The Art of Doing Stuff

Halloween House Tour 2026

Karen — Sat, 31 Oct 2026 03:28:00 +0000

One of my favourite holidays for decorating arrived at midnight. I won't be able to fully enjoy it because the evening is routinely interrupted by beggars. Would it be nice if I could just sit back and enjoy the death spiral of creep in my living room? Yes. Will that happen? No. As soon as...

The Halloween of Mabel Blackwood (and Edgar)

Karen — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 03:28:00 +0000

This is the story of Edgar the Spider. A Halloween tale. Get under a blanket, turn the lights off and prepare to be afraid. It's a Halloween tradition around here. Sunday morning, Mabel Blackwood woke up and declared it pajama day. She did this out loud, to a pair of cats, while sitting cross-legged on...

How to Grow Garlic - Now Is The Time to Plant

Karen — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 03:28:00 +0000

Any idiot can grow garlic. Seriously. When's the last time you watched a television special on the "Remarkable Garlic Growing Person"? Never. Because you do not have to be remarkable in any way, shape or form to successfully grow garlic. But you do have to plant it - and the time to plant is October....

The Landscape Project Before & After

Karen — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 03:28:00 +0000

Six months after it began, the front yard is ready for its complete unveiling. The plants are in, the fence is stained and the porch still isn't painted. The plants are also all tiny. The full, mature English cottage garden I'd spent nine years creating had to be sacrificed and started from scratch. Here it...

Dear Autumn: Keep your dirt off my Christmas hands.

Karen — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 03:28:00 +0000

It's nearing the end of October so I've brought out the Ginger, Clove & Mistletoe hand cream. Also, I put nail polish on. Nail polish is a universally recognized signal of winter among gardeners. We don't do nails from April to October. Polish attracts attention to your fingertips and your fingertips look like they were...

5 Halloween Decorations That Aren't the Least Bit Cheerful

Karen — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 03:28:00 +0000

Halloween decorating doesn't have to involve a fog machine or a life-sized skeleton that costs more than your dishwasher. Also, I've never understood Halloween inflatables. They're scarier lying deflated on the lawn than they are standing up. And even then, they're bobbing balloons. That reads jolly. Not jump scares. If you want Halloween decorations that...

The Complete Guide on How To Get Rid of Mice.

Karen — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 03:28:00 +0000

Put your mothballs and steel wool away. They don't deter mice, no matter what you've read on the Internet. Here I lay out what you really need to do to keep mice out of your house and how to get rid of them if they're already in there. I speak from experience. They've always arrived...

How to Create a Halloween Window Projection (for About $100)

Karen — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 03:28:00 +0000

Project ghosts, monsters, or old horror films right onto your windows with a hundred dollars and an hour. You will also need a molecule of confidence. If you have those things you can create a Halloween window projection like this. I first tried this last Halloween and it turned out to be one of those...

The Real Thanksgiving 2026

Karen — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 03:28:00 +0000

Thanksgiving dinner was at my house this year. It always is. I planned ahead, anticipated almost every possible problem and prepared accordingly. I also put my sweatshirt on backwards and installed the electric carving knife blades upside down. This is why no one ever asks me to organize a military operation. A Thanksgiving Curse A...

7 FALL SOUPS TO KEEP THE CHILL OFF

Karen — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 03:28:00 +0000

7 fall soups to keep the chill off because nobody wants to sit by the fire with a big bowl of salad. I know you're thinking this is going to be a super-boring post about soup, because how interesting can soup be? But you'd be wrong in thinking that. Very, very wrong. Soup, as it turns...