I will probably have more to say on this later, but briefly: right now I feel that when it comes to interior design we are in a stasis, and it will be so until there is a new technology that is applicable to furniture design and construction. The last cognitive leap, so to speak, in furniture design was in the mid-century period, when new technologies allowed designers to create wholly new designs--e.g. the Eameses and George Nelson and others who applied steam formed plywood splint technology and plastic embedded fiberglass (from aeronautical sources?) to create now Iconic plywood and fiberglass chairs, etc. Expanded foam technologies lead to the gigantic foam furniture, such as the Ligne Roset Togo. And then people got experimental with blow-up furniture and bean bags. AND --this is key-- they were all processes that allowed Inexpensive Mass Production. The next major furniture movements, the Post-Modernist and Memphis Movements (see "Ruthless People") were cartoonish riffs on existing styles...a sure sign that there was nothing essentially new. Crooked shelves, slanted tables, and chairs made out of glass are interesting expressions, but they don't really add much to the vocabulary of good approachable pieces. There are some high tech applications and materials used to make furniture currently (Graphite Fibers and such) but they are expensive and not accessible for mass production. So, while we are surrounded by technological advances in the "envelope" of our houses (mostly artificial intelligence stuff), I think the interiors are going to be reiterations of what has come before, until an innovative material comes along.

Great responses. Ohiomom... I remember when green and purple ketchup came out. We got the green version. I must have been 17 and I tried it on some scrambled eggs. It was TERRIBLE, even though I'm sure it had the exactly the same ingredients as the red stuff. I agree that presentation/appearance IS very important to the interpretation of taste. I think that it looks like something the dog ate and then reproduced. Sue, you must have the same cheese product. It isn't terrible. The best part of the meal was the tortilla chips (I want to go out and get some cheddar dip to finish them up, I never allow myself to buy chips at the grocery market so when someone else brings them it's a special treat). He apparently has a few vintage appliances (hair drier, coffee percolator, and alarm clock )so I was having fun showing off the vacuums... I thought the waffle iron would be a nice touch. I was wrong. Pancakes would have been much easier. I hate cleaning the waffle iron yet and wanted to put the entire thing in the dishwasher. If they would put removable platens on the the waffle irons and George Foreman grills (HATE, sorry, strongly disllike that thing!) it would be great. We did laugh a lot, and the waffles somehow got made and eaten AND enjoyed. Thanks for the advice, Woodie... where were ya last week? Too late now! Maryanne, I have heard of holding out. People actually do it? I'm brave enough to venture outside of my social shell maybe once every three or so months to meet a new guy and see what happens... I tend to make it "all or nothing" when I do. Usually all, unless their teeth are crooked. Thanks for appreciating my humor :o) I didn't even think of making a game out of it and having people guess! If no one played along I'd have been offended!

Thanks, everyone! Glad you enjoyed the pictures. Bebe, you called that one right. Those strands took me 15 mins. apiece, and that was if I didn't make any mistakes (I made a lot of booboos since each strand had its own pattern). The math/pattern alone on that was tough enough to figure out. I started out thinking I'd bead fringe for the whole thing, but quickly changed my mind. If you're not insane already, doing that job will put you there. lol I'm putting the surgery off till I finish the toy box. Both hands have bad osteoarthritis in the thumb joint, and hurt all the time, so I'm eager to get them fixed!

Amazing. Can't wait to see the rest. I know you have that awesome red peaking out from the black of your cabinets that you shared a while back. So many unique details.