand
your living space and discover new ‘rooms’: I sometimes have this dream in which I’m in
my house or we’ve just bought a new house and, after we move
in or have been living there awhile, I open a door and discover
a new room of the house that I never knew existed. It is always
such a happy discovery.
June 1 -- Apartment
dwellers can take steps to stay safe (Brian Bethel): When it comes to staying safe from burglary and
theft when living in an apartment complex, the Abilene Police
Department’s crime prevention specialist believes common
sense should be your guide.
May 25 -- Choose
mini roses for low maintenance:
Not all roses require maximum maintenance. Gardeners who yearn
for roses in their lives but can’t commit to a full-scale
relationship simply have to choose carefully from the spectrum
of low-maintenance varieties.
May 24 -- Menu
collection serves as reminder of good times: I love the ritual of walking into a restaurant,
being shown to a table and handed a menu. I enjoy reading menus
the same way I enjoy reading ingredients in a cookbook. It’s
all about imagining possibilities, judicious planning, anticipating
the results and knowing you’ll be sharing something soul-satisfying
and delicious with your favorite people.
May 18 -- Create
a romantic room, not a frilly one:
Romantic rooms don’t have to be all frilly and fancy, but
they do have to be soft and alluring. How do we make that happen?
Several ways.
May 10 -- Expert
says don’t be afraid to prune roses: Why are gardeners, even experienced gardeners,
afraid to prune roses? Other than the obvious response, of course,
which is that roses can, and occasionally do, bite back. Ouch!
May 4 -- Books
offer advice on cultivating a green thumb: Whether you’re a beginning gardener or a pro,
you’ll enjoy some of the new books on gardening.
May 4 -- Dirty
dryer ducts are hidden fire hazard:
Your clothes dryer is probably one of the least-hazardous things
you can think of — and that’s the problem. All appliances
can be hazardous, but for those who have dryers in their home,
whether your machine’s vent is clean should be a major concern.
You should also make certain that your lint catcher is doing its
job.
Apr. 26 -- Spring
cleaning: Here’s a list of chores and tips for getting started: It is that time of year when daffodils and bluebonnets
take center stage, thoughts turn to outdoor adventures and cookouts
and you no longer get resistance from the kids when you tell them
to go outside and walk the dog.
Apr. 23 -- Pick
the material first when choosing carpet:
Carpet feels good underfoot and that’s what makes it the
ideal floor covering for many rooms in the house. But there are
many types to choose from, so let’s walk through some of
the available varieties.
Apr. 20 -- Tips
for the do-it-yourself home designer:
As a television host for HGTV, an author and a lecturer, I travel
extensively and have seen any number of incredible home interiors.
Many have been professionally designed, but just as many homes
have been put together by talented homeowners who know and appreciate
good design, who know what they like or who just have an eye for
it.
Apr. 12 -- Look
for wild things with a civilized touch:
Amid the litter of last autumn’s leaves, an odd-looking yellow
and purple flower rises on a straight stem. A trout lily.
Apr. 6 -- Plant
experts say it’s probably safe to start your garden now
(Brian Bethel): Ah, spring. The
time when gardeners’ fancies turn to thoughts of freshly
turned earth and blooming flora. That is, assuming the weather
stays somewhat balmy.
Mar. 22 -- Disappoint
your allergies with a ‘green cushion’: Is it true that indoor air quality is worse than
outdoor air quality? Yes, says the Environmental Protection Agency.
How can that be? Well, just as those toxins floating around pollute
outdoor air, indoor air is also subject to pollutants.
Mar. 19 -- Careful
redesign can chase away allergies:
Karen Madden’s son, Kenny, was constantly sick — asthma
attacks, pneumonia, it was always something. But Madden never
dreamed her Denver home was at the heart of his bad health until
tests came back from the doctor showing the then 11-year-old’s
lungs were operating at 80 percent capacity as a result of serious
allergies to dust and mold.
Mar. 12 -- Curtain
hardware: jewelry for your home:
When I was young I remember my mother buying new pleated curtains
for the living room and sending my father out to the hardware
store to pick up some new curtain rods and hangers.
Mar. 10 -- A
little paint can lift your home’s spirits: The days are short and the patio furniture is packed
away, but you can still enjoy outdoor living in the great indoors.
Bring the rich hues of the blue sky, yellow daisies, green grass
and orange lilies into your rooms with wallpaper, decorative paint
finishes, fabrics and accessories.
Mar. 2 -- Sort
our your wardrobe, then organize it:
Do trips to your clothes closet turn into search and rescue missions?
Are your dresser drawers overflowing? Do you waste time trying
to find all the right pieces?
Feb. 2 -- Curb
appeal helps sell your house:
If your house doesn't sell itself right from the curb, then it
may not sell at all.
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