The Home Front

By Compiled by Judy Stark

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 1, 2000

Stars and stripes forever

The Liberty Parade Border is decorating the bottom shelf.

Show your patriotic spirit year-round with wallcoverings and borders from the Raymond Waites Country Village collection from Village. The Liberty Parade Border (decorating the bottom shelf) is joined by Mission Stripe and Americana Stars. For a retailer, call (800) 552-9255 or visit the Web site at http://www.villagehome.com.

A great resource

Speaking of living online, as we are today: Consult the main features from five magazines -- Woodsmith, Shopnotes, Workbench, Garden Gate and Cuisine -- by visiting the publisher's Web site, http://www.augusthome.com. The site gives access to current and back issues and features a way to order specific back issues. If you're looking for plans to build a certain type of project -- a customized pantry, for example -- this site's sprawling archives can probably lead you in the right direction.

The great outdoors

On this long holiday weekend, perhaps you're among the 56 percent of Americans who use their decks for relaxing, up from 33 percent just five years ago. Or you're part of the 34 percent who are out there grilling, up from just 11 percent gathered 'round the barbie in 1995. A survey of contractors conducted for Thompson's waterproofing products showed the average size of a new deck built by a contractor: 200-299 square feet, 28 percent; 300-399 square feet, 20 percent; under 200 square feet, 17 percent. Typical cost of a new deck: $2,000-$2,999 (22 percent); $4,000-$4,999 (19 percent).

Patriotic panache

There’s still time this weekend to rustle up a red, white and blue theme for your Fourth of July table. Try these quick ideas: Line baskets with star-printed fabric or cloth napkins. Pull out your serving pieces in appropriate colors (they don’t have to match). Will any of your red Christmas serving pieces or mugs work? Tiny white lights can add a festive touch, or bring out that string of red chili pepper lights. Let red or blue bandannas do double duty as napkins. Create patriotic-looking desserts with fruits such as raspberries, strawberries and blueberries, or top a cherry pie with star-shaped cutouts. Add an informal flower arrangement like these sunflowers.

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