But tearing open bags badly isn't really about presentation to me - it is a matter of wanting the bag in good enough shape to hold the remaining food and make it easy to get out. Also, I hate having to clean-up when the bag finally tears and sends food everywhere. If it is a tough bag I'll use scissors. Presentation is a "nice to have" to me but not always required. Usually when we have family dinners (a few times a week) the food will be moved to serving dishes and served around the table in a civilized manner. But other times I'm fine with serving out of the cooking pans. Last night I made aloo gobi and it was easier to leave the big batch in the wok on the rangetop and serve ourselves buffet style before coming to the table. My husband is a real neatnik when it comes to things like cutting bread. When he does it, you might think it came from a bread slicer. But it annoys me when he slices up the whole loaf. Sometimes I want a thinner or thicker slice so I prefer to slice as I go. Or he will slice a pie or pan of brownies up into even pieces. I'd rather be able to get the size slice I'm in the mood for.

Jane, I bought Whirlpool Duets 95HE series in Chrome Shadow: They were on sale for about $1800 for the set, without the risers, which I didn't need or want anyway. Note how they semi-match the existing cabinets in the laundry room anyway. I love the blue lights and ability to adjust my laundry cycles. Unfortunately, I'm very hard-of-hearing and considering setting up a baby monitor in order to hear the end-of-cycle chimes since this set doesn't seem to have a sound adjustment like my old set. It's advertised as: 4.5 cu. ft. Duet® Steam Front Load Washer with FanFresh® Option with Dynamic Venting Technology®

I was married in '73 and the colors were pink and green because they'd always been my favorites. No sense of whatever was in fashion. I loved the cranberry and pink years in clothing. I'd say the first time I was aware of popular colors in decor was in the mauve decade, and I didn't like that color, so dodged a bullet there. I liked, and still do I suppose, the hunter green and burgundy decade. I can look back at those photos and not flinch. I like looking back at what were clearly the favorite colors of my mother and grandmother, and seeing the pattern there--something more familial and outside of fashion.

I think they pick a color that doesn't go with anything that has BEEN trendy so that all the mad trend followers have to run out and get all new things. :-) Also, doesn't Pantone cover not just home dec but also fashion? So often they're not necessarily thinking just about what the color would look like on a wall or a couch, but also as a suit or gown.