I love a good DIY as much as the next crafty lady, but sometimes there just isn't time. This is especially true if Ann's off golfing, and I'm the last line of defense before our first party guest rings the doorbell at 8pm. A party is like the world's largest ball of twine; it can't throw itself. Help is appreciated.

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While it's hard to deny the appeal of this season — the swirls of colorful leaves drifting down to the ground, crisp air outside and cozy fires inside, warm, spicy baking smells and the return of my beloved Pumpkin Spice latte — I am and always will be a beach kid from the golden coast and as such, you will always have to drag me kicking and screaming away from my beloved summer. More

They're big, kind of funny-looking, and are said to scare away spiders. So why would I want them to decorate my home? Well, a flower-designer friend recently used hedge apples in some arrangements for a rustic wedding and they were perfect! Which made me want my own hedge apple arrangement. But, since I'm already happily married with no new ceremonies in sight, I'm considering hedge apples for seasonal decor. Here are a few ideas I turned up: More

Sure, your Valentine may appreciate chocolates and flowers, but do you know what your Valentine really wants? To see you naked, all the time. A handmade portrait of your hotness is the gift that keeps on giving, all year long.. More

Now that we're finally settling in from turkey and shopping overload, it's time to assess the damage. 5 extra pounds and $500 might be getting off easy. With pre-estimates of 152 million shoppers, find out the insane numbers behind the Black Friday sales weekend. Consider Apple moved 1 Mac per second nationwide! Let us know what you bought and what your Black Friday / Cyber Monday shopping experiences were like. We want to hear about the little old ladies battling it out over the last $200 HDTV at Best Buy!

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Like birthdays, Christmas, and New Year's, Thanksgiving is one of those annual events that that often inspires us to proclaim, "next time, things will be different." Even under the best circumstances, it can be a fraught with high expectations, delicate familial negotiations and gastronomic over-indulgence... More

As I mentioned in an earlier post Entertaining Memories, the first time I hosted Thanksgiving dinner was not a particularly stress-free experience. It was 1994, we were four girls living in a furnished flat in Dublin, and didn't have a clue. "Sure," we thought, "why not host a Thanksgiving dinner for 20+ American exchange students plus some Irish friends? We have an apartment and they are all living in dorms. How hard can it be?"

HARD! Hard to find the necessary ingredients for some holiday favorites. Hard to coordinate the potluck portion of the event. Hard to have at least four people cooking in a tiny galley kitchen with a three burner stove. Hard to cook a meal with a random assortment of cookware and plates assembled by years of exchange students. HARD! More

Call me a hater, but the idea of sitting on a cold sidewalk outside any store in the wee hours of the morning, no matter what the deal of the minute is, sounds miserable. Plus, I'm not a fan of the big box experience, despite the fact that I do my share of business with them. The expected headlines of crowds and trampled shoppers got me to stock up on groceries and essentials early in the week so, basically, I don't have to leave my house unless I really want to. So what am I going to do while playing hermit? Lots! More

To me, Thanksgiving is a holiday that is very much in alignment with the Apartment Therapy mission. After all, it's about taking a moment (often at home, but certainly anywhere works!) to reflect on and recognize those things that we are thankful for...and then embracing them with a celebration. And, the best part is that there is no one "right" way to enjoy the day. You can be part of a group sitting around a big table enjoying a traditional meal or gathered with people from your community at a run or volunteering, or maybe settling in for a solo day of much needed quiet and calm - it's all good. Jump below for some reader stories of how they like to celebrate the day... More

We all know that Thanksgiving is about much more than turkey and stuffing. It's about being thankful for the people and blessings in our lives and it's a day to spend together. If your family's usual modus operandi involves half the family cooking feverishly in the kitchen while the other half parks it all day in front of the tv (I'm not saying which half!) with kids running around underfoot, here are fifteen ideas for stepping outside of your customary Thanksgiving box and getting more creative. The whole family will be rewarded with a much more memorable day.

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