Here's a place to get some new exotica

JCPenney calls it accent furniture, but for small rooms some of the pieces in the Artesia global collection are "real" furniture.

An upholstered corner chair for $500, for example, could be just what your living room arrangement needs to make it work. It comes with a matching ottoman for $300.

Accessories include the Dipak lamps, with antique silver leaf decoration on their steel bases. These are $160 for table versions and $240 for an impressive floor model. Mosaic accessories start with $20 orbs. Visit jcpenney.com

Flip through this book for answers

Are you the kind of person who likes some rules for decorating?

If so, you will like Flip! for Decorating by Elizabeth Mayhew (Ballantine, $24).

Mayhew, who reports on lifestyle for NBC's Today Show, takes on four rooms: living, dining, family and bedroom.

Let's say you are lucky enough to be in the market for a dining room table and chairs. What do you look for as far as size, shape and materials?

First, a dining room table when fully extended should cover no more than a third of the floor's total space. Ten guests are the maximum at a table.

In the store, grab and pull a tabletop to be sure the table doesn't wobble or sway. Then push down on one corner to ensure it doesn't flip over.

Round tables are most conducive to conversation if you have room. No matter the shape, be sure leaves are easy to add and remove and that they match the table's finish.

Believe it or not, some tables have legs placed awkwardly so guests plow into them. And if your chairs are too high, guests' legs might hit the apron. While drop leaf tables are great for small spaces, those legs often lead to bumped knees.

If you select a glass-topped table it should be tempered and at least three-quarters inch thick.

Many people end up with hand-me-down dining room furniture. Mayhew suggests you paint it black or white.

"Trust me, your grandmother would want you to use it."

The chairs should contrast with your table, not match it. She wants white-frame modern chairs for your antique mahogany table.

Here's what your neighbors grow

What do you think is the favorite food crop planted by Midwest gardeners?

If you guessed regular, full-size slicing tomatoes, you're right, according to an online survey by Mother Earth magazine.

That's followed by sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, onions, bush snap beans, carrots, garlic, paste tomatoes, snow/snap peas and lettuce.