The foodie on your list is sure to appreciate one of these items. Do you know of any others? ...more

December 4, 2009

Those cute Meerkats return. Burly old men skid on ice. HGTV picks a new star. Military wives rule. A universe-hopping detective swings into action. And a female race car driver burns rubber. ...more

June 6, 2008

Designing For The FutureHer design for a home whose porch takes a person from toddler to elderly won Christine Sanchez third place in a continental competition for architecture and design students. Challenged to "design for a person to age in place with dignity," Sanchez incorporated a porch that wraps around the perimeter of the house and offers complete accessibility by wheelchair. A student at the University of South Florida, she drew for a waterfront site in Sarasota. "The porch begins with a ramp and evolves into a deck, walls, windows, seating, roof, and finally, ceiling," she wrote in her accompanying essay. "The user has the freedom to access and see all parts of his or her property." The Ethel Andrus Percy House of Freedom Design Competition is sponsored by AARP and the American Institute of Architecture Students. To see the winning designs, go to www.aias.org/aarp. Nurture A Growing VocationMost great ideas have a loser. Some are win-wins. Very few are win-win-wins. Falkenburg Road Jail's Horticulture Vocational Program hits a grand slam: Inmates learn landscaping; the government gets help beautifying highway medians; and the public gets to enjoy all that beautification - and buy lovingly grown plants. The next sale is from 8 a.m. to noon June 13 near the entrance of Falkenburg Road Jail, 520 N. Falkenburg Road, Brandon (Interstate 75 to State Road 60, west to Falkenburg Road and north to the jail). Bring cash or a check. Proceeds buy program supplies and seed careers: Inmates who graduate from the program earn a vocational certificate. Looks To Watch ...more

June 5, 2008

Vintage is in, and thanks to KitchenAid's new line of Pear countertop appliances, you can be, too. ...more

May 29, 2008