kd_muse's Profile

I agree with the "laugh" advice. It may not seem too funny now, but some day soon it will all be behind you, and then it will be a great story you get to tell to all your house guests.

I've just come out of a terrible roommate situation, and even in the middle of all the drama, I was able to look at my situation from the perspective of my friends, and laugh a little about all the crazy. And now that it's all over, I feel like I learned a lot about myself, and how to deal with stress.

I think I'm on the fence on this one. Ideologically speaking, I'd like my partner to have an opinion and share in the process of home-making. On the flip side, I also like to be in the driver's seat.

My approach goes like this: When I initiate a project, I present a series of options, all of which I'd be able to see working in my home. So no matter which option my partner prefers, it's still something in the range of 'tolerable'. I have found that if I take the initiative, I avoid surprise decorating disasters.

I'll second the motion on man caves. If men get a cave, then I want a palace.

Two tablets, but you can't afford a phone? Seems shifty. I carry my phone only, which replaces the need for a tablet. I guess you could argue that the tablet replaces the need for the phone, but it does seem WAY less convenient. I use Skype, Whatsapp, iMessage, and Facetime to keep my text and voice usage low, and I connect to wifi as often as possible to reduce my data usage.

I can see both sides of this story. On the one hand, some people are very critical of home decor, and will voice their opinion if they don't like something. That kind of scrutiny can have a negative effect on people who are more sensitive to criticism. And I do know several people personally who decorate to impress others, or to be trendy. It drives me nuts.

On the other, I almost never decorate or add something in my home for the approval of others, so I don't think this kind of behaviour actually applies to me. Then again, my home is my sanctuary, and I don't often invite many people over. I keep it personal and private on purpose. So I'm not opening myself up to criticism.

I feel like this is some kind of philosophical/semantic debate. If ultra modern is out (and by 'modern', let's assume that also means 'contemporary'), then what do we call the current trend? Isn't whatever is going on today modern and contemporary, regardless of the design influence? Whatever is trendy today is by default "modern" because it's in the here and now.

But if all white is out, then I'm golden. I could never keep an all white apartment looking great.

As much as I admire the "honesty is the best policy" rule, when my boyfriend moved in to my 1 bedroom apartment two years ago, we didn't notify the landlord, but we also didn't hide it. Mostly, I didn't want to negotiate a new lease and be locked in for another year. I did, however, update my insurance to indicate that there were two people living at that address. But I was the only name on the lease.

As it turns out, this was a blessing since I found out he was seeing someone else on the side, and I was able to toss him out of the house with no hassle. My apartment = my rules. Of course, if your boyfriend wants to be protected from this kind of thing, his name on the lease means he has rights.

When I moved to England for a year, I arrived, took a shower (without a towel or shower curtain!!!!), and then realized that I had forgotten to pack my makeup kit. I hadn't totally forgotten it, but in the packing and re-packing frenzy the night before, it got left out. So after my horrible shower, I had to wander the town in search of the nearest shop to replace my entire kit. VERY frustrating. So don't forget to re-pack all those little pieces you use the morning of your travels.

I didn't bring bedding with me either, and I actually took the airplane blanket with me in my bag when we landed so I wouldn't freeze my first night there. So at least bring a set of sheets, or a light travel blanket with you. I don't advocate stealing airline blankets as soon as you enter a new country!

Other than that, make sure you have the address of your new place, or hotel, for when you go through customs. They'll need to know where you're staying and might not stamp your passport if you don't have a valid address.

I really enjoyed fishing as a child, and I always go with my dad whenever I'm back home or close enough to the family cottage to visit. I had my own mini tackle box and rod, and taking ownership of its contents was a lot of fun. I also enjoyed learning about the different fish species in our lake, and what color lures would work best.

Also, if you're out on a boat, make sure you bring lots of fun snacks and drinks, a travel game or two, and emergency toilet paper. You never know when you'll have to dock the boat on a nearby island for an emergency bathroom break. And keep fishing trips short. An hour or two is plenty for a young angler. Anything more can be torture if the fish aren't biting.

I don't know if I would break up with a new love interest over design, but I would definitely judge them for it. I get frustrated when men don't have a style at all, or say they don't care. I'd rather have an animated conversation about differing design philosophies than be with someone who's attitude is "I don't care". Lack of creativity and personal expression is a deal breaker for me.

Stage it differently. Unless you're desperate to sell, I'd hesitate to make permanent changes to a home that you're leaving. Let the new owners decide how they want their new home to function. And then get your agent to inform potential buyers of all the options they have for that space.

I'd maybe put in a smaller day bed to hint that it could be a guest bedroom, and then really play up the home office look.