Liisa1725's Profile

Display Name: Liisa1725
Member Since: 7/28/12

Latest Comments...

I raised chickens for about 15 years outside of Seattle. The eggs are great, and they actually make good pets. Chickens have very distinct personalities, and they can be very friendly and social. However, they can also be very skittish, and even aggressive. I have had a rooster who would run all the way across the yard specifically to attack us, but I have also had a rooster who would crawl into my lap and fall asleep as I petted him. So it really depends. They can also eat all of your table and cooking scraps so they aren't just waste any more. And I made some money selling eggs to all of our neighbors every week.

Chickens are also a lot of work. You have to give them fresh food and water every day. Going out to change water buckets that have frozen solid at 6 am in the middle of winter is not fun at all. Going out to shut up the coop at 9 pm at night in the middle of winter is also not fun at all. Chickens also get parasites like mites, which can be very hard to get rid of. And really nasty when you find them crawling on you under your clothes. And spending a few hours in the weekend cleaning the coop isn't the best way to spend your time.

When we eventually got rid of them, it was the going out every night and morning in the dark and cold that made me glad not to have them any more. But that's a personal preference. Now that I live in Southern California, I don't think I would mind it so much. So if you don't mind some work and some mess, chickens can be very rewarding.


Pros & Cons of Raising Backyard Chickens
4/17/13 2:31 AM

Any safety concerns also apply to elderly parents. These houses are not friendly to people with limited mobility!

But I think that people should chill out about kids' safety at home. If your kid slips and falls on the stairs, of falls in the fishpond in the living room, they will learn to be more careful and won't do it again!


Will Mid-Century Modern Homes Kill Your Children? Projectophile
4/15/13 7:17 PM

The first thing for me is being able to go places and do the things I need without getting lost. Knowing where the nearest grocery store, post office, bank branch, dry cleaner's, etc., and being able to get there, find parking, and get back without getting lost is key to feeling at home in a new neighborhood. My first couple of weeks in Los Angeles were infinitely frustrating because I couldn't go ANYWHERE without getting lost. I couldn't even find my way from school back to my apartment without getting lost! It was terrible. Now that I know my way around my own neighborhood, and I am getting steadily more comfortable traveling into other neighborhoods, I feel so much more at home in the city.

As a runner, second for me is finding good running routes. I think there's nothing that lets you get to know your new neighborhood better than running up and down all of its streets.

Third is finding new favorite spots to eat. Having a favorite Italian spot, favorite lunch spot, favorite Thai take-out spot, etc. makes me feel like my new neighborhood is "my" neighborhood.


What Makes You Feel at Home in a
New City?
4/15/13 5:44 PM

If you have the budget, make it into a gigantic art wall with large-scale art!


What To Do with Giant White Wall? Good Questions
4/15/13 5:22 PM

How do they even see the TV? The coffee table is way higher than it. I'm sure it's barely visible from the couch.


Did You See This Secret Fireplace Feature?
4/9/13 7:28 PM

The house I grew up in had a low wooden deck like this right off the back door from the kitchen. It's really great. It sits on those concrete blocks. I think it's been there for about 30 years with no rot so far (in the woods in Washington State where it is VERY wet, no less).


Low Wooden Decks: Yea or Nay?
4/9/13 6:21 PM

As an introvert, I find it hard to make new friends. I feel like the art of making friends is a secret that I haven't discovered. It really does mystify me how some people just seem to magically make friends at every turn. I recently moved to Los Angeles after finishing college, and I have found it very hard to make friends without college dorm life to help me out. So thank your for these tips, maybe someday I will discover the secret :)


10 Tried & True Tips: How to Make New Friends in a New City
4/4/13 3:15 PM

Here's what I would do:

I would turn the bed so the headboard is against the wall the couch is on, then position the desk so it is directly across from the foot of the bed (so, on the wall the TV is on). If you don't have them already, get rolling storage boxes for under the bed. I would get a couple of Ikea Expedit 6-cubby storage units and use them horizontally on both walls, separating both the bed and the desk from the rest of the unit. If you need a lot of storage, get four and place two vertically on either side. Put "solid" stuff like storage boxes in the bottom spaces, and put pretty, light decorative objects in the top ones (and leave some empty) so they don't block the light. This way the "private" things that guests won't be using (bed and desk) will be separate from the living area. I would get rid of the gigantic rug (It is waaay too big for the space and makes the space seem small. Plus, you can probably get a lot of money from selling a rug that large, which will finance finishing the rest of the apartment.) Then buy a smaller one to define the living area. I would get a nice coffee table with maybe a couple of shelves for storage and put that in the middle of the space. I would get rid of the tall-boy dresser (I think that's what I see) and replace it with a long, low dresser and put the TV on that. Then I would move the TV and couch closer to where the room dividers would be. I would get two stools for the kitchen counter. I would get a wall-mounted bike rack where both bikes can be hung vertically and place it where the TV is now, so it is close to the entrance and you don't have to walk your bikes through the whole place to hang them up. Depending on what space you have left, I would try and get two small, comfy chairs (or upholstered storage ottomans) and place them somewhere around the coffee table for extra seating. Finally, get some cute curtains for the window and get rid of those ugly rental blinds!


Layout Ideas for 500 Square Foot Studio? Good Questions
3/6/13 6:14 PM

I also have an Ikea Kivik. After 6 months of heavy use, I'm starting to notice that the bottom cushions are getting a little "squishy" and are starting to develop butt-divots. However, as a student I didn't have the money to buy a more expensive one. I also like the fact that I can remove the covers and clean them, or buy a new cover in a different color. I could even add the chaise lounge if I move to a bigger place. I like the fact that I can change the size and look of it depending on the space I'm living in. However, if I was buying a house and I knew I was going to be there a long time, I would buy a more high-quality sofa. But I would definitely want one with removable and washable covers. That's a necessity.


Should You Splurge or Save on a Sofa?
The New York Times
3/6/13 5:19 PM

I think a tile in a rich, saturated color would look great. Right now, the white wall tile makes the beige floor tile look dingy and old. I would put in a beautiful emerald green or cobalt blue subway tile. That would make the room "pop" and look good with the beige floor tiles. You would have to paint the wall a neutral color, of course.


Which Wall Tile with Existing Floor Tile? Good Questions
2/27/13 6:28 PM

I would be very careful about ironing it. I once tried to iron something that I thought was just paper, and it melted. So if it has any kind of lamination or coating, be careful.

So here are my suggestions:
Add more weight to the bottom and maybe it will straighten out on its own
Cut a piece of cardboard, stiff poster board, or foam board to the right size and glue it to the back of the map
Frame it
Gallery-wrap it


How Do I Fix a Curling Vintage Map? Good Questions
2/26/13 8:05 PM

Yeah, I like the before better. I wish she had sanded, re-stained, and sealed it, then put the original hardware back on. While it's cute, I think the after looks more campaign chest/filing cabinet, and I prefer that classic mid-century look.


Before & After:
Laura's Refreshed Nightstand January Cure Reader Projects
2/4/13 3:31 PM

Yeah, I laid on one of those at a Restoration Hardware store. It was super-comfortable, but of course ridiculously expensive (because it's RH).


Identify Black Leather Chaise from Suits? Good Questions
1/28/13 6:25 PM

I moved into my first apartment with nothing five months ago, at which time I also started law school. So needless to say, my apartment is barely functional and still a complete mess. I will be SO into this cure, I hope it helps me get things in order finally!


Join Us & Get Organized in 2013:
The January Cure!
12/18/12 7:09 PM

I remember one year I asked for a pen. Yup. I got it, and I had it for years! I still remember what it looked like.

Also, my parents would always put little boxes of Legos in our stockings every year to give us something to do when we got up super-early on Christmas morning while we were waiting for our parents to get up. It stopped us from bugging them to get up, and it turned into a fun Christmas tradition :)


Hilarious Kid Gift Requests: The Year I Asked Santa for a Hamburger
12/18/12 5:40 AM

If it was my room, I would paint all of the paneling and built-ins white, maybe with the back walls of the built-ins painted in a darker color like grey or blue (dark or light, depending on your taste) to create interest and make them into cool design elements. Then I would paint the fireplace in a different color, probably grey or black, and I would replace the hardware on the built-ins with something more modern. Or I might paint the backs of the built-ins and the fireplace in the same color. I would leave the shelf above the fireplace unpainted at first to see what it looks like. If it doesn't look right, I would paint it white like the rest of the paneling. Either way I would try and find more modern-looking brackets for it.


Should We Paint Paneling & Fireplace? Good Questions
11/17/12 12:11 AM

As a nonsmoker, smelling cigarette smoke is one of the most horrible, disgusting things imaginable. Especially in your own house. For a non-smoker, being exposed to cigarette smoke, especially multiple times a day, is NOT a trivial thing.

My next door neighbor and downstairs neighbor both smoke. I live in Los Angeles and I don't have any air conditioning, so it is necessary to keep my windows and the sliding glass door to my balcony open for air circulation. However, when either one of my neighbors were smoking, my entire apartment was filled with smoke. I was forced to close all of the doors and windows on that side of the apartment and bake in order to avoid breathing in their cigarette smoke.

(Thank goodness smoking in common areas is illegal where I live, and when I alerted my landlord to what was happening, he made sure the smoking stopped. The quality of my life has improved drastically since then.)

As for the poster, by smoking on your patio, you are not only unwillingly exposing your neighbors to dangerous, carcinogenic chemicals, you are decreasing their quality of life and enjoyment of their homes. You need to stop smoking on your patio, now. I suggest that instead of smoking on your patio, you take a walk and smoke outside in the parking lot/sidewalk/road next to your condo. Your neighbors and their lungs will REALLY appreciate it.


Help! Smoking Dilemma Dividing the
Condo Community Good Questions
11/8/12 12:37 PM

Unfortunately, I agree with a few of the above posters. I don't think this bedroom looks modern, it looks kind of childish to me. Sorry, Nikky. So here's what I would do. I would want to make the room look more adult and sophisticated. I would replace the headboard with a big, glamorous grey velvet upholstered headboard with nailhead trim. Get a nice, lofty down comforter and a white damask sheet set with duvet cover, like in a hotel. Get rid of the "office lamp" and replace the table lamp with something more modern-looking, like one of those clear acrylic or glass "stacked ball" lamps. Consider getting matching nightstands and matching lamps. Get rid of the flowered pillow (too young and immature) and replace it with something more sophisticated in a color. I would choose a deep, saturated color like deep red, peacock blue, or royal purple. I would also lay a loose-woven throw blanket in a color that coordinates with either the accent pillow or the headboard across the foot of the bed. Finally, hide the clutter! That's what nightstand drawers are for ;)


Ideas for Making White Bedroom
More Romantic? Good Questions
11/7/12 10:00 PM

I just moved to LA and I am a huge modern design fan, so the coffee table book L.A. Modern is on my wishlist!
http://www.amazon.com/L-Modern-Tim-Street-Porter/dp/0847830675/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351713639&sr=1-6&keywords=california+modern


Booklovers! Tell Us… What Interiors, Art & Design Titles are on Your Wishlist?
10/31/12 4:01 PM

Hmm, you must have been very stylistically mature when you were 16! I know I wasn't :)


My Dream Bedroom … If I Were Sixteen
10/30/12 6:36 PM