Are you proud of that cedar deck, pergola or planter box you built last summer? It might be worth $1,500. The Western Red Cedar Lumber Association is holding Real Cedar's Real DIY Contest spotlighting completed -- or in-progress -- outdoor home-improvement projects using cedar. Prizes range from Home Depot gift cards to $1,500. Submit photos and the story behind your cedar creation. Go to www.wrcla.org/contest for details; contest deadline is Feb. 29.

LYNN UNDERWOOD

Four-season ideas at Home & Patio Show Creating a landscape that's beautiful year-round is a challenge in chilly Minnesota. If you're looking for ways to incorporate all-season interest into your yard, head over to the Minnesota Home & Patio Show, where Mickman Brothers Landscapes for Living has installed a large "Four-Season Garden" to demonstrate plants, as well as fire and water features, that can be used to make outdoor spaces appealing all year long.Feb. 19 is the show's last day at RiverCentre in St. Paul. In addition to hundreds of exhibits and displays, there are free workshops all day long, including DIY demonstrations (on installing hardwood and laminate flooring, tile and lighting) and gardening and lawn-care seminars. Hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m., and admission is $9 for adults, $2.50 for ages 6 to 12, free for ages 5 and under.

KIM PALMER

Romantic inspirationJacqueline deMontravel is the editor of "Romantic Homes" and knows her girly-girl glamour. In "Hers: Design With a Feminine Touch" (Clarkson Potter, $35), she shows how to create spaces, from home offices to bedrooms, that are chic and fresh but also comfortable and inviting.

The vignettes and ideas showcased are pretty but never over-the-top froufrou. My favorites: two red and-white striped chairs in front of creamy bookshelves with rose paint on the back paneling and a glass and iron chandelier decorated for a tea party with handmade, large white flowers made from French paper.

CATHERINE MALLETTE, MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS