Anele, I know just how you feel. When I was young, I was cute enough, but never what you'd call pretty. I never liked my teeth either. My front teeth cross a little and are uneven and it's always bugged me. My parents didn't have the money for braces, and I've never had the money for anything either. As I've gotten older, I've gained weight, my neck has sagged to the point that I really have no neck, and I have puffy bags under my eyes. I started noticing that I looked just like my mother about 20 years ago and it scared me. I've always thought my mother was rather unattractive, and the older I get, the more I look like her. I get the "you look just like so and so" all the time. It used to be you look just like my daughter, niece, etc. Then sister, sister-in-law, cousin, and now aunt. I'm just waiting for great aunt. I doubt I look just like so and so, as much as both of us are probably non-descript. I am so non-descript that I am almost invisible. If I walk into a store at the same time as another woman, the other woman will always get waited on first, and I might not get noticed at all. It used to bother me, and now I just think I would be the perfect secret agent or private eye. I can go almost anywhere without being seen. I met a couple of high school friends yesterday for a day of shopping. One of them lives in our hometown and is still as cute as she was in high school. She made my day yesterday when she told me she saw a guy from our class that I barely knew and in conversation she mentioned that our group of ladies went to San Francisco this summer. He wanted to see her pictures, and particularly he wanted to see a picture of me. He told her he thought I was gorgeous in high school (I have no illusions; I wasn't) and when he saw my picture, he wanted to know if I was married, and if there was a chance my marriage wasn't going to last. lol I see that picture and think I am the ugliest woman in the group, so ugly that I wonder why my friends are willing to be seen with me. And yet, this guy didn't see me that way. It's possible he just couldn't really see what I looked like on a cell phone photo. And it's also possible that I'm not quite as ugly as I feel. Just plain. A blade of grass among roses. Still valued, just different. I'm going to give myself a break and try to start feeling better about myself. Do it with me, ok? You are a wonderful person, and I bet you are not seeing yourself as others see you. I love what graywings said about the female impersonators. I'd never thought of it before, but if a man can transform himself into a woman, just think what we could do! This post was edited by marti8a on Sat, Nov 16, 13 at 0:09

That looks like a lovely space--plenty of light, large room, fireplace, nice wood floors. Some questions first. What are the primary functions of the room? TV watching, sitting and chatting, eating, listening to music, reading, entertaining guests, watching the fire? Make a list of all the things you want to do in this room. Then consider whether you can do them in the room as it currently is, or if you need to add/replace any pieces. For example, if you'd like to use this room as a cozy reading spot, is there a comfortable chair with a good lamp and table nearby, or is reading frustrating because the only place to sit with good light isn't comfortable for reading for long periods of time and there's no place to put down the book or a cup of tea? Second, traffic patterns. Most of the furniture looks pushed up against the window wall. Is that to leave a clear path to the doorway at the upper left? There are ways to arrange furniture to avoid the "bowling alley" effect. Could you post a drawing of the surrounding rooms so we can see the traffic flow? And is there a space outside the window that you access from this room? Third, what's that box hanging from the ceiling? Is that a projector? Where's the screen? As for style, cozy doesn't have to be cottagey. With the furniture you have now, I'd consider getting a large area rug or two. They would help define the space, and add some warmth, even if they are a modern design. A throw in a vibrant color. Dress the window in plain white sheers, maybe on a cable system from Ikea. But I really feel that rearranging the furniture will create a better feeling of coziness. I'd create two separate areas in the room. One up by the fireplace, with maybe a loveseat facing the fireplace, with an end table or two and a lamp. Or two chairs with a round table between them. Anchor that grouping with an area rug. Then a second, larger grouping in front of the windows, centered on the TV, using the sectional. I'd consider a different coffee table, or painting the one you have. Again, with a large area rug to anchor the seating area. As for colors, orange always seems like a modern color to me. So I'd consider swapping out the orange in the room for another color that would go with the brown. And ideally, I'd replace the huge speakers with smaller, wall-hung units, but that would be expensive. This post was edited by camlan on Sun, Jan 13, 13 at 10:36

I think you have a marvelous idea. I am trying to "retro-write" my dear Grandma's stories. I'm doing a scrapbook that includes all the photos she had in her house when she died. They go back to the very early 1900s. I'm including "history stories" I remember her telling about her parents and grandparents. I've asked aunts and cousins to write their "stories" too. I want to make a big "Our Family History" book. I've asked for everything they are comfortable with sharing. The good, the bad, the happy, the sad, and in some cases the down-right ugly. I hope to make it a complete picture of our family.

Hello Segbrown of the Awesome Kitchen. Your kitchen contains the spirit of one of my unrealized kitchens! I have one of your same backsplash tiles, a sample, which I meant to use but the years crept by and that kitchen didn't happen. Back to your seating area. I was admiring your ottoman/table only to see it disappear in your final arrangement. As I am thinking about replacing my coffee table with such a foot-ready rest, I have to ask why you got rid of yours? Surely the feet in your house want a rest when tv watching? I am in the market for swivel/s. What brand/model are yours? Are you happy with them? Much obliged if you come back to comment. I've enjoyed every bit of your house that you've shared.