Fashion designers offer more optionsBy Erin HanafyAssociated Press Writer NEW YORK – Style-conscious brides-to-be have even more reasons to cheer this year. Wedding dresses, which until the 1990s were often fussy and rigid and anything but sophisticated, are more stylish than ever.“This is the best season we have seen in several seasons,” says Millie Martini […]

Choose the right style, warmth factor for youBy Jackie WhiteKnight Ridder Newspapers KANSAS CITY, Mo. – If you’re in the coat market, you’ll find the variety in styles and prices for the family mind-boggling. Your best bet may be a down-filled parka, a cashmere overcoat, a fitted short wool town coat and/or a high-tech fleece […]

Stationery still in big demandBy Patricia CorriganSt. Louis Post-Dispatch ST. LOUIS – When was the last time you got a letter in the mail on real stationery?Computer-generated or quick-print letterhead doesn’t count. We’re talking about high-quality paper stock, with the sender’s name or initials engraved on the page or the card. With the increasing popularity […]

As big-screen televisions become more affordable, more people than ever are enjoying their favorite programs and movies on larger TVs. Unfortunately that big screen is usually attached to a big box, making it hard to hide when not in use. Now there’s a do-it-yourself solution for woodworkers who don’t want to look at a big […]

Everyone from new mothers to grandmothers will enjoy the soothing to-and-fro motion of this glider rocker project. In fact, anyone who likes to relax in a cozy chair will appreciate it.Unlike an ordinary rocking chair, a glider rocker has its seat suspended in its own frame. As a result, the unit “glides” back and forth […]

Q I hate mopping. It takes time, effort and the results are usually negligible unless I mop on my hands and knees. I have two active children, a cat and a Lab. HELP!!! A: My best advice is to do the sweeping and vacuuming as frequently as possible. If there isn’t any dirt on the […]

They appeal to our need to be of-the-moment and, now, fit even better.By Audra D.S. BurchKnight Ridder Newspapers MIAMI – We – the only clothed species – have been down this road before.We have lived quite well with something woefully plain, painfully practical, only to have those really important people in pop culture – celebrities […]

Now that the holidays are almost here, it won’t be long before living rooms, bedrooms and hallways everywhere are buried under a rising tide of new toys. If you’re looking for a way to contain the flood, this toy chest and bench is a fun and simple do-it-yourself solution that will last for years. Not […]

Fashion is a funny thing.One minute it’s the trucker hats, the next it’s the jerseys. Now it’s the socks.Not fancy socks either. We’re talking 1980s, wear “em high, Dr. J-style tube socks.“Socks are huge for the fall,” says Tina Wells, CEO of Buzz Marketing Group, based in New Jersey. It’s really a play off the […]

CHICAGO – Their names are evocative: Mountain Rush. Wild Rain. Tsunami. Clean Impact. Voodoo. Fresh Blast.Their labels, provocative: “Caution: Habitual use … could lead to seriously close encounters,” reads one. “Leaves you feeling fresh, clean and ready for action, even when you push your limits,” suggests another.The product? Body deodorant sprays for men.The major players […]