Raivyn's Profile

I also found my huge 3qt Le Creuset dutch oven at a thrift store...Goodwill for $12! I didn't own one before and I'm glad I waited until I was able to find the one I wanted. I understand folks have budgets, I certainly do, but I am a firm believer in "buy it once - buy it right."

TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Homegoods, Craigslist, and eBay are great sources for quality cookware like Le Creuset at a discount...skip a few sushi dinners and Starbucks to invest in what you really want.

Life is too short to settle...

I have always found tips on how/what to pack for a trip very useful. I tend to overpack because I'm afraid to leave something I'll need behind, and an interactive ap may be what some folks find useful.

But IMO the best site for learning what to pack and how is onebag.com. We only use carryons to avoid luggage fees, and the bundle method is totally the way to go!

I like going to the movies for the social aspect of it....dinner out with friends then off to the movie theater. It is pretty fun to go opening night, too (nothing like seeing someone dressed as a tree at a Lord of the Rings premier). I'm not going to get that at home.

So I only go to the movies for action/sci-fi movies (the Avengers was pretty awesome in the theater). I won't go for drama/romantic movies. I like to curl on my couch and cry with my blankie with those movies.

And to really compete with the movies, the home set up really needs to be complete (both quality TV/projector AND sound system). I think folks just get the biggest TV they can afford, but they're really only getting half the experience.

This is awesome! I hate having to hunt through each of these sites, especially since the interface in my TV isn't the best. Thank you!!

I like the KEF speakers.

The best bet would be to look for sales on sites such as Fatwallet.com or Slickdeals.net. If there are issues with a retailer, its normally posted along with that good deal.

I have some Pottery Barn dupioni silk pillows...one of them got direct sunlight and basically fell apart. That's why silk drapes need to be lined.

If you really hate the color, I recommend selling them and starting over. If you had them custom made, didn't you see a fabric swatch first? Maybe ask to see the whole bolt next time since different lots of fabric will have some color variation.

Good luck!

My husband and I have this kind of arrangement now. He has a daughter from a prior relationship that doesn't get along with me despite years of family counseling. We found we get along better when he spends time with her separate from me, I get time to myself, and we can both be "home."

Financially its more expensive, but emotionally it saved our marriage.

Full entertainment wall units used to be a necessity because not only was the TV huge and boxy, but you had tons of CDs, VHS tapes, video games and DVDs to store along with all of the components (cable box, receiver, VHS player, DVD player, game console). I believed these units were intended for family rooms, not in main public entertainings spaces. The full wall entertainment unit was a way of storing all of that stuff in a way that looked cohesive and tidy.

I don't think the trend of entertainment units have gone away because folks have decided they have different design asthetics - I think technology has evolved so that storing all that media in a physical format is no longer necessary. I stream movies via Netflix, I convert all my VHS tapes to digital format, and my home computer is also a home media center, and with my "Smart TV", I can access photographs and home movies with a few clicks of my remote control. I only use digital cameras, so all my photos are digital now.

I have a 60" TV in my living room sitting on a vintage record console. It might as well be an entertainment unit since not much else makes sense to put on the same wall of the room, with the exception of a potted plant. I love it and all my friends are jealous because its so big. Is it the focal point? Sure - but that's ok with me. My other options are the sofa or the window.

I don't need to hide my TV in order to pay attention to my guests. In fact, I entertain more at home with the gigantic TV because its better for watching movies, playing games (like Rock Band), and viewing sporting events (think Summer Olympics). During parties, I have a family/friends slide show on it so its like a gigantic changing digital picture frame. That's SUPER easy (since all the photos are digital - just read it from the media player - or newer TVs have card readers and USB ports). That is real fun when old photos pop up and sparks great conversations during parties.

I would much rather watch a TV show together as a family than have each of us in our own rooms looking at our individual computers/tablets, which is also a currrent trend.

With Kindles, IPads, Nooks, and other ereaders, it will be interesting to see if in the future folks say, "I'm so glad I don't have to get these massive bookcases anymore to store all these books I haven't read in years! Moving will be so much easier."

Love it...I really like that you painted the artwork yourself. I'm about to decorate my son's nursery in the new home and couldn't find artwork I liked. Guess I'll just have to paint it myself. :)