AlmondJoy's Profile

Weirdly, I think the more avant-garde color combinations often look best with highly traditional furniture. I think something about the weight/familiarity of the traditional shapes counterbalances the wilder colors. Sometimes, when similar color combos are paired with modern/spare furnishings, the result looks a little crazymclookatme -- or, worse, a bit cheap.

"Man on Wire" - about a daredevil who put a tightrope between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in the early 1970s. One of the few movies that has ever made me cry because of the joy of something.

I second the recommendations for any Herzog documentary and "Dear Zachary," which will indeed rip your heart into a thousand tiny pieces but will stay with you forever for the right reasons.

Mom, I would just like to tell you that every idiot on here who's asking you whether you were thinking of your kid -- like you're not A MOTHER or something -- deserves a slap in the face. I'm sure you're doing your best in a tough situation, and good luck to you.

I agree with making the bedroom your son's, and also making that his play area/family room, etc. You could do something really interesting with the rest as a more adult studio, maybe with one of those loft beds that has a sofa beneath. If you don't have the ceiling height for that, I think a daybed would be great. (For times when you will want quicker access to your son - i.e., when he's not feeling well, etc. -- maybe a trundle bed in his room? You could rest in there with him when needed, be in your own space most of the time and not take up undue space in his room.)

Amen to this. Whenever I go home to visit my parents, I find that the entire closet and every single drawer is crammed absolutely full of old clothes that my mother no longer even wears. There's never so much as a spare hanger for my stuff. I have to get a few hangers from the laundry room and just leave my folding things in my suitcase. No guest expects or needs full bedroom storage, but leaving a little closet space and an empty drawer helps your guests can feel like they're staying in a home instead of a hostel. And frankly, if you need a total spare room for your crap, you probably have too much crap.

I think it could work, but doesn't here. IMHO, string lights can work after college - but the less college-like everything else looks in that space, the better the lights will look. Right now, with the shower curtain that has no shower, I think you don't have a sophisticated look going. If everything else were very stylized and sleek, string lights might add the perfect playful touch.

Right now I have lights in my workspace. Everything else in there is very traditional and "businesslike" -- but over one set of curtains is a string of white lights (on a white cord.) For me it takes the room from feeling too much like an office where I'd go 9-5 to being a place that's for work and yet feels personal.

I just buy tea mugs. They're kitschy, but now I have enough that it looks like a collection - and every time I use one, it reminds me of where I was when I bought it. Another thing I've just started this year is buying Christmas tree ornaments. It seems like a fun way to remember all the travels - by making them part of the annual holiday celebration.

Obleaki - admittedly it is harder to find casual dresses for women over the age of 25/who want to wear bras/who like hems longer than "crotch length," etc. But I have found that through careful shopping, all things are possible. Department stores are useless, for some reason, but I've had good luck at ModCloth (many short dresses but plenty of more reasonable ones), Athleta, Title Nine, Old Navy, J. Jill, Garnet Hill and the like. Also, since little lightweight cardigans are in right now, I sometimes layer one over a sleeveless dress - am wearing that right now, actually!

Audacious, in a good way. Particularly love the green bedroom walls.

My house has tons of charm and character, with many of the original 1895 details preserved.
My house has two claw foot tubs!
My house is in a neighborhood that's very close to coffeehouses, grocery stores, restaurants and clubs, but it is also on a very quiet street.
My house has a washer and dryer - the first time I've had private machines in almost a decade!
My house has a nice-sized back yard with fig and satsuma trees.
My house has a beautiful kitchen, just the right size.
My house is purple!

Team bar soap! So much more economical and eco-friendly.