I've been a lurker for about a year and a half. Stumbled upon GardenWeb when I did a google search for a laundry question and fell in love with the decorating forum! Don't have enough expertise or talent to give advice, but love coming here to get ideas and learn from everyone. I have such an apreciation for people whose homes have that extra something special.

I'm mostly a lurker here, too. I've posted a few times and received wonderful advice. It's a slow process at my house when it comes to decorating. I spend most of my idle time (in between raising a 6 and 8 yr old) working on my Baltimore Album quilt blocks. I've only been quilting for about a year, so I'm still a newbie, but I'm having a blast! I always forget about this conversation side. I'll try harder to check it out.

LOL, barb5. I've been following your thread about your little guy and didn't have better advice to give than what others have said already. He sure is a cute little fellow.

I took Albert to puppy classes when he was eight weeks old. I think that was a big help but he definitely went through a wild puppy stage. When I was researching breeds before I got Albert, one book said a pug's favorite activities were food and lying in a heap. I think he's grown into that description but it took a while.

I've been a long time lurker here. I used to hang out at the Building a Home and Buying and Selling Homes Forum when we were in that situation 5 or 6 years ago, and now I mostly lurk here at Home Dec. Everyone has such good ideas and beautiful homes!
I cheerfully admit my addiction to "house porn", LOL.

Carrie

Another luker! I have made 3 posts and got ripped a new one so I decided to go back to lurking. It's much safer on this side. :-)

Golddust....I mainly 'lurk' on the "other" side of decorating and hot topics because I'm a little too timid to post there. I often post on kitchens, baths because I went through both remodels. But note to fellow "lurkers"....this area/side of GW is definitely the most friendly and supportive, so don't be afraid to post here. Also, I loved Redbazel thought on renaming lurkers as "readers".

Another reader here. Lurker does sound very creepy esp when one has been around for as long as I have.
I am not at all timid or shy IRL. I find that I am always late to the party and I fear I have no talent for decorating what so ever! So I find myself replying or commenting only when I have something specific to say.
So here's something about me(so you will know as much as I do about you!)
I am 33, have a 3yr old DS. DH and I have been married almost 7yrs(time flies!). we live on Long Island, NY(though not in the fancy parts of the island-just a regular suburban tract.)
Used to work full time at a local univ. got laid off recently. The way I look at it, I finally have time to spend with DS and he is in the adorable talkative phase now and I am still the centre of his universe!
I might also be able to catch up on my decorating list. You guys are so talented and nice people at that! Infact, I have a question-let me take a few pics and see you on the other side.

I read often. I learn so much from all of you and enjoy seeing your beautiful homes and great decorating ideas. I don't post because I don't have those skills myself and feel I have nothing to contribute.

Hello!
My name is Jen, I have lurked for many years off and on. When we bought and remodeled our house in 2000, I was here and in the Remodeling and Kitchen forums quite a bit. I love houses and decorating, and love seeing and hearing about everything in this forum.

I live waaaay out in the sticks of Idaho on a 110 acre farm. I am a supervisor in a human services agency (I commute). I have a four year old son.

I have only posted a few times because
1. I am shy and my house is modest
2. I still cannot post pictures, and I am a little nervous about it anyway.

:) Jen

I've been around GW for years, starting out on a now defunct infertility board hoping to better understand what my DDIL and DS were going through . . . They now have a 7-year old and 3-year old twins, and were in treatment for almost 5 years, so I guess I've been around for about 12 years.

On the THS boards I probably lurk more than post, but do occasionally post. THS has seen me through the building of a new house in 2001, and another that we've just moved into. I couldn't begin to say how many things I knew about because of this website. What a great resource . . . even if some people *do occasionally* forget their manners . . .

YDKM, which of the Charlaine Harris series do you read? I like her too, but haven't been able to get into the vampire series.

Arlene

Awwww, you Readers are such nice gals! I hope now that you've come out of lurkdom, you'll feel more comfy about posting. It's good getting to know you!

JLC712/Jen: I'd be happy to give you (or anyone) super simple, easy-to-follow directions on how to post a pic. I have a hard time following written directions and, no offense to GW, but their directions were very confusing to me. Finally, a couple of years ago, some nice gal over on the Kitchen Forum had pity on me and talked me through it. It really is quite simple. Anyhoo, let me know if you want directions.
Lynn :^D

hostagrams, I started with the sookie stackhouse series (vampires) then the harper connely series (lightening strike victim that can locate dead bodies. I'm planning on reading the aurora teagarden series next

Well, I'm a bit of a lurker. I recognize many of you from my ''old days'' in kitchens and bathrooms, and asked a couple of years ago about bedrooms and what makes yours luxurious. (All that and my bedroom still isn't luxurious, but plain and simple instead. It's okay, I like it anyway!) I recently posted something about shoes, since my feet are often problematic, and shoes are something I know a little about (or very little, depending on the state of my feet on any particular day.)

But this is the conversations thread! Off topic. I'm learning how to walk in heels here! The only time I talk about my house is in reference to cleaning or dog hair. LOL!

You think your houses are modest. I lived in old stage coach stop turned into a house. The birds stored their acorns in the siding and I'd come home from work to find the landlord's horse in my kitchen! True story. The house was so bad that I decided I shouldn't have to pay rent and the landlord agreed with me. LOL!

I lived in that house when Elvis died and I remember exactly what I was doing when I heard the news. I was fishing a half drowned mouse out of the toilet after work, again. I painted the place, Carpeted the house wall to wall with those grass rugs from the import store before declaring it our home. LOL! It was out in the boonies, on 80 acres. Bats frequently got in the house so I became an expert at catching them. The first time a bat flew in, Aimee and I jumped in her bed and covered our heads with blankets. Finally I decided I had to be the grown up and do something.

The kitchen featured unfinished plywood cabinets with no doors or drawers. I sewed curtains and ran them on spring rods. It was actually quite charming, in a poverty kind of way. Aimee and I lived there almost 2 years as I saved money to buy a first house. (That first house was just a small upgrade from the stage coach stop.)

What fond memories we have of all the shacks we lived in. I wouldn't change a thing.

I too am a long time lurker. But this is my very first post. I found the Gardenweb Forums when I retired from my first career about 7 or 8 years ago. I'm working again but still check the forums at least once a day. The talent of the people here amazes me. I didn't get any of the creative gene so I don't feel like I have much to offer in the way of suggestions but I love watching how the projects of others come together. (and I too feel like I know some of you.) Thanks for the invitation and encouragement to participate.

I am so excited to meet everyone. If you all missed udontknowme's thread on the discussion side, you have to run over. It's the best thread ever!

Keep it up, lurkers! Let's have some fun. It's not about proper english or spelling here. Trust me, I know. LOL! They haven't kicked me off yet.

add me to the mostly a lurker count .....

Welcome aboard everyone, it's sooo nice to meet you. I could never stay a lurker, my urge is to jump in and respond in this forum because the people are so friendly and I've never found any class distinction here. We're all good people relating to each other in a healthy way. We'd love you to join in with us!!!!

Hello all,
Registering to reply to you. I have been a reader for a long time. I have enjoyed it, but agree with Holrbak, it seems safer on the other side. I am in my late 40's married, no children and live in sunny California, and I love decorating and learning. Thanks you to the generous contributers to this site, for your talents.

What a great idea for a post golddust! I'm most surprised that there are actually so many lurkers on *this* side of Homedec. Welcome everyone.

I read holrbak's post, yesterday, and wasn't sure if I would respond to it. Thought I'd give it a night and see how I felt in the morning. Now that readerlearner has brought it up, I'll share my thoughts.

I suppose if one is super-sensitive, then any discourse could be troubling to them. This is a forum that has a give and take of ideas and opinions.

When I searched for the troubling posts (no, I don't need a life, I've been on kitty watch for over a week because of her surgery) I found 14 entries of holrbak's and only one response had the slightest tinge of anything close to being cross. I know the responder and she's a doll who loves to give detailed answers.

She got compliments on her bathroom (cute!) and even emerged unscathed after posting a reply about animals in decor, a topic that can really start a firestorm.

My advice to the *readers* would be to jump on in and don't take anything personally. We all have different kinds of houses. Mine is new and kind of big but pales in comparison to the custom builds. My favorite homes to see are the cute little fixer-uppers done with CL finds.

I mostly lurk,I love to see all the cl finds,and what people have done to fix them up. I have tryed to hula hoop since they were big (in the 50's) didn't work then and still does'nt for me. youdontknowme, you picked a tuff area to post in. That area is not for the likes of many people.I didn't get the pie chart at first fully,but I did enjoy it. Now from Ichic's mommy I want to say I enjoy this form and learning about, and from all of you Mary

I'm a lurker and I like it. I post at The Kitchen Table and I like to see what y'all (as you see, I'm from Oklahoma and I can say y'all) are talking about.

I live with two dogs and collect flamingos, peacocks, California pottery.

Count me in! I've been lurking for years, I post on occasion but check in EVERYDAY! It is the first place I go for any info I need. I'd love to participate more regularly but dang- the kids and life keep me hopping. I hope to get some time this summer to update my photo albums and participate more but right now I need to go and get a recipe from oceanna's post on favorite recipes for dinner tonight! My work is...never_ending!

I would consider myself to be a lurker here, but I have posted occasionally. I'm a professional kitchen designer and I usually hang out on the Kitchens forum, but mostly for market research. This Decorating group is so friendly, supportive, helpful and can also be really funny, so I enjoy coming here more. I am 50-something (stopped counting) live in a Mayberry-like town in central NJ, have two grown kids and two cats. I am never done renovating and decorating my small turn-of-the-century house and gardening is my real passion.

I'm thinking about getting a hoop, but I wish I could try one out first. :)

Jean

Hi!! and Welcome To the Table(s)! :)

So really wonderful to see and hear from each and every one of our lurkers .....(there simply MUST be a better and more genial term than "lurkers" LOL!)

NEVER worry about the size of your homes or gardens here .....!

And I worried about posting photos too .... and it all turned out just fine ..... although I am not that technically adept .... just created an album at Photobucket -- when your move your mouse over the photo -- four codes appear -- simply click on the "HTML" one -- and it will automatically COPY your photo (LOVE that feature!) Then open your message here -- and PASTE the photo right into the body of the message!

Hurrying over to the bar to mix drinkies for everyone -- time for afternoon cocktails - or perhaps wine! :)

Something tall and cool??? Nibbles?

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

Hi all,
I'm another long-time lurker--since 2003 at least. My user name says 06 because re-registration was required after the major downtime that year. I've posted occasionally, but I read both sides 3 or 4 times a week. I began lurking when I was having significant, daily pain and desperately needed a distraction. I didn't feel well enough to type and got in the habit of being quiet. I'm still impressed at how knowledgeable, helpful, and caring most of the people who frequent this forum are. I worry when one of the regulars isn't posting and am sad when someone decides to leave. I'm very grateful to you all.
Pat

I'm a lurker. I used to post a bit, but now I mostly read. Like iread06, I've been here since 2003, although I spent most of my early years in the Building A Home forum. I've learned so much from this forum and have put a lot of it to use in my home. :)

I just can't believe there's so many "invisible" people that can keep quiet! Ha.

Nice to meet you all!

I agree! How fun that there is a bigger community than I thought. Very cool to see all the new usernames.

to cat mom: remember when you said that the i-chicken and I reminded you of 7 killer sins?

Now that I'm off work, I'll say more. I like the word lurker it sounds daring and I'm so not daring. LOL

My sister recently flipped a house and I frequently sent her your threads on paint colors and such.

I'm no decorator so I don't feel qualified. Heck I'm not even a good house keeper. I live in a tiny house built in 1937.

Here are some of my birds.

Kim,

I love your birds! Who cares about your housekeeping skills. Looks clean enough to me! Cool mirror too. Does this room reflect your collection?

How does reader sound? LOL! All you have to do is just be *you* and live your life out loud. Just promise a post a day. Hehehe.

Hi all

Another lurker/reader here. I visit daily, though. I live in the boonies on a little piece of sloping land which is mostly vegetable garden. The house was little more than a shack 20+ years ago, but has slowly morphed into a home. "Earth tones" and "comfy" are the only decorating rules I follow!

DH and I are retired and our families are thousands of miles away..we are mostly homebodies.

I occasionally post at the KT, but seldom feel that I have anything to say that's worth saying.

The peacocks have taken over the mantel. They are 17" tall and don't fit in the cabinet. I'm constantly searching for that green console bowl. It's okay if you think they're tacky LOL. I love them.

There isn't much in my house that was bought new. Mostly used, even the dogs came from the pound or rescue.

Reader's ok. Peeper sounds illegal. Lurker is ok too.

I used to collect flamingos in the 70s. I think my collection totaled 3. LOL! DD had a flamingo bed set when she was a teenager. There is a cool needlepoint on Ebay you should check out. Flamingos, yes. Search it out!

Nan, welcome! When you say you don't have anything to say worth saying, I felt kind of a sadness. After all, *who* really has anything to say worth saying? We're just a group of friends here. Come on, open up. I usually find the quiet ones have LOTS to say worth saying. What are you growing in your garden?

::Waves hallo::

I mostly lurk here a few times a month, although I've posted a few times. I've found wonderful informative threads here on area rugs, window treatments and other things. Mostly my questions have already been answered on old threads so I don't need to post new questions.

I also hate to shop in places other than vintage, antique and consignment stores, so I'm not much help to others on new stuff. I like to squeeze my pennies till they scream.

I don't want to post pictures, which seems to be required, because I'm afraid that if I ask a question about a rug, for example, people will think the rest of my very "eclectic" style is horrendous and give me a whole lot of suggestions that I haven't asked for and don't want. I like and am confident about my style choices, but don't need to defend them :-).

Having said that, I really love the fact that most of the regulars here decorate around their loved pets. I do too. I have two retired racing greyhounds who are qualified Therapy Dogs. We love our volunteer work.

Finally, I thought udontknowme's pie chart was hilarious! I was really surprised that some regulars didn't see the humor, because you all strike me as very funny and kind people.

A pleasure to meet you all.

It is also not the first time that I have killed a thread.

So sorry. :-)

Kim, I love your birds! I'd love to see more of your home too. I love "vintage" homes (mine was built in 1940), and find the old, used, well-loved items to be my favorites. Please share more!

gillian,

Sorry! Welcome! I have been busy and missed a few posts here. You did not kill this thread. LOL! I'm a penny squeezer too. (Have a college kid).

I would rather shop in the same stores you do. Malls overwhelm me but I love Ebay. I did grab some paint chips at Restoration Hardware today. I drove for 45 minutes to get my hair trimmed and when I got there, the salon had closed because of a plumbing issue. Yes, they called me at home - too late. I'd already left. I arrived to find workers trying to clean up the mess. Darn!

Anyway, I hope everyone here starts posting. You are all so interesting and I'd love to know what each of you think. We can learn from each other.

I mostly lurk...depending upon mood, which means I lurk a lot. Am also a bit antisocial or shy may be a better word. Guess posting goes along with this. When I have posted there has always been great people responding. But always a tad worried that my words don't come out correctly. So I tend to hide.

Can think of so many here who have given me ideas, tips and all the wonderful photos for inspiration. Thanks to all.

Oh, one of the reasons I lurk more than post is fooling around with posting photos. My background is IT/Graphics, but sure wish we could just insert without going through all the processes required. The questions or asking for advice really needs photos, so I go where there is a thread close enough to my need. Could create a blog...shyness comes to mind though.

I, also, mainly lurk. (I like the term 'lurking'; it seems SLIGHTLY naughty, which I'm not. LOL.)

I did join a few months ago and do post once in a while. However, like Johnmari, I have fibro and most evenings I'm too tired to do more than lurk. Most social interactiions (including computer communication) are tiring for me. Also I haven't outgrown the 'children should be seen and not heard' mentality...even though I'm WAY past childhood!!!!!

I thoroughly enjoy reading the posts, getting to 'know' the various posters, and learning about and confirming my decorating tastes.

This is my main lurking site; I do go to Garden Junk when I have the time and energy.

Hi from yet another "lurker". Started out in bath forum when I was redoing my son's bath, but have always loved decorating so I popped in here and never left. I live in CT and love decorating on a "budget", but with one in college and another one going in a year, my budget has shrunk. I enjoy seeing all your creative ideas as well as all the suggestions when people are looking for help - truly an inspirational place.

I want to 'redo' my kitchen, but was thoroughly intimidated by the kitchen boards! Some of the kitchens cost more than my entire house is worth. So when I decided to start with my bedroom instead, I began to read the decorating board. I was born w/o that gene, so I just read and soak up everything. It's coming along - but not quite done yet. The posters by-and-large are nice, helpful and tackful. Lots of you have beautiful homes.
I am 57 years old, retired 2 months ago (despite the economy) and loving every minute of it!. Since I know lots of you like antique furniture, he is a pic of mine. Please ignore the dust bunnies. {{gwi:1515699}} {{gwi:1515700}}

Hi, I'm a semi lurker. I enjoy many of garden webs forums,but this is my favorite. I put my 2 cents in from time to time. I have gotten so many great ideas from you all and have used many of them to decorate our home( I even made the monogram in a frame :) I'm a southern, over 50, happily married with 2 sons and 2 grandchildren semi retired nurse and love doing home projects. Right now, I'm stripping the front door of paint to stain it and I found tips here on garden web. Thank you!

This is wonderful! So great to see all of these new and unfamiliar names! Thank you and WELCOME!

Nice to see all ya'll. I think everyone has something to contribute sometimes! Come on dowwwwn!!!

idie2live,

I was at Marshall's yesterday and saw some lamps that reminded me of yours and I thought of you. Your sofa reminds me of my MILs. Nice! I'm a fan of red too. LOL!

Welcome everyone. Please don't keep quiet! It's fun for all of us to meet new friends.

I seldom read on Conversations but drop in and read select threads on Home Decor. We're retired and travel a bit but we have a portable internet connection so I'm rarely far from the 'net except where cell service is unavailable. I occasionally post but I know I don't care as much as many others here about changing things in my house. We have a fairly new home on a large acreage and I like our accumulations of "stuff" in our home so will probably seldom post pics as I'm not looking for advice on changing things. I find lots of inspiration here as well as on other MB's and sites. There are some posters homes here I could happily adopt! ;-)

As others have also said my favorite shopping places are yard sales, vintage, antique and consignment stores. I could probably start a store with my finds but I just play around and rotate them frequently.

I mostly post on Garden Junk as I'm really into that right now and they're a very friendly group. I finally learned to post pics and it's not all that difficult, if I can do it anyone can.

I also "read" and infrequently post on several other forums when the mood strikes.

Here's a YS find I just couldn't resist! LOL

{{gwi:1515701}}

Long time lurker of the Home Dec Forum. Thanks to all of your posts and photos, I had the guts to go from off white paint on all walls, to: Bronze in the powder room, greens in the master bed and bath, yellow in the kitchen, and a green accent wall in the sunroom. Now whenever I change (or even talk about changing) ANYTHING, my husband asks me if I got the idea from my "computer buddies". He thinks I don't have any ideas of my own. I've even done some crude photoshopping and helped my mother in law pick a roof color that way. How I would love to change kitchen cabinets, but my husband is one of those people who don't paint "perfectly good wood". I love to see everyone else's kitchen transformations tho.

what number am i? ;)

i'm addicted....

love seeing the accomplishments...hearing about the dreams.
i have gotten so many ideas from all your posts. i can't wait till we move to SC (have finally retired) and its all a clean slate. imagine i'll be posting a lot more , asking for ideas.

thanks for the thread golddust, and the welcome from all.

I first found GW over 7 years ago because of my addiction for fragrant plants and found the folks on Fragrant Plants very helpful. Migrated to the Decorating forum a couple of years ago.

What keeps me from posting is the lack of time rather than shyness. Also, I'm an attorney IRL and tend to overthink things before writing, which takes the fun out of casual posting. So, it's much easier to read for a few minutes and move on. I'm amazed at the variety of talents and styles on the Decorating forum. I need to figure out the Photobucket thing so I can post pictures of some rooms I need help with. Hopefully soon.