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Country Lifehome garden By JOHN-JOHN WILLIAMS IV The Baltimore Sun (MCT) BALTIMORE — Hal- loween doesn't scare Melanie Brzozowski into a fit of random decorating. She treats the holiday with the approach she takes to other seasonal events. Two weeks ago, Brzo- & Good taste is trick to high-end Halloween Create baskets of garden fun for Halloween zowski switched out the blue seascape decor from the warmer summer months in favor of a little black magic perfect for October's spooky vibe. "It's not so much about the gore. It's embracing a great holiday," said Brzo- zowski, the event design consultant for Chef's Expressions. "I am like a mad scientist with my Hal- loween entertaining: I add a cup of funky, a spoonful of elegance and a pinch of sparkle — always have to have sparkle — to get the proper balance with my decor, events and menus." Even though Halloween is usually associated with over-the-top kitsch and gore, it doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice good taste. Local designers and event planners say that with a little thought, a tasteful, high-end Halloween can be within reach. Brzozowski strives for an upscale appearance with- out spending exorbitantly, which is why she shops at Michaels and Target. She also goes to Pinterest for some ideas, but mostly dreams up ways to incorpo- rate her decorations on her own. "Entertaining is an art and should be treated as such," she said. "Even with the 'fun' holidays, like Hal- loween, you should still use the proper silverware, glass- ware, real linens, etc. If you are going to do something, you do it right." Carmen Brock, owner of MCT photo Melanie Brzozowski appears in her apartment, which is decked in Halloween decor. incorporate some other tex- tures: burlap and dyed can- vas." She also recommends purchasing fancy figurines like the ones designed by Bethany Lowe, which are sold at her store. "They are a great mix- ture of fun and creepy," she said. "They have this myste- rious and spooky, almost off-limits element about them. But I think they are balanced really well. There is something sweet and charming to them." Unlike less expensive, disposable decorations, the figurines, which range in price from $24 to $48, can be heirloom pieces and used year after year. "They're really popular," she said. "We've sold out of the really small ones." Philip Smith, a design consultant at The House Downtown in Baltimore, thinks that small touches using minimal materials can make a big impact during Halloween. Trohv, a home furnishings store in Baltimore's Hamp- den neighborhood, prefers a subtle approach. In past years, she's filled her home with various knickknacks and stylized figurines. Now, she fills her two stores with them. She reserves her at-home deco- rating to the exterior of her Baltimore rowhouse. This year, Brock scattered white pumpkins along the porch and staircase of her home. She suggests that cus- tomers decorate spaces such as mantels in a less flashy manner, perhaps skipping the traditional orange and black in favor of texture and nature. light bulb from your front porch," he said."Give it an eerie, neglected look." Glamorize the typical white sheet ghost silhouette by using tulle. "If you have a little girl, use pink tulle," he said. "Hang a single hanging loween figurines or small pumpkins along a table or mantel. He also anchors tablescapes with "really cool" topiary jars. Fill the jars with small gourds or candy corns. The more tiers and layers, the better, he said. "Do not over clutter with a lot of pieces," she said. "It's good to keep it simple and monochromatic. Throw in something organic — from nature like driftwood colored sticks and dried leaves. Stay within that palette. Add some coziness and sophistication. And her living room with spark- ly pumpkins. She's also filled vases with items such as plastic skulls and glass ghosts to give them a differ- ent look. She crowns each vase with pillar candles. The dining room has a "black widow" theme. The table is adorned with a black spider web tablecloth, sil- ver-and-black runner with spider web lacing, and black roses centerpiece. "There's lots of sparkle," she said. "Everything goes together." Smith arranges Hal- zowski uses a black shower curtain and hand-tied cloth banner to give it a "fun, crafty Pottery Barn look," she said. In the bathroom, Brzo- At Brzozowski's 2,000- square-foot Middle River apartment, the magic starts at the front door. Her entrance is adorned with a black-and-orange wreath and "Happy Halloween" sign. The patio is filled with goldenrod and mums in col- ors of eggplant and burnt orange from Richardson Farms on Ebenezer Road. "I set the tone as soon as you get to the door," Brzo- zowski said, adding that she strives to give each room a distinct feel. Brzozowski has loaded And for those ambitious do-it-yourselfers, Smith suggests creating a wall piece by alternating luxuri- ous fabrics in black and orange. match. It is more appealing to the eye to look at a room of things that go together, in different ways, than a room that has all things match- ing." should keep yourself in mind when decorating your home, according to Brzo- zowski. Most importantly, you MCT photo Assemble your Halloween basket of spring- flowering bulbs and planting, watering tools. By Kathy Van Mullekom Daily Press (Newport News, Va.) (MCT) "Remember that you will be the one looking at it the most, so surround your- self with things that make you smile or that remind you of your childhood," she said. Brzozowski, event design consultant for Chef's Expressions, advises set- ting the tone with invita- tions, preferably on paper. "There is a joy that over- comes me when I open the mail and there is a nice paper invitation; already I want to go to the event because I feel the host has put time and energy into it," she says. Can the candy this Halloween and instead treat your friends and neighbors to a lasting bag of trick- ery — the pretty kind that keeps on growing and giv- ing. Saturday, October 27, 2012 – Daily News 3B Filled with fall bulbs like tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, these beauties will be a welcome surprise come spring. ——— PARTY TIPS Invitations: Melanie Or create a growing gift for neighbors, disguised as a mummy or witch. You and your family can do it in a couple hours and have a howling good time. Invite the neighborhood kids and turn it into a party with treats for all. Here's how to create baskets of treats, courtesy Dig.Drop.Done, an educational foundation that pro- motes the use and enjoyment of flowering bulbs. Learn more at www.digdropdone.com. MATERIALS: 10 daffodil bulbs Black basket "If you're not crafty, sim- plicity is very good," he said. Smith also suggests dec- orating a chalkboard in sea- sonal designs for an addi- tional piece of art. In his home, he decorated his chalkboard with a "spooky" picture of his home sur- rounded by bats. "It sounds kitschy, but it's really nice," he said. She uses black cheese- cloth in the dining room instead of curtains. "It looks much better than it sounds," she said with a laugh. "I place little purple spiders on it. It looks nice." Even the kitchen's dish- washer is adorned with fes- tive window clings. "I make sure each room is different, but the overall house goes together — it's the transition from room to room that builds excite- ment," Brzozowski said. "I love to have items that com- plement each other, not that The menu: "Make sure your menu fits the time frame of the event," Brzo- zowski says. "If you are hosting a party that starts at 5 p.m., serve enough food so it is equivalent to dinner. You can still do a cocktail-style reception during this time, but you have to go heavy on the hors d' oeuvres so you sat- isfy your guests. You never want guests to leave hungry. If you want to do a lighter meal, then opt for a later start time and serve wine, cheese and some desserts." Homemade goods: Car- men Brock, owner of Trohv, says the best way to incor- porate that Halloween feel is through homemade treats. "Use orange frosting for a chocolate cake," she says. "You don't have to do a mil- lion things. Take one item and put a Halloween twist on it. It will also photograph well." Black & orange Halloween fabric Small canvas or burlap tote Kid-sized watering can Kid-sized spade Plastic plant marker Orange ribbon Paint brushes Tissue paper Black Sharpie pen loween ornament) Orange, black and gray paint Ornamental decor (wooden ghost or other Hal- Glue gun & glue sticks Fabric glue (optional) DIRECTIONS: Place fabric inside of basket and lap over edges to create a liner. Hem edges with fabric glue, if necessary. Secure ornamental decor to front of basket using hot glue. paint, draw a jack-o-lantern face. Let dry. Paint spade handle black and spade blade gray, let Place tissue paper in basket. Arrange bag of bulbs, watering can, spade and plant marker into basket. Place bulbs into bag and tie with ribbon. Paint the watering can orange, let dry. With black dry. With black paint, write R.I.P. on blade. Let dry. Use Sharpie pen to write "Beware of Bulbs" on plas- tic plant marker. Kathy Van Mullekom is gardening columnist for the Daily Press, Newport News, Va.; e-mail her at kvanmullekom@aol.com; follow her at roomandy ard.com/diggin, F acebook.com/kath yv anm ullek om, Pinterest.com/digginin and Twitter.com/diggindirt. Eco-friendly clothes, packaging With all of the gifting, shopping, and wrapping we do around the holidays (and, really, year round), one concern has always gnawed at my conscience: waste. Whether it's the over-the-top amount of packaging for a single toy or the obligatory plastic bag from a store, I can't shake the feeling that there has to be ways to eliminate the overload we produce and consume. With that said, here are three new ways how com- panies and consumers can change their ways and help make a difference, little by little. All stories come courtesy of Earth911.com, which has a wealth of eco- angled informa- tion. Buh-bye box Cereal maker Malt-O-Meal wants to change the way we buy cereal. Its new initiative called Bag the Box, and it's a move toward a more sustainable way of packag- ing food. is Sean According to Malt-O-Meal, Murphy Project Home 2.3 billion cardboard cereal boxes are produced definitely a step in the right direction. each year. And inside that cere- al box is a plas- tic cereal bag. By eliminating the box, Malt- O-Meal reduces consumer waste by 75 percent, while saving energy, fuel and other resources. This ulti- mately comes down to pack- aging vs. over- packaging. And reducing the packaging by a wide margin is Re-pur posable unmentionables What do you with your old undergarments? Throw them away? Donate them (ew…)? How about repurposing them? way to eliminate that ubiquitous giant plastic bag you take home with your newest purchase. Just send it down the drain. If your underwear is made from cotton or wool (both natural fabrics), they're compostable, believe it or not. So, throw that old underwear into the compost bin today and enjoy them in your toma- toes next summer. Now you see it… …and in three minutes you won't. Athletic shoe and apparel company PUMA has developed a PUMA's new Clever Little Shopper is made from 100 percent corn- starch. In the compost bin, it will decompose in three months. But if that's too long to wait, it'll dis- solve in water in three minutes. water that's safe to pour down the drain. Esti- mates from PUMA sug- gest this bag will save 192 tons of plastic and 293 tons of paper annual- ly. Place the bag in water with a temperature of roughly 145 degrees, and stir it. In approximately three minutes, that bag will be reduced to an eco- friendly red dye-colored recycling and/or repur- posing tips around the house? Go ahead and send them to smurphy@build.com. Until next time, Happy Home Improving. Do you have any quick Sean Murphy is a copywriter for Build.com in Chico. Visit the company's website for more home improvement tips at www.build.com.