So happy for you judithn...took me back to when my kids were in college in our city, but living on campus. Sounds like a great conversation, and something she needed to hear, and you were able to do it in such a way that she really listened, and matured enough to apologize. You obviously have a great daughter, there, and now you have practice for when your son leaves home...heh heh!! We Moms have to support one another...our kids are in their early 40's, so a lot of this type of thing is behind us, but there are always things to work out. We do have very thoughtful children now...they just weren't so much at your daughter's age!!

First a HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU. Omg I can not imagine my life with GW. Everyone here is beyond kind helpful supportive and understanding. NO one has ever judged me on GW. And this was hard for me to post images of my home. Insecurity is my middle name. I wish I could change this room this second. Like betwitched. Nose twitch done!!! I have no magic. I am going to really study all your suggestions and implement them. Stir the pot and see what works and does not. Truly GW is full of amazing minds, voices, ideas, inspiration and supportive people. Les917, Only in the heat of the summer do we like those windows covered. We have electric controlled blinds. Right now they are closed but I love them open. Everything you describe is exactly as I have been thinking I plan to paint the rest of the built ins White. I have thought about moving the cornice all the way up. It should have been done years ago. But the red sofa may be going to another room along with the chair. My DH has suggested we either buy new leather pieces for this room or we move brown leather from the basement up to this room. We use the red in the kids media room and figure out that space later. We could move the TV to one of those adjustable wall mounts. My best friend said I need to reconfigure the fireplace mantle and mount the tv there. I need to convince DH on this one. Loribee, YES, I love stripes too. Kiko, Yes, I do like the drama in those drapes. And I love the cute pooch on the porch. Vampiressrn, Wow, I feel so honored to have you respond to me. I think your style is amazing. I read all your posts like a groupie. I love your posts. I do like brown. I used to have my kitchen painted this medium brown color called Camel coat. The slight problem with the brown walls is do I paint everything? Or only the brown on the wall with the built ins or maybe three walls, all the walls move open to other areas. Something to consider. Paintergirl, Great ideas. I do need to embrace the space. I need to frame more art. I rarely paint my dogs. Too Hallmarky. I love those images you suggested. Especially the paint color. Notice how much in the image above. Gwbr54, Thank you for your sweeet words. I get very confused with the terms modern and contemporary. I wish the term Modern did not connote the style in the 70s with plastic, metal and clean lines. Or maybe I am a complete idiot and the term is Modernism and I am getting that confused. Send me back to class. And is it possible that we change our style as we grow up? Which means some of this rubbish about me was bought with the understanding I was a French provincial girl. I could flush that style. It is not me at all. But the table in the kitchen so French, I like it painted white. Organic modern or contemporary look? I like it. I have never been a fan of Bamboo or even natural fibers but the images you posted could work for me. I love the chunky candle sticks the rich rug and the drapes over shades. It is ironic you have the Ethan Allen image, years ago my DH and I got into a huge fight because I wanted EA sofa and chairs for the same room. He felt is was too fussy, This coming from a guy who would be happy eating off a dog crate. SandyP, I agree more in the fireplace area. Definitely need to hone in on that space with drama My budget is maybe a few $1000, yes I am limited in this frail economy. I have sentimental only to the vases and the vase picture. I could toss out everything. Including the floors. But that would be a $100,000 budget. Gosh, I wish I were a Rockerfeller or Kennedy or even Gates. I do not like black rod iron, never did and never will. I am searching today for some better tables. As for Naked windows. I love naked veggies, never thought about the windows. I think for this room to come together the windows will be a key to pulling the room together. Ideas so far and feel free to add any more... Option 1: Sell the red and repaint the kitchen. Buy something in brown leather, bag the hideous end tables and put up drapes from ceiling to floor. Repaint the built Ins too. Option 2: Keep the red sofa, paint the walls, , bag the hideous end tables and put up drapes from ceiling to floor. Repaint the built In. Option 3: Get lazy and hire someone which in turn angers the DH as he thinks I should be able to do this. It would anger my oldest daughter as she says I am constantly changing all the rooms in the house I would need to hire a designer on retainer. And that could only happen if my last name were Rockefeller. Rooms I love and maybe I could make my own, but how? Yes, Plants, Trees that is it I can see this could help along with repainting the walls to a possible white color... The rug helps too but I have a similar rug. I think I even saw chairs like these at Marshalls I like what they did with making a corner conversation area. I like the drama on the wall. I might be able to borrow these ideas.. Why does this room work? Could I paint one wall like this? Or is this a bad, bad decor plan? I like these colors but the wing back chair is not me, I wonder if I use more crisp white with navy blue could that be a direction. And the kitchen could be painted the navy blue... would this work with the dark floors?

June: You just reminded me of those early days. My DH, too, would often try to shove us all together, thinking we'd see in one another what he sees in each of us, and that we couldn't help but bond and genuinely love one another. I don't think his plan worked, lol. How could it? The BM lied about me being the reason they didn't work it all out. I wouldn't be accepting of TOW, either. Later, when she 'fessed up, too many hurts had occurred - it was several years later, sadly. Cawfe: You're right in that I don't want to go where I'm not wanted. I don't want to be w/o my boys, who definitely not wanted, either. If I have to ask my parents to stay w/ the kids, I'd MUCH prefer to use it for a nice dinner out w/ DH alone or another movie as other than Sat, it's been YEARS since we've seen a non-kids flick. And, DH is supposed to relieve mom on Wed. afternoons, but it has yet to happen. I think I'm telling her to go for PT on Wed. afternoons for her shoulder... If I ever tried to stick Dh w/ something for the kids, he'd just miserably fail. Even now, he's supposed to be helping w/ the nighttime routine per counselor. Some nights he's OK, some I do it alone, but if he's tired and I'm not done w/ the older two, he just plops the 3 y.o. in our bed and goes to sleep. Well, that's NOT really doing the bedtime routine, you know? Or his other stunt is letting them stay up really late watching a movie in bed til they fall asleep from exhaustion...grrrr! I could never trust him to do this routine during school! Southern: I, too, was a fan of Jackie's. Ironically, I believe she and Christina had a very strained relationship. I felt for both sides and I was just a kid back then! But, regardless, Jackie handled herself w/ class - no doubt about that...and no one can criticize one's grace under pressure, right? Oh well, the 'date' is hours away. OSD must be so excited - probably having a pedicure over her lunch hour... Thanks for all the support and advice! I just needed to bat this thing around - will post more when I know what transpires tonight. Oh, and I'm thinking of bagging up all the junk in her room w/ the laptop and handed it to DH as he heads out to get them tonight. She never came to clean up - I know you're all shocked beyond belief, lol. Oh, yeah, Jackie might not be this tacky - but I have a feeling if Christina had wanted anything she left behind, it'd be in the land fill by now....lol. Dana

I am totally put off by the idea of keeping cleaning supplies in the back yard in a yard barn/shed, for the help to use. I can't get past THAT. But anywhoooo first you have to decide if you are most concerned about being "green" or being germ freaky. I am finding in 2016 these concepts are opposed to each other. I have all my bathroom cleaning supplies in a blue caddy and yes the toilet bowl cleaning wand is in it. Do the chemistry--it MOSTLY touches cleaning chemicals. Maybe it depends on the size of the home or the number of bathrooms but one caddy in my hall linen closet fills our needs. Other wise a container of those wipes under the bathroom sink is what many are using for cleaning supplies. To each his own I suppose. I just hope all those wipes are not going into the toilet!!!