somethingisdone's Profile

Estate sales -- great place to get an entire set of patio furniture for cheap...it'll probably be dated but that's where spray paint and colorful fabric comes in.
The side of the road -- we picked up an entire wicker patio set for free. A lady was giving it away by the side of the road because she was moving. It looks awesome, modern, and durable. A few pieces were a little wobbly but tightening a few screws solved that problem.

Most of my extended family lives in Hong Kong, and I think the perspective of this photo exaggerates the claustrophobia of the living space. Yes there are crowded spaces (just as there are in Tokyo, New York, or any big city) but they are not as claustrophobic as this photo suggests. Also, much of Hong Kong is set apart as country parks and there are plenty of less dense residential areas where you've got a view of the ocean, subtropical forest, and craggy hills all from the window of your 300 square foot apartment.

Now to get on my soapbox... Um, you self-righteous people who are all like "stop having children, people", "I couldn't live without my huge backyard", "gross who would ever live there and what is wrong with them", I would like to say to you that not everyone has the chance to travel and to choose where they live, and there are lots of people who would rather live in a small space close to friends and family than on a ranch in a foreign country. There is nothing wrong with that.

Also, there's a certain appeal to knowing that your consumer/environmental footprint is small, rather than us spoiled folks in the west who use 80% of the world's resources. What if every person in more crowded countries like HK/China lived like we do in the US?

Oh my goodness how I love Target. How did I miss that brass elephant on my last browse-through? I must go back and get it.

Half of our house is blocked off for renovations, so I'm keeping decorating to a minimum this year and I don't want to accumulate too much useless junk. I'm going with mercury glass candle holders which will be pretty throughout the winter, white ceramic animals and vases that I already own, and a few sprigs of greenery. Like you, no outright red, but we do have our tree up and trimmed and that makes it festive enough =).

As I've gotten older I've realized how important it is to RSVP, and to send thank you notes. But I know that a lot of my friends haven't gotten to that point yet (especially if they've never planned a wedding and their get-togethers tend to be more casual). I just make it a point to phone people who haven't RSVP-ed and usually they're sheepish and apologetic.

I know that as life gets busier it is easy for things to fall through the cracks. Sometimes I forget to RSVP too, so I try not to judge too harshly when someone forgets.

What a great idea! Love projects like this -- high on creativity and ingenuity, low on time and cash =).

If I didn't sleep next to my husband, who would calm me down in the middle of the night when I start worrying, "Oh my gosh, what if I get into an accident and go into a coma? Who will take care of the baby while my husband is at work? Will hubby pull the plug if I don't wake up? I want him to move on, but what if I wake up eventually?"

That's usually when I wake up the hubs, he tells me I'm being crazy, and I fall back asleep and sleep like a log the rest of the night.

Love love love it! I may have to try this! Maybe for a patio table? I'm thinking that if I sealed it well, it would stand up to the elements?

We were planning to keep it simple too. But now we have an amazing swing (she sleeps for the night in her crib but won't nap longer than 45 minutes in the day unless in her swing), a Jumperoo, a mini travel swing (saved our sanity on a recent trip out of town), a Moby Wrap, an Ergo, and an activity mat where she can bat at her toys for 20 whole minutes by herself! Unless you're planning on holding your baby 24/7, some of these extras can be sanity savers. You don't need to buy them until after the baby's born and you know what you'll need, but be prepared to change your mind on a lot of things. And know that's it's ok to end up doing something different than what you planned. Whatever works is fine!
Btw, we bought most of our stuff on Craigslist and are planning to sell them when the baby's done with them so we don't have to store them for the next one. By then, there will be newer and better stuff available on Craigslist for the same price!

Contractors we hired to repair termite damage tore a huge hole in a screen door. We called the company and they offered to replace it at their expense. A company with a reputation to uphold should offer to front the cost for the repairs; otherwise, post a bad review or contact your better business bureau.