Prior to our chat, Karissa Cross, aka The Sanding Blonde, sent a follow-up message asking if the call would be recorded. “Like, how cute do I need to be?” she asked, adding a nervous emoji that instantly upped the charm factor. “I’m sanding and painting so I’m a mess!” Where you can find her: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Brunswick, Georgia When we connected a few hours later, she beamed into the camera from her sunny kitchen in Georgia, about a thirty-minute drive from the Florida-Georgia line....

An empire lamp shade is a classic style of shade that flares out on the bottom. It comes in various sizes, from mini shades made for wall sconces to large table and floor lamp shades. The degree of the slope also varies, being more gentle on the mini shades and often more dramatic on larger shades. Regardless of the size and slope, it’s a timeless type of lamp shade that looks simple and elegant and works with any style, from modern to traditional....

Not sure where to start? We’ve got you—and your windows—covered! Make a safe and satisfying choice with this helpful list of nursery window dos and don’ts. Do Avoid Floor-Length Draperies Should your toddler be able to get their hands on them, you may find your curtains serving some pretty interesting purposes. Unless you want your little one to pull, climb, and wipe their nose on your curtain panels, it’s probably best to keep them short, simple, and out of reach....

Obviously, we had to check it out immediately and after careful consideration, we managed to narrow down a list of our favorite pieces. Here are 15 products from Minted’s newest collection that we can’t wait to get our hands on.

Everyone wants the brightest, whitest whites, which is why there are various laundry whitening products on the market. These detergents are often used in place of bleach, and some can even be used as a separate stain treatment or as a detergent additive to restore grayed or yellowed whites. Others work by changing the hue of the whites to one that the eye perceives as whiter and brighter. To see what OUT could do for our past-their-prime whites, we put it to the test....

There are different types of door and window sensors, though they all perform basically the same function. Understanding how your sensors work helps you keep them well-maintained. This keeps your system performing optimally, so your risk of home invasion remains reduced. How They Work Door and window sensors come in two pieces. One fits onto the door or window itself, while its counterpart attaches to the frame. Adhesive usually keeps the sensors in place, though sensors can be screwed directly into the frame....

Slow-growing peonies are categorized in many different ways, such as by flower type or by growth habit. In addition to the familiar garden-variety herbaceous peonies with all their flower variations, there are special types such as fern-leaf peonies (Paeonia tenuifolia), a particularly sensitive and prized species, and tree peonies, which are woody, upright forms. These types have some special planting needs. Bloom time for peonies varies from late spring to late summer, depending on variety, but all types are best planted in the fall, about six weeks before the ground freezes....

Characteristics of Permaculture Gardens There are 12 principles of permaculture. For the average home gardener, here are the big ideas to keep in mind. Working With Nature Permaculture requires you to look at your yard with a different mindset. Unlike conventional industrial agriculture, permaculture, according to Bill Mollison, is all about working with nature and collaborating with it, instead of wrestling with it and working against it. Observing Nature and Learning From It Working with nature means that you need to be knowledgeable about it....

This selection of products includes both editor- and reader favorites, including quite a few picks that have earned high praise during our testing and review process. And if you want to consider even more deals that we’ve sourced and vetted for you, check out our main round-up of Cyber Monday deals and steals. Here are some of the deals that The Spruce readers shopped most on Black Friday. This tried and true cordless Shark Vertex model is discounted a whopping 42% this weekend, so you can save nearly $200 on one of our favorite vacuums on the market....

For consumers, the terms porcelain and ceramic are often used interchangeably as if they were the same thing. And this is understandable since ceramic and porcelain tiles are used for the same applications, are installed the same way, and have largely the same merits and drawbacks as a flooring or wall surface material. At the same time, tile stores may claim a world of difference between the two, probably to justify porcelain’s reputation, cachet, and its higher prices....

Yes, those loose stones can cause some problems. Cars may drag them into the garage, and humans may drag them into the house, but these are easily fixed problems. Loose stones in snow country can be a bigger problem, avoidable if you keep the plow or shovel above the stones. Materials Used Sounds like a silly question, doesn’t it? Everybody knows what a stone is, but when it comes to driveways, patios, sidewalks and other surfaces, choosing the right kind of stone can make a difference....

Yet, that doesn’t mean that black stainless steel appliances are perfect or that they work for all homes. Like other appliances, they have their pros and cons. Black vs. Regular Stainless Steel Black stainless steel and traditional silver metallic stainless steel are exactly the same material, except for one thing. Both are made from a unique mixture of iron, chromium, silicon, nickel, and carbon that renders corrosive steel into a rust-proof material....

So, it would seem that there can be no better way to improve cracked window glass, foggy glass, air infiltration around the edges, and dated window sashes than to replace them with newer and better ones. Even lower-cost windows, with low-e coating and double-glazing, can be so technologically advanced that they far exceed the performance of old windows. But sometimes replacing windows is not a viable option. Installing new windows all throughout a house is an incredibly expensive proposition....

The Pieces Have Varying Levels of Formality According to Antonio Rodriguez, junior designer at RAYMOND NICOLAS, the word “sofa” is more commonly used in the interior design industry. “The word ‘couch’ is just more casual and used in specific countries like North America and South Africa, for example,” he adds. But it isn’t just the word “couch” that’s seen as more causal—per Susan Hayward, founder of Susan Hayward Interiors, a couch has generally been thought of as informal in use, too....

Sound from below migrates through ceilings to rooms above. Even within rooms, various elements such as the flooring, walls, and furniture either deaden sound or act as amplifiers that encourage the noise to bounce around. There are a few sound insulation products that will mitigate the problem. None will make the problem go away entirely. But many of them will go a long way toward toning down the noise and bringing a little sanity back to your life....

Damage That Squirrels Cause to Homes In seeking to build nests, squirrels can damage homes and structures by chewing openings through the siding and underneath eaves. They also may chew through unscreened chimneys and vents and build nests in these areas. Once in this “nest,” these busy rodents often chew on insulation and wires, which can create a fire risk. Additionally, when squirrels run along utility power wires and cables, they can short out the transformers....

In areas with low groundwater, the pump may not even turn on for years, if ever. Many homeowners who have sump pumps might not be aware that they have one. In fact, having a house with a sump pump doesn’t always mean that there is a problem. It can simply be part of your home’s overall water management system. Locating your sump pump, understanding its operations, and above all, knowing how to maintain it, are all vital to keeping your house in top shape....