Costume jewelry is in Ziploc bags in my dresser drawer. Decent jewelry is in jewelry cases that probably do whisper "steal me." I'm not telling where I hide the ice.

Tangent, but on the knockoff handbag front: I used to enjoy heading to Chinatown to pick up knockoff accessories for cheap holiday presents - we never tried to pretend they were the r...

I actually did like the idea, because I have some heavy pans that are difficult for me to pour precisely...then I remembered that I already own several funnels.

If you can, I think it's thoughtful to have pillows of varying densities. Definitely a light suitable for reading. If you are going to be out and the guests are going to...

The cigarette and the shoe issues ARE related. My (few) friends who smoke don't even ask, they just take themselves outside. I have no idea what they do with their ashes (it just ne...

I feel like if I wanted a screen larger than five feet, I'd get a projector. A TV that big would just be an eyesore.

A variety of dishes is my weakness. I swap between a summer and winter set (when I do my wardrobe) so I don't get bored. For entertaining we pull out the wood plates and salad bowls, ...

This is a very good idea. Our neighbors do periodic wine tastings, and because of all the glasses involved, each person brings their own six glasses. I don't see why you couldn't ask people to br...

This is sooo interesting! I can totally see how growing up there would affect your adult aesthetic. I certainly see myself decorating like my parents...because it feels like 'home' to me.

Chusmabilly cracked me up. I was once in line behind someone at Costco who had a monster size case of toilet paper, gallons of water...and several family size bags of prunes. And that...

Agree with all the previous comments. When I was small (under ten) I do remember having Bonne Bell "lip glosses" and peelable nail polishes. The nail polish was strictly for play an...

The seated woman is totally checking her Blackberry.

I'm rooting for houndstooth. It made an appearance about four years back but didn't seem to catch. Maybe houndstooth is the new gingham. And calico is the new houndstooth. ...

Other guests at a dinner party I attended brought fresh squeezed orange juice and "spray pancakes" (in a Cheez Whiz type can) for the hosts to enjoy the next morning. We all thought it was brilliant.

Maybe the picture bugs people because she is his girlfriend, i.e. a guest, yet she is the one doing the serving. When I was looking for my first apartment and inclined to cheap out, my...

Agree with LilyC about the heart-to-heart. I don't know who initiated the conversation, but a couple of years ago my family agreed that none of us needed or wanted any things for Christmas, so we ...

Yes, he's so practical and down-to-earth. I always giggle when he adds a little "eau de chateau."

Honey lemon tea with a zinc tablet (and sometimes an aspirin) crushed up in it. I like the idea of adding ginger.

In grad school, I once made two pumpkin pies, one from the can and the other from a pie pumpkin, for a side-by-side taste test. My roommates could not tell the difference, but the canned one was a...

This is exactly the nursery I would like! Saturated without being bright, calming without being faded. I love it.