</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by cdcollins:
<strong>It is a town house - very simple, very factory-issue. All bland white walls and sterile fixtures. It's small and unoriginal and not unique whatsoever.

And THAT is what makes it so special...it is a blank slate where anything can happen. A canvas for you to express yourself. There is so much you can do to white walls and plain fixtures, the possibilities are endless.

and my framed Paul McCartney 2002 tour poster hangs in the stairwell so that I can touch it every morning a'la' Laverne-and-Shirley style when I leave for class in the morning. pretend that the old furniture is shabby chic rather than just plain shabby.

That old furniture is Shabbhy Chic, cd! And having a huge poster of Paul as your only major wall decor makes an enormous statement, too. Excellent choice.

I feel good here. It is peaceful I like it. I tuck my children into bed at night and I come down and sit and do homework and study.
</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">That is so good to hear, cd. That so-called "sterile" house won't be like that for long because it will be a home for you and your kids without stress and without demons, filled with love and peace.

Catnip =^^=

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by catnip:
<strong>... It's really creepy around here at night because there are no street lights...
</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Yeah, but I bet you can see ALL the stars!!!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" /> Too funny about your friend thinking about Jurassic Park as she walked through your yard. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial"><strong>
...So, how do you make your own soaps and bath salts? What "flavors" do you use?
</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Oh it's really a fun hobby! I first noticed soapmaking on the FoodTV channel!!! There are lots of "melt & pour" recipes on the web. My favorite scents are sandalwood, sea foam, and mango but usually I use the favorite scents of others when making for gifts. Bath salts are SO easy--get the rock salt used for water softening--about 2 bucks at the grocery or hardware store, add color and fragrance (cosmetic grade) and shake around in a ziplock! voila! You can order jars & everything on the web too, and glue decorative ribbons or flowers or seashells on the lid. Really inexpensive gift idea! What is your favorite scent??

BTDT

That sounds so much easier than I thought it would be. I usually shy away from any kind of craft because I get impatient during the learning phase. I've painted on canvas for years, but that's different. I can't crochet, though my grandmother and aunt sat with me patiently many a night trying to teach me. They would look at me and then at each other and shake their heads in sympathy for me as I struggled to learn what every woman in our family instinctively knew how to do...kind of like Steve Martin's black family in The Jerk...they felt so sorry for him because he couldn't dance. Haha

As for scents (did I call them flavors? I guess I was confusing smell with taste-food) I wear Jessica McClintock all the time, It's a really light floral, but I mix it and wear it with a really cheap musk by Bonnie Bell called Skin Musk. I like the combination and I've noticed that some people's reaction is "whoa, do you smell good or what".

I buy almond oatmeal soaps and even though I am poor now, I still can't resist spending my last ten dollars on one bar of really good French soap, which is stupid and frivolous.

When I came back to the city a year ago from up north (remember Catnip & Bipolar's Not So Excellent Adventure) I moved in with my old high school/college friend for six months. During those six months (she's kind of a hold-over from the 60's) she would come home from the co-op with all kinds of amazing and natural soaps that smelled so fresh and herbal, I went nuts. I sampled all kinds of interesting scents. I found that I loved patchouli and sandlwood and absolutely hated the citrus-y scents because they made me smell like a fruit salad. But then I hate fruit-y smelling shampoos like strawberry and peach (yuk)

I didn't realize that a bag of water softener salt was OK to use for bath salts...that is so cheap! Is the cosmetic grade scent that is added 'wet"? Does is melt the salt? Heck, I think I can handle this project since it doesn't require skillful fingers.

Thanks for the information...I'm gonna try it!

Catnip =^^=

<small>[ August 30, 2002, 08:39 AM: Message edited by: catnip ]</small>

Ahhhhh, time to describe the twiisted mansion....our little corner of paradise in Camp Swampyland!!!!

Alas....we reside in the historical district in our fair, small town (On the Northshore) about an hour from New Orleans...We have a 120 by 120 lot, with one water oak (Mr."T" and I hate it) and one beautiful magnolia and lots of crawfish mounds which is the equivelant of molehills....need to drop mothballs down there again....anyways......

Our yard is completely fenced in (the better to keep you out my dear....just kidding....it is good to keep the kids and two dogs contained in the yard...the cat comes and goes as he pleases...)

Our house was re-painted three years ago, it is white with french quarter green trim. Our house is over 50 years old and hand-built by Mr."T"'s Great-Uncle "L".

When you enter the house, you will first see my new foyer, since I put up a wall to the right so that dinobon will have her own small room (used to be the computer/sewing/guest room) we need to finish it off and put a door up, but it will be painted sky blue with painted white picket fencing and some colorful wooden birdhouses on the wall to match the curtains and valances which have birdhouses on them. She is losing interest in dinosaurs, but likes the look of farms and farm animals...I will be painting some flowers and stuff on the walls around the picket fence and dinobon wants me to paint a horse's head over the fence too....we'll seeeeeeeeee....

Then you go through the foyer, to the kitchen...it's big enough (practically the biggest room in the house) I just re-painted it, a pale, pale yellow (the walls) and the custom-cabinets pale sage green....I will be putting up sunflower borders and have lots of sunflower/amish/farm style things for the kitchen...uncle "L" left behind many old dishes, and things and an antique chair that I incorporated into the look...I have some quilts that I will put on the wall too, if I feel like it...it's a good kitchen...put new vinyl tile on the floor that looks like stone..you almost expect it to be cold and clammy like those kinds of stones that you find at Rock City!!!

Then you go straight into the living room where it's an eclectic mix of "What-I-Like-best"...there's an antique chifferobe in the left hand corner, which stores my quilting and sewing stuff...next to it is my Grandmother's "old" sewing table...(she gave me her sewing machine...can't sew anymore) Next to the chifferobe is some kind of chair that is striped burgundy/hunter green/gold/tan (there's a matching couch) and lo and behold...I found balloon valances that match the chair and sofa...makes the living room look "rich"....I have brass switchplates to offset the gold and next to the chair is my computer hutch, next to the window....we have hardwood floors in the two bedrooms and living rooms and dinobon's room....

I have a neat little rug that matches the color of the living room along with some beautiful magnolia pieces on the wall...two shiloulette oval framed cut-outs of Bubba and Mini-me...a great hand carved plaque that has Jeremiah 9:23-24 carved on it (By amish craftman) a picture of Jesus healing the bent over woman (from the book of Luke) and the entertainment center has a built in curio that houses my teapots and other collectibles...on top of the entertainment center has curly-tops breakable dolls collection (porcelin etc.) I have antique pitchers and jugs displayed too...some that have been in the family for ages....

I also have a signed giant framed Nancy Noel print of an Amish Girl standing in front of a "turkey track" quilt holding a rag doll...I nicknamed her "Rachel" she looks lonely, but I talk to her at night when I'm sewing....I have a bookcase overflowing with many books...all on different subjects that I want to be an expert in....(ha ha!) mostly Theology, prayer, quilting, cross stitching, parenting and of course...the Harley collection! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="images/icons/wink.gif" />

I guess my decor would be considered a cross between usuable antiques/casual-formal/shabby chic...hee hee.....

My hallway has lots of patched holes (from the earlier swiss cheese decor episodes) along with Bubba's crayon art work scribbled over the patch...(we are going to re-paint) and I plan to either make it burgundy or darker green...... it has photos of all types on the wall..that's my photo gallery...

The kids room that curly-top, mini-me, and bubba share has burgundy valances and noah's ark theme with noah's primitive stenciled around the corner where the crib is...Mini-me and curly-top have bunk beds with quilts that match the valances...

Our room isn't decorated as it barely has enough room to hold our queen size bed...you have to climb over the bed to get to the small half bath that used to be the laundry room (which is now outside in the carport...I want to change that one day...) I do have a burgundy bed set and I haphazardly put up Mr."T"'s Robert E. Lee stuff on the wall...(He's a relative of Mr. R.E.Lee) and I plan to change that one day...it will be Bubba's room and will have an Ole Miss Sports motif as Mr."T" is an alumni of Ole Miss...

Our common bathroom is a mess....I did put new wallpaper border up over the wood trim mid way of the wall...it's magnolias...and burgundy and hunter green....(notice a theme, here? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="images/icons/tongue.gif" /> )

the floor is rotted and nasty and I fell through it...we need to fix it badly but can't until we fix and replace the orangeburg pipes...needless to say, the extra money that we pay out each month cuts into repairing it...I fell through the floor and cut my foot badly...we put plywood over it and covered it with a rug...but it's a temp. fix...we really need to fix that and we are behind in bills...but that's my next major renovation project out of necessity....

That's my house....I like it....it's small but we have the land to build a master bedroom and bath on it "one of these days"....

I'm out of diet cokes...waaaaaahhhh <img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="images/icons/frown.gif" /> Oh yeah....thanks Catnip for making me feel guilty and freaked whenever I crack open another one....Roflol.........

Hugs to you dear gal....and to all...
Twiisty

After reading everyone’s description of his or her home, I feel like I live in a shack… But its nice to see, “How the other half lives” <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="images/icons/wink.gif" />

We live in a 2 bdrm, bath and a half, townhome apartment.
Beige walls & carpet, White ceilings.

When you walk in the front door of our home, you walk directly into the living room. In front of you are the double doors into the kitchen.
The furniture is a couch, a gift from friends of mine, and a beat-up Lazy Boy recliner that was a gift from my parents. The tv sits on a little table. Looks funny… needs an entertainment center…

There used to be a Baby Swing and a Pack-n-Play set up in there… not anymore.. Lil Bit is TOO BIG!!!

The Dining room is off the kitchen and the living room to the left.
Right now, the dining room is our “Transition room,” EVERYTHING is piled there… waiting to be put where it goes.
Also my computer is in there, on a card table. I don’t have a desk yet, I have begged H for one for 3 yrs.. LOL

The half bath, sliding 2-door closet, and the staircase are all on left off the living room. The sliding glass door out to the patio is on the far right. We had tomatoes, cayenne peppers, jalapeno peppers, lettuce, mustard greens and onions this year in our little Patio Garden. The peppers were the hardiest plants this year. It has been so hot here that the rest of the plants didn’t do well.

The staircase goes up 4 steps to a landing, turns to the right, goes up 6 steps to another landing then turns again to the right, up 2 steps and you are up stairs.
Both bedroom doors are on the same wall, directly in front of you. the linen closet is to the right and the bathroom door is kinda behind you on the right.

Lil Bit’s room is on the left, with her crib, toddler bed and a futon. Her room is HUGE.. the closet is 8’x8’ and I love it! There is even a vanity built in with lights and electrical outlets!!
Our room is on the right. Simple bed (no headboard), bookshelf, 4-drawer dresser, a nightstand and a cradle. I am praying that the cradle has a little one to occupy it next summer.
Our closet is a walk through. You can access the bathroom from our room and the hall. One big circle.. just perfect for a little toddler to run circles… LOL

Most of the furniture was given to me. H’s stuff is still in storage! I keep trying to get him talked into getting it out.. but he is dragging his feet… doesn’t think we have enough room.
His Dad and stepMom bought the crib for Lil Bit... and the Washer and Dryer in the kitchen!!!

Basically, our decor is major Hodge Podge!!

Thanks everyone! Its been fun to hear about your homes!!!

<small>[ August 30, 2002, 10:21 AM: Message edited by: Stacia_Lee ]</small>

Well, I have some photos of the two bedrooms in our vacation home. Click here to see them.

Our vacation home is a 14'x50' mobile home...done on a budget. I got the comforters and sheets at Target. I upholstered an old headboard in the master bedroom with sheets and quilt batting (really easy). My sister-in-law contributed the dresser to the master bedroom, and I painted it green, along with an old chest for the guest room. I made the valances out of sheets and hung lace curtains. The nightstands are made of plywood circle tops placed on top of 30 gal. garbage cans (nice to have hidden storage!) and covered with sheets. I got the pictures at dollar stores. Some only cost $1 and had black plastic frames that I spraypainted green. The carpet is a forest green, and the walls are sort of an off-white. My H's friends say the bedrooms are too "feminine" for them. They prefer to stay in our camper that we generally keep up there to use when guests overflow the mobile home.

I don't have photos of the living area yet, but it has a hide-a-bed sofa (really ugly but in great shape) that I bought for $150, and a recliner that I bought for $50. I found an entertainment center at Walmart for $60, and my SiL contributed an oak sofa table that I have along the wall beside the recliner. On the walls, I have fishing stuff...a wooden fishing net, some rustic looking shelves decorated with trout, a wreath trimmed with fishing stuff, a fishing picture with an oar draped with a fishing net mounted beneath the picture. The room is really small, so I don't have a coffee table in it. I made the curtains from a fishing/hunting type print, with coordinating fabric for tab-top valances, and I used cane fishing poles as curtain rods to hang the valances. On the back of the trailer, H built a deck with an insulated roof over it. He has his charcoal grill and his "patio kitchen" (gas grill outfitted with a gas burner and a sink that you hook up the water hose to). We have some of those cheap polymer "Andirondack" type chairs and a table w/4 chairs. We also have an ice machine out there....plenty of ice for drinks and to fill coolers when we go fishing.

I have some photos of our den at our regular home, but I'll have to put those up on the website later.

I forgot to mention that our vacation home is on 2 acres in the Ozark Mountains, about 5 minutes away from the White and Norfork Rivers. Lots of trees and ROCKS!!! I'm beginning to think that the rocks breed, as H has to move what seems to be new ones every time he mows the grass up there! LOL!

<small>[ August 30, 2002, 12:17 PM: Message edited by: Lady Clueless ]</small>

We live in a 3 bedroom 2 bath home. The front yard is fenced in along with the back yard. The front is flat and the back is hilly. The house has brown and beige siding. There is a wood deck with a cover on top off the front with chairs for sitting. When you come in you enter the great room. Fireplace, two big windows, lots of wood and wood beams that run across the ceiling and the ceiling is vaulted. Color scheme is warm burgandys and hunter greens. Burgandy carpet. Hunter green shades. Big burgandy couch and a big oversized green chair and couch. Big screen TV. Knick knack shelves. Lots and lots of pictures of family on shelves and walls, I love pictures of family. Lots of Home Interiors sets. Kitchen is big (just the way I like it)with a counter bar to eat at and there is a formal dinning room off to the side of that with a china hutch and a roll top desk. The kids rooms are typical kids rooms. One has bunk beds, two upright dressers, a shelf and a table and a tv on a tv stand. The other has a full size bed, big dresser, upright, shelf and tv on a tv stand. Our bedroom is my sanctuary. Beautiful white metal and brass custom made bed from Elliots Designs in California. The carpet is light blue, light blue vertical blinds, and the bedspread has beautiful light blues, light greens, white and light purples. It has kind of a trellis thing running through it. It looks like a cloud..lol. Our bathroom is done in my favorite color... purple and lavender. Black is the accent color. A see through purple shower curtain, purple and white flowers, black bath rugs, etc. The other bathroom has a nautical theme in it. Lighthouse border on the walls, sandstone counter, big wooden anchor on the wall, etc.

I like where we live but it's not my "fantasy" home either. If I could live in anything I wanted, wherever I wanted, it would be in New York in a loft with hard wood floors and brick walls. I love lofts!!!

Ann <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

*Edited to add more description...lol.

<small>[ August 31, 2002, 02:24 PM: Message edited by: AnnLovesCharlie ]</small>

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by twiisty:
<strong>

Alas....we reside in the historical district in our fair, small town (On the Northshore) about an hour from New Orleans...We have a 120 by 120 lot, with one water oak (Mr."T" and I hate it) and one beautiful magnolia and lots of crawfish mounds which is the equivelant of molehills....need to drop mothballs down there again....anyways......

Shut my mouth! I swear, Lil Magnolia, (that's you, my little Rebel Friend) that I have a hankering for some fried green tomatoes and ribs served on old Uncle L's antique dishes just reading your post.

Your house sounds so homey and welcoming, Twiisty...a place where everyone is family and comfortable conversation is the norm. Some real southern hospitality...

burgundy/hunter green/

burgundy or darker green

burgundy valances

burgundy bed set

and burgundy and hunter green

Sheesh, I guess we really like burgundy, don't we.
Actually, it is a great color and I am fond of it myself, especially if it has a little brown tone to it to give it that rusty claret color. Very warm and intense. And it does add a richness to a room.

I'm out of diet cokes...waaaaaahhhh <img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="images/icons/frown.gif" /> Oh yeah....thanks Catnip for making me feel guilty and freaked whenever I crack open another one...</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Oh, stop your cryin!

I am sorry about the diet pop thing, Twiisty, but, you do drink a lot of it and unless you are diabetic, I would switch to regular. I would rather put on a pound or two than loose twenty overnight...ugh, that is a ghoulish thought.

I was just worried about you.

Love

Catnip =^^=

<small>[ August 30, 2002, 11:45 PM: Message edited by: catnip ]</small>

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by Stacia_Lee:
[QB]The sliding glass door out to the patio is on the far right. We had tomatoes, cayenne peppers, jalapeno peppers, lettuce, mustard greens and onions this year in our little Patio Garden. The peppers were the hardiest plants this year. It has been so hot here that the rest of the plants didn&#8217;t do well.

Well, you certainly don't live in a shack if you have a garden of any kind...a real home always has some kind of garden. You know, cdcollins is in the same kind of townhome arrangement you are in and I know these so-called sterile townhomes can be turned into cozy and lovely refuge (with a little imagination and a couple packages of inexpensive sheets from Target) because they are blank slates and the possibilities are endless. A gallon of paint can turn a boring wall into excitement with a bold color like...dare I say it? burgundy!!!??? Or deep cobalt blue...on just one wall and then follow the color throughout the room with cobalt glassware like pitchers and plates and pillows for the sofa and a multi colored rug with many colors including cobalt to pull it all together. I am describing a room I saw at the Parade of Homes where one of these sterile town homes was transformed into this charming and cozy home with some touches here and there and I was impressed. It didn't take much and the effect was wonderful.

H&#8217;s stuff is still in storage! I keep trying to get him talked into getting it out.. but he is dragging his feet&#8230; doesn&#8217;t think we have enough room.

What's he saving it for? Firewood? If space is an issue, just take the pieces you like the best and leave the rest. You need to have 'stuff'...every woman has to have 'stuff'. It's in the handbook.
QB]</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Catnip =^^=

<small>[ August 30, 2002, 11:58 PM: Message edited by: catnip ]</small>

My turn! My turn!

Our house is on a small cul-de-sac off of a dead-end street. The perfect neighborhood for the boys to learn to ride their bikes. We live on "Heart Attack Hill." All the houses on the even side of the street are at one level and all the houses on our side sit on top of a big ridge--about 35 feet above the street. (Makes for a horribly steep driveway, especially in the NorthEast winters. Combine the rise with the large lot (1.3 acres) and no one can see in our windows. It was wonderful to get so much space after living 12 years in Silicon Valley, California with 8 free-standing houses to the acre!

The house (3,000 sq. ft. colonial--about 40 years old) is painted colonial blue with darker blue shutters. We are repainting this fall--tan with burgundy shutters.) It sits about 1/2 of the way back on the lot on a narrow ridge and the rest of our back yard rises above that.

We put in a small fruit orchard 3 years ago--12 fruit trees--cherry, peach, plum, apple and pear. It is on the hill rising from the back yard to the garden and then woods behind. My sister wants to add a fruit tree for each of the boys. We had fruit last year, but none this year as we had strange weather. I love to make jam and our orchard will be my "source" for the next few decades.

On the ridge above the house is our garden--we are eating tomato sandwiches every other night right now, but the deer got our corn--200 ears of corn gone in one night!

I am big on natural light--we have lace sheers in almost every room.

My favorite part--all hard wood floors everywhere. Two owners ago had been a Greek couple who did the house in red and black--red shag carpeting everywhere. The owners just before us stripped out all the carpeting except for one room--the baby's room. We got rid of that and had all the floors refinished before we moved in.

You walk into the family room. Big huge home theater system, hundreds of CDs and the family computer. Junky couches covered in slip covers. Can't wait for our ship to sail back into the harbor so I can replace those.

The family room joins to the kitchen. It is huge, but not enough upper cabinet space. Some previous owner redid it once already and replaced all the appliances with great European stuff--convection oven, JenAir grill. I love my kitchen; it is the center of our home. I hope to redo it some day as everything is dark pine and kind of fake colonial. My ideal would be French country--slate floors, a mixture of counter top surfaces. I like our butcher block counters but can't wait to replace the vinyl counter tops with tile. My sister and I are both going to take tiling classes at Home Depot. (We'll do her counters first. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="images/icons/wink.gif" /> ) We have a simple kitchen table and a kitchen island with a breakfast counter. I love that for holiday dinners we can seat 24 people at the various tables around the house.

Off the back of the kitchen is our sun room. We grow oranges, bananas and pineapples out there. The Mexican tile floor needs to be replaced as we had some rain damage and I stepped through the floor a couple of months ago. We had a horrible aphid invasion this winter and lost the lemon tree and nearly lost one of the orange trees. The pineapples are producing right now--three huge fruit on two plants. I'll take one to school next week for the boys first show and tell. We have a wicker and glass dining set out there and eat in the sunroom in the evenings. The boys (and I) do our homework and Russian lessons out there.

Down the hall from the kitchen is the laundry room/bath combo. It was my first attempt at using bright paint like the TV commercials and not a big success. I was trying to match a Carribean print we have on the wall. Gotta get back in there and put on a second, lighter color. It'll be my first attempt at glazing paint.

Further down the hall is the dining room and living room. I love my dining room most of all. I have a rosewood dining set and china cabinet--it is from China or made to look like it is. It has beautiful brass pulls in the shape of the Chinese word for luck. The table is huge (seats 12).

Next is the formal living room with my Kawaii black piano, wing back chairs (hunter green) and white sofa. I used to be a pretty serious classical pianist and had a chamber music group for a couple of years. The living room is where all "time outs" occur. My boys are going to grow to hate green wing-back chairs. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

Upstairs are two baths (one off of our bedroom) and 3 huge bedrooms and one small one. The boys room is painted pale blue, almost white, with astronomy-themed cafe curtains that I made and homemade blue denim quilts that my mother and I made. The decorations are stars and planets and glow-in-the-dark constellations on the ceiling.

Our room is off white--needs painting. Best thing is his and hers closets and our nice new oak mission bedroom furniture. Big king-size bed (great for Saturday morning cuddles with the boys), matching tall dressers and sweater chest.

The guest room has our antique furniture. It was a great find for $125 when we lived in Maine years and years ago when we were first married. We refinished it with a dark oil. It has a double bed on high legs, a wide dresser and a ladies' dressing table both with suspended mirrors. This room gets all the sun and is a wonderful place for my sewing table and serger. Best sewing table in the world--folds out and out and out and out until it is about 30 sq. ft. My little piece of sewing heaven.

The last room is "The Baby's room." It used to have the ugly crayon-red carpeting in it, but we pulled that and had the oak floor redone. It has tiny pink and blue flowered paper and Mom and I made all the Peter Rabbit curtains, comforters, etc. It was all ready for the arrival of Anna, thus we used to call it "Anna's room." When the agency told us that she had been adopted and that the boys were going to be separated from their sister, I got rid of the crib and changing table. There is now just a dresser and a toddler bed that we use for visiting nieces.

Whoops! downstairs I forgot Mr. J's office. Dark pine paneling, light oak floor, built-in book cases, our antique oak desks and filing cabinet. (We used to go antique hunting and refinish our finds.) He keeps a very, very messy office and the boys and I don't venture in there too often.

All in all, we still have much redocorating to do--just paint and paper. My mother was out last weekend and we hung ivy wall paper border in the front foyer and upstairs hall. I want to do the guest room in pale yellow (and I will handpaint pansies near the ceiling). I want the living room and dining room in three shades of tan with a magnolia wall paper border that I bought a couple of years ago. The upstairs bath needs a complete overhaul--no way around that--1960's pale blue and white candy-striped tiling and blue bath tub. What were they thinking? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

Oh, art work is all really nicely framed pieces of simple artwork from our travels--a water color from Bermuda, Holy Weeks posters from Spain, a map from Israel, pencil etchings from Germany and California. Forgot to bring home anything from Russia! Well, except for the boys that is.

MJ

<small>[ September 03, 2002, 08:46 AM: Message edited by: MaryJanes ]</small>

I can't get over all your fruit trees, MJ...I bet none of you ever get colds...hahaha.

And to grow pineapple in your sunroom is incredible! I bet you are the designated fruit salad person at the church pot luck.

I get the idea you live on Lombardo Street in SF but I know you aren't on that coast...that hill sounds like a nightmare but the view must be breath taking.

Your house sounds huge AND cozy, which is no small feat. I think a great kitchen can really make a home warm and inviting.

It's funny how we somehow know ahead of time how each of us lives...I would have pegged you for a huge Colonial.

I covet your fruit trees...we're lucky we get tomatoes and corn in August and apples in the fall.

Catnip =^^=

What fun, Catnip! Leave it to you. I've enjoyed reading all about all the wonderful homes we all have, now our home.

We have a two story. All white vinyl siding/with black shutters and a lavender front door that was formerly fushcia until last year.

Inside are 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, large kitchen, large great room, my "New York" room with my computer and plants are everywhere around, including a fig tree in the great room.

It's very contemporary.

New York room, kitchen, and greatroom and 1/2 bath are all open and spacious, flowing from each other.

All the decor is done in neutrals, all white walls, white tile in kitchen, all white cabinets, hardwood kitchen floor, cranberry carpeting throughout the rest of the house.

Furniture is ivory leather and black leather in great room. Large glass coffee table.

Huge ivory over stuffed love-seat with ottoman, and a cranberry settee in the New york room along with my computer and desk which is white.

Now lets go out the french doors of my great room....

A deck is built in back of our garage with an awning cover. A short walk of deck takes you to our free standing "get away "room which my husband built on a seldom used basketball court. It have light grey (silver-moon) walls, a dark grey, granite bar with 7 bar stools, a black couch and love seat with grey carpeting, pale grey.

We have our treadmill and free weights in there too so I guess it's a juice bar!

We have 2 televisions, one hooked to cable and one to our directv sattelite dish, an unbelievable sound systems so we can listen to cd's and vinyl or the radio.

The room is full of Yankee's pictures, including one signed by DEREK JETER to my husband, that a friend of ours had sent to him this summer. We have a huge cardboard "BABE RUTH" we got from our bank 3 years ago when they used his image for a promotion. If you're not used to seeing him, it scares you it looks so real.

Now just outside of the court we have a big deck and above ground pool that is 12 years old.

We also have two brick walkways/patio where my beloved swing is, it's just between the back of garage deck and our room.

Bedroom furniture is all ivory with an ivory satin bedspread.

Well, that's it.

BTW we have our empire up for sale, as H now wants to build a new home for us in the suburbs.

It'll be kinda like a fresh start, eh?.
love
Debi

<small>[ September 03, 2002, 03:36 PM: Message edited by: gemini1 ]</small>

Oooo! catnip--you could even use your Jessica McClintock and musk scents for your water softener bath salts and NO they won't melt the salts and DO get a colorant of some type? Maybe yellow or orange to make a nice peachy color or blue & green? (can find these at craft stores) VOILA! Talk about an aromatherapeutic experience--you will love it. It's a great remedy for "trigger" days, I just betcha!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="images/icons/wink.gif" />

It's easier to use perfume without a spray bottle, but go for it! You can order jars on the web... OR you can use a jar from your kitchen. ooo! ooo! What about a mason jar decorated with ribbon and flowers and a toy bumble bee glued on top? Simple!

I almost forgot to say that we share our home with three cat's, Lola who is failing in health and is going on 17 yrs. in Oct, Lea, and Layla who will be a year old in the fall.

We have a 50 gallon pond with "Turly" an american painted turtle my son caught when he was nine. A 20 gallon aquarium with 3 beautiful Angel fish. All in the great room. All are MOM'S job to keep fed and cleaned.

Then of course we have DIL, S, and Granddaughter, who is almost 5 months old. Always something going on here......

BTDT and Catnip I make bath salts a lot ever since I read about it in Heloise a few years ago. My favorite scent is lavender. So soothing...color it with 1/4 red and 3/4 blue for a pretty purple color, I got the scent at Walmart.
love,
Debi

What fun - thanks to all for the magic carpet ride!

In my little corner of the world we have an old home in a historic little town of south FL. Hubby grew up in this home and when I came on the scene 11 years ago, the house was in pretty bad shape. (After his folks passed on the house had been severely neglected.) I remember walking in the first time (our 2nd date) and saying to myself, "this poor guy needs someone to take care of him." In the early days I affectionately referred to it as "the Herman Munster house."

After we married, I remember we basically lived in one tiny bedroom because it was the only room with an air conditioner! I'm proud to say that we have since modernized our home with central a/c and now make full use of every inch (about 1800 sq. ft.)and then some!

When you first walk in, you walk into the living room. Hubby is a tropical fish buff so we've got a 55 gallon fish tank there to welcome our visitors. The living room then opens up to the dining room, small but functional, and then the Florida room runs along the whole back of the house. We have our big screen t.v. out there (Happy 1st Father's Day) and sonny's play area. Off the kitchen we have our utility room and what used to be the carport, but we just converted that into a new office/den complete with 1/2 bath. (Comes in real handy for overnight guests. Any takers?) On the other side of the house is where our bedrooms are. Mine & hubby's, sonny's, and my music room (I play the harp and viola.) We've got 2 bathrooms on that side of the house as well.

I think it was CMiranda who said she loved interior decorating and I share that same passion as well. I love the Home & Garden station on t.v. and always look for ways to decorate inexpensively. (More than once hubby has relunctantly given in to my pleading to stop the car while I run over to inspect what "treasure" someone has just thrown out!)

We've got tile throughout the common areas and carpet in the bedrooms. Our decorating theme has evolved over the years into a southern, beachy, style complete with surboards hung from the ceiling in the FL room. The last room I just decorated was sonny's nursery - it came out real nice with yellow and white being the primary colors. We went with a sun, moon & stars theme and I love to spend time in there rocking sonny to sleep. My next room to re-do will be the music room. I want to make it into a library as well as a music room.

Outside we have a deck, with hot-tub (for those cool FL nights 3 months out of the year!) and a built-in pool. The facade of the front of the house is a cross between spanish and colonial with a bay window and 3 big posts on the front porch. Hubby got me a swing for my birthday in March and I love to sit out there in the evenings and watch the cars and people go by.

We're within walking distance of the intra-coastal and our evening walks take us to a neat little park and marina. The town has great community spirit and we have our own fireworks display on the 4th of July and parades/carnavals during the holidays.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my 2 little long-haired chihuahuas, Pepe La Pew & Daize Mae. They were our babies before sonny came along in January. They are a tad jealous of the baby, but we try to make sure they know they are still loved and important members of our little family.

Our former "Herman Munster" house has definately become a cozy little home, one which I hope to pass onto my son someday so he can carry on our family traditions.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by catnip:
<strong>

This thread is so interesting because it truly gives us all a glimpse into who we are and what makes us tick....and it is so much fun imagining the places, which are a reflection of the person inhabiting the space. What makes this so special is we are kind of offering each other an invitation into each others homes by sharing these things about ourselves. This little "glimpse" help me feel a little closer to each of us in this special little family of ours.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">And it is why, IMO, the OW or OM being in our house is such a violation. I was as furious about her having been in our house (no sex, just accompanying him to feed our dog) as I was about the affair. She now admits that she had a strong, driving curiosity about me. Learning about me is why she went there and why, if we hadn't already moved, we would have had to move. My house says who I am (a bit of a fixer-up in need of some paint <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="images/icons/wink.gif" /> ).

MJ

Well Well Well Catnip. You've outdone yourself again.

I loved reading about everyone's homes. In fact it made me soooooo envious. You see, we live in a condominium (townhouse style) and we so desperately want to buy our house. But finances won't permit right now. We have some serious credit repair to tackle. Everyday I kick myself in the [censored] for not buying the house we were looking at when we ended up going with the condo. It was only $20,000 more but it would have been perfect for our family now. Back then our son was an infant and the condo was a perfect size for our little family. Add a daughter and a dog. It leaves us busting at the seams.

But now onto our home. It is a three story townhome located in a very very high ticket area of our county. In fact there are only 4 condominium subdivisions in our area, the rest are 300K and up homes. (The highschool kids call the condos the projects!)

When you walk into our home you enter the middle level where the living room, dining room, powder-room/laundry room, and kitchen is located. The living room has vaulted ceilings that go up to the second story landing where our bedrooms are located. The fireplace wall is backed with a mirror that goes the length of the vaulted ceiling. It gives the room a huge feel for it's small sq.footage.

The dining room has been transformed. I've taken apart my beautiful cherry wood dining table and chairs and put them in the basement storage room. It is now a playroom/computer room. The kids keep a small amount of toys there and that's where my computer sits.

The kitchen is very plain. My mom and I did the wallpaper and tiles. And there's a nice size deck off of the kitchen that overlooks a water retention pond. The pond has all kinds of wonderful wildlife; ducks, turtles, snakes, crickets, frogs, etc. They sing us fabulous songs every night.

Upstairs is the kids bedroom. They share a room with bunkbeds. Their decor is an underwater theme. They have their computer, books a tv/vcr combo and a dresser to house the hundreds of clothes they grow out of so quickly. Their bathroom is across the hall decorated in Looney Toons decor.

Down the hall is our bedroom. King size wooden bed with my fluffy down comforter. Our bedroom is our sanctuary. The window faces the retention pond and at night I sleep with the windows open, weather permitting to hear the nightlife songs. Our bathroom is off our bedroom.

Down to the basement level. It has three complete finished rooms and a full bathroom. My son has one room as his play room fully equiped with a small pinball machine, mini air hockey and basketball goal game.

The second room is my daughters play room. It is equiped with a play kitchen, doll houses, dolls with all their gear, barbies and a bookshelf full of their books.

The third room has a deck that walks out to the retention pond and it houses my husband's weight set that has gathered much dust. It is decorated with sport type inspirational posters.

There is a small storage room off of that room that I call our "garage" because it holds the wrapping paper, christmas tree, my dining table and chairs and the life size grinch we pull out every christmas.

Overall it's very cosy. But just very tight for our growing family. My son is getting to the age where he wants his own room. He's just to young to be in the basement alone so he's stuck with his sister.

I'd be an aweful mommy if I didn't mention our Weimaraner Grayson. He's my Gray Son! Just over a year and he's like another kid. We are lucky he's very calm natured for his breed. My husband runs him everynight and many days of the week he goes to work with my H.

And throughout the house is my passion. I display in everyroom something of my collection of zebras. Here's a sampling of the different things I have all of zebra:

figurines, wooden spoons, stuffed animals, candles, table runners, towels, magazine racks, mugs, tea set, picture albums, step stools, note pads, jewlery, framed pictures, papermachae' figurine that sits in front of the fireplace, tissue, keychains, shoes, scarves, sweaters, shirts, pens, pencils, picture frames, boxer shorts, socks, you name it and I probably have it in zebra. Every time I bring another into the house my H rolls his eyes. Did I mention the pointer on my computer is a zebra? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />

Well that's my shack. Hopefully in the next year and a half we will be in a position to "upgrade" into a home. The good news .. our condo has appreciated 30K since we've been here. The more subdivisions of 500K and up homes that get built the more our condos sell for.

Again Cat, thanks for giving us a peek into everyone's life. I loved it.

Z.

Nice topic. Come visit me!

Go west one block off Main Street and turn left on Maple Street. It is a wide street, flanked by old-fashioned Victorian homes set back on large lots. My house is the brown two-story home with the brick chimney on a corner lot, facing west. It was built in the 1930's.

Park on the right side of the street. When you cross the street to my walk, watch out for kids on scooters and skateboards. You may have to dodge a college student on his bicycle rushing to class at the college just two blocks from my house.

"Our house is a very, very, very fine house, with two cats in the yard.... "

Seven ancient elms stand sentry around my home, protecting it from the fierce Kansas sun and whipping wind. As you approach, don't bother trying to make friends with our two derelict guard cats, Rose and Violet, who are probably lounging lazily on the front steps. They will regard you with haughty indifference and will probably make you feel like an unwelcome intruder, but don't despair! You are a welcome guest to our home!

Up the steps into the windowed front porch, notice the rocking chair on the left. You may want to take your coffee or tea here later on tonight as you enjoy the sounds of the night - the cicadas, crickets and the wind in the treetops.

Come in! Through the red front door is a large and open formal living room, painted a creamy yellow with a high ceiling. The woodwork is painted white; all of the doors have leaded glass doorknobs. Crown molding adorns the walls. The hardwood floors covered with oriental rugs, gleam softly. The windows are decorated with light green French drapes and satin sheers. To the right is a white colonial fireplace with green marble; above it hangs an Andrew Wyeth print, flanked by early American sconces. An overstuffed sofa and two chairs covered in a rose tapestry upholstery surround the fireplace. Light emanating from two antique floor lamps from my grandmother's home gives the room a cozy feeling. To the left is an arched doorway going into a formal dining room. On the right of that doorway is a wall covered with a handsewn blue starburst quilt. An antique walnut dining table, hutch and piano are the main features in the dining room, scene of many holiday gatherings.

The house smells of candles and brewed coffee.

The kitchen colors are white and hunter green, with nice modern appliances and a farm table. I can't describe the kitchen well - I don't spend much time in there, except when I am parked in front of the refrigerator. My wife says if I don't move out of the way, it's going to become a tow-away zone!

Up two steps to a landing, another arched doorway at the end of the living room leads to stairs going to the second floor. The walls of either sides of the stairs host the "rogues gallery" of family photos. On the top landing sits a mirrored hall tree with various hats hanging on it. It serves as a roosting place for our parakeet, Indigo, who is in love with the bird in the mirror. We should have named him Narcissist!

The second floor is carpeted with hunter green carpet and a small hallway leads to the bathroom and three bedrooms. The bathroom has all of the orginal fixtures, including a pedistal sink. The bathroom floor is tiled with small octagon white tiles. Two windows flood the bathroom with natural light. The eastern sun scorches the bathroom in the summer and warms it nicely in the winter.

A shaker style pencil poster bed dominates our bedroom. We keep the door to our daughter's room closed - it resembles a room hit by a tornado. The guest bedroom is painted burgundy and white. You can use the computer in here to post your topics to the Marriagebuilder's forum.

"It takes a heap of livin' to make a house a home.... "

Two years ago, this charming place with lots of character was a cold and bleak habitation. The ghosts of fear, anger, hurt, betrayal, discontent, and aching disappointment haunted these rooms. I'm glad to say that those ghosts have been evicted and that this is once more a home where love, forgivenss and hope light every corner.

It's true, Dorothy, there's no place like home.

Tinman, aka Pilgrim

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by Tinman:
<strong>.
.... "

this is once more a home where love, forgivenss and hope light every corner.

Tinman, aka Pilgrim</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">this truly sounds like a wonderful home <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

...but listening to the cicadas??? I'm convinced these creatures are here to slowly drive us out of our minds, my least favorite Kansas critter...lol

Thank you Gem, NPLH, Zebra and Tinman for welcoming us into your wonderful homes. This thread has been so much fun...I was able to imagine it all so well.

Gem...make sure those cats don't end up in your pool. Your house sounds so clean and contemporary and filled with company friendly-party and entertainment trappings...an excellent place to host a MB evening! We should have a cyber BBQ-Pool Party. You should start a thread where we can bring recipes for drink and food concoctions and select special party music.

Zebra...townhouse living is wonderful...I've been toying with the idea for two years for many reasons...I love the idea of the freedom associated with it and your townhome sounds so lovely with the nature pond right there and the layout is great, too. I laughed when i read that you, like everyone else, has work out equipment in your basement coated with dust!

Tinman...you are neck and neck with K for gracious living...it sounds amazing and so welcoming. The ancient elms is what I love best about my city. Every street in our city has a canopy of elms trees that meet in the middle of the street, making it seem like we drive through tunnels of leaves. A friend of my Grandmother's was from Arizona and hated coming here on business because he became so claustrophobic driving here because of the stately elms. I agree with you, they are beautiful and magnificent.

NPLH...

I know the Intra-coastal well. My Mom lives in Florida on the ocean side and I have always loved the charming old bungalows and stately Spanish and French homes with their amazing architecture. Your home sounds so interesting and such a wonderful legacy to pass through the generations.

MJ...I am so thankful that our OW was 1800 miles away and has never been here. I would feel extremely violated, too, and even if nothing happened, I would hate for her to have been in my sanctuary.

Catnip =^^=