Home front
By JUDY STARK
Published February 3, 2007
SHINE A LITTLE LIGHT FROM A VERY LITTLE LIGHT
Where wouldn't this little light be useful? Attach it with an included hook-and-loop strip inside a dark drawer, on the windshield or the dashboard, inside a closet or pantry, under the sink. It's 1 3/4 inches long and an inch wide. A 12-hour battery is replaceable. The Peanut Emergency Light is $22, for a set of three, at zelco.com.
Pet danger zone
Pet safety warning: Keep dogs and cats away from paper shredders. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has reported five dog mutilations involving shredders, Newsday says. The animals lick the shredders and their tongues get caught. Tips: Unplug shredders when they're not in use; store them out of reach of animals (high spots may not be safe from pouncing cats); don't put food wrappers through shredders. When you buy a shredder, look for one with a safety bar across the opening.
Showhouse with a song in its heart
Another designer showhouse, this one sponsored by the Florida West Coast Symphony, opens its doors today in Sarasota: a modern home on Lido Beach designed by Guy Peterson on the principles of the Sarasota school of architecture. The house, at 1231 Westway Drive, is open through Feb. 25. Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday (until 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday); and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $20. Information: (941) 953-3434; Web site: www.fwcs.org.
Flowers: so pretty, so portable
Roses to go? Try this quick arrangement. Use a large takeout container from an Asian restaurant (you can find these at party stores and drugstores too); a dozen stems of roses; and three or four stems of brown hypericum berries. Set a small container inside the takeout box (a plastic glass will work) and fill it with water treated with floral preservative. Insert the roses with stems cut to 4 or 5 inches in length (you want them to peek out the top). Cut the hypericum so the berries stand a bit taller than the roses and tuck them in.
Tune in today
At 7 tonight on HGTV, learn what not to do around the house. Avoid the 25 Biggest Decorating Mistakes, everything from toilet rugs to fake flowers.
Compiled by Homes and Garden editor Judy Stark