I was so sick of my bra straps sliding off my shoulders & not finding a bra that didn't. I finally decided how I was going to fix it. I bought elastic (I think it was 5/16"). I used about a 10 1/2" piece (it will depend on the width of your back from strap to strap) make it slightly shorter so that it lays smooth across your back.. Slip one end of the elastic through the O ring where the upper part of the strap attaches to the adjustable part of your strap, sew in place. Then attach the other end to the other O ring on the opposite strap. Presto! You will no longer have sliding straps. I am in the process of doing this to all my bras, and have not had a slipping strap since. It is easy to put on as you slip the bra over your head first & then put your arms in the straps. I wish I had thought of this years ago. Cost, about 25 cents!

Marie - Progress! Itn't it great? ********************* The newspapers need to go! Are there any drop-off bins for them? If you find a bin along a route you often take, you can mke it go along with shopping ... papers go out to make room for groceries in. If your area is just not easy to recycle in, and there are no organizations that have "paper drives" ... trash them. ADS: The ads are short-term promotions. There will be more with the next newspaper. Would this work? 1. Coupons for things you buy? Cut them out and put them in a coupon wallet. Discard the rest of the ads. 2. Ads for things you need REAL SOON! Clip the ad for that thing and put it in your wallet as a reminder to buy it. Discard the rest of the ads. Throw out the ad as soon as you buy the product. 3. Ads for things you will need eventually (if you are planning a remodel or refurnish), or ads for "I can make that!" items. Clip the ad for that thing and put it in a folder labeled "Future Furniture" or whatever as a reminder to buy it. Discard the rest of the ads. Notice that you are only keeping the few square inches of paper that is of interest, not 8 sheets of it. With this approach, I turn a stack of Sunday ads into 15-20 coupons, and maybe a clip in a file folder of gardening ideas. A whole home and garden magazine becomes a few additions to the recipe folder and a clipping in a "How to" folder. ******** "filled a large garbage bag with unneeded stuff. It's in the corner of the garage for now because there are things in there that my kids might need for their kitchens." How old are the kids? Unless they are within a year or so of moving out, the stuff might not be worth the space it's taking up. And storing in bags doesn't work well - they don't stack tidily and the stuff breaks. If it's worth keeping, store it securely in boxes that stack. ********* "5-drawer filing cabinet" Storing at the point of need tends ot keep clutter down more than a huge storage place that isn't convenient.

natesgram, thanks, I've actually seen that link before, and it's what really pushed me towards painting. It really has a lot of helpful info too. As much as I would love to get new doors (shaker is my favorite!), I'm going with paint for now. The wallpaper...yes, I don't see what's wrong with it either. I took a really close up shot just to show the blue specks, but it really just looks like textured cream colored walls. I would like to know if the suggestions to remove it are because it's ugly/dated or more for resale purposes where painted walls are the preference for most buyers??? alabamanicole, now that I look at it some more, I agree the track lighting needs to go. It should be easy and inexpensive ($100-150?) to change it out. I love the look of bronze, but would it work with my ss appliances and ss cabinet pulls? Or should I get bronze pulls and faucet...CAN you have a bronze faucet and a stainless steel sink? Confusing! Also, thanks for your kitchen idea. The rest of my house is decorated with warm creams, reds, greens. I love organic stuff like wicker, stone, metal, and I love shaker style, country style, and arts-n-crafts style. I really like cream cabinets, but I already have enough cream with the counter, the tile, and the wall. The breakfast bar opens into the dining room, which is has cream furniture and red and green as the accent colors. The kitchen doesn't have to be matchy-matchy with the adjoining rooms, but it should flow colorwise. I'm going for a sleek, simple, yet casual and warm look with bluish/green cabinets. Below are kitchen looks that I love. Some won't work with my sleek cabinets, but it's just to everyone an idea of the look and feel that I hope to achieve... I love the color on this wall...if I ever take down my wallpaper! lol I love the warmth and casualness of cream cabinets. My dream kitchen...if I could start from scratch! :) Here, I love how the bottom cabinets are darker than the top cabs. Cute chandelier, and the island color is gorgeous! Ok, since I also LOVE the idea of two cabinet colors, what if I paint my top cabs cream and my bottom cabs blue/green? I really can't decide between my two colors below, and painting all the cabs either color will be too much cream in the room, or too much blue/green in the the room...no? I'm also open to sage green. If I go with using two colors, what if I paint the storage wall like the storage wall below (where the top and sides would be the blue/green color)?

mkiv808-"Well, I would be extremely careful what I say. The lawyer I contacted has yet to get back to me with his thoughts." Have you ever heard the saying 'Fools rush in where angels fear to tread'? This idiom is used where people who are inexperienced or lack knowledge do something that more informed people would avoid. Sweet_tea and chisue are both right. Talking to the builder BEFORE speaking to your lawyer is a recipe for disaster. It is called 'tipping your hand' to the dealer. If your going to be that careful then why not talk to your lawyer first? Is it worth losing your deposit because you think the people who sold you a unit next to a biker bar are going to be fair? I'd be asking my attorney to pick over the contract with a fine tooth comb to be sure I don't miss a thing. If he speaks to them he will have a much better chance of getting you what you want. He might even be able to get them to say something that would incriminate themselves to your benefit (returned dep, better unit, etc). I've lived near bars and they are a major public nuisance. Especially (in your words) "a loud, obnoxious biker bar". You said the owner has owned it for 50+ years. Does he have a son or relative that might take over the business when he retires? Noise ordinances are broken all the time. Bar owners make tons of money on alcohol. They could care less about fines. In fact, some of them consider fines to be part of the cost of doing business. They are also known to be generous to public officials! Plus, plenty of bikers carry guns. Even if the roar of their hogs/bikes leaving the bar at 2 a.m. doesn't bother you, a passed out patron on your back patio might (who couldn't drive home) . Or worse, a stray bullet from a fight.... State budgets are suffering all over the country. Many cities are having to cut back on police and fire services. Will your city be one of those who will only be able to support one officer per car/shift? Has the builder sold all of the units yet? If enough prospective buyers get wind of the biker bar, then the other units might not sell that fast (or at all). Who will pay the extra HOA fees then? What if the builder goes out of business? Many builders are folding because their bank will not longer give them credit. You've probably seen those developments with many available lots but only a few completed houses. Good luck getting your deposit back from a bankrupt builder. My banker has said as much. He says he has 5 developers that he can't loan a dime to because of the credit crunch. The real estate the bank has cannot be sold so it is being rented until the market 'improves' (?). What kind of people might rent these townhouses? Are they likely to take as good care of the units as the owners will? Much useful advice and food for thought has been offered. Many well-meaning readers will be curious to see if you take this "bull" (builder) by the horns yourself (or allow your lawyer to do his job)!