simplekriss's Profile

The modern aesthetic is nice. Yes, this is an American take on a French space.

where, oh where is that jewlery organizer from? i have the heavy duty 3M hooks and they hold up my kids' super heavy backpacks, no problem. i think the problem with the plaster is the dustiness of it. the surface has to be spotless.

We did away with the t.v. cold turkey 3 years ago. We do have a dvd player and a projector for movie night, though and a portable tv for sporting events. My kids read a lot and do other things. I do agree that the t.v. isn't evil. The problem with it is simply that it distracts (everyone, not just the kids) us from doing more healthful, constructive things with our time. It is hard to pull away from and it is hard to pull away from a show that keeps you coming back for more. And another thing. Television is not inherently forbidden. It is just harder to access because we have to drag out the projector or the portable t.v. Maybe if it's always out , that makes it more attractive?

I predict a resurgence of the more "traditional" Baroque and Edwardian elements. Basically because you don't usually "find" one on the side of the road like the midcentury pieces that were abandoned and then brought en vogue by the thriftsters. I still adore some of the mid century pieces- thus my burgeoning collection of step tables. It is a challenge to mix the styles, but the overall look is fresh.

This is my favorite AT house tour ever. The space is cheery, airy and inspiring. And it is one of a kind.

just last night i was wondering how my sound asleep in his crib 4 month old knows just when i have stepped into the shower. I know he knows that I am in the shower because that's when he wakes up. This may be too much information, but I have just given up shaving my legs.

I cloth diaper old school by using unbleached cloth diapers trifolded as inserts and diaper covers. It's going brilliant. I never run out of diapers and his tushy is adorablle in these things!

Our home is a prime example of this. Our family of 6 lives in a 1200 s.f. 40's bungalow in a 300 year old town on the outskirts of Boston. The former owners of our home raised their family of 7 inside this modest place. Down the street are some late 19th century farmhouses (gorgeous!). But, during the past 5 or so years, they have built giagantic 7 bathroom, 2 million $ homes all around us. Sometimes the kids ask why their friends are living in "mansions" and we're not. We love our home, though. But we like to joke that we're just living in the servants' quarters. I wouldn't trade it for those brand new monstrosities...really.

Oh, have i struggled with this since the inundation of gifts for our first daughter's baby shower. I have a photo somewhere of her lost in a mountain of stuffed animals lovingly given to her by every family member and acquaintance we've ever known. 3 more kids later and living in a small space, i have had these discussions with the grandparents. I tried the consumables approach. Every suggestion ends in tears. I am not a stuff person. I happen to be in a family of stuffers...We donate a lot.

It is an issue of quality vs. quantity. I have family members who do this. One long week of family vacation my husband and I spent our time witnessing our relatives scour the internet for coupons, go out late at night for umpteen newspapers, and organize their coupon binders like 10 year olds assembling a sticker collection. When they came home with a boatload of poptarts for free, I had to escape before I said something I would later regret. Yes, they got things for free. Yes, most of the things they got, I would never feed myself or my children. Yes, they were borderline dishonest in the strategies utilized in getting these deals (choosing the "young" cashier at the store, obtaining store rewards cards for their pets, and teaming up to distract cashiers... not kidding). I prefer Trader Joe's or a farmer's market for the quality of the food. The quantity is in the salt, sugar, and preservatives.