Taking out the crumbs on cake decorating

Question: I have a keen interest in cake decorating, but find that I have a hard time icing and decorating cakes without incorporating all kinds of crumbs into the icing. Any suggestions for a more professional look? — Bruno Answer: Cool the . . .

Posted: 2017-11-25

Personal touch on a holiday essential

The benefits of making your own wreath far outweigh the slightly higher cost

Milk, eggs, pasta, ready-made wreath. Planning to throw a few holiday essentials into your grocery cart the next time you go shopping? Dominika Dratwa has another idea. She is setting the festive tone this season with a popular series of DIY . . .

Posted: 2017-11-25

Craftivism on the rise in America

People use art as an outlet to speak out against social injustice, other issues

Colleen Haraden-Gorski uses her embroidery skills these days to embellish quilts made by students at school and community-centre workshops on themes of social justice and working together to make a difference. Recently, she embroidered images of barbed wire and the serial . . .

Posted: 2017-11-25

Ground cover that shines in cool season containers

Foliage plant outshines its unfortunate name

If I asked if you had bugleweed in your garden, you would probably gasp and say I hope not. That’s just one of those unfortunate names for not only a great ground cover but a terrific plant to use in . . .

Posted: 2017-11-25

Be sure not to overlook dining room decor

There’s a lot of home decorating advice out there on how to create the perfect kitchen. But what goes into designing a truly great dining room? As the holiday entertaining season approaches, it’s worth re-examining the dining area. In homes that . . .

Posted: 2017-11-25

Pirates of the Caribbean star sells off final L.A. penthouse

LOS ANGELES — Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp has officially pulled up anchor from L.A.’s Historic Core district, selling the last piece of his five-unit penthouse collection atop the Eastern Columbia Building for US$1.425 million. Depp originally listed the . . .

Posted: 2017-11-25

Deceptively bright, delightfully stylish

Bridgwater Trails home has a smaller footprint, but massive appeal

Whether a home is big or small, three essential components determine how high it scores on the livability scale: space, light and style. Should a home be on the smaller side, properly balancing those components is critically important. Spencer Curtis and his . . .

Posted: 2017-11-25

Movin' on up

Well-kept home will impress young families

A young family needs to weigh its options carefully when looking for a move-up home. Of course, the first — and typically most desirable — option is a new house. For around $400, 000 to $500, 000, you get a contemporary . . .

Posted: 2017-11-25

How to sell your home in the winter

As the cold weather and snow settles in, it may create a challenging landscape for home sellers. Traditionally, the winter is one of the hardest periods in which to sell a home. For those looking to sell their homes this winter, here’s . . .

Posted: 2017-11-18

Ash, sand or rocks?What to put in the garden

Pro answers when to trim, repot or remove your plants

Gardening columnist Adrian Higgins answered questions recently in an online Washington Post chat. Here is an edited excerpt. We put in a new raised bed last year in our vegetable garden and filled the bed with soil. We are building additional . . .

Posted: 2017-11-18