Carol in Denver's Profile

When my daughter (an attorney) was in college, she pet-sat one night in a nice home. The next morning she told me Oh, Mom, I couldn't sleep at all. I had the most horrible feeling there, like I was in danger.

A couple weeks later, the pet owner, a young attractive woman, was raped and robbed in her home.

Don't ignore your instincts. Even security experts advise that. Animals don't ignore their instincts and we shouldn't, either.

I've got to get this off my chest:

To say something is "simplistic" is not a compliment. One definition of simplistic is "simple minded." Other definitions don't stray far from that idea.

And while I'm at it:

its -- a possessive, like "his" (which has no apostrophe), hers (ditto)
it's -- a contraction of the words "it is." The apostrophe takes the place of the space between the words and the "i."

Please make an effort to use these words correctly. Print decorating magazines don't make these mistakes, nor should this web-based one. In other ways, this website is vital, engaging and innovative.

I didn't even notice the walls were beige until I read it because the colors you use, and the lighting, create such glow. Great job! Add me to the list of people interested in the artwork over the bed.

Great job, an excellent solution. My bottom bookshelf is drooping. To prop it up, I've thought of cutting lengths of bamboo (similar in diameter to your cardboard tubes) to push underneath. Screwing cans to the bottom of the shelf to keep the tubes in place is clever.

Fabrics are expensive but an inexpensive source can be draperies at a thrift store. I'd choose a heavy cotton or linen and inspect the pleats at the top carefully because sometimes insects like to lay eggs in there. You might want to stuff the draperies into large trash bags, seal them tightly, and go directly to a laundromat where you can wash and dry them in the large machines available. Don't choose vintage curtains for this as they most likely are weak from sun exposure.

Remove the pleats at the top by taking out the stitching or simply cut them off. You can leave any lining in place but baste it to the curtain fabric if you cut off the pleated area. Then make the fabric into what you need.

At different times, I bought heavy cotton draperies and had enough fabric to make a slipcover for my couch with one of them (I dyed it first) and the other is my current bedspread -- white, with a subtle design woven in. When I bought them, both of these appeared to not have been used at all. I've also purchased an embroidered silk curtain (price tag said $300) for $3 but haven't found a use for it yet.

Lacking re-purposed drapery fabric, heavy knit fabric from the fabric store can make good slipcovers and is very easy to fit, comes in wide widths and is not too expensive. Cotton/lycra blend would be my first choice.

Lovely, elegant but not stuffy. You guys did a superb job.

My tiny bathroom had a big door that could open only part way because it hit the toilet. I took a woodworking class in which I built mini-French doors to fit the doorway and made them open into the hall. Much better. The only problem is that one door has an extra, added piece of molding to cover the crack between the doors when they are closed. That means one door must close before the other. Not everyone can figure that out.

I just put a teaspoon or so of dishwasher detergent (not handwashing detergent) in the mug and fill it up with hot water. Leave overnight, and the next morning all stains are gone. Easier than toothpaste, and you don't have to keep a tube of toothpaste and a brush by the kitchen sink.

I've made a couple fabric lampshades from all-white embroidered linen dresser scarves and really like them. There is a lot of hand-sewing involved but a lot of money to be saved.

Habitat for Humanity outlets stores often have new carpeting, sometimes rug sized, sometimes room size, at extremely reasonable prices.