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By MARY CAROL GARRITY
Scripps Howard News Service
Monday, May 21, 2007

Some people go to the spa for rejuvenation, finding new energy in mud baths and seaweed wraps. I go to home furnishings markets.

By ROSEMARY SADEZ FRIEDMANN
Scripps Howard News Service
Monday, May 21, 2007

As master bedrooms go, some are mammoth and some are minuscule. But current trends seem to have them getting smaller.

The extra large sitting area in the master bedroom is dwindling fast.

By CANDICE OLSON
HGTV
Monday, May 21, 2007

My clients Wendy and Michael are a fun-loving family of four that had the ultimate parental home problem; a family room overrun by the kids! This room was stuffed to the gills with toys and trinkets and Mom and Dad were desperate to reclaim the space and make it work for the whole family.

By HELAINE FENDELMAN and JOE ROSSON
Scripps Howard News Service
Monday, May 21, 2007

DEAR HELAINE AND JOE: Is it possible for you to give me some information on this chair and its value? My mother purchased it overseas about 65 years ago and put the needlepoint covers on it.

By SARAH WELCH and ALICIA ROCKMORE
getbuttonedup.com
Monday, May 21, 2007

It's funny how scribbling a few things down on a sticky note will make you feel more organized. It's as if just making a simple list is the first little step to getting things in order.

By MICHELE BESCHEN
DIY Network
Monday, May 21, 2007

Most people don't think of creating paintings or needlework for their outdoor walls simply because they know that Mother Nature is sure to take her toll on the pieces after a short period of time.

By ED DEL GRANDE
HGTVPro.com
Monday, May 21, 2007

Q: Dear, Ed. I have learned from your column and look forward to getting your book, but I have a problem now that is driving me crazy.

HGTV
Monday, May 21, 2007

A continuing compendium of tips and tricks from HGTV:

Going green:

_ A two-stroke, gasoline-powered lawnmower releases as many hydrocarbons into the atmosphere in 30 minutes as a car does in 90 minutes.

By ED DEL GRANDE
HGTVPro.com
Monday, May 14, 2007

The most fun for me when I work on this column is reading the mail readers send me. Some letters are funny, some are heartbreaking and some include homegrown tips that correspondent wants to share with everyone. Not long ago I did an article on a lady who could not get her glass shower door clean and she asked "What will clean old glass shower doors?" Being a contractor and a no nonsense guy, I told her that "I would replace the door with a new one and then after every use wipe down the door with a squeegee so it will stay new looking."

Well, you should have seen the response I received for suggesting a new door! Many people disagreed with me and wrote to tell me about their secret shower glass cleaning tricks. I included three of these letters for you to read and you can make up your own mind as to the best solution when dealing with crusty looking shower doors. You can change it out like I recommend, or maybe you could be interested in hearing what our readers had to say. Remember, I am not endorsing any of these products and/or solutions and I caution you to always follow only "the manufactures instructions" for product use. With all that said, here they are:

"Dear Ed, I use Easy-Off oven cleaner in the blue can. I spray it on the old shower door and leave it for an hour. Then I scrub and rinse it off and it looks like new! I have also used it on all metal surfaces and to remove tomato stains from my wallpaper." -- Frank F.

"Hello, Ed. In response to your "Shower door needs a good bath" column I had also tried everything until I found excellent results using ... "WD-40"! Yes, I have found that the same stuff used to loosen bolts works great on glass shower doors as a cleaner. Just use it once to clean the door and, then like you said, wipe the door clean after every shower." -- Laura Z.

"Hi, Ed. I read your article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer about trying to get glass shower doors clean. I searched for and tried a lot of products before I found one that worked. Not only does it work, but there is no elbow grease involved! The product is The Fuller Brush Company's "Bathclean Basin Tub & Tile Cleaner." Simply spray it on, wait a few minutes and wipe. It may take more than one application if the door is extremely coated with soap scum and mineral deposits, but this product worked for me when nothing else did." -- Cindy from Ohio.

There you have it, three letters from three different readers with three different solutions each claimed worked for their old shower doors. After all that, I realize that, just like an old foggy shower door, there are so many products and tricks out there that the best way to clean and restore a glass door can be unclear. So, I'm still sticking to my solution: "Get a new shower door!"

(Master Contractor/Plumber Ed Del Grande is known nationally as the author of the book "Ed Del Grande's House Call" and for hosting TV shows on Scripps Networks and HGTVPro.com. For information visit eddelgrande.com or write eddelgrande(at)hgtvpro.com. Always consult local contractors and codes.)

By HELAINE FENDELMAN and JOE ROSSON
Scripps Howard News Service
Monday, May 14, 2007

DEAR HELAINE AND JOE: Each of these 10 dolls is 2-1/2 inches tall and marked "Japan." They are in good condition and are in their original box. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you. -- B.L., Davenport, Iowa.

DEAR B.L.: All-bisque dolls such as these are sometimes called "immobile" because they have no moving parts. Other all-bisque dolls do have moving parts (heads, legs, arms) and these are generally more desired than the "immobile" or "frozen" variety.

In the case of the dolls shown here, each is hand painted. But care must be taken because these pigments were not fired on and will rub off easily with careless handling and cleaning. Fortunately, the pieces in this 10-piece set appear to be in excellent condition -- almost as if they have never been played with or removed from the box.

Vintage all-bisque dolls are typically less than 12 inches tall and were made in a very wide range of quality. The best were usually made in either France or Germany, but the very finest ones are usually attributed to France. These have glass eyes, jointed arms and legs, moveable heads, closed mouths and graceful bodies.

In addition, these dolls characteristically have molded-on footwear with painted socks or stockings and some are marked with initials such as "E.D." or "F.G." Most are in the five- to seven-inch tall range, and top examples are valued in the $1,000 to $3,000 range.

The step down from this type of high quality all-bisque doll can be very precipitous in monetary values. As a rule, these are German- or Japanese-made dolls and the most immediate thing to notice on many of them is that the heads are stationary and the quality is not quite as exacting as it is for the French-made dolls. However, some of the German all-bisque dolls do have swivel heads, and these can be some of the most expensive in this category.

An example of this might be "Baby Bo-Kay" made by Alt, Beck & Gottschalck for George Borgefeld. The five-inch size with swivel neck and sleep eyes is valued at around $2,000 in great condition. Another case in point is "Max and Moritz," which are characters from the Wilhelm Busch children's books. A 4-1/2 inch tall pair of these with jointed neck, shoulders and hips should be valued for around $2,200.

All-bisque dolls with painted eyes and molded hair seldom sell for more than a few hundred dollars unless they are very rare and special. Japanese all-bisque dolls are seldom expensive unless they are something like a boxed set of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" ($700) or "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" ($350).

The charming set belonging to B.L. has some desirable pieces in it such as the Native American and the cowboy. The other dolls appear to be a Dutch boy and girl, an Asian boy and girl and some others whose origins are not quite discernable to us.

Since these dolls are marked "Japan," they were made after 1921, and we feel they were probably manufactured in the 1925 to 1935 time frame. They would have been more valuable if they had been marked either "Nippon" or "Made in Occupied Japan."

It should be mentioned that their very small size goes against them, but the fact they are all together in their original box is a plus. For insurance replacement purposes, this charming set of all-bisque dolls should be valued at $150 to $200.

(Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of the "Price It Yourself" (HarperResource, $19.95). Questions can be mailed to them at P.O. Box 12208, Knoxville, TN 37912-0208.)