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Hostess Tip: Amy’s secret to instant party energy? Music. Amy relies on Sonos wireless speakers ($199, Sonos), which lets her play different music in different parts of her home. The service pulls songs from your iTunes library or online music-mix sites like Rhapsody. Plus, you can control the tunes from your smartphone or tablet, so you don’t miss any table talk. It’s easy to put together a basic party formula that you revise with different food and flowers....

Colorful container gardens are one of the easiest ways to brighten up your entryway or front porch. Even if your home is mostly neutral colors, a planter with a few blooms can perk up your porch and make your entire exterior look more cheerful. Plus, you can change a container garden with the seasons, so it’s less permanent than committing to a new coat of paint on your front door....

Hydrangea is toxic to cats and dogs. It’s also toxic if ingested by people. Where to Plant ‘Berry White’ Hydrangeas ‘Berry White’ performs best in full sun (six to eight hours of direct sunlight every day) or part shade and well-drained soil, though it can also tolerate some drought. It’s hardy in Zones 3-8, so it’ll survive the winter in almost any part of the country. Once the plant matures, it can reach up to 6 or 7 feet tall and about 5 feet wide....

Varieties of Fleece Flower Fleece flower, or the genus Persicaria, is comprised of a massive group of plants that range from ground-hugging ‘Himalayan Border Jewel’ fleece flower to 5-foot-tall giant fleece flower. Exceptionally tough, these perennials are also known as knotweed. Some types of fleece flower live up to the “weed” part of their common name by self-seeding with gusto to take over a planting area. The good news is that many of the named cultivars available at garden centers were selected because they are well-behaved....

The three main types of roses are shrubs, climbers, and ramblers. Shrubs are suitable for gardens and borders, climbers are best for camouflaging walls or adding color to outdoor structures, and ramblers are suited for groundcover and to give a more natural look to a garden. Roses are sometimes considered difficult plants to grow and care for since they require regular pruning and maintenance. While that may have been true for roses before, in recent years, roses have been bred and cultivated to be easier for gardeners to manage....

When it comes to cleaning melted wax, there are two primary approaches: Applying heat or freezing. The best method depends on where the wax has spilled, as there will be items that lend themselves better to one approach versus the other. This guide provides three methods for using heat to clean spilled wax, and one option to remove wax safely from items that can withstand freezing. How to Remove Wax with a Blow Dryer Using a hair dryer to soften and melt wax so that it’s pliable enough to wipe up with paper towels is the best method for cleaning up most wax spills and messes....

Copper is the preferred material for supply lines in most locales, although flexible or rigid plastic is permitted in some areas. Practice cutting copper pipe and sweating joints before you start. Copper supply lines are usually routed so they do not cross drainpipes or vents. In most cases, it’s easier to make the horizontal runs in the crawlspace or basement. Long runs and bends lower water pressure slightly. Hammer arresters (Step 3) prevent banging noise when you turn off a faucet....

Secure labels and tags on a clipboard for easy access. Tuck tissue paper in a wire-mesh wall file, and suspend scissors, bags, and wrapping paper rolls, so they’re within reach without cluttering the table. Editor’s Note: Simplify your approach to holiday gift wrapping by sticking with a single color palette. Buying wrapping paper in two solid colors and two patterns will give you enough variety to create many different gift looks....

The Ultimate Guide to Tile and Stone Flooring What You Need 1/4-inch cement boardCircular sawUtility knifeSquareHandsawLatex-modified thinset mortarNotched trowel (follow the tile manufacturer’s recommendation; we used a 1/2-inch square trowel)1 1/4-inch cement board screwsDrillFiberglass mesh seam tapeChalk lineTile (measure, then add 10 percent; we used a 12×24-inch porcelain tile)Tile spacersWet sawSponges5-gallon mixing bucketMixer attachmentRubber glovesJoint scraperSanded groutRubber floatFloor transition stripsGrout sealerSponge paintbrush Before You Begin: Prep the Floor Gather materials....

Learn how to install crown molding. Step 1: Install the Blade Install the saw’s blade by setting the front edge on a sturdy surface and holding it so the handle points up. Attach one end of the blade to the spigot farthest from the handle. Then, press down on the handle to compress the frame so the other end of the blade can be attached. Release tension and adjust as needed....

Colorful Molding and Trim Ideas

Often hung over an island or sink, kitchen pendant lights provide brilliance and make a design statement. They can direct light down toward prep surfaces, define the room’s focal point, and highlight a contrasting color or finish, all while contributing to the kitchen’s overall brightness. Use our guide to kitchen pendant lighting to learn about the various styles available and how to use them. Kitchen Pendant Lighting Styles Pendants hang from the ceiling to illuminate spaces from overhead, and they’re available in a wide variety of shapes, styles, and sizes....

How to Use Paint Additives Paint additives are a great way to enhance the performance of your paint so it works best in different areas of your home. Take a look at the most popular additives below to better understand what would work best for your room makeover. What Is TSP? Trisodium phosphate, also known as TSP, is a powder you mix with warm water and use to wipe down your walls before painting....

½ cup whipping cream 1 tablespoon powdered sugar 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

I bought a pair of IKEA Finnvard trestle table legs for $50 each, then asked the hardware store to cut a piece of plywood to 2½×8 feet to fill the space. I also had them cut strips of plywood to top $5 IKEA brackets. The total cost of the plywood, cut to size for the shelves and desktop, was $112. Two shelves give me ample space to store business documents in lidded boxes....

¼ cup jasmine tea dragon pearls 1 cup powdered sugar Place cookies in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.