Woman’s perpetual tardiness wearing thin on her friends

■ Create a multilayered wall collage with pages from any book.

■ Hollow out the inside of the pages and hide valuables in there, then place on a bookshelf.

■ Cut pages into strips and glue to a lampshade for a “novel” look for your lamp.

— Heloise

Dear Heloise: Iusea facial mask that is wonderful and all-natural. It works well on nearly everyone I know:

■ Grind 5 tablespoons of oatmeal in a blender or food processor until it’s a coarse powder.

■ Add 1 tablespoon of honey.

■ Add 2 tablespoons of plain nonfat yogurt.

■ Add 1 egg yolk, optional.

Mix everything together and apply to your face for 30 minutes in order to achieve best results. If you have time, lie down and relax during this treatment. Everything in this mixture is designed to brighten the skin, remove dead skin cells and nourish the skin. — Vanessa K. in Detroit

Dear Heloise: My exhusband and I decided years ago that no matter what happened, we would always take a “family portrait” every year. This was for the sake of our three daughters. The girls agree that we are still a unit, and it’s nice to see how the girls have grown and how my ex and I have changed through the years. We’ve been doing this for 15 years, and I believe it’s helped keep a civil relationship between my ex-husband and myself. — Courtney J., Suffolk, Va.

Courtney, that’s a good idea, and I agree that exes should remain civil to one another for the sake of the kids and for their own peace of mind. — Heloise

Dear Heloise: In my family, we try to take something from our mother’s wedding or grandmother’s wedding and incorporate it in our wedding dress or veil. I used a handkerchief that my grandmother carried on her wedding day and had it worked into the bodice of my dress. It was my “something old.” — Constance D., Glenrock, Wyo.