One tree = big difference. If every American family planted just one tree, the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere would be reduced by 1 billion pounds annually. This is almost 5 percent of the amount that human activity pumps into the atmosphere each year.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN POTPOURRI

Potpourri is the dried flowers, petals, buds, foliage and sometimes even the seeds of the flower, be it an annual, perennial, wildflower, herb, shrub, tree or vine. If you want to make your own batch, plan to pick when the flowers and foliage are dry; try to steer clear of early mornings, before the dew has dried. You can gather the flower itself, or cut the entire stem with foliage attached. Don't take more than you can properly care for quickly; you can always go back and pick more.

Your drying location needs to be warm with excellent air circulation. This will help keep mold at bay by reducing humidity. Some folks add an oscillating fan; others crack open windows or doors. The site should be dark to ensure the color doesn't fade any more than it naturally will.

If you choose to dry just the flower or foliage, you'll need to put some old window screens and a few blocks of some sort, like concrete, under the screen to ensure good air circulation. Be sure your flowers are completely dry. This usually takes 10 to 14 days. If drying entire stems, tie them in small bunches (this way, if one flower molds, your entire harvest won't be ruined, just the bunch it is drying with) and hang upside down.

Craft stores carry spray paints made especially for flowers, so touching them up is possible. Once dried, you can enhance the fragrance by mixing in some orris root (available at craft stores) and your favorite scent. Craft stores also carry essential oils. Mix a few drops with the orris root in a plastic bag, then add to your potpourri. Orris root absorbs the oil, giving the potpourri a longer lasting fragrance.

– NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE

WHAT COLOR ARE YOU?

Color says a lot about your personality, and sengWare lets you show it with its line of vividly colored porcelain dinnerware, serveware and bakeware. Available in eight designer colors, the new dinnerware is designed around a unique color palette that's made to be mixed and matched.

From tangerine to coco, sengWare has the perfect color to match your personality, mood or decor.

“To me, eating and entertaining is all about having fun with color and your own individual style,” said WaiSeng Yau, president and owner of sengWare. “That's why sengWare allows you to identify your personal color palette. Whether you're animated, reserved, sassy, sensitive or all of the above, sengWare has the color for you. Colors can be mixed and matched; there are no limits or boundaries.”

The dinnerware sets come in two styles, Chic and Classic. The Chic set includes a square dinner plate, square salad plate, salad bowl and mug. For a more contemporary look, Classic includes a round dinner plate, round cocktail plate, salad bowl and mug.

Ranging in price from $5 to $43, the tableware is 100 percent lead-and cadmium-free as well as oven-, freezer-, dishwasher-and microwave-safe. Available at amazon.com and target.com (check stores, too).

– MAGGIE REED / CREATORS SYNDICATE

IN A CLASS BY ITSELF

Hey, if it ain't got that bling, it don't mean a thing.

The work of glass artist Chris Stell of Poway is “very colorful, very bright and it stays that way forever, it just shines,” she said. And yes, “it's very much bling.”

Stell, who etches glass, is one of 30 artists juried into the Art Glass Guild's eighth annual Patio Show and Sale Oct. 11-12 in Balboa Park.

All forms of glass – blown, fused, torch-worked, stained glass, cast, etched and mosaic – are represented in the show and sale.

Stell is also a graphic designer and works at her “day job” Monday through Thursday and at etching glass Friday through Sunday. “When I etch glass, I can draw things that no one can change,” she said, laughing.

She specializes in celestial illustrations – the sun, the moon, the stars – but also has pieces illustrated with dragonflies, skulls and many other iconic figures. “I love the shows because the interaction I can provide is kind of unique. If someone says can you draw a dragonfly I can do it right there,” she said.

Stell's works range from jewelry, box lids, standing and wall art, belts, hair clips, wine stoppers and other items. The art glass at the show and sale also includes vases, plates, bowls, decorative pieces, paperweights, stained glass, clocks and other items made by some of the best glass artists in Southern California.

Show hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 11 and 12 at the Spanish village Art Center in Balboa Park. For more information, visit artglassguild.org or call (619) 702-8006.

– CATHY LUBENSKI