PhoebeArt's Profile

Pawtucker already kind of mentioned this, but I think it's worth repeating. If you have old, patched, bumpy or otherwise imperfect walls (which are personally my favorite kind), be very cautious with the gloss! Every little divot or dimple or seam will suddenly stand out in high relief once any light hits it.

White just makes me think of all the boring white rentals I've lived in. Maybe if you at least had some nice colorful art up and some color in the curtains? The only way you could have gone more safe and boring and plain in my opinion is with beige. Can we stop the "paint it all white (/light grey)!" phase already? It's just as bad as the "put a bird on it" style of design.

@SarahMJ, totally agree. I'm way ahead of them here. I live in a small apartment (you know, the kind this site was originally about), and my library, home office, living room, and dining room are all the same room! What's next, an article on space saving by combining your dressing room with your bedroom? How to "make do" without a formal dining room? Let's take a moment to ground ourselves in reality and bring it back to *APARTMENT* therapy, ok editors?

My furniture spending -
Entire bedroom set - $0 (was husband's grandmothers)
Dining room, wait, what dining room? The long table in the hallway that might eventually go in a dining room was a curbside find.
Sofa - $75 at Salvation Army
Coffee Table - $10 on Craigslist
Misc. everything else - Under $40 total.
I suppose this makes me sub average, and I'm proud to be there!

As a waitress with some real back of house experience, I would suggest doing this only if you are there at a time when the restaurant is not very busy. The last thing a chef needs on a busy night is someone asking to come watch, and you WILL get in the way. On that note, when you are visiting a kitchen even when it doesn't seem to be that busy, be VERY aware of what is going on around you. Don't get so caught up in taking pictures or talking to one chef that you block out everything else. A kitchen is a busy and dangerous place, with very hot and very sharp items going all over and people rushing here and there. You need to keep your ears and eyes open at all times. It's common practice to shout out warnings like "behind you" or "hot", so listen and use these. Also, don't be offended and think the chef is a snob if your request is answered with a no. Even if it seems like it is not busy, the chef may have prep work to catch up on, or just not be in a mood to deal with people. The kitchen is their sanctuary, and when they are not feeling prepared for a visit, having someone in there can feel like a real intrusion. If you are really interested in the food or cuisine, do ask if there is a time that you could come back. Maybe a different night with a little bit of advance warning will work better for them.

I found anger to be the best help in moving things. Once in a fit of "I'll show her!" rage at a roommate I carried a good sized desk (the old solid wood kind with drawers down each side, and no I did not empty them first!), a couch, and other miscellaneous large items by myself up a steep and narrow set of attic stairs. Looking back, I have no idea how I did it. I vaguely remember just getting underneath things and standing up a bit.

What about that vital shrinkage you get with the dryer? Like jeans and stretchy cotton tees that get all loose after wearing. They shrink right back up in the dryer, but do they do the same if washed with cold/warm water and hung up? Or do you use hot water in the washer to get the same effect? If you are using hot water instead of cold to wash, does that cancel out the positive environmental effects and longer clothes life that you get with not using the dryer?

Also, earbuds are not really appropriate for children's ears. They cause permanent hearing loss at an early age.

To those defending the watch winder device:
-You say it's useful for people with multiple, expensive wind up watches.
-I say if you spend that much on watches and you don't have the time (or energy) to wind them yourself and/or reset the time, your lifestyle is already so fundamentally flawed that you might as well not worry about it.

It looks like you're getting a lot of advice to just buy your own food, and I'd concur with that. I've lived with a variety of roommates, anywhere from 1 to 4 at a time, and I feel like having primarily your own food is always the best way to go (unless your roommate is also your SO, then it's a totally different ballgame). You say that you are a frugal person, and being that myself, I found it is very hard to feel that things are working out completely fairly when you share your food supply and costs. Since you only have two people sharing the fridge, space shouldn't be too big of an issue either.
I think the key is setting up clear rules in the beginning. It can be a little tough to talk about without feeling bossy/possessive/or whatever about it, but setting up firm guidelines right away will help you avoid so many problems later. You could start by explaining that you are on a limited food budget that requires you to do some advance planning when it comes to food and that you want to discuss the issue so there won't be any misunderstandings. You should talk with your new roommate about things that you will have to share expenses on (toilet paper, dish soap, paper towels) and things that might be a good idea to share if you will both be using them equally and it makes more sense to buy in bulk (milk, condiments, certain pantry basics). Make sure you agree what these items are and how you will go about paying for them. Will one person spend the money upfront and get reimbursed, will there be a shared fund? Make sure you are both clear that anything that has not been talked about as being a shared item or offered to the other person specifically should be considered the property of the purchaser and if the other person wants some, they should ask. Seems harsh to say especially if it's to someone you don't know that well yet, but believe me, it should be gotten out in the open right away.
As far as shared meals, they should be taken on a case by case basis. If you are cooking up a big batch of something and feel inclined to share, do so. If you don't feel inclined to share, perhaps because you don't feel like it has been reciprocated in the past or you want to keep it for your own use, you should feel ok about that, and if the rules have been set up like they should in the beginning, it shouldn't be a problem. If you're making meals together with shared resources, then you need to be open and honest about what you're willing to share. Saying, "sorry, but I was saving that for something else" should be enough explanation.
If you have a problem come up be adult about it and bring it up. Avoid passive aggressive notes or overly confrontational and accusatory language, but make it clear that you find their action unacceptable. If you are dealing with more than one roommate and you don't know for sure who the culprit is then speak to each person individually.
All this advice may sound a little cold and maybe unfriendly, and I admit that I am an only child and I don't do great with sharing all the time, but in my experience only the most laid back people can really share freely without having little bits of resentment build up. If you are budget conscious, I think it's even harder. Being upfront about things is infinitely better than having a million little resentments piling up until you finally explode on someone for finishing off the peanut butter and looking like a psycho. I've been there, I know.