Q: We are considering a two-story addition to our vintage, Arts & Crafts-style 1900s house. The downstairs will be an expansion to the kitchen, while we'll get a new master bedroom upstairs. That's our problem: We've decided to go for "light and airy" in the bedroom instead of the usual dark and cozy typical Arts & Crafts look.
Our architect gets it, but I need inspiration about choosing colors and such.

A: Look no further for inspiration than the pictured "light and airy" bedroom. These homeowners did your homework for you: They researched the Arts & Crafts period personally, including visits to the real thing -- "exemplar houses," as author Frank Shirley puts it. His book, "New Rooms for Old Houses" (the Taunton Press), yielded this photo of a new "old" addition similar to the one you are considering.

Q: There is an alcove in the second parlor of our old Victorian house. It's too shallow for a sitting area. I don't know what to do with it, except maybe put in some plant stands and plants -- there is also a window.

A: Not a bad thought, but it just might be that you are squandering a chance to have that alcove give you a really dramatic return on the space investment.

Behold the glorious pictured hideaway that's been conjured from an arched alcove in a rambling country farmhouse. And all it took was a comfortable daybed and a double helping of imagination. Featured in designer Chippy Irvine's book "Shades of Country" (the Taunton Press), this alcove was evidently meant as a study nook -- the arch is flanked with bookcases and more are featured inside the alcove.

The British are coming. The British are coming ... and wearing hats, of course! The royals across the pond have always had a penchant for donning dramatic headwear, and with the upcoming wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William, hats are once again making a fashion statement here and abroad. But most of us probably won't be topping our spring outfits off with a daring hat like the ones London milliner Philip Treacy has designed for the likes of Lady Gaga and the royal wedding party. Instead, we may choose one of the big brim straw hats to wear to a festive occasion right here at home. Kentucky Derby party anyone? And we all know about the trick of plopping on a baseball cap for a bad hair day!

The Secret to Fruitful Life by Samuel M. Stone has many facets to it. For that reason, I have asked my friends to give me their unbiased opinion. This one came from Ina Fabrikant, mother of our five children, grandmother of our 10 and now a good friend.

In her senior years, Ina has developed a lack of patience with long readings, long stories and magazines and books that don't appeal to her.

It's that time of year -- spring ahead and get a fresh start. Start by cleaning out your closet! It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it, right?

"Cleaning out your closet is always tough, because our clothes hold memories and ignite feelings and emotions," says Andy Paige, fashion expert and author of "Style on a Shoestring" (McGraw Hill, $16.95). "We all remember the dress we wore for a special date with our honey or the business suit that got us our first real job or the jeans that made us feel like a rock star. Letting go of garments that we don't wear anymore but still have fondness for can often be bittersweet."

A couple of weeks ago, I toured the 1-year-old Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center in National City, Calif., where local elementary school children get the opportunity to do hands-on science and nutrition classes, gardening and cooking.

While I was there, chef Sara Polczynski, formerly pastry chef for the Cohn Restaurant Group and currently with the San Diego Community College Continuing Education Program, was cooking up an aromatic batch of minestrone soup for a lucky group of sixth-graders.

Each one of us produces 1.2 tons of garbage per year, which is mainly bagged household trash. What's not included in that figure are all the perfectly usable goods that get thrown out each year, such as old furniture, clothes, books, obsolete technology and working appliances.

Many of these items are yard-sale fodder, or can be found parked by the curb with a "free" sign attached. If you can't find what you need through curb-shopping, or the classifieds in this paper, try websites like Craigslist and Freecycle.

While attending the Hackettstown Rotary Club meeting, DoctorsExpress’ Joe Castelano and I listened to the speaker, Lucy Hurley, Community Relations Director of Home Instead Senior Care. She described the levels of care that Home Instead Senior Care provided and referred to the book Stages of Senior Care by Paul and Lori Hogan. It was so intriguing that I had to read the book. It deals with the problems that families face with care of their older loved ones. In detail, it gave a good understanding of the situation facing the ‘children’ of the aging parents, infirmity, financial, ambulatory and familiar surroundings. The book suggests many ways to approach the dilemma that they face.

When a confirmed abhorrer of female authors and protagonists admits that he read and enjoyed the entire book The Informationist, one just knows that it has to be good. Taylor Stevens in her first novel has achieved the gripping story telling technique of many acclaimed authors. Like most novels, it started off slowly and gradually drew the reader into the depths of the story and the mystery. Her protagonist, Vanessa ‘Michael’ Munroe is not only believable, but brings mystery to an interesting turn of events.

Mahwah, NJ - The Universal Heart Health Society (UHHS) announced today that it will be hosting a fundraising event at the California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) in Paramus on Sunday, Mar. 13. CPK has agreed to donate 20% of its restaurant bills to the non-profit when customers present an event flyer, said UHHS Marketing Vice President Courtney Breese.

“We are working on raising awareness about our organization in Bergen County,” Breese said. “I don’t know a better way to do this than to invite the locals out for a great meal.

Works as Your Own Personal Fitness Trainer -- Low-Cost Intelligent Biking System Calculates Heart Rate, Intensity, Speed, Calories, & Time to Safely Get You into Shape

Velocomp LLP, www.iBikeDash.com, a leading sports technology company and creator of the iBike® line of power meters, announced today the iBike Dash CC (Cycling Computer), a light-weight wireless bicycle computer system that turns any iPhone or iPod touch into your own personal fitness trainer. Priced starting at $199, the iBike Dash CC creates an entirely new category of interactive cycling devices, enhancing the cycling experience in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before to help you finally keep that New Year’s resolution to get in shape!

Highly Reliable 2 Million MTBF for Critical 24/7 Applications 

Plug & Play Desktop-Sized Hardware RAID Storage/Backup Drive
5 Year Warranty Protection for Macs & PCs

Other World Computing (OWC®) http://www.macsales.com , a leading zero emissions Mac® and PC technology company, announced today the OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 hardware RAID storage drive with massive 12TB of storage/backup in a desktop-sized brushed aluminum enclosure. Featuring four 3TB high performance hard drives in four hot swappable drive bays, the Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 12TB RAID storage drive offers the flexibility of a “Quad Interface” of FireWire® 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0, and eSATA; four selectable Hardware RAID settings of 0, 1, 5, 10; and 300MB/s data transfer rates for high speed, Plug & Play storage and redundancy for Macs and PCs.

With the April 2011 launch of his new series, "Nick Stellino Cooking with Friends II," LA-based TV cooking personality Nick Stellino celebrates 15 award-winning years as one of the country's most successful television chefs. It's an accomplishment few can rival. For all those years, Nick Stellino has been preaching the same gospel: the family that eats together, stays together.Cook delicious, easy-to-prepare, healthy recipes for friends and family.Support local growers. Live your passion.

The Spirited Green Metallic Mazda2 is the greenest car on the road. Literally. There is no brighter shade of green offered in the current automotive palette. No recession-era brown for this subcompact, the 2011 Mazda2 steps out loud and proud as a modestly priced and generously equipped subcompact, five-passenger, five-door hatchback.

As the snow piles up and the spring thaw seems frozen in place for a few more months, it's time to break out of winter's chill and open up your closet to a colorful warm-up. Wake up to hot pink. Chill out to cool coral. Fire up with ravishing red. These are the colors of a new season.
"The colors designers have chosen for the spring season present an interesting marriage of unexpected warm and cool tones," says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.

Plunging into a soothing bowl of Mexican meatball soup called albondigas is possible whenever Cueva Bar is open. But what if the tiny tapas restaurant in San Diego is closed? I've written before how one order of Cueva's albondigas -- just four fluffy and teasing meatballs in a slightly prickly, rust-colored broth -- left me wanting more. Here, Cueva co-owner and chef Oz Blackaller shares his personal albondigas recipe. Of course, it's enough to feed half your Facebook friends.

Hey, all you really need is love, right? But why not love what you wear, too. This spring, fashion designers are sweetening up their collections with all kinds of romantic notions from dreamy dresses to cotton candy colors. Even though there's still a chill in the winter air, you can still turn up the heat and put some romance into your wardrobe. Start by softening up: 

-- With flirty dresses. The florals are flourishing this spring in watercolor palettes and neon brights. Artistic graphic prints are one of the newest ways designers have brushed up on romantic dresses, which gives them a decidedly vintage flair.

-- With bow blouses. Whether you wear one by itself with a pair of soft trousers or layer it under a menswear suit, the silky blouses with statement-making bows are your best bet.

-- With embellished tops. Think glistening sequins, metallic studs, or go for breezy crochet tops: the perfect companion for the season's longer maxi-skirts.

The S60 sedan is the new face of Volvo -- sexy and trendsetting without gimmicks and flash. A lot of manufacturers say they are building cars to appeal to the Gen X buyer. But Volvo may be the best at building a car that will appeal to the upscale preferences of these Millennials, the children of the baby boomers.

Atari introduced the concept of a racing MMO that supports thousands of players on one server with the release of "Test Drive Unlimited." This unusual racer combined deep online community features with the joy of driving and/or competing on the open road. "Test Drive Unlimited 2" adds expanded social features and new environments, but the actual driving is my least favorite part.

Q: The only thing wrong with our new apartment is the entry hall. It's long and narrow, and going down to the living room is kind of like walking through a dark tunnel. We don't own the apartment, so the walls aren't going anywhere.
How can we "open up" that tunnel?
 A: Designer Gail Shields-Miller (shieldsinteriors.com) has several smart answers to your question, summed up in the photo of the hallway in a New York apartment