i LOVE crossword puzzles! and scrabble is my fave game I'm pretty sure! ;)
I used to do the crossword puzzle in the paper everyday. Got that habit from the grandfolks! And my grandmother also used to do the deciphering quote thing. I told her one day that I would NEVER be able to do that. That I did not understand how she could do it so easily. Then she told me I COULD do it and after that I could! Got really hooked on it. Love it too. Don't get that paper anymore. I need to start doing it again to keep my brain sharp!

MP, if you enjoy Scrabble you would also get a kick out of Bananagram...a little more lively than Scrabble as there is a time element to using your letter tiles. I like to think that the Cipher quotes in our local newspaper will keep my brain synapses fine tuned.

Hey ladies!
roo, I am so copying and pasting your quote!
I have a question. I know the rule of thumb in hanging pictures is to hang them at eye level. Which is up to interpretation because if wife is 4'10" and hubby is 6'2", what level do you hang them? And is is the center of the picture that is eye level or the bottom or the top?
Once we establish that, my question is, does that rule of thumb change when you have taller ceilings? If you hang them at eye level like you do in a home with 8' ceilings, in a home with 10-12' ceilings, then you have a lot of 'void' space above the picture.

Creesy, I hang mine eye level according to my height, which is 5'6"...and some times a few inches above that. Eye level would be the center, not from the bottom.
AND when you inherit taller ceilings, you may need to think about larger pieces of artwork in general. That's my take on it.

Also it depends on the space and the artwork. Think about when you put a piece of artwork above a fireplace mantle....that would not ordinarily be eye level for most people. BUT you can usually see it well from a distance. So keep those things in mind as well.
Also, if you are feeling that you have too much void/negative space on a very tall wall, think about a taller piece of furniture there instead to fill it in a little.

Totally agree with mp. We hang our pictures at roughly eye level (middle of the picture) for 5'7" (son is taller, but tough luck). Over the mantel is higher, of course (and in our case centered in decorative original wall molding meant to frame artwork). For taller areas (like some of our stairwells that go up two floors) we have vertical weavings and tapestries, or long vertical framed prints, to cover more of the wall. In a few cases, with art positioned over a jelly cabinet or tall dresser, we just put the bottom edge of the frame about eight inches over the top surface of the furniture--similar to where it is placed over mantel.

not to change the subject...but J got the job, if he wants it. only negative is that it is solely commissioned based. Good thing is that they are a very reputable company, got the BBB award last year for the best business of that type (in the state/area?), and he CAN make some money. People are nice. And he knows the business inside and out. Just has to be very motivated to get rolling. No company car until after he proves himself, but knowing J he will talk his way into that pretty quickly. And he is a good salesman naturally, even though he has never thought of himself as one. He is good at conversation with all types of people and basically that's all it takes. :)
Sounds like they do about 30 roofs a week. And he can also offer, windows, gutters, and siding.

Perhaps I will be getting a new roof and windows afterall...in my lifetime. :)

Good job J!! That was fast! Interview and hire that same day. MP, if he's 38, you're a bigger cougar than I am!

The two (two that I know of) threads anti-olldbobbi have been deleted. I don't know what I'd do without Emily. This person was just trying to start trouble, actually named one of the threads "Let's get rid of olldbobbi" or something like that. I sure know how to attract them, don't I?

Thank you MM, and I just go the email notification of your comment from 4 HOURS AGO!!!

Thank you ladies for the picture height input! MP, congrats to J!
Well, I finally painted TUT. I have been in a really rotten mood all day and decided to paint it green and be done with the thing. Got my paint and couldn't find a paint brush. Since we moved, my stash of brushes has disappeared. Son was going to Lowe's, so he picked me up a pack. I start painting and after I finish the top, one of my curious cats decides to jump on it to get a closer look. I yelled and he bolted, leaving green kitty prints across my hardwood floors and brand new rug. As well as paw prints in my new paint job.
After cleaning all that up, I finished the trunk and my mood is sour, but it's done!

It looks like all Houzz email notifications are running 4 hours behind!

bobbi, you need to find where that target is on your back and take it off!

Yikes, bobbi, again? By the time I got to OLLD, the comment was gone. I guess whoever is doing this was not influenced by your rating.. a long standing griper. I've got mine….

A question…we sign up and provide an e-mail address. Then what happens. I thought you could ,eventually, be discovered if need be. No? Should houzz be asking for more identifiable info from all of us?

So, we have TWO cougars…you go, girls. I thought it was just our bobbi, and misunderstood mp and was going to ask mp if we could fix J up with DD. Holy Cow!

Glad he has a choice to make on the job. Sounds as if the company would be very lucky to have him as an employee.

yes i am a bigger cougar than you bob....it's because we are immature for our age, and so extremely attractve don't ya know! HA! Never went after the young ones..they just always showed up for some reason. i kind of broke the rules with him. i did have a rule about age. if they were closer to my daughter's age than to mine...i simply did NOT go there. he was one year past the age limit.
i have had to adjust my rules throughout the years of course. this is my last rodeo though.

And yes, good job J!

I cannot believe that someone would start a thread like that. blows my mind.

Mp, congrats to J! And so sorry Ceeser for the mess! I think it's one of those days, I'm a little sour too after having four more spots removed. In getting really tired of being a pincushion. I'm starting to feel like Frankenstein with all the scars. Now I'm cleaning out the fridge so I can go to the grocery store after school. Yea me! Woohoo!

Bobbi, you know your loved when others start pointing you out. Take it as as a compliment. What a ding dong to start something like that.

Trans, so sorry about you being a pincusion. A good friend of mine, a redhead covered with freckles, has had to go through years of have spots removed. Some she had to go back for more cutting. She said the dermatologist told her all the damage was done when she was a teen. She said she'd never go in the sun if she knew then what she knows now. You have a right to be in a sour mood. I don't. My mood just went south for no reason. I think it's a change in the weather..*L*

Creeser, your sour mood is justified. I'm not sure how I would tolerate green kitty paw painting.
Olldbob, we would all "circle the wagons" for you. I'm glad that those insulting remarks were removed.
Can I qualify as a cougar since my husband is one year younger??

Good afternoon. Remember to count your blessings.
@trasgorshek. I am happy that spots CAN be removed. I am polka dotted with white scars, but cancer free.
For you super painters and DIYers, take your time, stretch the project out another day, skip a day if you must. Be happy you know how to do the work and CAN hold a paintbrush. I must hire everything out these days. You go, gals!

creesy sorry about your cat episode...but at least you kept on after the fiasco. good girl!
did it EVER start raining there. You wouldn't believe this, but it is still misting here. I was hoping to at least see a spec of sunshine today. still hiding.... :( cheer up woman! turn the fire on and get cozied up on the couch and make the men cook for themselves tonight! take a long candle-lit bath and relax!

judyg, "fixing J up with DD"....you stop that now. ha! he likes older women anyway!! he has an old soul. I've warned him a gazillion times about being with an old lady, but he never listens. oh well, i tried.

sorry tras, about the spots.

eztia, your wisdom puts everything into perspective.

Holy moley! All the emails came in at once, I'm dizzy. Creeser, your green paw print rug, can you pass it off as a leopard rug? I've seen that, you know, green leopard rugs. Just paint all his paws green and let him have a good old time?

MM, sorry, 1 year younger is just a cougarette. Keep trying, ok? hehehe

I'm happy that everyone is cancer free! That's pretty amazing, given our ages and all.

feeny, I'm not sure which is worse, a husband who is younger and looks younger, or a husband that's older and looks younger. Just the fact that they look younger is bad enough!

TK, thanks for the support! I do seem to attract them, don't I? The olldbobbi haters club of America! Let's see, that would be ohca.....

MP – I’d be happy if they just paid for my annual service contract or extended warranty ($250) .. but I'm not holding my breath! I am disappointed in how little wall space I have, in the public rooms, because of all the windows & doors! Most of what I have is along the hallways & dinette wall.

Bobbi – Are you serious; someone would actually start a discussion with that inflammatory title?!

Judyg – Many people get cheap multiple e-mail addresses to post online, saying they don’t want to get junk mail in their main e-mail. But I know that on the AARP website, when they’d remove someone for violating their terms of service, the person would re-register immediately with a different e-mail address & screen name. But people being who they are, you’d quickly realize it was the same person, causing the same problems. But if you identified yourself as an AARP member, they’d get all of your contact info from their membership database, and you couldn’t “hide”.

astraea....i know you love animals and all, but is that a taxidermied possum sitting n the column?

mm, no, a year younger does not make a cougar out of you. You can pretend…….
http://www.partycity.com/product/adult+cougar+costume.do?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=ProductSearch&utm_campaign=

I laughed at my cat prints after I got over my bad mood. Told my bff about it and she said to watch my back. Yesterday, I accidentally shut him up in the pantry for about 30 minutes. Now our pantry is the size of our second full bathroom, but judging from his cattitude, it was still kitty hell. Poor baby is going to get me in my sleep one of these nights.

Did you guys ever see that SNL skit of the cougars? too funny. (then again I have sick sense of humor)
My only complaint is that he wants to wrestle sometimes and I am afraid that he will break a bone or something. He just can't understand that I am more fragile in my old age. I'm strong, but I still have this little birdie telling me....okie, if you do that, you may break a hip and then what are you going to do!? I am too independent of a person to have a broken anything! And am not a good sick person either. If anything slows me down, I am not a happy camper.
Bad enough that I can't see anymore. We do have a good relationship for that however. I can't read any labels or small print, (he can), He can't read the football scores, minutes, on the tv (I can). So that all works out well when we are together doing something! :)

and astraea, I hope you knew I was joking about my comment earlier. I can't tell what is sitting on the column. My computer monitor is no good at work. And I think you should mention the fact that they should give you some sort of deal for your endorsement.

MP – No, on the left is a merganser I picked up at an antique store, and on the column is a brushkin rabbit! I do have other mounted birds around the house. I have a pheasant I got at a taxidermist’s estate sale, and a screech owl, duck, and woodcock that came from a library’s little museum that was being closed down.

My experience is that “deals” are only for company’s benefits .. not the customers.

@Astraea my dear....act like a business man when you deal with these folks. they ARE benefitting by your endorsement AND by the fact that you have already purchased their product. You are doing them a favor....so they need to return that to you. And they probably would have no problem doing it for you. Don't sell yourself short! I'm serious about this. ;)

MP - The people coming tomorrow are a media firm working for them, not representatives who can make a deal with me.

Oh, rats, as usual I miss all the fun, but it is great that Houzz does delete posts that get out of hand. Bobbi definitely take it as a compliment and rise above it all - just keep telling yourself YOU are the better person.

Is there something in the water these days or has the moon's gravity pull shifted that we have so many nasty morons, ratbags and idiots in the world today. What is it with people that they have to be so nasty about everything. Mental health issues are definitely on the rise with all the shootings and killings and bashings, even road rage and general bullying but one has to wonder why, it can't all be drugs and alcohol.

My home page is the website of one of our TV channels so I get all the latest news automatically. It is quite funny though they are very selective of the topics they let people comment on. I've wandered on to the comments a couple of times lately and honestly so often the comments have nothing to do with the story, they have regular posters who have just taken over and do nothing but have a slanging match. None of them can spell and their English is atrocious but they obviously just don't have lives.

Gosh you guys make me think - how do I hang pictures???? However they look good. I really don't go eye level strictly speaking as it depends on where the picture is and how it relates to anything else in the room. I guess I maybe go a little above eye level to keep things out of the way on hall walls especially. My highest ceiling is only 9' so that isn't an issue although on thinking about it, I would say I would still hang anything the same as on 8' ceilings. I'm thinking though with taller ceilings you would let the ceiling height be the feature and keep any pictures down to ground all the furnishings together. You realise now you will have me going around the house checking everything out - I don't need this.

I thought skin cancers were something we owned, I didn't realise there was a big problem over there, I thought it had more to do with our hole in the ozone layer. Fortunately, I was a real wuss growing up, I just hated being sunburnt so slipped, slopped and slapped all the time and/or covered up. During my tennis playing days I used to wear tan zinc on my face like a pancake makeup. Made a dreadful mess, but I didn't care and now, compared to the women I used to play with, I definitely have a lot less lines, many even have faces like leather. German DD was a sun worshipper and couldn't be told anything, she was very fair too and has had a couple of spots cut out on her chest. German doctors treat her like a prized specimen as they don't get a lot of it over there. Initially, they were quite shocked until she told them she was Aussie. BH was always a total idiot where the sun was concerned and he now looks like a patchwork quilt, he has had so much taken off, burnt off and cut out.

mp congrats to J on his job success. Hope he takes it, does well and is happy.

creeser, I was only thinking of TUT the other day, glad to hear it is finished. Photo??

I'm not going to look at Astraea's birdies.

I'm trying to remember but I think I've read that when hanging pics, hang center at eye level but when that differs use 65-66" from floor as center. I will do a little digging but I think that's what I read as rule of thumb.

In regards to this whole skin cancer crap,which is what I call it because of the nuisance it's become, they didn't come out until after my son was born. Since then it's been boom, boom, boom. I am a dermatologist's dream! I always tanned when I was younger (hardly ever burned) but I did live at the pool from 5-10 years old because my mom managed one. Then during my early 20's I worked at a tanning salon as my second,job for the free tans. I have no doubt this was self,inflicted so I preach constantly to my daughter and her friends. These four stink only because one is right under my bra strap so will be a fun healing process but really they are no biggie in regards to procedure. Just a pain in the butt.

Astraea, I love your animals! All I have is a horses head made from wood. But I love him very much!

Judyg I just opened that attachment...hilarious!

tras, mm needs one, and for all we know bobbi and mp already do.
O K, girls, fess up. Is anyone else who is a cougar?

No such luck!!!!

Me neither, I'm 3 years younger. :(. You girls enjoy the fun!

@ roo how is Miss 6? Did you ever find out? I missed the diagnosis, if you told us. I think my g-kids R in Gymnastics, too. But, every year it seems to change as to what they R taking or not taking, and maybe I'm not up-to-date. One of these days they'll meet. It's hard for DD with full time work to socialize as much as she'd like.

Sorry for the cluster of posts but bath water is running again, always a good time to jump on...
This is what I found on hanging art:
· Proportion…if you are hanging art above a piece of furniture it is generally advised to not use art that is wider than the furniture. A general rule of thumb is to aim for the artwork to be between 50-90% of the width of the furniture below. 75% is ideal, but anything in the suggested range is usually safe. If your ratio is less than 50% then the artwork is too small, if your ratio is larger than 90% the art is too big. Exception: If you are hanging art above a grouping of furniture that is close together you would use the total width of the furniture as your guideline.

· Height…a well known rule of thumb is to hang artwork at "eye level" however, this is often misleading as we all vary in height. A better guideline is to hang the art so that the center of the art is at eye level for an average person, generally 60-65" from the floor. Most often art is hung too high, so if in doubt…hang lower rather than higher. If you are hanging art above a sofa or a table you will usually want to have about 6-12" between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the art.

There is more at: http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=59&sid=14755543

Also, I found a designer I've never heard of today that is really worth looking at. His name is Doug Wells but his website is www.kylewellsdesign.com . Beautiful work. He was showcased in our magazine called Spaces here in Kansas City. Just beautiful.

Just thought I would throw this out there after our talk the other day about hardware. There's another company called Carpe Diem and their line Cache is stunning with Swarovski crystals. High $'ed but not completely out of range. Would be fun for a small quantity job. Also look at these sink drains I found at Wave Plumbing...wouldn't this be beautiful as your sink stopper?

mp and bobbi, I can't take the suspense any longer…what is the age difference? P;ease, please. please/ I won't be able to sleep tonight.

crees, my kitty brings home presents…always alive and of course, they are scared sh++less, if you get my point.

astraea, my kitty was NOT responsible for any of your house guests. I promise. She is a catch and release kind of cat.

roo, you have got to learn how to reverse your clock. Too much goes while you sleep.

I'm a dermatologist's delight, too. Did the bikini thing and that was not a good thing.

Cats and decorating... I adopted an eight-year-old kitty who had been declawed as a kitten. She is able to jump a six foot (2 meter) fence without difficulty. She has cleared the whole neighborhood of mice, brings me blue tail lizards in the summer, and a grasshopper to two every evening in the late summer. Gifts.
I have arranged the furniture away from the wall - the width of three fingers - so that I can see all along the baseboards. I am very good at capturing mice; lizards are a bit harder. Grasshoppers are not hard if I see them before the second jump. Otherwise, I will find it in a houseplant a couple of days later, hiding in plain sight.
I would never have a cat declawed. I must say that acquiring one that has already been declawed results in fewer snags in textiles.

Ez, I think the declawed cat is much cleverer at catching her prey. I get chipmunks, mice, birds (who love to retreat to the beams). She doesn't harm them (just emotionally), they don't even bleed. She gently carries them into the house and releases them. Meows, loudly, to let me know that she has brought me something special, sits around until I catch the critter and then takes a nap. Hubby attached screening to the garage door, about 10", just like a bedskirt. We lower the door, but she can easily get under it to get in and hopefully anything chasing her will be too big to do the same. She doesn't stay out long anymore. 5 or 10 minutes and never leaves the yard. Found her at the Rescue and she has rescued us. Love her.

judyg, the cougar get-up is PURRRfect! It will look great with my muffin top and sagging jowls. :)

Just about to hit the sack EARLY for a change. My eyes are giving me trouble, I think too much computer. Got some painting done today but not going to discuss that, tum started playing up again and that is all the information you are getting. Now predicting temps up to 43 tomorrow so planning a very quiet day.

J22 thanks for asking about Miss 6, spoke to DD today for an update - boy she is lucky I am so far away. She went to an emergency medical centre as her normal doctor couldn't see her immediately, and she chose one with x-rays to reduce time delays. Dr she saw was really nice but wasn't working today so told her to call about the x-rays and speak to any other dr. When she did the receptionist she spoke to was really rude told her the dr she saw wasn't available (which DD had already explained) and no she couldn't speak to another dr they were too busy and she would have to call tomorrow AND promptly hung up the phone. DD rang back and emphasised the dr had told her to speak to another dr but the woman just hung up on her again. She didn't even bother to ascertain that the patient was a 6 year old with a probable broken ankle!!! She has promised me she will let the doctor know tomorrow when she calls him - how outrageous is that!! By the time she rings this doctor tomorrow now and if it is broken, he arranges for her to see an orthopod to set it, it is going to be like 4 or 5 days!!!!

Anyway Miss 6 is having a ball at school, DD took the little bloke's stroller he no longer uses to the school so Miss 6 can be pushed around. We feel crutches and 6 year olds are a dangerous combination. Miss 6 was a bit upset at first about the stroller fearing everyone would laugh at her being a baby but DD reassured her, so they walk into the school and the first mother to see her exclaims "Really Miss 6, you aren't a baby, what are you doing in that". She got a very terse "I'm injured you know"!!!! Honestly, some people have no idea.

All the little girls in her class are falling over themselves to help her, it is apparently quite funny, there are tears and fights, the competition is intense, but one girl who Miss 6 befriended at the start of last year has a bone problem in her legs and needs to wear callipers. She has a special aide at school because of her needs. One time she fell over and when she does she can't get up. There were no teachers in sight so Miss 6 organised a group of other kids and they all worked together to get this little one on her feet. So now this little one wants to help Miss 6 and has regular bouts of tears because no one will let her. Talk about the blind leading the blind!!!! They are such an adorable age. When they first started school the other kids ignored this little one until Miss 6 befriended her. One time DD threw out a few questions to see what Miss 6 understood and got the offhanded reply that she was no different to other kids, she just can't run.

Good morning ladies! MP, can you believe we STILL have not had any rain? Today is supposed to be 100%, and of course, I'm driving to Cola town. Hate driving in the rain, but it's a must and I'll have one of my SiL with me. Are you going to get any snow MP?

My green-footed cat is a catch and releaser when he stayed outside more. None of our lizards had any tails and the mice and squirrels hated him. I saw him blocking off a tiny mouse he had caught outside once. Every time the little thing ran in one direction, BC would block him. It finally got so frustrated, it lunged at the cat. First time I ever saw a mouse try to attack a cat. The cat seemed so proud.

Oh... and I'm not a cougar. Arm Candy, Trophy Wife, yes, but not a cougar. *L*

Roo, that warmed my heart big time. I love little ones and how absolutely beautiful they can be! How sweet, and that quality will never change, compassion is a part of her.

crees, arm candy, trophy wife…I can go with that, except the candy is stale and the trophy is tarnished. Thank goodness the wonderful guys we have start to lose their eyesight. They think we are still look great. Aren't we lucky?

mm, the cougar outfit is made by Spanx. We are good to go.

Thanks Tras, but you know what really stabs the pit of my stomach??? That these same type of kids were so brutally massacred in Newport. Really brings it home.

Love

Hi, grislyn nunes, are you coming to join our daily shenanagans?? Come over to OLLD 1/21 and introduce yourself.