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Home Front

By JUDY STARK
Published November 18, 2006

FASHION, FUNCTION, FACIAL TISSUE

Everybody's got a box of tissues on a tabletop or desk, but do they have to look so - so utilitarian? Not if you opt for Kleenex Expressions, an oval carton in colors and patterns designed to blend with contemporary decor. You're not buying just facial tissue; you're buying "fashion-forward facial tissue," Kleenex says. The cartons, containing 82 of those fashion-forward tissues, are $2.29-$2.49.

Visible opportunity

Holiday cleaning tips from Eureka: Dark doormats and hall runners hide tracked-in dirt. Don't bother dusting the top of the curio cabinet or reorganizing your sweater drawer; guests will never see them. Concentrate your effort on areas they will see: tabletops, bookshelves. De-clutter: Stow excess junk in boxes or plastic bins and get them out of the way. You can sort through them in January.

Lights on a stick

Here's something different for the lawn this holiday season. Philips LED Light Stakes stand 3 feet tall, can be bent to shape, offer 25,000 hours of cool-to-the-touch light, and come in red, green, white, blue, orange and multicolor. Line a railing or a walkway. Or stand them in a vase for a bouquet of light inside. They're $19.99 for a package of three, each with 20 lights, at Target.

Save walls for last

You're not alone: 78 percent of Americans expect overnight guests at Thanksgiving or Christmas. If you're scrambling to spruce up the guest room before your visitors arrive, take this tip from Olympic Paints: Choose your wall color last, not first. It limits all your other decisions. Instead, choose your inspiration piece (rug, bedding, art), then pick your wall color from that.

Waxing rhapsodic

Here's a party table tip from PartyLite, maker of candles. Just before you call everyone to the table, set a lighted ball candle on its own plate at each place setting. Dim the lights and invite the guests in.

Compiled by Homes and Garden editor Judy Stark

[Last modified November 16, 2006, 11:16:47]