The Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking: Decorating, Dining, and the

Given the state of our economy, we are too wary to dispose of our incomes recklessly. It is unreasonable for us to drop valuable dollars into the premium of convenience -- the recent economic scare taught us that. THE HIP GIRLS GUIDE TO HOMEMAKING demonstrates that it is not only possible, but also convenient to employ low-cost (and sometimes free!) creative solutions to produce an inviting space for living and entertaining. It is the perfect reminder for forward-thinking women and their counterparts that looking back is the best way to move forward.

THE HIP GIRLS GUIDE TO HOMEMAKING's fun, easy-to-read chapters are divided into two categories for taking the stress out of living thoughtfully in the modern world. Section One, Home-ify Your Pad, features quick and easy ways to make your place cozier with low-cost, special touches to help you tap into and show off your inner artist. Section Two, Impressive Acts of Domesticity, teaches readers to impress others (and themselves) with the gratifying pleasures of self-sufficiency -- a first-time guide to cooking, cleaning, and those previously out-of-the-question tasks. User-friendly "how-to" sidebars as well as two-colour line drawings, and Kate's tongue-in-cheek style of writing keep readers alert and tuned in to her much-needed advice. A special bonus section at the back of the book offers easy-to-follow recipes and "do-it-yourself" craft suggestions for making your home hip, comfortable, and inviting.

Homemaking guides have always been highly successful, but this is not your grandmother's handbook. Modern women need a modern approach to domestic pleasures -- a guide to doing housewife-y things on their own terms, because most of this stuff isn't as hard as we've been led to believe. Don't worry, she's not asking you to host Tupperware parties or iron your underwear. But as all beginning home keepers know, a sure fire way to feel bad about ourselves is to consult Martha Stewart. So ditch that 2-inch thick handbook, dust off your pots and pans, and join Kate on this journey to incorporating creativity and self-sufficiency on the home front, minus the stress and assumptions.