Deb93's Profile

This is one of the joys of the Foreign Service & no doubt other jobs where you move a lot. You don't see your things for some months, then you open the boxes in a whole new space & get to furnish and decorate it. I've done many configurations in many places, and it forces you to thin out and refine. I also grew up in the FS, and my mother had a friend who hung the same set of living room curtains in every house they lived in for 30 years -- hemmed or let down depending on the windows. That's thrifty but I'm amazed she could stand looking at the same curtains for that long ... the other thing is that all my sheets & towels are white. You never know.

I have a mildew under carpet story. When I saw the apartment, it had wall-to-wall carpet. We looked under the edges in a closet, but since the tenant was still living there it was full of furniture. It never occurred to my agent, the inspector or me to move the mattress on the living room floor where the tenant's guest was sleeping, but when I pulled up the carpet the day after settlement I found a whole patch of damaged moldy floor -- the result of a leaky radiator. I couldn't move in until it was replaced. It was a nasty few months & left me feeling pretty sour about humanity for a while. (The seller asked me at settlement, "How do you like the new carpet?" and since I was planning to rip it out immediately I was distracted by wanting to say something nice about the ghastly carpet, and never wondered why she would ask. Now I know.)

I have to say -- some years ago I moved to a place that was much smaller than the place before, and I got rid of a lot of books (donated to various places). I have regretted it ever since. I would have done better to have kept them in boxes until I moved again ... ah, well, what's done is done. But I was afraid when I started the article that it was going to recommend covering all my books in gradually deepening shades of (say) coral, with no titles, but thank goodness no. I like the Strand's website, actually. They have a huge selection and a really varied source of supply so there's a good shot at finding what you want, and it helps keep the Strand in business which I regard as contributing to my quality of life.

I adore this kitchen, including the lantern. It's the touches of red & other colours that keep it from going over the top girlypoo.

It feels very fresh and fun. Thanks, enjoyed that.

The people who use the fab kitchen in the photo have a whole bunch of copper pots, too. Yum for both.

I'm a sewer so I was looking at the sewing machine, too, and trying to figure out which surface she puts it on and how there's room to work. It's a terrific space, but I think it needs some sort of collapsible work surface.

Also think about what you would like to sit on if you were a guest -- who really wants to spend an evening sitting in an armless chair?

I'm with the "let the house keep its character" crowd. In 5 or 10 years time everyone will be saying how boring the tight grain of the currently fashionable woods is and seeking out the yellow knotty pines and oaks that are now so unfashionable. Think of yourself as avant-garde.

I have a balcony. This year I am expanding from flowers, a few herbs, and 1 tomato plant to more flowers, more herbs, several tomato plants, an eggplant & a bunch of chili peppers. A neighbor told me he had successfully grown runner beans (like the photo). I'm on the 12th floor, facing west, and we get a lot of wind. I invested in 3 "railing" boxes and a tomato frame this year. Clay pots (I have a bunch I brought back from living in Mexico a few years ago and am hanging on to them as long as I can).

I thought the planter boxes w/ trellis were inspirational.

Happy growing (and cooking), everyone.

I can grow quite a few things on my (12th floor) balcony but not during winter, and the layout of the apartment makes it impossible to grow inside. So I've been wondering about the Aerogarden & it sounds very promising from what people are saying. I am looking forward to starting balcony gardening again this spring -- I have some chili plants on order (pretty and good to eat, how can you beat it?), I'm going to expand to about 3 tomato plants, herbs, I'm going to try eggplants for the first time, and of course some flowers. It's a small balcony so I'm hoping I will feel immersed in green fairly soon.