Better Homes and Gardens October 2019

LOCAL COLOR I’ve lived in Des Moines for four years now as editor in chief of this magazine, and though there are many special things about my new community, one of my favorites is the charmingly idiosyncratic way Iowa’s capital city celebrates Halloween. We don’t. In the late 1930s Kathryn Krieg, recreation director for the city’s playgrounds, came up with a novel idea to discourage the recent outbreak of petty vandalism. By replacing Halloween with a holiday that occurs one day earlier (on October 30), Krieg hoped to decrease the destructive behavior that had grown up around the holiday by substituting something more manageable—bad jokes. By the ’40s, the holiday known as Beggar’s Night had become widespread, with school leaders and the local media helping to establish the tradition. For years The…

BH&G’S FALL CHECKLIST Prep your home for winter to avoid potential damage to gutters, roofs, and chimneys. Learn more about how to detect air leaks, clean debris from your downspout, and identify what safety features need updating and repairs at home. BHG.com/FallChecklist [SWEEPSTAKES] Win $25,000 to refresh your home inside and out. Enter for a chance to win at BHG.com/Home25k. Details on page 135. PLANT NOW! PLANT IN THE FALL FOR SPRING COLOR. [SPECIAL BH&G OFFER] Vivid Blooms Tulip Mix Known for their delicately flared, pointed petals, lily-flowered tulips command attention in the garden with their vibrant fuchsia and orange hues and 2-foot-tall soaring stems. Plant our mix of 50 bulbs (five varieties) in fall, and in spring you’ll have beautiful beds of flowers that are ideal for cutting. Order the Vivid Blooms Tulip Mix from White Flower Farm at…

Pillows with dense shaggy pile in warm jewel tones are a one-step shortcut to creating a cozy space. Plus they add layers of pattern and personality in a single shot. Toss one or two onto your sofa, or try your hand at one of our DIY projects on the next page. ONE-TWO PUNCH Learn how to punch needle, then use the technique to create ultratextured pieces. Make something from scratch or embellish blankets, throw pillow covers, curtains—the list goes on. WHAT YOU NEED ▪ Punch needle tool (We used a universal one that costs $6 at crafts stores.) ▪ Yarn in varying weights and fibers to create different textures ▪ Fabric with a tight weave to hold the yarn, such as monk’s cloth, weavers cloth, poly-cotton twill, or denim ▪ Embroidery hoop HOW TO PUNCH NEEDLE 1 Using a…

MAKEUP 1 We were happily surprised how this plant-based formula could give our lashes so much volume and definition minus any smudging. Burt’s Bees All Aflutter Multi-Benefit Mascara, $13 2 Testers loved the selection of 12 flattering shades and that you get larger pans of the neutrals you’re most likely to use every day. Urban Decay Naked Reloaded Palette, $44; sephora.com 3 To the world you’re rocking a high-shine mani, but you’re really protecting your nails with platinum and diamond powder. Sally Hansen Mega Strength Nail Polish in 30 colors, $6 each 4 CoverGirl TruBlend Undercover Concealer ($11) is a creamy, full-coverage formula that hides dark circles, redness, and spots without caking or creasing. Available in 30 shades. editor favorite “I love how light this foundation feels and the fact that it has SPF 50 sunscreen…

Even if you don’t believe that crystals have mystical properties, you can still tap into their practical power. It’s hard to argue with the restorative effect of wrapping a room in the restful blue-gray tones inspired by minerals like celestite and gray agate. To get the same subtle shifts you see in crystals, layer on multiple shades. INSPIRED BY THE GENTLE WATERS of a nearby river, designer Kati Curtis enveloped this Rumson, NJ, bedroom in a tranquil palette of blues and grays. “It’s a tricky balance because blue can go too saturated and look like a kid’s room or go too sweet like a sky blue,” she says. “To feel serene, this color needs the right amount of neutrality.” Curtis chose a saturated gray with blue undertones and layered the room…

HAUNTED HOUSE Set in a bed of moss and lichen, this mystical white pumpkin cottage and its mushroom “forest” attract all the little scuttlers. A combination of fully carved-out sections and areas etched with a wood carving gouge create the windows, door, and mushrooms. (Find etching tips on page 34 and templates for all the designs at BHG.com/PumpkinTemplate.) WOODLAND CREATURES Texture is the key to bringing these nocturnal animals to life. After creating a relief of mice silhouettes, we used a wood carving gouge to surround them with short, rough grooves that look like claw marks. For the owl, fully cutaway areas emphasize its body, eyes, and beak; a smooth oval and wood-grain grooves evoke its tree-hollow home. SNAKE CHARMER A ‘Blue Hokkaido’ pumpkin looks like a stone under this illuminated serpent. Etch the snake’s…