1. We are big Stargate SG1 and Atlantis fans. We've discovered that looking up, from under water, at the water coming off the slide looks just like when the Stargate engages. Also, putting your face through the "sheet" of water coming out of the waterports is like the scene where they first walk through the Stargate. We've had a lot of fun with this and our imagination. I know...we're totally geeks. 2. We've made up various rules for retrieving diving sticks and rings and other pool toy objects. The most strenuous is retrieving them one at a time and having to place them on the porch which requires getting completely out of the pool. Now that one will provide your exercise! 3. We love playing with the Toypedoes. They really glide under water. We assign points based on which step you can get it to land on. 4. We made a see-saw out of noodles. 5. We just have a tremendous amount of fun playing "keep-away" with a $.96 inflatable beach ball. Great cheap fun. 6. The most relaxing thing in the world is to simply put on a mask and snorkle and just float around the pool face down. We had abalone shell added to our PebbleTec and we pretend we are treasure hunters and have found an underwater land full of diamonds. Again, I know we're weird, but it's fun. I'm glad you started this post. I can't wait to see what others do as well.

I had this issue using some very expensive home decor fabric. I bought a huge amount of it on sale (STILL EXPENSIVE) and thought I had enough to stash the extra away. But danged............it didn't match at the selvedges either and I had to go deeply into the next piece to get the exact match and had a lot of scrap left over I couldn't use and ended up having to rush back to the fabric shop and buy even more. Mine were used in a lot of balloon valances, and they'are not deeply pleated, and the drapes were also lined. So I bit the bullet and just did it exactingly. But once burnt, twice shy. I will look at the match very closely the next time because it was a real frustrating job.

I hadn't seen the DWR kitchens. Remodelista and Apartment therapy have the same press release. The cabinets shown look heavy to me, probably because of the edges that stick out. The Viola Park and Henrybuilt above are much cleaner looking. Both of those photos look really dated to me, in a way that other Modern cabinets, especially the Euro ones, don't. Perhaps it's just a matter of what I've seen. The above look like kitchens that I've seen in houses they were original and new styles in. ... Come to think of it, though, for all that Modern is enduring, Poggenpohl and Pedini are showing different looks within that now than the ones I was seeing fifteen years ago. Maybe Henrybuilt just needs to update their advert photos? I absolutely agree that their forms could work in just about any house if detailed right. Modern endures unless it's '80's red or blue lacquer. :) In a neutral material/color, inc. the Henrybuilt woods and the Viola white, it is very little black dress. I think the most "insistent" thing about the Henrybuilt, however, is the hardware. That absolutely plugs it as Modern, whereas the flat slabs of the Viola could be any flat slab Euro, across many decades. It's all pull doors, but otherwise doesn't look much different from my own bamboo, which is much quainter looking. Of course, the other thing that makes the Viola Park is the lack of clutter with the flush cooktop, hidden hood, and, presumably, integrated everything else. I've always agreed, in general, about the age of house/period of kitchen thing, though sometimes the locale and/or style of the house have more to say about it. Even when I was thinking white kitchen, it was never going to be Peacock Scullery-ish, and certainly not inset with cup pulls. That would look really off in my 25 year old house. So would a lot of Art Nouveau. The house is rectilinear, and too new. OTOH, the little A.N. details, work, and help make my kitchen look grown in place rather than slapped on top. I think it's a case of what a colleague called "instant ancestors". That was about using clipart photos in a collage. The portraits give a sense, in the collage, of a community, with history. It doesn't matter that they're not the actual people from an actual community. They convey the message just by their presence. Using some details from days gone by in a kitchen (whether salvage or repro), like using old family pieces and/or antiques in another room, will give some temporal depth to the room and make the date much less obvious.

I have 12 and 14 year old dd's and a 19 year old son. Not from the big city but close enough to be exposed in every way. Friendships, sports, academics etc. I graduated from a huge school. My almost 15 year old wouldn't even consider dating a 19 year old or anyone for that matter. She does see guys at friends homes, often randomly at the theater and other activities. She is just starting to wear some makeup, her friends a bit more so. Her friends are very athletic so makeup is minimal. (Nothing like mascara running down the face during a game) She is one of the fortunate girls in this country who's class is run by the good kids. These honor roll girls have two original parents, most are god loving, involved and have rules. (no problem with single parents, this just happens to be her friends situation) I'm talking about a dozen girls. They are right now just thinking about dating. In order to maintain some happy medium, the alternatives to the hormones are group gatherings at the movies, sport events, bowling, dances, bonfires at homes, swimming, and church youth activities which usually involve group sports, lazer tag, home movies and motivational speaking(ers). Until she turns 16 she's stuck with that. I don't see any reason for her or her friends to be dating 19 years olds. Sure they can talk, have some laughs but that's all. I have no doubt that high school/college relationships can grow and be wonderful but I feel my dd would benefit as a single girl, having the freedom to run with her friends unencumbered until she is mature enough to handle the ups as well as the downs that come with commitments. Strange as it sounds they , so far, have liked having our rules. Daisyinga makes a truly valid point.