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Dorm-room decorating 04.09.2008 01:04 If not for the humble, scrap-wood produce boxes strewn behind grocery stores and local produce markets, my roommates and I would have gone without a number of essential furniture items during our University California State Long Beach days.

Unclogging a toilet 24.08.2008 22:02 Opera is usually associated with the shower, but sometimes opera moves out of the shower and over to the toilet. A clogged toilet has many qualities of an opera; it's dramatic and there's screaming.

In search of a country house 24.08.2008 22:01 You'll never know how many friends you have until you buy a country house. - UnknownI had no desire to own a vacation property of my own on the day I first visited Jill Kantelberg's country house.

Wall to wall carpeting 20.08.2008 04:00 Following World War II, the ideal home featured matching suites of furniture, state of the art appliances (for the little Mrs. who ran the household) and wall-to-wall carpeting in every room.

Tour de force 20.08.2008 04:00 It's only for the brave, this idea of opening your garden for a tour. Why someone might trash your well-crafted design ideas, or dispute the labeling of your latest carnivorous plant. But when the visitors are enthused and encouraging and even slightly eccentric, it can be a merry experience.

What cottagers should know about septic systems 20.08.2008 04:00 You can tell you're at low ebb when you've spent your weekend digging up the septic tank, and then on Monday someone asks how your weekend was and you yell, "Crappy!" and then kill yourself laughing. It started Friday.

Building an outdoor storage shed 20.08.2008 04:00 Q: What's the best way for me to learn to build an outdoor storage shed? I've never built anything before, but feel I could do a reasonable job with the right directions. Can you recommend an information source? A: No question, get a copy of the book Building a Shed by Joseph Truini.

Interchangeable screwdrivers boost home order 11.08.2008 03:00 There's a basic truth I've learned about home maintenance that's as powerful as it is simple. The closer your tools are stored to the kitchen, the more home fix-ups actually happen. There's really no mystery in this.

Insulating an attic 11.08.2008 03:00 Every so often you should try being away overnight somewhere, especially if there's a chance that a relative will decide to add insulation to the attic while you're gone. Here are some motivational incentives for you and the relative: Up to 45 percent of a home's energy loss is through the roof.

Imperfections in the garden 06.08.2008 03:01 What a time for my garden to be suffering from prickly heat. In just one week I would be welcoming a tour group of forty from the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta. There would be no pulling the wool over the eyes of these plant detectives.