lynell's Profile

I have a big brown sectional that I love, and I've paired it with orange, gold and red tones to complement and a few pops of a light gray-blue color to contrast. I love the combo. I agree with Stationeryfiend. Navy and dark brown are going to be a very tricky combo to pull off. A lighter, steely blue with the other colors you mention might be easier to work with.

At 31 two of my priorities for the condo I currently own where being in close proximity to a train line to get to Chicago (east of me) or my parents (west of me), and also a walkable neighborhood. So I guess I fall in there. However, a couple of my friends (same age) just purchased a small farm in a rural area about an hour away, not accessible by public trans. And I have to admit, there's a small part of me that is a little bit envious of them, and being the daughter of a farmer myself, I think it's awesome. It makes me rethink the priorities that I had established for myself for when I intend to purchase my next non-condo home.

... also, they are mostly not organic, and charge a premium. I do love the farmers markets, but in the suburbs, proceed with caution.

I second Just Bento!

When I told my parents 1.5 years ago that I was buying a condo, they weren't happy about it because I was buying with my boyfriend and they don't approve of that arrangement. Then my dad took ill right around the time we were closing so we were living there for several months before they could visit, and that was rough because we are on a second floor, and my dads illness makes climbing stairs or doing much walking at all pretty difficult. That was the only time they've been able to make it out and do the stairs, and the place wasn't decorated at all. Though I recall at the time they didn't think they'd like our location until they saw it, it really can't be beat. Our styles are miles and miles apart, but we both know and respect that. I just feel bad that I have a home that they can't realistically come visit due to health issues. I pretty much exclusively go to their home to visit.

I agree with Ladyepanda. I love the idea of just cooling what you put in and not wasting energy, but I don't think I want to see my ugly Tupperware containers of leftovers sticking out of the wall. The things in my refrigerator are really not that beautiful. I'll be curious to see what the next incarnation of a home refrigerator will be though, and if this influences that direction.

My mom's a mean baker. She has tons of generations old cookie, cake, pie and crumble recipes. But there were plenty of times, since she was a working mom, that dessert would be fresh fruit and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Love this room. I usually don't care for the gallery walls but yours looks impeccably level, as so few are, so I even like that. :)

I actually love it, but I have horrible 90's brass hardware in my kitchen right now that I can't wait to get rid of. That over-polished dated style is awful. But many of the examples above are understated and lovely and I would love to have in my next kitchen. They look more like a natural use of a natural material, not like they're trying to make hardware look like tacky cheap gold rip-off jewelry.

When you watch Rachael Ray do a 30 minute meal, most of her equipment is already out and pans on the stove, and she's rushing around like mad. If you don't know the recipe in and out by heart and have somebody to prep for you, I don't think most of them really take 30 minutes. But there's always the basic cold sandwich... :)