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Display Name: Loora
Member Since: 4/20/09
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And there's the very low cost option: buy chairs but not the fabric covers. Buy only one cover, take it apart, then buy a few yards of inexpensive fabric (I'm in love with Ikea fabrics) and sew fun covers. We really wanted the hardwood Ikea chairs but didn't like the blah covers, so for 20 euros I made them ! Totally worth it.


Aftermarket Resources for Customizing IKEA Furniture
Weekend Shoppers' Guide

2/12/12 1:12 PM

I'm so imagining this in a gorgeous room... totally my cup of tea ! The handles are an amazing touch that really finishes the piece off !


Before & After: Jill's Dresser Goes Tall, Dark & Handsome
Junky Vagabond

2/9/12 10:24 AM

Since I live in France, I also wished they'd do an online edition... It cost 10 euros to buy one of those magazines here (around 13 dollars I think), and since I keep them, I have to find new shelter space all the time.

I discovered Domino only a year before it collapsed, so I'll try to get my hand on a copy anyway. And I agree that without the original staff, it wouldn't be the same. I doubt Needleman would quit her current job.


Breaking News: CondĂ© Nast is Reviving Domino Magazine … Sort Of
2/8/12 2:44 PM

I wished corporate advertisers would do much, much more of that sort of shows.

We have a very popular show here in France, where families send applications explaining why they can't remodel a house that absolutely doesn't suit them (or is in terrible shape). The production chooses the most desperate or touching cases and spend a week remodeling the house to suit the need of their owners. I remember an episode where they built a tiny house in the backyard for the grandmother who had been trying to find a place she could afford in the neighborhood. While definitely filmed to make it as sensational as possible, I find that show touching because whatever the editors may be twisting, they end up helping people who need it.


Before & After: A Colorful Eco-Friendly Renovation for a Family of 29
2/8/12 2:38 PM

I laughed, that is a funny site :-)


F&@# Your Noguchi Coffee Table: A Lighthearted Take on Design Trends
2/8/12 2:33 PM

Great tips !

I'll have to add: teach them very young about the burners. I have induction burners, but the pots still get very hot. My 2-years old son knows it's very hot (I'm French, and I taught him two word for "hot" and "dangerously hot" very, very early on), and while I'd never ever let him alone, I feel comfortable fetching a veggie on the other side of the kitchen for ten seconds. He says "very hot" while pointing at the pots, and asks for something else.

Also, I learned from experience not to say "danger" all the time. While exploding butter in the mixer isn't much fun to clean, it's not dangerous per se. Toying with ceramic knifes is. It's ok to have tomatoes everywhere, nobody will get hurt. I had to watch myself to make a difference between the really dangerous parts (playing with knifes, burners, some mixer attachments), and the annoying parts (splashing oil everywhere wasn't fun). I keep telling myself that the experience he gains and the fun we have together is much more valuable than the few minutes I'll loose cleaning the mess. And I LOVE licking cookie batter off my fingers.


Small Hands, Big Help: Practical Tips for Cooking with Kids
Guest Post by Sarah Pinneo

2/8/12 9:13 AM

Calm, fun, beautiful color scheme... you make a great advertisement for your store !! The printed name is really fun !

I wonder about the white wall: tiles ? fabric ? Wallpaper ? Whatever it is, I absolutely love the look, but I can't decide from the pictures what it is made of.


Nixon's Cool, Modern Pad
My Room

2/8/12 9:03 AM

My list:

- freestanding house (can't take neighbors anymore, even though ours are very nice people, I hear them going up and down the stairs, and their front door wakes up my son in the morning)
- with large enough room, not necessarily many of them, but all decent sized. I'm tired of hearing walk-in closets called spare bedrooms when you can't even fit more than a crib in.
- with amazing heat insulation. It's very cold right now in the north of France, and my veranda isn't a bit insulated (we just bought the house and mean to change that, but it takes time), so I begin to value heat. Preferably eco-friendly, like the linen insulation we used for walls.
- with lots and lots of natural lights and huge windows.
- not too low ceiling: I have high ceilings now and I love the airiness it gives to the rooms
- last but not least: Though I have a driving license, I don't have a car (husband is using it during the week), so I'd have to be near school, stores or near a public transportation that works well. Right now, I'm 15 minutes away from the historic center of my city by subway, versus 30 minutes by car, and I couldn't live without that.


What Americans Want Most in a Home
2/7/12 4:23 AM

Gosh, I hate it when I'm choosing fashionable colors... but yes, I'm planning a girl's nursery with mousey grey wall, a mango accent wall and a hot pink wardrobe. I've been planning it before Pantone announced its color of the year, but still... annoyed.

What I love about this color is how sunny it is. The room faces north, so not much natural light. I love orange but not "Halloween orange", and love yellow, so yes, mango came to my mind very early. I also love the look of orange and pink put together as accent color (in small dose).


Tangerine Tango in Kids' Rooms?
2/6/12 1:14 PM

For crystal or fragile glasses, I always store them face-up. It seems like the small vibrations create tiny cracks in the rims of glasses that are stored upside down. I noticed small cracks in glasses coming from a grand-mother who stored them like that, and none in the glasses from another grand-mother who stored them face up. But it's just my experience.

For everyday glasses, I don't think dust is a real problem, since I use all my stock. I don't think the way I store them will change anything.


Stacking Glasses: Face Up or Face Down?
2/6/12 10:35 AM

Hard one.

I don't have techs at home, but we do watch Disney and Myasaki films on my computer. I'd say 50 minutes maximum per day, three days a week. Being very pregnant, I appreciate the down time, and we talk a lot while watching. We name the animals in Bambi (I edit that movie a lot), we comment on everything happening in Ponyo or Totoro. I think of movies as a moving books that are something to share, not to watch alone.

The real problem with most tech, and TV especially, is that it keeps you passive. As long as you keep being active in front of children' movies and limit screen time, I don't see any problem. And it's real fun to dance with the elephants in the Jungle Book !

We tend to be more gregarious in Winter, so movie and book time is up. I'm eagerly waiting for spring and especially summer, since the baby girl will be born and we'll spend our afternoons at the park. You can't beat being outside.


Setting Limits on Children's Tech Time
2/1/12 6:22 AM

Did anyone mention how agreeable and fun to read both your articles were ? I enjoyed them because they don't shy from the real issues and don't make everything sound easy, because it isn't. But it's worth it in the end, the end being that point where our houses serve as great supports for being together, and not fighting issues.

Having no universal wisdom to share (I shared my experience on your last post, and that's the only thing I can do), I wait impatiently for you Americans to wake up and comment !


Home Ec., Pt. 2: A Balancing Act for Us All
1/31/12 1:16 PM

Both completely adorable and totally usable... way to go !!!


Charlie's Eclectic Mix
My Room

1/31/12 11:49 AM

I'm not sure spring mattresses should be turned either... but I sure turn my old Ikea foam mattress, while laying some money on the side to buy a good bed this time (hopefully in march).


It's Time: Turn Your Mattress
1/31/12 11:41 AM

I'm lucky to be at home a lot, so my husband lets me do the scouting: paint, palettes, furnitures on the French equivalent of Craigslist. In the end, I end up with a few suggestions, backed up by photos, and he tells me what he thinks. We then make the room's layout together: we are both focused on practicality, and tend to use the word "ergonomic" a lot...

We found out that it is better to wait for both of us to be enthusiast ( or at least happy) about a design choice. If we're not, we wait. It took a year to find a couch for the game room, and about three weeks of scouting to change our plates with a model we both loved and that was in our budget.

If you're willing to wait, and sometimes wait for a long time, I still believe you can find a design solution that both partners love ! Call me an idealist.


When Tastes Merge: One Home, One Too Many Opinions
1/31/12 11:38 AM

@Annamaria

Yes, the joint account issue is interesting. I have no idea as to the right/wrong solution. I still think a joint account is practical for buying groceries and such things that are divided between partners. Really, I don't have the energy to keep track of what I bought and what he bought and make monthly calculations.
Maybe it's a good idea for personal spendings ? We only use a joint account, but I know that I have a certain amount per month to use on clothes and such. Maybe separate accounts would be better.

Looking up for the follow-ups on this post !


Home Ec.: What is Your Housework Worth?
1/30/12 11:46 AM

Fisheggs: I LOVE sprite stitch too ! I posted a baby bib with Mario bros 2 veggies. Nobody gets it in my family, but my husband and I love it. As far as geekery goes, I have stitched the world 1 map of Mario Bros 2 and framed it in my home office, I own a tiny lightsaber (so cool), and my screensaver is from the anime Bleach.

I love geekery as long as it doesn't spell "dorm room". So, no to cheap posters tacked to the wall, yes to framed art (easy is full of amazing stuff). Friends of ours are fans of the Tintin comics and have tiny figurines all over their house: I love it !

As for that table, while I love it, I don't like the room in general: beige, beige, beige ! The table comes out as blah. That why I'd have stained it a much, much darker tone. I'm not a fan of the wooden base either, I'd have picked steel I think, for a sleeker look. But... wow. That Tardis box I'd have bought in a heartbeat, or even faster.


Geek Chic Design: Where Do You Draw The Line?
1/30/12 11:34 AM

I'm really enjoying this thread. Yes, it hits very close to home for a lot of us !

Seems like women fight on two fronts: habits from their parents (if your parents are anything like mine, your father couldn't boil an egg or make laundry to save his life), and the habits we took ourselves. I remember when my son was younger, I used to watch over my husband's shoulder to see if he was doing everything right. Then I realized that right = my way, and that wasn't good, because I ended up getting remarks like "if you don't like the way I do it, just do it yourself !". I did, was quickly overloaded by the amount of work and melted down.

While sharing housework isn't an issue in my home anymore, I have to constantly remind myself that getting my husband involved means accepting the way he does things, even if I don't like it, because otherwise I should do it myself, and I don't want that. That my personal battle. I'm so lucky he involves himself spontaneously, it seems stupid and absurd that I should try to prevent him to invade what I felt was my territory. Yeah, inconsciously, I feel like my territory is the laundry room and the kitchen, and I have to fight my control freak habits everyday.

As for being happy that your fiancé enjoys coming home after work: that's why we do chores, isn't it ? To make ourselves and the rest of our household, however large (and I include pets in this) happy to be together ? Sure, cleanliness, hygiene, clutter... but bottom line is, if the housework is going smoothly, you get more time to enjoy your family, and that's what it's about, isn't it ?


Home Ec.: What is Your Housework Worth?
1/28/12 8:16 AM

Also agreeing largely with Rocket scientist up there. At the very least, the mention of the fact that the money he brings doesn't balance the housework you do indicate something wrong. I don't have any miracle solution (wish I did), because every couple seems to find its own equilibrium.

I tend to be a very gregarious girl, and since I haven't been working these last three years, the housework fell on me. Now that we have a son and a daughter on the way, my job has changed, and my husband helps a lot more. He understand my problems: caring for a child knows no vacation (nobody works seven days a week except stay-at-home moms), I have no intellectual stimulation (used to study philosophy) and almost no distraction of any kind. Yes, doing dishes and laundry and tidying things up isn't intellectual work, but it's hard because it's basically boring and exhausting. We manage for me to have at least two nights out by myself, with friends, and we go dancing together at least once a week, with a baby-sitter. When I'll get to pregnant to do laundry, we'll hire a cleaning person to help for a few weeks. I'm not ashamed to ask for help, as long as I keep doing the best I can.

The other day, while we were having diner, I got the best salary I could ever hope for. My husband said, out of the blue, looking at our son, that he was really happy that we decided that I would take care of our children, because our son was fantastic, well-bred (let's hear that more often) and really fun to be with, and that made him also happy to come home. While I know that this is only one of many praises that a woman may aspire to, this made my day and I realized that after 8 years together, we had come to a good understanding of each other's work value.

Anyway, good luck on figuring out your own equilibrium ! It may take some time, but try to make it less about numbers. I thought that some of the comments were really great and gave sound advices.


Home Ec.: What is Your Housework Worth?
1/27/12 4:36 PM

Cecilymaeh, your cards are amazing !! I don't Iive in the states, so I won't order my Valentines cards from oversees, but if I did live there, I'd buy yours in a heartbeat !! The decoupage one may be my favorite, although the veggies are super cute too.


Frame-Worthy Valentine's Cards
1/26/12 12:18 PM