mariajoy's Profile

I would advise the reluctant hostee to tell her friends directly that her inability to reciprocate makes her uncomfortable and is getting in the way of her enjoyment of and appreciation for their hospitality. I would also advise her to think about the specific things that would make her feel comfortable or more comfortable, probably including some alternatives to having them come over to her house (as it seems they may be reluctant to do that), and ask for an opportunity to do those things. For me, a situation like that would raise some insecurities about being perceived as a mooch or freeloader, so I'd articulate that, too, were I in her shoes. It's likely her friends have no idea how she feels and would jump at the chance to reassure her.

We just finished installing our DIY concrete countertops this past weekend. The process was long and hard, but the end result is gorgeous. Even my partner--who did the lion's share of the finishing work--said she'd choose to do it again.

I recognize that, even with high-quality sealer and appropriate maintenance, the surface is still a bit porous and will probably stain. I expect I will be okay with that, particularly since my kitchen is really well-used. I also believe that the visual variety in the ground-and-polished surface (from the exposed aggregate and decorative glass, stones, and seashells we embedded in the molds) will minimize the appearance of stains. Even if it doesn't, however, the countertops would have to go a pretty drastic change in appearance to outweigh the pride of having fabricated them ourselves.

As part of our living room remodel a couple of years ago, we put a triangular built-in bench in a corner under a window. The drawer we built to go in said bench ended up being just a bit too long, and my partner decided that it would be easier just to notch out the framing and the drywall than re-build the drawer. She forgot that there was an electrical outlet on the other side of the wall and ran the reciprocating saw into the (live) wiring. A bit of an electrical fire ensued, but the extinguisher sure came in handy that day.