Special-occasion crafts Are there any new frontiers left for Martha Stewart? One, apparently.
Beginning May 23, her Occasions line of pop-up, customizable invitations, favor boxes, place, save-the-date and thank-you cards and other items goes on sale at Michaels craft stores and www. marthastewartcrafts.com. Included are test sheets and templates for designing and printing on home computers. Items in "Water Lily," "Seaside" and "Floral Cake" themes range from $4.99 for a pack of wine labels or stickers to $29.99 for a "suite" of 24 invitations with a pop-up, three-layer cake. The line also includes hanging decorations; all pieces are rendered in Stewart's favorite pastels.
KIM YEAGER
Great outdoors With the right furniture and decor, you can make the outdoor rooms of your house blend with the indoors.
In "Creating Outdoor Rooms" (Gibbs Smith, $29.95, hardcover), Leeda Marting shares the history of garden lifestyle and shows readers how to make outdoor areas inviting.
She explains that no matter the home's layout, porches, decks, lanais or back yards can be turned into conversation areas where people can connect with one another and nature.
Although the more than 150 photos are all of historic homes and gardens in Charleston, S.C., the book's advice is universal. It covers choosing outdoor furniture and accessories, creating visual impact with sound and water features and bringing life to outdoor rooms by eating, playing and relaxing in them.
ORLANDO SENTINEL
