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Display Name: aychihuahua
Member Since: 5/20/09
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WOW! Fantastic info. And, Jukesgrrl: your post was extremely informative and helpful.


Aftermarket Resources for Customizing IKEA Furniture
Weekend Shoppers' Guide

2/13/12 12:36 PM

I agree with PARNASSUS. Why another dead tree version of Domino? An online version like Lonny would be just the ticket.


Breaking News: Condé Nast is Reviving Domino Magazine … Sort Of
2/9/12 12:58 PM

I am not a "granny", but I am in my sixties, and the office transformation is spectacular. It's fresh, colorful and youthful. Exactly the opposite of the tired, bland look of the office as it was before the re-do.


Before & After: A Granny Office Goes Modern
2/2/12 1:06 PM

Delightful, stylish, inviting. What makes this small space live large is the flood of natural light from the spacious windows and the outdoor space with its expansive views.

I'd gladly settle for stingy square footage as long as the light and views were generous; they are priceless luxuries in a home.


Matt Makes His Tiny Rental into a Home
House Tour

1/30/12 12:53 PM

I find that shopping my house can make a big difference in a room. I routinely relocate pieces of art, accessories and some furnishings like small chairs and tables to different rooms. What a change!

We all get complacent or even fail to notice a great piece of art or accessory that's been languishing in one room for a long time. Moving it to another room where it can be better appreciated is so much fun. Breaks the monotony of a home and refreshes the decor with no money and very little time involved.


Little Changes That Make A Big Difference:
Living Room Update Ideas

1/30/12 12:46 PM

Love it, but I would have to figure out how to hide that big honking cord on the light fixture.


New Year, New Thinking: Fresh Ideas to Make ANY Small Space Feel Larger
1/18/12 1:41 PM

I don't think it works for the baby, the mom or the co-workers in most situations.

That said, my wonderful doctor has always brought her infants to work until the time they started walking. Because she has a private practice, she can slip away into a quiet room to nurse and where the child can take naps with her nanny, who is also responsible for changing the baby and taking her for walks.

As a patient or staff person in this environment, you'd hardly know the baby was around. But, this is a special situation; it certainly wouldn't work in the average workplace.


Does Bringing Your Baby to Work, Work?
Good Questions

12/8/11 4:08 PM

I'm crazy about this color for interiors. It's also a color I love to wear. It goes swimmingly with certain blues and greens. Not to mention brown and gray. It's not exactly an Hermes orange, but close. And, we know what a perennial favorite that is.

Just this morning, on one of the shopping channels, a handbag in this color was the first to sell out. Darn it.


Pantone's Color of the Year for 2012
12/8/11 3:59 PM

OMG: what a house; what a pair of hunks. I live less than an hour from Roger and Chris and might just show up one day on their front step unannounced.

I'm a gal who doesn't mind confessing that I've had a crush on Roger since day one! That's OK: my dear hubs has a crush on Tanya Meme. Loved them on their Sell This House design show: great screen chemistry.

Please, please: let's see more cool stuff from Roger and Chris.


Chris & Roger's DIY + Modern Farmhouse
House Tour

12/7/11 1:55 PM

I agree spaceapple and MarciaR.

I'd rather see a home smartly and completely furnished from some of the design-savvy and affordable catalogs out there than some of the hot messes sourced from pure junk, crap, and flotsam and jetsam we sometimes see here.

What a pretentious attitude to pooh-pooh mass market catalogs. Those who have serious design creds and an open mind usually don't engage in that silly game; it's mostly the wannabes who do.


Living Inside an IKEA Catalog
12/2/11 5:30 PM

There are blogs, and then there are blogs. Some are superb; others are major time suckers; most are mediocre, at best.

The ones that really irk me are the blogs that act like they invented the wheel or the ones that deal with banal personal minutiae or the ones that just pirate and regurgitate content from other sites.

The world does not need any new blogs, believe me. We need fewer blogs and better ones.


Chapter 8 - Blogs Changed Everything
Ten Things You Need to Know about Apartment Therapy

11/28/11 3:42 PM

Very good advice. I'd like to add:

1. evaluate your strengths and weaknesses.

If you are not an experienced pastry chef or baker, buy something already prepared. Tart it up with whipped cream and mint garnish and no one will notice or care.

If you are widely acclaimed for your Italian dishes, then knock yourself out.

2. Keep expectations reasonable.

If you don't have the space or the accoutrements for a lavish sit down dinner for 10 or 12, then limit your guest list to a number you can seat comfortably. OR, invite everyone and do a killer buffet, where the food will be so good and easy to eat, nobody will mind standing up or perching on a sofa arm to nibble and chit-chat.

Prep, prep, and prep. It can be overstated.
Also, hire a house cleaner just for the occasion, to make everything sparkle. Why exhaust yourself beforehand cleaning and cooking?


The Secret to Being a Successful Host
11/23/11 4:27 PM

I make a dish similar to the broccoli-currant salad, using raw veggies, chopped in a small dice: broccoli heads and peeled stalks, dried cranberries instead of currants, carrots and red onion. Then I add roasted, salted sunflower seeds.

The sweet-sour dressing is made with equal parts of mayo and plain yogurt dressing, with honey, rice vinegar and fresh-squeezed orange juice, plus white pepper and salt to taste. Toss everything together and chill several hours or overnight. It's a pretty forgiving recipe; the only kind I like!

Just before serving, for sheer indulgence and extra crunch, I like to toss it with some freshly cooked and crumbled bacon. But, it is just as tasty without.


12 Salads to Lighten Up Thanksgiving Dinner
Recipe Roundup

11/23/11 4:12 PM

Years ago, in a pinch, I used to buy Classico Marinara. I found Prego to be way too sweet. I no longer buy jarred sauce. Ever.

It takes less than 30 minutes to make a fresh marinara using crushed Italian tomatoes, fresh basil, onion, garlic and oil. That's what I do. What's the big deal?

Not to mention the savings. And, no glass jars to recycle.

I will make a big batch of sauce and freeze it in 2 c. portions, heating it up in the microwave or stove top.

Honestly, who can't find the time to do that?


The Best Supermarket Jarred Tomato Sauces
Bon Appétit

10/2/11 12:52 PM

For many years, I have made an almost identical recipe: Sicilian style stuffed eggplant.

No mushrooms, but all the rest of the ingredients are the same, with the following changes: Instead of walnuts, toasted pine nuts. Instead of sage, fresh rosemary and flat leaf parsley. And, golden raisin are added, along with a healthy squeeze of fresh lemon juice to balance the flavors.

The eggplant flesh becomes custardy and so unctuous. It's to die for.


Recipe: Zucchini Stuffed with Sausage, Mushrooms & Sage
9/30/11 12:47 PM

Holy guacamole! I love these types of dense, moist and sticky cakes.

Now I know what to do with the big bottle of luscious sorghum molasses from northeastern Tennessee my brother sent me recently. It's great poured into strong coffee, so I know it will be even better in a cake.

THANKS!


Recipe: Dark and Damp Molasses Cake
9/30/11 12:36 PM

I think AB needs to eat more and tweet less. He's way too cranky, intolerant and self-important these days.

(And, he's too gaunt. He's not a happy camper.)


Why Alton Brown Is Against Food Trends
9/23/11 12:15 PM

All in all, a delightful, functional space for cooking.

It's the outdoor eating area, however, that has got me salivating.


Chef Brandon Boudet's Charming Cottage Kitchen
Kitchen Tour

9/20/11 2:53 PM

So lovely. Beautifully conceived and executed.

One of my mother's favorite memories was her older sister's wedding during the Depression: Aunt Grace was married in the church and the reception was at the family home in the late afternoon. Only 25 guests were invited. Refreshments were tea, non-alcoholic punch, peti fours and finger sandwiches, plus home made French vanilla ice cream.

That was 76 years ago! Mom is gone. Aunt Grace is still alive at 95. Her husband died last year, after celebrating 75 years of marriage with his bride.


Real Life, Well Designed: A Wedding at Home
9/15/11 6:45 PM

Food does not get any better than this.


Recipe: Panzanella with Mint and Anchovy
9/8/11 1:10 PM