While regifting has long been considered a social taboo — anyone else remember the Seinfeld episode "The Label Maker"? — Good magazine is giving the practice a positive spin. Pointing to a new set of tools and graphics from Brain Pickings that encourage people to regift with aplomb this holiday season, regifting is coming out of the shadows. You can download the regifting tags and wrapping Read more

Traditionally, families put up their holiday decorations during Thanksgiving weekend. Have you already covered your house in lights? Have you pulled down and dusted off the boxes of holiday decorations from the attic? Have You Put Up Your Holiday Decorations Yet? Yes, the holiday decorations are up. I'm still decorating. No, I haven't decorated yet. Read more

My sister called me this past weekend as she was frantically shopping in Manhattan for a bathing suit. Why the sudden need? She'd been invited to a friend's beach house in the Hamptons. Talk about a lucky girl! Whether you own a beach house of your own, or are just fortunate to have friends who love to share theirs, it's certainly a great way to while away a Summer weekend. Were you lucky enough Read more

Used in a boudoir or a romantic bedroom, silk slips or poufy frocks can take on a decorative life of their own. Designer Selina Lake is a virtual expert at hanging a pretty dress in the perfect way. However, it's not always a successful strategy. When used to excess, or poorly arranged, they can look too casual or even sloppy. Have you used dresses, slips, or other sartorial items to dress up Read more

If you're lucky enough to have a garage, you probably use it as spillover storage for things that don't fit in your home, as well as a place to park your cars, of course. The garages we had in the homes I grew up in were always overflowing with lacrosse and hockey sticks, unused furniture, spare tires, gardening tools, and other odds and ends we didn't use everyday. They were also quite messy, Read more

Besides her prolific acting career, Elizabeth Taylor was known as a serious collector of jewelry, art, and fashion. Now, her collection will be showcased in a series of public exhibitions and special events curated by the auction house Christie's, culminating in the sale of Elizabeth Taylor's collection. The international, three-month tour will begin in September with stops in Paris, London, Los Read more

I'll admit it: I'm a bit of a picnic basket hoarder. I own not one, but three traditional picnic baskets. When I'm not picnicking with them to my heart's content, they're used in my kitchen and dining room to store tea towels, napkins, and place mats. It seems as if this gentleman, watching rowing crews compete at the Henley Royal Regatta in Henley-on-Thames, England, is also a fan of the Read more

In case you missed it, yesterday Meredith, ReadyMade's parent company, announced that it was shuttering the title and laying off 75 employees. I'm deeply saddened by this news. I was a huge fan of the magazine and loved its online content as well. What about you? Were you a fan and reader as well? Were You a ReadyMade Reader? Yes, I was a loyal reader. I bought the magazine Read more

If you own a Summer home by the ocean and/or with a pool, it can be a treat to have an outdoor shower for rinsing off the sand and chlorine before you enter your home. Granted, it's a luxury, and a hose would do just as well. Some would still prefer to wrap up in a towel and shower indoors, though. If you could afford it — as well as a Summer home or home in a warm climate — would you Read more

If you knew that your garbage was being photographed, would you be more likely to throw away less (and recycle and compost more)? That's the premise behind Newcastle University's BinCam project. Students volunteer to have their trash's picture taken with the "BinCam." Each item deposited in the garbage can is photographed and posted on Facebook. So far, the researchers have observed that there Read more