Using bold paint colors and a list of budget-friendly resources, Ellicott City designer Kelly Porter transforms a fusty family office into a modern and colorful space to call her own.

Paint colors in Porter's home office, all from Sherwin-Williams. Rhapsody Lilac (SW6828) Brevity Brown (SW6068) Aquatint (SW6936)

( 1 ) DESK http://www.overstock.com $300 ( 2 ) BLUE TABLE LAMP

HomeGoods ( http://www.homegoods.com ) "Great for affordable accessories and accent furniture pieces. They offer different styles [modern, traditional, vintage, etc.], and you can find furnishings for every room in your home. I also like that they bring in new items weekly."

"My biggest challenge is the slanted cathedral ceiling causing an extremely tall wall."

Is there an echo in here? Is there an echo in here? In this show at Annmarie Garden's Main Gallery, nine artists used repetitive elements to create large-scale installations and free-standing works that are stationary yet convey movement. Among the artists are Heather Brammeier, who made some nifty...

Nov. 5 ELECTRIC JAM SESSION Bring your own instrument and jam with other musicians. 7 p.m. Huntt's Tavern, 6520 Bensville Rd., Pomfret. 301-932-6280 or http://www.hunttstavern.com . Free.

Nearly 200 craft artists from across the country are bringing one-of-a- kind or limited-edition wares to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center for this 22nd-annual event. They'll be selling metal pieces, ceramics, jewelry, clothing and other decorative goods. The highlight of this year's...

How to fix chimney stains and water marks on wood.

Sales at Rockville Interiors haven't been as robust as in the past, says manager Ilan Fulop. To attract shoppers, the store is offering holiday discounts, marking down window treatment fabrics 20 and 25 percent off retail prices.

Animals find shelter in our homes, unnerving millions of people and generating a multibillion-dollar pest control industry.

1. Springtails 2. Box elder bugs 3. Multicolored Asian lady beetles

Gardening tip of the week.

These sales were recorded in Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties and supplied to The Washington Post by Spatial Systems Associates, the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation and the Maryland Department of Planning. To find sale and assessment records for homes in Southern...

MONTGOMERY CHILD CARE ASSOCIATION 5K RACE AND WACKY FUN RUN The 5K is a challenging rolling-hills loop in Lake Needwood Park. For the Wacky Fun Run, participants are invited to wear costumes or decorate a stroller. There is also a half-mile run for children and beginners. Proceeds benefit the...

Froot Loops are not part of a nutritious breakfast. Moisturizer will not make your skin look and act younger. And watching videos will not make your kids smarter. They will entertain them, amuse them and maybe even inform them -- and personally, I'd argue that that's enough.

Sputnik got me into algebra early, almost. The Soviet satellite frightened the U.S. government into approving lots of money to accelerate math instruction just as I was completing eighth grade in San Mateo, Calif., in 1959. Hillsdale High, where I was to attend ninth grade, got some of these funds...

When Todd Connick's family stopped growing tobacco on their farm at Zacharia's Crossing, he turned to grapes.

The League of Women Voters of Calvert County will have its annual Legislative Evening with the delegation to Annapolis from 7 to 9 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Calvert Pines Senior Center in Prince Frederick.

The zombies were motionless on the floor at Leonardtown High School's gymnasium.

A news item in the Oct. 29 Southern Maryland edition of Local Living incorrectly implied that an H1N1 vaccination clinic at the Calvert County Fairgrounds on Oct. 31 was administered by the Calvert County Board of Education. The clinic was conducted by the Calvert County Health Department.

W illiam Donald Schaefer can still command an audience.

SOLOMONS FARMERS MARKET, produce, bedding plants, hanging baskets, cut flowers and baked goods. All county markets accept WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers from the Maryland Department of Agriculture. Riverwalk, north of Solomons pavilion. 4-8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12 and 19....

These were among reports received by the Calvert County Sheriff's Office and the Maryland State Police. Anyone with information about these crimes should call the Criminal Investigation Division, 410-535-2800 or 301-855-1194, or the Crime Solvers line, 410-535-2880. People can also call the Prince...

Charles County Parks and Recreation Division is seeking volunteers to serve as trail support team members on the Indian Head Rail Trail. Monitor trail activities, conduct safety patrols and assist trail users. Flexible schedule. Must be 18 or older. Bicyclists and walkers are encouraged to apply....

Some of the legislative requests made by the Calvert County commissioners last week did not receive full or automatic backing from state representatives.

At least nine St. Mary's County churches will open their doors to the homeless this winter in the first Warm Nights program.

Several speakers at Charles County's annual Economic Development Summit said the county is well positioned to bounce back from the recession before other areas.

The Charles County NAACP is asking the U.S. attorney general to review a police-involved shooting death last month in Pisgah.

Lusby area 1. Cove Point Business Center, Cove Point Road. A site plan, conditionally approved, for a 11,360-square-foot flex-space in a business park.

12 AND YOUNGER: Southern Maryland travel team seeks one player. Rick, skippyrich@yahoo.com , 301-751-7760.

These deaths were reported by funeral homes in Southern Maryland: