alisonK's Profile

I'm chuckling to myself over all the Mac's. It's ironic that the original mantra of Mac users was standing out from the crowd, and doing your own thing. Now I see so many of these "chic" setups that are so cold, obsessively neat, and similar. I used to be a Mac user, but am back to building my own gaming desktop computers as I'm a power user and Mac's were not powerful enough for the price, and had overheating issues.

I love good design, but I don't love this trend of turning a tool into a piece of mass produced "art" that "everyone" has. Keep Calm and Carry On, the sequel.

I have that same wide/low basket! It's a catchall for cat toys, hand weights, and gadget pouches. I'm seriously thinking about doing something similar. Thanks for the idea! Now to find a safe place to spray paint...

I live in Sioux Falls, SD. It's the largest city in the state, but at about 124k people, I find it to be just right in size. I grew up here, and returned after a decade of world travel/education. Having lived in D.C., Frankfurt, Cairo, Baltimore, El Paso, Charleston, and San Francisco in the past, I chose Sioux Falls.

I have local access to some big box stores, but I don't shop at them. Ikea is 4 hours away, and I've made the trip once so far. But on that same trip, I also went to West Elm, Crate and Barrel, and a few other similar stores. It was fun, but planning was required. Basically I add $150 to the total for food/fuel.

I shop online almost exclusively. I joined Amazon Prime, and another annual flat rate shipping service to keep shipping costs from ruining the fun. There have been mistakes made, of course, (the Italian leather sofa from Overstock that looked great in the photo, but was actually built for Hobbits). But return shipping is still more convenient for me than shopping in person. Usually.

I love being able to live in a fly-over state, where my dollar goes a lot further for living expenses. I love having space and quiet whenever I want it. I love being able to drive 100 MPH on the highway because I'm the only one on it that I can see.

I love being able to go to the latest release movie on a moments notice without ever having to worry about it being sold out. I love that going to a concert is a mini vacation because I have to drive at least 200 miles to get there.

But what I love the most about Sioux Falls, is the people. That was the deciding factor in my choosing to live here. People are kind by default here. It's rare if I don't get a "hi" and a smile from virtually every person I pass. No state income tax is another bonus. :)

Wow! The "before" totally drew me in, because I thought it looked pretty awesome. Then I clicked the "after", and now I get it. I love it! Come to my apartment and fix my office/playroom please!

Where the Wild Things Are is the first book I remember from childhood. Like others, my mom gave me the Little House series too. Judy Blume books were a favorite. Ramona the Pest, and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Oh, and Freckle Juice.

We had several Dr. Suess and Shel Silverstein books. I still have Where the Sidewalk Ends, and several others he wrote. Watership Down was a big one. The Narnia series.

The Pokey Little Puppy was the book I carried with me my whole life, and still possess. It's one of the many Golden Books that we all probably read as kids.

@JuneauAKGirl: I would look into which of the magazines you subscribe to are available on which device, and go with it. Here's a link that might be a bit helpful. http://ebook-reader-review.toptenreviews.com/

Personally, if magazines were my main reason for purchasing, I'd get a Kindle Fire.

I got the new iPad arriving on Friday, but you'll have to pry my Kindle from my cold, dead hands. While the iPad is technically capable as an e-reader, it's not a *good* e-reader. Eye-strain is one issue, but it's also too heavy in my opinion.

It took Amazon a few tries to get the Kindle light enough for me to bite, but I'm sure glad they did.

Whenever I see what others who live in big cities pay in rent, I feel good about living in South Dakota. I pay $855/month for a 2bed/1bath with full sized washer/dryer, 9ft ceilings, and underground parking. Indoor pool, theater, and gym are nice amenities. But the soft water is what sold me. I could get a similarly (sized) setup without the amenities/parking/laundry for about $600/month.

In Sioux Falls, $3k a month would get you a pretty nice house in a good neighborhood. The lofts downtown start at around $1k/month, but that's about the highest rental price that's not an executive estate.

I still giggle when I recall a time when I was visiting in Germany, and a native asked me where I live. When I said, "South Dakota", he asked what state that's in.

Wow. First of all, thanks so much for the tour. This is the first time I've loved every inch of a home. Hands down, my favorite tour so far. That garage door is awesome. The layout, the precision in the details. Just delightful. Love the dog and the theater!

It's beyond my means, but that doesn't detract in the least from my appreciation of the design. Besides, I like the challenge and satisfaction of creatively implementing ideas from high end design without the high end price tag.

Is that a Drakes coffee cake?