apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

• Cure Clock: 2.5 weeks to go
• Assignment: Read Week 6: Light Therapy
• Members: 1,735

Wow, everybody—less than three weeks to go! Hopefully you are really starting to see and feel the positive results of what you've done so far. At this point parts of your home are already transformed, and this week's focus has to do with shedding light (literally!) on the changes you've made so you can enjoy them to the fullest. But that doesn't mean settling down to relax just yet! We've got bathrooms to clean and lights to install.

Although our beloved Domino has gone the way of the dodo, the brains behind it, fortunately, are still out there working their creative magic. Garden Editor Stephen Orr, for instance, has a thoughtful, gorgeous blog, What Were the Skies Like. We love these apothecary jar terrariums he posted recently. If you want to make one yourself, have a look at the tips he shared with us.

One thing I love about living in the Bay Area is that it almost never gets too frigid cold to be outdoors. Even in winter, it can be fun to entertain in a backyard or out on a deck, provided you let your guests know that they need to bundle up. Try these tips for making a cold weather outdoor party cozy and fun.

Last week's post about affordable cocktail party basics generated a few comments from readers who share their party necessities with good friends. It's a great idea: Corral a few friends who like to entertain and chip in together on wine glasses, cocktail napkins, even folding chairs. Inspired, we came up with some tips for organizing a party supply exchange.

• Cure Clock: 3.5 weeks to go
• Assignment: Read Week Five: Getting Into the Thick of It
• Members: 1,735

So we've arrived at Week Five of the Cure, which demands some crucial tasks, like de-cluttering your file cabinets, but also some fun ones designed to help you settle more comfortably into your home as it evolves. You may have noticed by now that the backbone of the Cure is really about achieving a kind of intimacy with your home, a heightened awareness of its "well-being," and learning to maintain that awareness as a lifestyle. This week's tasks get at the heart of this goal.

In a city where private outdoor space is at a premium, sometimes the best solution is to go vertical, converting roof space into usable square footage for a garden. This transformation from Sunset shows how one family (and their brilliant designers) turned some tiny rooms into a rooftop paradise.

Yesterday I wrote about a few bold accent pieces to glam up your parties, so today let's take a look at some basic, inexpensive party staples that are great to have on hand if you like to entertain. Investing in some plain glass or white partyware provides you with a solid foundation to dress up and accessorize for any décor and color scheme you choose.

• Cure Clock: 4 weeks to go
• Assignment: Read Week 4: Retail Therapy
• Members: 1,735...

>> New Flickr Group: AT Home Cure
>> Submit Your Photos Directly to AT

Congratulations, everyone! You've made it halfway through the Fall Cure. You've done some soul-searching, some deep cleaning, some serious de-cluttering and a few crucial repairs. Maybe you've fallen a bit behind, or maybe you're feeling overwhelmed with all that lies ahead, but that's natural at this stage. At the halfway point, it's good to stop and take a breath. Empty your Outbox and enjoy the space you've made. Get out of the house and spend a little time shopping for things you need and love, or re-focus your energies on a DIY project to breathe new life into something old.