A Potted-Plant Potluck

Posted by Bluelines

Ideal for city-dwellers and garden neophytes, here's some easy and out-of-the-box (er pot) ideas from our favorite gardener.

Complete Your Magazine Library

Many of you have expressed an interest in back issues of Blueprint magazine.  The issues available for purchase are Summer 2006 (No.1), Fall 2006 (No.2), March/April 2007 (No.3), May/June 2007 (No.4), July/August 2007 (No.5), September/October 2007 (No.6) and November/December (No.7) and January/February 2008 (No.8).

To order, please call toll-free 1-877-747-1050.

Single issues are $3.50 (plus $2 shipping and handling.) To purchase all eight issues, the price is $16 (plus $4 shipping and handling.) Shipping is available to U.S. customers only.

Brand New Blue

Posted by Bluelines

As promised, Bluelines has undergone a facelift (the fun kind). It might seem subtle but we've made some big additions. Here's a rundown of what's new.

If they're not already drawn there immediately, direct your eyes upward and you'll see six cool new banners by the incredibly talented artist Keith Shore. (More about him later.) We'll be rotating the artist behind our banners every month so if you'd like to be considered or want to suggest someone, please email us.

We've got a new list of contributors who'll be blogging about what inspires them, makes them laugh, and generally makes them weak in the knees. There are a few familiar faces, and a couple of new ones sprinkled in. We hope you come to like them all.

On the top left, we've tweaked our navigation, so play around with it and discover the archived treasures that lie within. Here, you'll find all of the previous Bluelines posts archived.

Navigation button No. 10 deserves a paragraph of its own. We've created a source book full of our favorite websites, blogs, artists, and resources. Here you'll also find all of Blueprint's beloved 100 Reasons To...  -- which contain a bevy of links, facts, and inspiration. We'll be adding to that list constantly, so check back often.

You'll also notice that we've created home tours of our favorite Blueprint features. Take a virtual tour of Suzanna Bierwith's Chicago row house, and watch as Sarah Humphreys's tiny Manhattan apartment goes from claustrophobic to chic. Not only are they beautiful to look at, but they are also rife with great decorating tips and ideas to steal. And, of course, we'll be adding more of them.

New ideas, a new look, and new contributors -- we hope that's what you've been hankering for.

Just some of what's to come

Best Of Bluelines

Posted by Blueprint

While we're looking forward to our retooled blog, we've also been looking back at the posts over the past year. Here are just a few of our favorite posts:

120 Days Later

Too Much Of A Cute Thing

A Madman In The Heath

Creative Currents

The Writing's On The Wall

How Swede It Is

Go Ahead Jump

Making My Case

Ottoman Empire

Studio Tour: Binth

Family Trees

The Art Of Reduction

Do you have any favorite posts?

Blueprint's Legacy

Posted by Blueprint

We're so glad to see that you're excited about the new additions to the blog come March. And now we have another announcement: As of Friday February 29th, the Blueprint main page on MarthaStewart.com will cease to exist. It sounds intense, but here's what it means: If you come to Bluelines via blueprintmag.com, or through the Blueprint channel on MarthaStewart.com, please bookmark the blog's main page so you can come back. You can also still get to Bluelines via our Community and Blogs pages. (And all of those nice people's blogs who've linked to us.)

We know it's a little bit rough, so before anyone freaks out, please rest assured that all of your beloved Blueprint content will still be available online -- in fact, we've listed all the ways to find it below.

Home & Decorating

Take a peek at home ideas -- great and small with a Blueprint twist.

Also don't miss our Organizing Tip of the Day

Crafts

You'll find great DIY jewelry (a la Katie),  Page's flat-screen tv cozy, and our Craft of the Day (which includes many Blueprint ideas)

Entertaining

Find all of the Blueprint party menus, to-do lists, playlists and prep stuff here

Food

Blueprint recipes -- from soup to well nuts (...like Blueprint's roasted almonds)

roasted almonds

soup recipes

Health

Need ideas for a healthy & quick breakfast?  Want to take up jogging? Need a new makeup palette? Look no further.

and lastly...

Simply type "Blueprint" in our SEARCH box on MarthaStewart.com or any page to be directed to those great blue ideas in the sky.

*But most importantly, come here for your daily "blue" content.

Presidents' Day Fun!

Posted by Blueprint

How could you manage to learn the names of all the presidents of the United States, and the years they held office?

That's the question that this website proposes, and frankly we like their laissez-faire attitude. However they go on to show you just how you could manage to learn all of the presidents' names by changing "each name into an interesting visual image."

This sort of incredibly elaborate and confusing memory device seems harder to us than just plain 'ol memorizing -- which is why it's the perfect fodder for a drinking game. When you dishonor a president by misremembering the memory device, you drink.

Would fighting your way through the mall for some holiday sales be more in keeping with the spirit of the day? We think Chester Alan Arthur (the 22nd president) would prefer our way of celebrating.

Spelling Out Hidden Desires

Posted by Blueprint

If you're going the traditional boxed chocolates route for V-day, consider putting a personal spin on the gesture by making a customized candy box. It's a quick project that does double duty as a gift and a card rolled into one.

Chocolate = eternal love

How-to instructions after the jump>>

Make It A Really, Really Super Tuesday

Posted by Blueprint

We know that sometimes it feels like your little voice can't be heard over the roar of the crowd, but we firmly believe that everyone should speak up for what they believe in. If you're eligible please get to the polls and encourage everyone around you to do the same. Vote!

Hang-Up Job

Posted by Blueprint

If you're at all like us, you're a hotel toiletry kleptomaniac who can't resist slipping every mini bottle of suds into your carry-on. When you arrive home, you carefully add the new additions to your arsenal of bath products (cleanser/scrub/lotion/miracle-in-a-bottles that are picked up every week), which dutifully line your sink, toilet tank, and bathtub like little soldiers. Just us? Well, we came up with a quick, easy way to keep all of your potions at hand while keeping them out of the way.

Wire hanging basket organizer

Keep reading for instructions.

January Jumpstart: Extended!

Posted by Blueprint

The deadline for the January Jumpstart contest has been extended to today! So you’ve still got time (today to be exact) to tackle a small project. Here are some more ideas from the Blueprint archives.

Chain Suspended Shelf
Conjure the stylish illusion of a space-saving suspended shelf.

Chain suspended shelf (Jan/Feb 2007)