Pair bright accessories with some seriously chic neutrals. Gray walls, trim, and flooring provide a sophisticated backdrop for a showstopper rug in a bold graphic style. The coordinating orchids and purple pillows repeat the color found in the rug to make the room feel pulled together and intentional. An all-white room is the perfect neutral foundation to make bright colors pop. Consider all the different textures and finishes of white to keep the room from falling flat....

Closet Clean-Out Of course, it’s easier to organize your closet if you have less stuff to store. Start organizing your closet by doing a thorough closet clean-out. To help with the process, be honest in asking yourself these questions: If you’re still stumped or having difficulty parting with things, try one of these strategies: Flip all of your hangers the wrong way. When you wear a piece of clothing, put it back....

Home design blogger with more than 13 years of experienceExpert contributor for Better Homes & Gardens, CNN, and the Conde Nast Traveler blogPartnered with retail brands to create content for IKEA, Wayfair, Lowe’s, The Home Depot, Walmart, and many more.

¼ cup softened butter ¼ cup shortening 2 ounce softened cream cheese 1 cup packed brown sugar ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 egg 1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee powder 2 teaspoon vanila 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour Chocolate Ganache ⅓ cup whipping cream 1 teaspoon instant espresso coffee powder 3 ounce chopped semisweet chocolate Tart Dough ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened ¼ cup shortening 2 ounce cream cheese, softened 1 cup packed brown sugar ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 egg 2 teaspoon vanilla 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour...

How to Make Espresso Tonic Even though it only has two ingredients, there are a few things to note before you make your own. Some cafés offer twists on the espresso tonic by serving it with a flavored syrup. Starbucks even has recipes featuring orange and crushed cardamom. One of my favorite ways to enjoy it is by making a cold brew tonic with a bit of simple syrup, a twist of lemon or lime, and a sprig of fresh mint....

If a complete kitchen renovation sounds too expensive or time-consuming, consider a facelift for cabinets. Resurfacing cabinets is a low-cost upgrade that can yield outsized style points. Try covering existing cabinets with new materials, such as surface wood, thermofoil, or laminate, or add new hardware to breathe new life into the hub of your home. What is cabinet refacing? Cabinet refacing replaces the cabinet skin panels to give your kitchen a new look....

What Does a Cold Frame Do? Fall and winter vegetables, known as cold-season crops, grow best in cooler weather and even tolerate some freezing temperatures. What they don’t like is widely-fluctuating extremes: warm, sunny days followed by frigid temperatures that come on quickly as soon as the sun goes down. Cold, drying winds can also wreak havoc on these crops. Cold frames moderate these extremes by capturing the sun’s warmth during the day....

Varieties of False Cypress ‘Baby Blue’ False Cypress Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Baby Blue’ is a compact selection that forms a dense shrub of silvery-blue foliage. It grows 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Plant in zones 4-8. ‘Cripsii’ Hinoki False Cypress Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Crippsi’ features golden foliage that deepens to dark green. It grows 50 feet tall and 25 feet wide. Plant in zones 4-8. Golden Threadleaf Cypress Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera’ offers chartreuse, lacy, evergreen foliage and grows 40 feet tall and 10 feet wide....

French Onion Soup with Mushrooms: Prepare as above, except add 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms to saucepan in Step 2 before adding broth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat about 15 minutes more or until onion is golden and mushrooms are tender. Continue as directed.

For over medium, cook an additional 30 seconds. For over hard cook an additional 1 minute.

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¾ cup butter 8 cup powdered sugar, divided ⅓ cup milk, plus additional if needed 2 teaspoon vanilla food coloring (optional) Almond Cupcakes 1 yellow cake mix (2-layer size) ½ teaspoon almond extract 1 8 ounce can almond paste ¼ cup sugar 1 egg

⅔ 8 ounce tub fat-free cream cheese 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon finely chopped crystalized ginger OR ¼ teaspoon ground ginger