nikkicole's Profile

Mark - I'd love to hear what upholstery videos you found most helpful. This is fantastic!

I see the term "rough sponge" all over but when I google "rough sponge" I get nothing. I'm probably over thinking this but what the heck is a "rough sponge"?

Love the coffee bean displays. I abhor the taste of coffee, but love the smell. Anyone know of a divinely scented coffee candle?

Not as romantic or sentimental, but many of m ornaments were bought AFTER Christmas and squirreled away for the next year. A few years ago, during my first Christmas after a divorce I had a tree trimming party and many of my friends bought me ornaments to replace the ones that had become sentimental in that painful kind of way. While it wasn't planned every one who brought an ornament told me why they had picked that ornament for me...I am reminded of those stories every year when I trim the tree.

So I took the HomeGoods quiz and the Sproost quiz. I took the HomeGoods quiz twice, the second time I choose differently on all the questions that I was torn about the first time around. The first time around (Dramatic Modern) was more accurate.

Then I took the Sproost quiz, which was only mildly helpful (the directions said "don't consider the windows or the colors when your are choosing." That's sort of hard)

For fun, I took the Sproost quiz three times...but changed the music I was listening to each time and just "followed my instincts." I got radically different results that seemed to be linked to my musical choices.

Before you judge me - it's 8:30 on a Saturday morning and it's POURING and GUSTING outside. And I'm procrastinating about painting my kitchen...

you might also try "job jackets"

Tips from Helen, the almost-licensed party planner:

When seating guests, it's best not to place all the shallow people together. A simple shallow-deep-shallow-moody-shallow deep pattern works best.

I unplug things that won't be used (microwave, bedroom clock, etc.) Often when I get back from a trip (traveling for work or visiting my mother) I'm wound up and stressed out. So I leave something nice (and non-perishable) for myself when I return. A great book, some lovely bath salts, a bottle of wine...
Also, I have lots of single friends who travel and I try to leave them a "welcome home" message while they are in the air traveling home. It's nice to be reminded that you are missed and that you're friends are glad to have you back.

This may be TMI. But I often clean the shower walls while I'm in the shower. Yep. Put conditioner in hair. Don rubber gloves, scrub grout. Remove Rubber Gloves. Rinse hair. Depart shower.

So, I've actually been in this house. The large concrete wall is about to be surrounded by fast growing bamboo to give the neighbors something "green" at which to gaze. (Which is certainly better than the rotting, rat infested monstrosity that was previously on this lot.)

The "windows" have lights built in at their base with the ability to control the "color" of the light, taking away that gloomy grey feeling when necessary.

Also, the house catches rain water and stores it for watering the lawn, etc.

It's a pretty awesome place.