How Can I Find Perfect Heirloom Tomatoes?

Linda Grasso - Ever heard of Omar's Lebanese, Mong, or Mortgage Lifter? Neither had I before I went to the annual Tomatomania in Encino, CA. This year, I went to the tomato seedling sale on a serious mission. You see, I was disappointed by my selections last year. Although I did quite a bit of research on what the most delicious heirloom tomatoes are, I ignored some other important factors. The problem with my picks last year was two-fold. I did not get a big crop from any of the varieties and none of my choices yielded large tomatoes. They were all about the size of those Campari tomatoes you buy at the grocery store - a mid-size tomato that you need three slices of to cover a burger. My husband kept saying, "Where are the beefsteaks?" Can you imagine someone being so pedestrian? I grow heirlooms, dude!

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How Can I Make My Own Home Accessories?

We receive many requests from do-it-yourselfers for guides on making their own home furnishings, and we've found a fun guide to help you. We're coming late to the Todd Oldham party, but better late than never - we only now picked up a copy of Todd's 2005 book HANDMADE MODERN: Mid-Century Inspired Projects for Your Home (ReganBooks / HarperCollins Publishers). It's an excellent DIY guide containing 52 projects to turn your apartment or home from blah and square to hipster sharp.

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