ok, i think i'll leave friday the 21st of december and stay a day or two after christmas??? I will be taking so many pics you won't believe it! of the devastation AND of NYC baby!
Just took a gander at the calendar...shouldn't be a problem getting off work.

Hey mp, don't forget the end of the world is going to happen on 21st December - lol

I got an email the other day with a whole lot of photos after Sandy and they showed sharks swimming down the main streets in NYC.

Hi Astraea, glad you made it across. I didn't want to say too much on that other article but I thought you might enjoy us. Yes, I changed my name as I had a bit of a security scare - our comments can be traced by a google name search. So as you can see, we chat away about all sorts of things, never quite know what topic will come up next. Because I am a day ahead of you, my comments are a bit all over the place. Anyway I see the other girls didn't explain but olldbob is our official thread starter and we start a new thread each day so if you go into Discussions and then select Other you will find the link to the next day's thread. They are all titled OLLD and the date. Hope you enjoy.

olldroo, what about my 30yr warranty on the roof? Even my car warranty is still in effect. Those Mayans, absolutely no consideration.

I know, I only get 2 weeks of my 15 year warranty on my new carpet. Should I even get it laid.........decisions, decisions.

If you get it down in the next couple of weeks….then there is always the thought, when prepared it never happens!!!! put that carpet down, girl. What color?

Judy, I suffer enough from anxiety as it is, and all the what ifs that go with that so not going to start with some ratbags who have nothing better to do with their lives. Carpet goes down 7/12 and new lounge arrives 8/12 - unless Murphy decrees otherwise. Thought I had posted a photo of the carpet, but I guess us all being OLLD we forget.

roo, what's that color?

Judy, I longed for a white carpet but common sense got the better of me and this is a cream with a soft tan fleck through it, not too obvious but just enough to take the plainness off it in case of any accidents. Unfortunately, it does come up a bit grey in the photo but it is a nice rich cream. I have it against my timber panelling I wanted it to co-ordinate with - not wonderful I could have had other carpets that were more a honey colour and looked great except I didn't want such an all over honey colour. Also they were berbers and we decided we really liked a twist pile. Very limited colour choice as the mud colours are so in at the moment and they just aren't right for me. BH actually made sense in the end when he commented that I was trying to choose carpet for the whole house based on one wall in one room. On the very left hand side you can see a smidge of "the" rust carpet I have hated for years now - the reason why I was going so overboard about the white.

judy - here is a link to the carpet website, colours are a little better

http://www.cavbrem.com.au/tools/search-products/product-details.aspx?code=362

The third carpet across Avila was the one I was going to have but the second last one Leon is the one I have chosen. It actually looks more brown than it is but the shade is better.

olldroo - we really are on the same wavelength! I had pile wall-to-wall in my old house, and liked it. But when I bought my current home, pile was "out" & I thought I'd get a nice clean look with Berber. I have a light beige in the bedroom wing, and a slightly darker golden beige in the basement. It looks nice, but in the winter, it's much nicer walking barefoot on pile! The photo shows the carpet in the bedroom, and a custom "seashore" mirror I had made. Darn .. it cut off the bottom of the photo!

I like shag carpet. Brown, black and tan!

Hi astraea - sorry if I seem to take ages getting back to you. We are 8 hours behind you but a day in front - if that makes sense, it is the only way I can remember when I ring my daughter. We are doing a major renovation of the whole house at the moment too, so I don't get a lot of day time spare to get onto the computer.

Don't panic about the photos, if you put the cursor on it the whole photo comes up. Love, love, love that mirror, what a great idea.

I definitely do like the look of berbers, they always look clean but we are very much bare footed people and yes, the pile is nicer to walk on. Also when the rug rats are here and play on the floor they can get carpet burn from berber. I was also told too, that berbers can rub over time and look worn far more quickly, but I have never actually seen that happen.

This was my absolutely favourite one http://www.cavbrem.com.au/tools/search-products/product-details.aspx?code=240 I just loved every colour in it, they were all beautiful and although the pattern isn't as obvious in a large area, I just felt it wouldn't give me as much flexibility for decorating. The carpet I got is only a new release and the manufacturer had it on a really good special and it was cheaper than most others I looked at. Carpets here are rated on their weight (it used to be something to do with the number of tufts per square inch, but I can't make sense of it now), this one is only about a 39/40 where the one I got is a 50/52. I saved about $100 per lineal metre on it and needed nearly 32 l.mtrs to do the whole house.

Have you made it across to yesterday's and today's posts? I don't know what the girls are on but I don't know when I last laughed so much.

Bob - I love shag in a rug, especially a flokati, but in a carpet, irrespective of colour, it just takes me back to the avocado green/orange/brown of the 70s - I can't lose the image..

In my old house, the MBR had 2 closets with bi-fold doors that I had mirrored. That made it very easy to position the doors, to get a full view of an outfit, front & back. But my new home doesn't have closet doors like that, and a tri-fold screen seemed the only way to accomplish the same thing. I was amazed, once I started looking, that mirrored screens just didn't exist! I even contacted the office of one of the major department stores, getting a lead for the company that did the tri-fold mirrors in their dressing rooms .. wow, was THAT pricey! Then I went to a local mirror & furniture company, that specialized in hand-painted items (done in South America), and I designed a tri-fold screen with mirrored panels, and a beach/sailboat design. It took a long time, and it wasn't inexpensive .. but it's a one-of-a-kind piece. And that's especially true since the company folded, with the economic downturn.

I would tend to agree that Berbers may wear faster, since the carpet is pretty flattened out where my office chair rolls back & forth! I love the colors on that link, and they're similar to mine .. except mine isn't wool (nice, but beyond the budget).

Since I began posting here, I haven't really gotten notices about new material right on the articles, and I'm not sure where "here" is .. or how to get to discussions started on other days! I've been very busy with a volunteer position I took on a few months ago, and we're having a luncheon today, so I haven't taken the time to do any "exploring" here since the hurricane!

I'm sure your would always get your money back on that mirror, not that you would be looking to dispose of it. Afraid I'm not fussed about mirrors, the more I grow the less I see the better - LOL. I had my hair cut the other day and when the hairdresser had finished she said she would get the mirror to show me the back. Told her not to bother as I never saw it but she said she had done such a good job on it, I was damn well going to see it. I must admit the back of my hair has a great kink it it and when it is well cut it falls nicely and only requires a quick comb.

My daughter got new carpet in her living area earlier this year but she only got a synthetic. It was all a new experience for her and not having us to help she got very confused. She got a few quotes but ended up paying pretty much what I paid for wool but we get the New Zealand wool here which is one of the best carpet wools in the world but only having to come across the ditch we don't have the huge shipping costs you would have, plus our $ exchange rate is very favourable. Synthetics here are either ridiculously cheap (and generally nasty) or the decent ones can be more expensive than wool. The main problem I have with synthetics is the static electricity. I can't touch anyone without zapping them.

Volunteering work can be fun and interesting too. I joined a local computer club for seniors and started doing some teaching which I absolutely loved but I found I just couldn't commit to regular times each week, especially once our renovations started. Maybe one day things will quieten down.

You won't get any notification of our new days threads until you comment on them. Look at the tool bar at the top of this and you will see "Discussions". Click on that and on the left comes up a list. Choose "other" and then look for OLLD and the next day's date. Olldbob starts them off each day. Alternatively at the top you can do a search and just type in OLLD and the date, go to the drop down box and click on "discussions" then "search". You will soon get the hang of it.

Well, late in this convo, but I was so busy poking fun at the blue sofa that I lost my true mission of staying up with OLLD. Roo, sometimes you just have to laugh.

Looked at your rug. Beautiful and 100% wool. Wow! Nothing like wool for wear and tear and gorgeous colors. The one "synthetic" rug I have been using is a Mohawk called Smart Strand. I think I mentioned it before. It is made from corn, of all things; wears like iron; has some lovely colors; and you can pick several different piles. A great product for large families. So, what's next on the decorating front?

astraea, That folding screen is great. From your pix you look as if you don't mind looking at the rear. It kills me. I am fairly athletic and am not overweight, but I have developed the "fat back". Once upon a time I could wear a bikini, now my brand of choice is SPANX and my new favorite, yummietummie. :>( Oh well. Sorry, I do look at the back of my head, just in case I have the bed head thing going on. There is always someone who sits in front of me in church and it makes me chuckle.

Thanks judy, nice to get some positive feedback. Big difference thinking about what you want and actually chosing - especially when big bucks are involved and BH doesn't really have a clue about things. That brand is one of THE top brands here and very well respected but they produce a good range with a sensible range of prices. My old carpet was that brand (chosen when I knew nothing about brands) so it's 45 years of wear speaks for itself. Carpet came down to $66 per sq mtr, if you want to work out comparisons and that includes the underlay and laying. All up it is costing me $6,500 but as I had allowed $10,000 in the budget I am really happy with that. It would have cost another $1,200 to have the layers take up the old carpet and dispose and move all the furniture out and put it back. It wasn't just moving furniture though, it was emptying storage type furniture as well so it was easier to do it ourselves, especially when the lounge is going and hopefully my bedroom furniture if I get time to buy something new. We also had to move a lot of furniture to paint so once out it might as well stay out. I also wanted to give the floors a good scrub and disinfect - after 45 years I felt they could do with a freshen up and the layers only vacuum.

We have been getting rid of the carpet bit at a time by filling our garbage bin with it each week and will dispose of the rest of it at our Council cleanup in January. I was talking to my daughter yesterday and she said that you can't just dispose of carpet over there but she didn't really know why. I wondered if it might be something to do with the synthetic aspect. Do you know anything about it?

Your corn rug sounds interesting, I saw something here recently made from something strange but I can't remember now. I guess we are going to see a lot of innovative ideas as demand for natural resources increases.

What's next you ask? Really doing the 3 rooms at once - MBedroom, lounge and dining and the builder hopefully starts on the main bathroom next week and will have that to paint when he finishes. With doing all the painting, getting the carpet down in those rooms putting everything back, buying new furniture and making all the curtains I think I will happily fall in a heap for Christmas. My eldest daughter plans on coming over for Christmas, last I heard she was planning on arriving Christmas Eve (hitching a ride with Santa maybe - hehehehe) not sure when her hubby will arrive, and she usually stays till the end of January. January's are normally stinking hot and very humid so not good working weather.

The carpet people will leave the rest of the carpet with us so we don't have to pay storage, just have to ring when we want the layers to come. Have some repairs to do in the other 3 bedrooms and then paint them and the hallway before we can do that, will have more curtains to make and have to decide what I am going to do furniture wise in the 3 bedrooms. When all that is finished AND if there is any money left, the kitchen will be completely redone, then I will update the laundry, I need to tile the floor there and put new cupboards and sink in then repaint the kitchen, laundry and family room and then we will lay laminate flooring in the entrance hallway, kitchen and family room.

That's about as far as our plans go, lots to be done outside but that will be 2014........... if I live that long.

What a project! You certainly are taking it on. What have you decided with the paint colors? How about the furniture…what's your style? This is so exciting. You must share. Long distance decorating! LLD. (Hope that doesn't stand for anything else :>) ***) And, bobeee, do not make up anything….oh, I know you will.

Another question, roo, what style is your house?

I think that would be LDD, dear.

judy - don't know how to describe the house it is typical of the 60s here which were mostly single storey ranch style triple fronted brick. We went with a light red brick but instead of a ranch went with an L shape. I have a courtyard in front that fills in the L so can't get a photo of it. My furniture is pretty much simple modern, I like things clean and uncluttered. I will post some photos as I finish each room and when I get my camera working unless I can work out how to download photos from my iPod.

I went to the paint shop today but they couldn't mix a sample pot in the colours I wanted to try for the lounge room so will have to take pot luck but the paint chips are pretty accurate and I took 4 so I could put them all together to get a decent sized sample. I've had it hanging on the wall for 3 days now and really like it. I've run into problems with the dining room though, there just isn't the shade of yellow I wanted. They are either too cream or have green tinge. I will have to go back and go through their big book (I call their Bible) and see if I can find something there. So far I have done the ensuite in a colour called Rice that matched the tiles exactly (even the builder was impressed) and my bedroom is a dirty green/yellow colour that won't photo. I wanted a green but not a pretty green and this one is perfect. The lounge room I wanted blue but I have to go for a green/blue to blend with the lounge. I will have to fiddle with my iPod as I have before and after photos of the ensuite I can post. Disappointed though I didn't take photos 6 months ago as I can't get before photos now with all the upheaval.

bobeeee, LDD. You got me again.

roo, that rice sounds like a beautiful color. Do you use Ben Moore?

No Judy, we don't have the same paints as you. I use one of the best brands here called Dulux. It is very good wearing and can be easily washed down but even better all other paint colours can be mixed with it. The Light Rice doesn't come up too well on their website but I finally found a link to the lounge room blue

http://www.dulux.com.au/search/search-results?q=A300

I am only using the quarter shade.

Just clicked on. What a great product. Matching shades with just a click. The rice looks beautiful…a purple undertone? You get some of the coordinate colors with Ben Moore, but it that site is not as inspiring as the dulux. Did not get the lounge room pix.

When we read each other's posts, I want to get in a plane to see what everyone is doing.

You girls are all the very best. Thanksgiving drama going on right now. Sniff, sniff.

No July, the rice has no purple undertone. It is like a cold, creamy white colour. Didn't put up any lounge room pix just a link to the colour.

Had the builder here this morning, we were going to keep our existing bathtub as it is still in good condition and barely gets used these days. Now the bathroom has to be completely gutted he has decided he would rather us buy a new one as it could easily get damaged, so had to dash to the shop to get a new one. Had quite a few on special so only cost $250. Another day no painting done and BH is straining at the leash to get into it so did all the other shopping we could think of and hopefully will have no interruptions tomorrow and will aim for a really big day. Stopped on the way home and got the Antartica Lake paint for the lounge room in the hope we may get one coat on. Also checked out the "Bible" and found a yellow I think will work. Got a sample pot to try. Colour is Seduction - rather appropriate, my cooking needs all the help it can get. .

For olpoulsom, (sp?)
I love the headboard idea. Could be done with a bunch of rulers and some of the small paint samples.

Hi greengirl, have you come to join us? We start a new thread every day so come across to our latest thread OLLD 12/15 and tell us about yourself. OLLD stands for old ladies love design, but we like to think we are only old chronologically.

Started off the day badly here. Days after a bunch of posts were removed from the "Orange County Ranch" article, a designer posted to the owner that she shouldn't take my comments personally, because she checked my profile & they're all negative! I feel like I'm being stalked! It especially bothers me because there are LOTS of negative comments in that article, and some are directed at the owner's "values" .. but the owner & this other woman just focused on me .. although I stick to commenting about the design!

Am I wrong to think that anyone who allows their design to be featured on the website, needs to have a thick skin, because everyone won't like it? Isn't this supposed to be a DESIGN website, where we can share our opinions .. positive & negative .. about design elements? Houzz isn't like a party at someone's home, where friends all say nice things to their friend about a remodel (or feel obligated to say nice things).

astraea, copy and paste on today's thread 12/15 and give us the link to this? And you're NOT wrong!

This is a link to that article: https://www.houzz.com/magazine/my-houzz-an-orange-county-ranch-gets-into-the-swing-of-things-stsetivw-vs~5537828?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u201&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery1. The comment was made by MacKenzie Austin Design .. although it showed up in the e-mail notice as Kristyn something. This was the beginning of her post:

"Catt: I wouldn't take Astraea's comments too personally. Your last comment prompted me to check out her profile, and a large majority of her comments are in fact written with negative connotations. We can't all be glass half full people :)
It's your home and you rightfully take pride in it (I know I would!). While many of us think it isn't right to say such things about someone else's home, others might feel better venting on here, where they don't have to actually meet the person they are offending. .."

ALL the designs here are "someone else's home", but they're here for design purposes, not social ones! If I were at a party, and Catt passed around a photo album of her home renovation project, I probably wouldn't disagree with anything she'd done, because that's not the venue for it.

astraea, you're right, lots of narsty comments on that thread, someone named angi set them off. I didn't find anything wrong with any of your comments, you spoke your mind and the truth and you did it in a fine way. Some peoples are just too much. Try not to let it get to you, think of these "designers" as part of your fan club the way I did !!! Those comments were NOTHING compared to the ones I got!!!

When you make a comment & designate it as private, what does that mean? Since we can't respond to specific posts .. except by putting someone's name on it, the system can't filter them. I made a "private" response today, but then wondered how that could possibly really be private!

I guess something went on yesterday? I really don't think I was on the website .. errands to do!

One of my biggest gripes/wishes, would be that they identify both the cost & time frame for the remodels featured in articles. I commented the other day on an article about bathrooms. One bathroom had to be at least 15' x 20' .. how many average homeowners have that much space, or the money it would take to tile the walls & floors?!

Switch to 12/15! What went on yesterday was a school shooting in Connecticut, 28 people died, 20 of the children.

Don't remember that article astraea. Sounds a pretty nasty comment for the designer to make, just reading your comments would be a bit biased as they would be totally out of context. There is definitely a lot of angst around about people passing comments on other's comments, it crops up all the time, too much in fact, and there are also plenty around who are just plain rude about other people's homes, they just don't look at the design aspect at all. You can hide your comments if you want so no one else can see them, that would stop anyone checking up on you.

My personal opinon is that if I just plain don't like something, I pass on it and move on. If I see something where I am concerned about safety aspects I definitely speak out, if I can see a better way, in my opinion, to do something then I make the suggestion. I always try to avoid a plain "I don't like" as much as I avoid a "Like", I don't think either are very constructive comments. Even if I like a total package I try to single out one thing that particularly impresses me and why, I just feel everything should be constructive and, hopefully, helpful to others.

I actually did put a comment on one article, can't remember which one now or how it came about, but someone said something about putting people down because of how they dressed and went on about doing the same to their home and I said that if someone came up to me in the street and said they didn't like my outfit, I would be interested to know why, what were they seeing that the mirror wasn't telling me and by the same token were my home to be on this website then I would be interested to hear other people's ideas of how I might be able to improve something but the most important thing was that any criticism was constructive and politely put.

Quite frankly, astraea, I have been following you for a long time now, you caught my eye early on as I felt we were on the same wavelength, I was impressed by your career background, your approach to things and intelligence and I have never seen anything nasty from you, it is all very down to earth and relevant. That was why I invited you to join us here, I felt you would enjoy our chat. Try to put it out of your mind, rise above it. Bobbi gets it a lot too and it upsets her. This thread is good in that we can console and support each other at these times.

roo, I remember that comment you made, I thought it was interesting!

Yes, I definitely watched the news from Connecticut yesterday .. I thought you meant that something happened in a Houzz discussion. In a way, some of the nasty comments here may be part of the same societal issue leading to the CT event. People (young & old) don't have good role models, and aren't being given the life skills needed to deal with "unpleasant" situations in their lives. If someone disagrees with an opinion they have, they think it's OK to make a personal attack. Young people get a bad grade or don't feel popular, and either kill themselves or the people they perceive as being popular or not liking them.

I came to Houzz when a bathroom designer mentioned the website .. this might be the best thing I got from the designer (LOL)! I guess I'm an engineer by personality, as well as education .. very practical; "form follows function". The house I bought has one of those massive corner whirlpool tubs .. big, impressive, pretty .. and very impractical! I'd never put something like that in the other bathroom, no matter how trendy it might be. I guess that designer didn't see my comments in the article about kitchen storage .. I love useful stuff like that!!

You don't want to be in December? You can't avoid it, you know :))

@astraea, what do you mean by a "private comment" or "designate a comment as private"? I'm not sure I understand your question as this isn't an option on Houzz. All comments are public insofar as they appear on the discussion thread for everyone to see. The privacy settings in the "edit your profile" section of your personal Houzz page include a box to allow followers or not. If you don't allow followers then your comments do not appear in people's "Feed" section when they have joined a discussion thread (i.e. nobody is notified that you've made a comment), and no one can track your history of previous comments because the "Recent Activity" section of your Houzz profile page can only be seen by you, but your comments still appear publicly on discussion threads. Does that answer your question?

You can do a private comment if you're saving a pic to your ideabook, I do it all the time, but not if your adding a comment to a discussion. Why are we stuck in November. I don't want two birthdays in the same year.

If you comment on an article, below the entry box, there's a little check box & next to it "make comment private". I guess I could change my profile, but I don't like being intimidated into "going underground", because of a few people who think they run the place.

Oh, maybe on an ideabook!

Calling all ollds, the new 12/15 thread is open for business!

Getting back to design issues, I can't believe how hard it is to get referals for any sort of tradespeople around here! It's an affluent area & people are always redoing bathrooms & kitchens .. but maybe no one I know personally (LOL)! The recommendation for the deck came from the woman sitting next to me at the salon, getting a pedicure .. she stages houses, and I was very impressed with the contractor she recommended. Maybe I should try to coordinate my appointments with hers more often!

Thank you MM!

I see--you are talking about the comments in the article/ideabooks, not the discussion forums. Good question. I have to assume it means only the ideabook author can see your comment, rather than all the world, But I'm just guessing. And, yes, comments in your own ideabooks can be marked as private.

I'm losin' it here. Can you see me or am I invisible again?

Astraea, I haven't worked out that private. Just checked out that article, I do remember that house now but only read very early comments. Anyway I have just had my say, I am really livid at the response you got from the tech ...... dare I say guy? Made me feel like we are all a bunch of brainless housewives with nothing else to do.

OK EVERYONE OVER TO 12/15, BEFORE BOBBI LOSES IT. Actually it is still yesterday for me!!! Heeheehee.

Yesterday, but not last month!!! Thanks, roo!

Well you don't want a second birthday, but it gives me another month till mine.

Do tell! When is your birthday????