Try decorating uncommon eggs

Unusual-looking eggs often appear in the pages of Martha Stewart Living. Can they be decorated?

We've tried marbleizing, gilding, polka dotting and glittering every kind of egg there is, from gigantic shimmery ostrich eggs to dainty dappled quail eggs. Here's what we've learned after all that experimenting.

Buttermilk-hued ostrich eggs and green-black emu eggs won't absorb most commonly used dyes, but the colors of their shells are so stunning that they're best left untinted. You can certainly embellish them, however: Try decorating them with stickers or decoupage.

Duck eggs and goose eggs provide a pristine white canvas for dyeing, with a little prep work. To help color penetrate their thick shells and ensure an even coat, wipe the eggs with a paper towel dipped in white vinegar. To dye them, follow our basic technique at marthastewart.com/

egg-dyeing, adding an extra tablespoon of vinegar and a few additional drops of food coloring to the solution.

Choosing a kitchen countertop material

I'm shopping for a kitchen counter. What are the main differences between the materials?

With a growing number of kitchen countertops for every style and budget, choosing one can feel overwhelming. To narrow the options, first consider your spending plan.

Low-cost materials - in the range of $2 to $10 per square foot - include ceramic or porcelain tiles and laminate. Corian, engineered quartz and butcher-block wood are all midrange options that can cost $40 to $75 per square foot. The most expensive materials are granite, stainless steel and concrete, which typically cost $50 to $150 per square foot but can also increase the resale value of your home.

While stainless steel and concrete have the biggest price tags, there are disadvantages to each. Often, you trade practicality for a luxe finish. See below for the pros and cons of common countertop materials, from least to most costly.

LAMINATE

Pros:

• Inexpensive
• Easy to clean and install
• Available in many colors and patterns

Cons:

• Seams show at the edges
• Water can seep through seams
• Scratches and nicks easily

TILE

Pros:

• Tiles resist staining
• Many colors and patterns
• Inexpensive
• Relatively easy to replace damaged tiles

Con:

• The grout can stain even when sealed, so maintenance is high

WOOD

Pros:

• You can cut right on it, so it's often used on islands as a prep area
• Easy to install, sand and repair.

Cons:

• Needs sealing frequently
• Easily damaged by heat, cuts and impact

CORIAN

Pros:

• Available in different thicknesses
• Pieces can be joined to look seamless
• Stands up to heat and impact

Cons:

• Scratches easily
• Can become discolored when exposed to prolonged heat

GRANITE

Pros:

• Very strong - it stands up to heavy and hot pots, spills and knives
• Comes in lots of colors and variations

Cons:

• Needs to be sealed annually
• Full slabs can look different from the store samples and vary from piece to piece

STAINLESS STEEL

Pros:

• Stands up to heat and resists stains
• Waterproof, so it can be used with an undermounted or integrated sink

Cons:

• Dents and scratches easily
• Shows fingerprints
• Best not to use for day-to-day food preparation.

CONCRETE

Pros:

• Tints and textures offer a custom counter.
• Stone shards can be incorporated

Cons:

• Chips and scratches easily; susceptible to hairline cracks

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