phillaylay's Profile

Ahhh, I love this house! Just got back from two weeks in California, and this is making me heartsick for it!

Beautiful, clean place! Also a huge fan of Tattoo Mom....one of my favorite bars in Philly!

She probably gets most of her work from restaurants and places like that. I can't imagine many residents pay for someone to write on their chalkboard walls.

I think the floors are gorgeous - right now espresso color woods are super popular, so your "mistake" turned out to be a rather trendy one. Plus, the advantage of the darker stain is that it goes with anything - don't be afraid, just go with colors you like!

Try picking a few shades and painting large samples on the walls - wait a couple days to see what looks best in the various lighting conditions. And keep that trim white!

Also, don't worry about creating a sense of style right off the bat. Buy things you like and somehow everything will come together.

Agreed all around. Absolutely beautiful space, just get rid of that armoire.

To be honest, it's great that you want to bake a dish, but for something outside the box, get her a gift certificate to a cleaning service. With two young kids, I'm sure she'll appreciate it.

Also, this is a great organization in the Philly area dedicated to helping mothers battling cancer: http://www.cuddlemykids.org/

Actually, this is pretty helpful since I'm currently deciding on a duvet cover and my bedroom has an almost identical color scheme.

Am I the only one that feels like a total slob after reading this? There's no way in heck I can spend 20 minutes cleaning every day, and I certainly don't spend my entire weekend making up for it, either.

I agree that it's easier to clean as you go along (I always clean up dishes immediately, and try to sort mail right away), but otherwise, I just keep things relatively tidy and maybe do an all-out apartment cleaning about once or twice a month. My place may not always be spotless, but with a busy schedule, it works well enough.

I take my own shoes off as soon as I walk through my door, but generally wouldn't take my shoes off in someone ELSE's home unless I was staying awhile or very comfortable with the host. Usually it's the same at my own apartment - I expect folks to wipe their feet, but wouldn't ask them to take their shoes off.

The old adage for clothes probably works for objects, as well - if you don't use it within a year (or appropriate season), toss it!

That being said, there are some things that I use infrequently (like extra blankets, or cupcake trays), but when I need them, it's very handy having them around. Just depends on your lifestyle, I suppose.