Many of our friends are hanging up wreaths, hoisting up trees and hauling out boxes of ornaments. While we like the idea of decorating for the holidays, we're looking for something a little less tradition-bound, easier to store in our limited closet space and inexpensive. Here's our take on festive holiday decor: fast, simple, modern and, best of all, cheap...
For those of you that don't live in LA, we get it. We hear you laughing. But, despite LA's reputation for balmy weather, it can be distinctly chilly, especially at night when the sun goes down and the temperature drops. Still, we can be stubborn about turning on the heat (we don't want to admit it gets cold here either). We wondered, how could we stay warm in our home without turning on the heat? How we're warding off the chill, after the jump...
Did you get to show off your home during this past weekend's Thanksgiving festivities? Or maybe your housewarming's this coming weekend, when you'll share your leftovers and the fruits of your hard work with guests? Either way, it's party time! We've seen your hard work on our Flickr pool and we're proud and impressed. Now it's time to show it off. This week's assignments, after the jump...
This year, with the recent wildfires in Los Angeles robbing so many of their houses, we're especially thankful to have a home. Like many of you, we've found ourselves filled with the impulse to decorate it and invite others in to share our bounty. In this week's holiday giving edition, the Los Angeles Times Home & Garden section rounds-up alternatives to traditional wreaths and trees, as well as items with snowflake-inspired motifs that won't scream "Christmas in July" if you use them year round. For many people around the world, a home of their own is the greatest gift they can receive; a group of impoverished Mexican families are receiving that gift from Casita Linda, a group in the vein of Habitat for Humanity, whose motto "building hope, one house at a time," closely echoes the AT credo, "saving the world, one room at a time." So it's especially poignant to us that the peace symbol is having a revival, 50 years after its creation. Underscored by this weekend's events in Mumbai, the achievement of its message would be the greatest gift to us all. Links, pics and more, after the jump...
A waterfall? In Los Angeles? Within minutes of the Grove? Really? Here's a place you can sneak away to while everyone else is battling the crowds at the mall today and work off a little bit of yesterday's meal in the process. It may not be good for the economy, but it'll be good for your head...
Vignettes -- small groupings of objects -- are not only a pleasing option for decorating your home and for showing off the small collections of art or trinkets you've amassed over the years, they can also make your home look orderly and neat when they're thoughtfully arranged. After the jump, a couple of tricks that help you arrange the objects in your own home...
Last week, we asked what your worst neighbor problem was. Here are some tips on how to handle the problems that naturally arise between neighbors, without escalating it into a Supreme Court battle (believe us, it's happened). And though we all think we're model neighbors (kinda like we all think we're model drivers), here are some tips that may help you improve your own "good neighbor" rating.
We're all thumbs (some black) so we're that much more impressed by those who have the patience and skill to create beautiful things. Felt Club, the subject of this week's feature story in the Los Angeles Times Home & Garden section, could be described as "Etsy on steroids," an annual showcase for what's best in the growing world of crafts. If you're thinking of doing it yourself, you might want to consider something with a butterfly or rose motif, two of the big upcoming trends in home decor. Of course, being in Los Angeles, you might be at a disadvantage; the chilly winters that plague the cities served by our other sites invite time at home, spending hours honing your craft. Unless you're an architect. Then, like Grant Kirkpatrick, you design your home and decorate it yourself too. Link, pics and more, after the jump...
Ah, the weekend. When focusing and relaxing are the raison d'etre. Maybe you'd like to put a few last minute touches on your home to make it company ready or join us at Le Swap (link and details, after the jump). Whatever you do, do some hanging out in your home this weekend. Take a long soak in the tub and have a spa night, eat at home, catch up on old magazines, read a book (maybe even try your hand at a media fast). As you move through your home, consider what you can do to up the coziness factor, so your home feels as comfortable as your favorite t-shirt? 
Last week, Gregory posted some sage advice on being a good neighbor. We're trying to take his advice to heart. Like many of you, we love our home, but our neighbors can be...umm...challenging. One of our neighbors has a dog that will attack anything that moves (me, the postman), another lets the gate slam in the wee hours, another has an early morning work schedule that has him scampering overhead at dawn. We talked to our friends about their neighbors...and realized it could be worse. We wondered what the number one complaint among ATers (some of whom could be your neighbor!) was. Help us out by taking our survey, after the jump...
Fire, earthquake, flood. No one's immune (even Oprah's home was in danger of being consumed by fire this week). It could happen to you. It happened to friends of ours -- a recent fire forced them to evacuate from their home and they had less than ten minutes to do it. They got out with their pets and that was it. Luckily, their home was unharmed and they were able to return. After the jump, a plan to get you out safely, and with everything you love and need...
With two weeks to go, it's time to slow down. This week, we're moving into the touches that add coziness and luxury to your home. We're taking a look at our lighting and working on our bathrooms. We're eating at home more, using our homes more and taking better care of ourselves by shutting out the distractions of the outside world (Some of us are even considering a media fast and a morning bath.) Our home is becoming a haven. This week, we'll consider other ways of pampering ourselves: better bath products, scents for the home, improved lighting...
How are you coping with the housing crisis? Some of our friends have sold their homes and moved into rentals, some have taken in roommates, some have moved back home, while others have postponed moves and are coping with crowded circumstances by re-purposing rooms for double duty or to sleep children who, under different circumstances, might be expected to have their own rooms. This week's Los Angeles Times Home & Garden section examines these circumstances as well as offering a round up of storage furniture and bunk beds to help make the best of challenging space situations. Links, pics, and more, after the jump...
Entertaining? Lighting is key. Nothing spruces up a dull home like a good lamp. But, instead of going out and spending money, why not make one yourself? Clean out those glass vases you've collected over the years, save some of the bottles from the wine you're drinking, repurpose that bowl you found at the flea market and make a lamp! Here are some of the "how to's" we've blogged. Make one this weekend and send us your pix with AT Lamp in the subject line...
Thanksgiving, a dinner party, an out of town guest is one thing. You know in advance how many people are coming over beforehand and have days, even weeks to prepare. But, what about the friend who calls when she's in the neighborhood, the neighbor who rings the door bell, the work buddy who stops by at dinner time? We like to have an open door policy. Here's how we keep from going insane...
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