What item made your work life easier this week/month/lately? LA: I absolutely adore Farmgirl Flowers. I use them consistently in both my personal and professional life. The big box is ideal for when we are doing a full home photoshoot. Most of them come with 100 blooms and greens, which makes it so easy to create your own arrangements on the spot. If you want a single vase of roses in one room, a gathering of greens in one, and ranunculus in another—this is the choice for you....

Taking a look at your Enneagram type can give you some insight into what is important to you, as well as what you’re constantly seeking after and what makes you feel at home. It can help to check in with your type to gather inspiration for what piece of furniture you might be missing—and ones you didn’t know you needed. Check out your Enneagram type below to see which piece of furniture you should consider buying next....

Though water does collect in the bottom track, weep holes allow most of the water to drain back into the bathtub. This bottom track needs to be caulked to prevent water intrusion, though, and the caulking should be checked at least once a year to ensure it’s not spilling water onto the bathroom floor or the underlayment. The upper track keeps the shower doors in-line and prevents them from tipping over....

The Dripline of Trees The dripline is the area directly located under the outer circumference of the tree branches. When the tree canopy gets wet, any excess is shed to the ground along this dripline, much like an umbrella. This is also known as a tree’s Critical Root Zone (CRZ), sometimes also called the Root Protection Zone (RPZ). It is defined as a circle on the ground corresponding to the dripline of the tree....

An electrical circuit is a circular flow of energy from a home’s electrical service panel and back again. This flow is continuous and unbroken. Items along the circuit such as outlets and lights only borrow from the circuit; they do not break the circuit. Electricity likes to flow along the path of least resistance. Copper is used for electrical wires because it conducts so well, while materials like wood or fiber would be highly inefficient materials for wiring because they resist electricity....

History of Cape Cod Landscaping The New England landscape was not welcoming to the English settlers when they first arrived. The cold winters and lack of agricultural crops meant hunger and hardship. Early structures favored simple but durable building styles, and some houses on Cape Cod date from these early settlements of the late 17th century. To withstand the ocean winds, which can be harsh in winter, houses in Cape Cod were often built to rest comfortably and unobtrusively in the landscape, with small woodlands situated close by to lessen wind damage, or beachside houses nestled behind dunes at a safe distance from high tide lines....

History of Mediterranean-Style Interior Design When interior designers talk about Mediterranean style, they are generally referring to the aesthetics of Southern European countries that border the Mediterranean Sea, notably Greece, Italy, and Spain. But it’s important to keep in mind that there are actually 21 countries that border the Mediterranean, meaning that true Mediterranean style is just as likely to come from Israel, Morocco, and beyond. While many Mediterranean cultures borrow elements of one another’s style and share a collective sensibility related to their shared proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, they each still possess centuries of distinct culture and design traditions....

The Renaissance (“rebirth”) spanned two centuries, encompassing not only architecture but art and human ideals. It produced multi-disciplinary giants including Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. The lasting cultural legacy of the Renaissance makes it one of the most transformative periods in western history. History of Renaissance Architecture Renaissance architecture developed as part of the rebirth of classicism in Florence, Italy, circa 1400. It evolved over the next 200 years as it spread throughout Italy and then Europe....

Formerly found only in fancy cocktail lounges and boutique hotels, textured panels are slowly finding their way into the home as cool, unique, and jaw-droppingly amazing wall coverings for kitchens, living rooms, and bedrooms. What Textured Wall Panels Are Textured wall panels are three-dimensional (3D) panels made from lightweight materials that can be primed and painted. Less expensive wall panels are made of paper or of a sugarcane stalk material called bagasse....

What Women Should Not Wear to a Funeral Women have a list of things to think about before dressing for a funeral. From makeup to shoes and everything in between, there are some respectful rules to follow: It’s recommended that hems remain at knee-length or below the knee.Pair a sleeveless dress with a tailored jacket, sweater, or shawl to drape over your exposed arms.Keep your footwear simple, closed-toe, and with flat or small heels....

Typical Timing In years past it was common to have a baby shower at the very end of the third trimester. This worked well because most people lived near their families and travel, timing, and other considerations didn’t need to be taken into account. As families more and more lived farther apart, it became more common to have a baby shower earlier in the third trimester. This is when the vast majority of baby showers occur now....

If you’re wondering just exactly where recessed lighting belongs in your living room and what factors to keep in mind when utilizing it, we’re here to share key tips from designers regarding everything from placement to customization options. Think About Other Forms of Lighting You will likely accompany any recessed lighting with other fixtures, so it is important to take such pieces into consideration, too, designer Catherine Staples says. “If you are adding decorative lighting, where will that be located and how much light will they give off?...

With the worldwide decline of pollinators, often the necessary insect populations just aren’t there (although there are many things you can do to attract bees and other pollinators). When natural pollination fails, you might have to resort to hand pollination. What Is Hand Pollination? Plants are either pollinated by wind, insects, or birds, and hand pollination mimics that natural process. The way a plant is pollinated depends on its type of flower....

Why Are Robin’s Eggs Blue? The bile pigment biliverdin is responsible for blue tones in bird eggs, including robin’s eggs. The color of an eggshell is determined by these pigments as they are deposited as the shell is formed in the shell gland. The shell gland is the avian equivalent of a mammal’s uterus and is near the end of the oviduct, just before the cloaca. The shell is formed just before the egg is laid....

Why not make everything easier—and protect your item better—simply by purchasing a rubber or wooden mallet? A mallet is one of those specialty tools that often doesn’t get bought unless you have an extreme need—prompting a late-night run down to the local home center. Having a rubber or wooden mallet on hand means that you’ll find a wide variety of uses for them. Rubber Mallet A rubber mallet is a lightweight hammer-like tool with a head made of molded rubber or hard plastic and a wooden or fiberglass handle....

Issues With Installing Wood Flooring in Basements Being underground, basements can be dreary places. So when finishing (remodeling) basements, homeowners often take extra-special effort to make the space warm and comforting—more so than they might with upstairs spaces Brighter lighting, vivid wall colors, extra heating, and more windows all make basements feel more welcoming. Wood, too, transforms sterile basements into places that feel fit for human habitation. It’s this desire for wood for comfort and familiarity that creates problems....

If you’re considering installing a fence, here are some yard and garden fence ideas to help inspire you. Wood and Wire Elegance from Velvet & Linen DIY Iron Fence from IronCraft Fences Geometric Wood Fence from Tara Dillard Stepped Wood Fence from Bower Power DIY Rustic Fence from Merry Pad Black Wood Fence from One Kings Lane Pallet Fence from Backyard Boss Traditional Picket Fence from HomeBunch Arbor Garden Structure from Designs Northwest Architects Rose Climber Fence from Ggardenman Painted Artwork Fence from The Garden Glove Bamboo Retaining Wall from Garden Lovers Club Rustic Split Rail Fence from thecountrylane Fence With Lights from Jaana Turunen

The National Garden Bureau celebrated The Year of the Zinnia in 2011, and plant breeders have been coming out with new colors and cultivars every year since. Many of the zinnia varieties featured in this list have won All-America Selection awards for their ease of growing and pest resistance. All bloom profusely and make wonderful accents in borders and containers as well as perfect cut flowers. The more you cut them, the more they will bloom....

This beautiful hybrid member of the Rhododendron genus has a relatively rapid growth rate and produces orange buds leading to golden-yellow flowers in large showy clusters in early spring. The leaves are 2- to 6-inches long and elliptical in shape. It is a fairly compact shrub, growing to about 6-feet tall, and is highly prized for its unusual color. In fall, the leaves turn attractive shades of bronze. It can be planted in spring or fall....

Color Family: Neutral; Pale sandy fawn, grayish tan, light-grayish yellowish-brown, or a pale to grayish-yellow Complementary Colors: They work with virtually all colors because they’re neutral Pairs Well With: Pair warm beiges with off-whites or find a cool beige or grayish-beige to play well with a cool, icy white Mood: Calming Where to Use: Interiors; bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and more Here are 10 of the best beige paint colors for your home, handpicked by home design specialists....