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Wednesday, April 4, 2012
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Thank you for picking up MyConnection. Look for your copy delivered free to your home from The Newnan Times-Herald each Wednesday. You’ll find entertainment and travel news, as well as upcoming events, easy-to-make recipes, and things that matter to you and your family.
Family Features
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ring ease and elegance to your Easter feast with a classic roast ham served up with a sweet twist. Thyme-Basted Ham with Roasted Grapes is a sophisticated centerpiece that pairs deliciously with inspired brunch ideas. For time-strapped cooks, this refined recipe is a breeze to create — all that’s left to do after purchasing the ham is to prepare a quick grape jelly glaze and finish heating the ham in the oven. Sumptuous sides celebrating the flavors of the season make it a meal. Ham and Peas with Mint and Tarragon, and savory Ham, Bacon, and Caramelized Onion Tart require less than 20 minutes of prep time in the kitchen, elevating taste and simplicity for an effortlessly elegant Easter brunch. And for hassle-free leftovers, ham is hard to beat. In addition to sandwiches, toss diced ham into a breakfast scrambler, or sprinkle over a spring salad for a hearty after-Easter meal. For more recipes, tools to help you prepare the perfect ham and more easy leftover ideas, visit www.PorkBeinspired.com.
inside Elegant Easter Ham Recipes ➤
Ham, Bacon, and Caramelized Onion Tart
Thyme-Basted Ham with Roasted Grapes
Ham and Peas with Mint and Tarragon
What’s Your Style?
Ways To Beautify Your Garden
inside
StatePoint
Inexpensive Decorating Tips
Fresh decorating ideas for your home
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Whether your garden is a source of food for your family, a way to beautify your home’s outdoor spaces, or a gathering place for parties, you already know how beneficial your outdoor hobby can be. But a garden needn’t only be a human habitat. If you cultivate it right, you can encourage beautiful wildlife to become regular visitors to your garden all season long.
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A Family Features
re you ready for a decorating change? A recent survey found that while almost half of Americans haven’t updated their home décor in the last five years, only 20 percent are happy with it. If Giuliana Rancic that sounds like you, then it’s time for some fresh ideas. These budget-friendly decorating ideas from Giuliana Rancic, entertainment journalist and style guru, make it easy to discover your personal style. All it takes to refresh a room are a few simple updates and your home will be ready for entertaining in no time.
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Small Changes Add Up
“You don’t have to redo a whole room,” says Rancic. “Small changes like adding a new color or introducing a scent to a room really make a big difference.” Start at the beginning. The entryway of a home is the first thing guests see, so make sure it’s impactful. Tidy up the outside area around the front door, and add some inexpensive pops of color with a planter full of seasonal flowers. On the inside, think about updating the walls with floral or damask wallpaper, or even a painted chevron pattern to add visual interest.
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Engage all the senses. Sights, sounds, textures and scent all work together to complete the ambiance of a space. Try using soft lighting with lamps and dim mers for a warm and inviting atmosphere. Mix textures in the room by adding a soft throw to a modern, sleek sofa. And for sound — think about tabletop fountains or a good music selection to play when you have guests. Rancic loves Frank Sinatra tunes for entertaining.
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Bring the outdoors in. Live plants and flowers do wonders for a room. Lemon or orange tree topiaries are a popular way to add a natural pop of color.
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If you’re not sure about taking care of live plants, you can easily find artificial ones that look natural. Silk bamboo plants come in all sizes and fit on a table top or fill up an empty corner in a room.
Personal Style Tips
Rancic recommends taking cues from the things you love to add elements that express your personality without having to do a floor to ceiling makeover. n Love sea breezes and a touch of the tropics? Match this energy with a fresh coat of paint in a bright color like electric blue or Kelly green. Add a vivid printed rug and vases of tropical flowers. Put the final touches on the space with a teak bowl or vase full of lemons to add a pop of color and sparkle to the room. Scent: Pineapple & Mangosteen.
Dream of world travel and far off places? Go global, placing old maps and a magnifying glass on a side table and adorning the mantle with beautiful apothecary jars filled with spices. Add rich, velvet fabrics and pillows with colorful prints and a monogrammed throw for a personal touch.
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Feel connected to nature? Display elements from nature to add earthy touches to a room. Look for small terrariums,
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beautiful rocks and geodes, or even shells. Use natural fabrics, wood-wicked candles, and display sprigs of lavender and green leaves in ceramic vases or mason jars. Wish you could visit the Mediterranean? Freshen up sofas and chairs with crisp cotton slipcovers, and white, flowing sheers on the windows. Add a couple of bright pillows or a colorful throw for a warm and sunny feel. Look for a few decorative tiles that remind you of Italy or Greece, and set them out on display. Show off white floral bouquets that have a few pops of orange.
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Get Inspired The first step in discovering your own style is to make a personal “styleboard.” To create one at home, start by looking through magazines and websites and collect images of things you love, such as fashion, décor, or anything that catches your eye. Sort through the images and look for patterns. Do you find yourself drawn to clean lines and minimalistic décor, or do you see more traditional colors and furnishings? Is there a color that keeps popping up? This is a great way to narrow down your options when you are not sure of a style.
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Plant native flowers, shrubs and trees to give local wildlife the proper sustenance they need to survive. Skip flowers bred strictly for size and color and opt for high-nectar yielding flowers instead. Incorporate birdfeeders into your garden. Not only will they look great, they are an excellent supplemental food source for your feathered friends. And you can keep furry friends at bay with a squirrel-proof feeder. If you build a water source, they will come (and stay). A pond or birdbath will help prevent birds from eating and going in search of water. Birds need cover to protect themselves from predators. Planting densely with a mix of smaller trees, shrubs and beds of annuals and perennials will do the trick. Avoid pesticides. These chemicals are potentially harmful to you and your family, and the same goes for wildlife. Also, by killing garden pests, you will eliminate a primary source of protein for birds in search of nourishment for their migration ahead.
Once you’ve invited all these creatures to share your garden, you’re going to need to take some steps to make it safe for them. While a garden might be a safe haven, your home can be a death trap. An estimated 98 million birds are killed annually in the U.S. from colliding with glass windows. That is one bird
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