HGTV Magazine November 2013

Front door of the month Porch light Claybourne 6"-tall aluminum pendant, $310, rejuvenation.com Mailbox No. 10 aluminum letter box in bright silver, $250, houseart.net Outdoor pillow Cayenne 18" x 18" canvas pillow, $67, lampsplus.com Bench All Things Cedar 52"W x 26"D x 37"H cedar bench, $229, atgstores.com Welcome mat Entryways Rainbow coconut fiber doormat, $40.50, wayfair.com House numbers Porcelain 3 ¼"-tall house tiles, $55 for a set of 3 with bracket, rejuvenation.com Door knocker Pinecone door knocker in nickel silver, $145, michaelhealy.com Door Classic-Craft Canvas Collection fiberglass entry door, $387, thermatru.com for stores; paint: Ultra Violet by Mythic Paint; Canterbury entry set in satin nickel, $380, baldwinhardware.com for stores Potted topiary Fluted 18 ½"H x 13¼"-diameter resin urn, $80, Tealeaf double ball 32"-tall faux topiary, $90, both improvementscatalog.com Welcome! This…

Great Island 34"W x 15"D x 67"H wood bookcase with doors in ale, $1,890, mainecottage.com Paint it Patent Yellow by Pratt & Lambert. Archbold 37"W x 18 ¼"D x 78"H pine buffet and hutch, $575, unfinishedfurniture.org for stores Pierre 38"W x 18"D x 80"H wood curio cabinet in sunflower, $2,249, ethanallen.com Paint: We painted our custom hutch Patent Yellow by Pratt & Lambert. Chairs: Louis XVI oval back side chairs in trilby basketweave plum, $401 each, ballarddesigns.com Table: Adams 72"W x 36"D x 29"H extension dining table in solid walnut, $2,099, roomandboard.com Lovlig 10¼"-tall glass and tinted lacquer vases, $3 each, IKEA stores Ikat 7 3/4"-diameter ceramic salad coupe in green, $12, cwonder.com La Vita Vera Mama Ro 6"-tall ceramic pitcher in orange glazed, $42, cooking andtableware.com Sorrento 18 ½"…

I polished silverware, ironed linen place mats, and clipped leafy branches for centerpieces. I cooked an 18-pound turkey, made name tags for the cheese plate, and served mashed potatoes out of crystal bowls! Everybody at my table was happy, chatty, and full—of both homemade cornbread stuffing and compliments. Me? I couldn't stop yawning. I had exhausted myself and was sitting there like a lump in gravy. Oops. Never again, I promised, would I turn Thanksgiving into a chore or a bore. This year's theme is The Easiest, Most Fun Thanksgiving Ever. Sounds much better, right? I started by divvying up cooking duties potluck-style. Then I put my iron in the closet and found some really pretty paper napkins. I've asked guests to bring over board games and DVDs, and I…

I am on my third issue of HGTV Magazine, and I love it. In fact, whenever a new issue arrives in the mail, I have to hide it from my husband so he won't steal it to read first! How about sending issues every week? —Adele Jaimes,Fremont, CA I really enjoyed the Property Brothers article about renovation dos and don'ts (September's "Brother Vs. Brother"). They gave such useful info for people like me who love to DIY. —Kathy Hirl, Solon, IA Every month I look forward to seeing all the new ideas and projects in HGTV Magazine. I've even started a "Learn From Vern" file. I'm constantly referring to it for his smart shopping and sizing tips. —Susan Schreiner,Clark, NJ I never knew what to do with my plain chalky-white…

$8,500 + worth of giveaways! Pair of pillows,page 67 5 winners Two Safavieh Josh 18" x 18" cotton and linen pillows in saffron, wayfair.com Showerhead with speaker, page 64 10 winners Moxie showerhead in polished chrome with wireless speaker, kohler.com owl shakers, page 30 15 winners Autumn Owl stoneware salt and pepper shaker set, tag2u.com welcome mat, page 5 50 winners Entryways Rainbow coconut fiber doormat, wayfair.com Dining chairs, on our cover and page 10 1 winner Six Louis XVI oval back side chairs in trilby basketweave plum, ballarddesigns.com Metal bowl, page 52 5 winners Branch 16"-diameter electroplated metal bowl, zgallerie.com Cast iron pot, page 56 5 winners 5 ½-quart French oven in cherry red, lecreuset.com Wall art, page 67 10 winners Seascape #2 by David Bromstad 12" x 18"…

Save major dishwashing time with disposable plates and napkins Sketch turkey custom paper napkins in orange, $55 for a set of 50, paper-source.com; Orange Ornamental Scroll paper plates, $2.50 for a set of 8, partycity.com Blue Grandeur paper napkins, $6 for a set of 16, smartyhadaparty.com; Buttercream Scalloped paper plates, $7 for a set of 8, platesandnapkins.com Autumn Stripes paper napkins, $6.50 for a set of 16, smartyhadaparty.com; China-Like Gold Casino Trim plastic plates, $10.50 for a set of 10, papergoods.com Rectangular napkins in orange, $4.50 for a set of 16, jampaper.com; paper Vivendi plates, $6 for a set of 8, platesandnapkins.com Radiant Stripes Citrus paper napkins, $7.50 for a set of 15, designdesign.us; Elegant Leaves paper plates, $3 for a set of 8, partycity.com Purple paper napkins, $2 for…