Yes we do Judy! Isn't that a fact. A hug goes a long way. Dave, you have a fabulous attitude. Keep hanging in there, close your eyes and feel the cyber hug coming your way! Love the new rug, gorgeous!

Hope everyone had a great day!

Ez, we hear so much of how the things we did in our youth come back to bite us as we age, it is nice to know there are positives too.

Who the hell started that???

Acceptance to the point of knowing your limits and recognising problems and putting YOU first and looking after you is good. Bet you outlive me!!!!!

At least you know too that here you can vent and verbalise any worries without judgement. The OLLDs are with you.

My response was I've had tons of problems as a builder and as a client--that's the nature of working on your own projects

thanks Roo!
I'm off to bed again - I woke up at 12:30 and decided not to toss and turn and disturb DH.

It never fails -tomorrow morning is one Saturday I can't sleep late as I've signed up to help do demolition for a Habitat for Humanity remodel tomorrow. That's OK, I love demo and I'm tired of working on my own projects, tired of making decisions, and I'm ready to stop being picky and start destroying!

Well I hope you get back to sleep ok. Demo sounds a good way to get everything out of your system.

I'm just waiting for my dinner to cook.

Dave - that thread just promotes bad karma! I could resist a response.
Roo, bon appetit! Here in Switzerland, it is freezing cold again but quiet as it is our region's ski week, so everyone heads off to the mountains (except me!), I have to work on plans for a client in Pakistan! Wow, what is this local global world we live in?!!! And to link back to this title header... where does time go??? I feel like the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland!!!

Thank you ASV - DD gave me a heap of veges she had over bought on so I chopped up a plateful and roasted them with some herbs. Very satisfying.

Now Switzerland is one place I could handle, it always looks like fairyland. The world definitely is getting smaller, isn't it, Pakistan sounds very exotic although a trifle dangerous. Do you travel a lot or can you do plans on the internet??

I used to think that time was going faster as I got older, but then the grands started complaining so I knew it could be just me.

Oh and on that thread, I thought I would put something really positive to hopefully throw water on the fire. I reckon if we all get in we can kill it before it starts. The others should be waking up about now.

Talking time too - I saw some of you said Daylight Savings starts 10th March? Is that right across the US? I so have to get it right. We are 5 hours behind West Coast at the moment, so when you go forward that will make us 6 hours behind, till the end of the month when we come off Daylight Saving so that will make us 7 hours behind. Don't like that time of year, it is amazing just how much difference those two hours make when I want to talk to LAdd.

Do you get people over there worrying about their curtains fading on Daylight Savings time???

Are you vegetarian? Or was this an opportunity that dropped on your doorstep? Love roasted veggies - as long as they are not too dry...

It is a fairyland in some respects, but we all have ying and yang where we live but I never tire of the scenery which is so beautiful to me. I love the mountains and we are fortunate to have a view of Mont Blanc. At night as the sun sets it turns from deep yellow, to blush pink to a mauve hue and then it disappears. That is worth everything to me.

I don't travel a lot for clients but I look through plans and designs for people via internet. Right now, I have a client in Pakistan building a house in South Africa, and I am in Switzerland reviewing the plans and layout!! Go figure!

Roo – I think I mentioned that my machine just shows minutes left in that part of the cycle, so I’d have to sit around & watch when each segment started, to see how long it takes overall. Maybe it’s in the manual .. but I know it takes a lot longer than your machine. Yes, people jokingly call it Tar-jee here too, to make it more upscale sounding .. reminds me of “Keeping up Appearances” with Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced “bouquet”).

Judy – NJ was beautiful Friday; mid- to upper-50 degrees & sunny. Today it’s totally overcast & gray .. we may be getting precipitation.

Dave – About the “worst builder experiences” discussion; the other day someone posted that there are bogus profiles on Houzz, to “punk” the rest of us. Alleged homeowners posting fictional “design dilemmas”, and professionals posting put-downs. Some people apparently just like to stir the pot, and have nothing better to do.

No, I am not a vegetarian, I don't particularly like red meat though, no hefty steaks for me and I no longer touch lamb at all - very unAussie. I do enjoy chicken and fish though, but am happy with just a plate of veges, especially with some nice herbs, which I vary according to my moods.

OK I get your view - drool, drool, I wonder you get anything done.

Astraea, I must confess that I would really like to know just how much of the cycle time is actual washing, like you, maybe one day I will stand there and time it. However when everything comes out so clean, I it really isn't important.

Ez, I kid you not, when talk of re-introducing daylight saving first started the two biggest screams were - 1. the curtains would fade with the extra hour of sun on them,
2. it would upset the cows for milking.

After it was introduced there were then the screams about getting the kids to bed at night.

Well the curtains didn't fade but I don't know about the milking as we are all over the place with Daylight Saving. All the northern tropical states don't have it (Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia), but most of those areas are huge cattle stations that breed for beef not milk. As for the kids - well they were either going to run amok or they weren't. Block out curtains weren't going to be any good as they would fade of course!!

Obviously there are plenty of people you could sell the Golden Gate Bridge to.

morning all,

roo, love the 2 points you referred to. hahaha a real winner must of thought that up. I can't wait till daylight savings begins, although it takes me a couple of days to get use to it, whether i'm springing or falling.

Honest ollcan, so many people came up with it, it had all the sane ones shaking their heads in disbelief, which of course why it has stayed a joke forever more.

Enjoy the couple of days it takes to get used to it, takes me a couple of weeks - guess that is another age thing. I must admit I don't mind that extra hour in bed, every year I refuse to change my clock in the hope that just once I might fool myself into getting up that hour earlier. Too smart for my own good.

Going to bed, hooroo. Have a great day all.

roo, thanks to President Bush, that daylight savings was extended 4 weeks. A big deal for us in the Eastern part of the country, but even bigger for me here on Cape Cod. We stick so far out into the Atlantic, that on Dec 21st, the shortest daylight of the year, it is so dark and gloomy by 4 ish. My friend is in Key West Fla and she has more than an hour more of daylight during the winter.

Dave, Dave, come to Boston. We have snow, short days, ice, and temps that hover in the low 30's, Isn't that better than CA?

Wow Guys...I just checked the link from my post and was surprised to find this. Instead of being what I think is absolutely rude, you could have inquired as to what I meant when I posted the question. I have not insulted any builder in the post. I merely wanted to know of people's experiences good or bad so that it would help me as a first time custom home builder. It is quite immature to judge someone without all the facts. I certainly haven't demonstrated any issues with my builder or any other builder in regards to the process, prices, etc to have such a reaction. And yes of course I am a princess! I get up every morning to take care of my kids and fulfill all my other responsibilities, often eating breakfast at 2pm and running kids to school and activities feeling unwell; however, whenever I go to bed I feel like a princess because of all the blessing I do have!

Sorry we got off on such a bad foot princess, all of us here love this site, love design and love helping other people. Sadly we have also come under frequent unwarranted and unjustified attack by people who seem to single us out because they have nothing better to do. These people also keep changing their names to make it even harder to keep track of them. In the last week alone, two posts had to be deleted because of the nastiness they stirred up - co-incidentally they were vague statements or questions like your's was, hence our hesitation to get too involved, while at the same time, monitoring the situation.

I will certainly delete my smart remark, and I can assure you nothing makes me happier to know your's was a genuine post. I do wish you well with your home building, it is such a fun time and one I hope will give you many happy memories. We ramble on here every day, so please feel free to visit at any time and of course we would love to hear progress reports - photos even better - on your building and the finished product. Good luck with it all.

Yes, you will certainly delete your smart remark as most of you do after you have insulted people behind their backs! For the record, I have one user name and always have. I am not multiple people...I happen to love Houzz too and am tired of unassuming users being made fun of by some of you. Insulting people because of the country they come from or how they communicate is wrong, plain and simple. If you feel the need to berate people then do it somewhere else.

Dirt digger, When you read the post, what did you think was being asked? Your anger is interesting, yet you seem to have no connection to the issue other than to attempt to expose a problem...in a rather contentious and equally rude way. I have deleted posts when my ability to remain neutral has been overcome by an emotional response. I did it again here, in response to princess b. I also called on Emily, the thread cop from Houzz to intervene in the situation. That I did not delete. I also asked my chat friends to weigh in on the issue...their response is their own opinion. princess b explained her position, fairly eloquently, and I have responded to that explanation. So has olldroo. You have given your opinion...and that is all any of us have here on Houzz. Frankly, your position is not wrong, but just as princess b's post set off a negative response, so too does the way you make your argument (and presence) known. Catch more flies with honey than vinegar, make friends and influence people. Being human is not a crime...making mistakes is being human. That an apology was extended and accepted is maybe more to the point. Does someone need to apologize to you? Or is there an apology to another in your future?

Well dirt digger, I'm so glad to see your have spoken your piece here, shown your face, so to speak, pity you haven't spoken out earlier when you found anything offensive so we can amend our ways - it isn't like we deliberately set out to offend or hurt anyone. We have had many facetious and malicious comments made about us for absolutely no reason at all, other than we are regular contributors - how many of those comments have you copied to other posts!!!!

We have never, ever done anything as scurrilous or reprehensible as your recent act. Would you blame me for wondering how many others you have maligned in this manner, but in doing so you have maligned yourself.

So yes, I have deleted my comment, I have admitted I was mistaken and I was wrong, because I am mature enough to do that and I have apologised.

Are you big enough to do likewise???

It's ok Guys...I understand the reaction and am no longer offended. I'm here to stay and can't wait to share this experience with you and get your feedback throughout the process. We are just so happy to be building our home together and with the kids involved in all the decisions :)

Oh Princess, enjoy the process!! It will be so much fun...stressful but fun at the same time! I'm so happy for you. Sorry if things got off to a rough start on Houzz, but there really is a great bunch of people here!! Unfortunately we've all had our rough spots as well. You've got to look out for ones who want chaos, they hide in disguise. The OLLDS here have been on for quite awhile and have seen a lot of good and bad. If you ever have any questions or dilemmas about how things are going, please stop by!! Always better to catch it in the process before the build gets too far along. Many blessings to you and your family! And, Princess, you are absolutely correct...we are all princesses!

Princess, I am so glad you understand the situation now and we will enjoy sharing your experience. Of course we will just love helping you with your decorating too, that is what we love to do best when we get bored with our own homes.

So you understand us better, the OLLD stands for Old Ladies Love Design, we came together from a friendship that grew on this site and started our own daily thread so we don't bore others with our idle chit chat. We are scattered around the world, the US, Canada, Scotland, Switzerland and Australia so it is also interesting to learn the different ways things are done in other countries. We have also welcomed a couple of roosters to our henhouse who are are very learned and a lot of fun too. Whenever you want to find us just search discussions OLLD and the day's date.

I love that you are involving your children, how old are they? You sound a lovely family.

What an awesome idea to start this thread. I have seen a few unnecessary comments on a few of my posts and just ignored them. Now, I get that some people just want to start trouble. I wish I had that kind of free time lol.

We have 3 kids and one on the way...4, 3, and 16 months (all girls). The older two are loving the process. They help us narrow down are choices, pick the chandeliers for their rooms, design the basement (that will be their space). Our eldest wanted an ensuite lol! we compromised on a jack and jill bathroom haha.

It's been fun so far. We are almost at our deadline for signing off on all the trades. The ground is dug and as soon as all the interior finishes are chosen we will start to see the house go up.

Be prepared...I will have lots of questions and need lots of opinions in the next little while. I am absolutely open to all comments an opinions :)

Princess, unfortunately there are a few Houzzers who enjoy making snarky comments. But that's their thing and if they enjoy it, well, whatever. Ignoring them and moving on is def the way to go. You're on the right track!

Princess, copy and paste this to today's thread (OLLD 2/17) so everyone picks up on it.

What fun having three daughters, I had three myself so know how much fun it can be - AND how they can fight. It always seemed to be 2 against 1, even now in their 40s they aren't much better although they do appreciate each other more. Hopefully No. 4 will even things off for you. When are you due?

Kids today are amazing - a 4 year old wanting an ensuite!!!! Gosh in my day we didn't even know what that was, in fact to have an "inside" bathroom was something.

This definitely is a very addictive website AND way too time consuming, but it is fun and I am loving all my new international friends. Do be careful of not being too specific about personal things, this is a very open website, you can even read it via the San Francisco Chronicle.

Am I the only one who had sons??? Oh, and feeny?

And my little turkey (5).

Roo, we would have been ultra blessed with two bathrooms growing up (our second bathroom was the backyard). As it was, three girls and one boy had to share one bathroom with mom and dad. Those were the days!! Mom and Dad still live in the same house we grew up in and none of us can figure out how we did it.

There were six of us plus my grandparents in a three level house sharing one bathroom. Anyone else?

Well let's add no phone, no TV, no car, ....................... hell they even have mobiles in Outer Siberia now.

From the time I was old enough to know, our house always had two bathrooms. My parents redid the house when I was just a baby and added the bathroom upstairs at that time. They did a good job on that bathroom as it's been 45 years now and the last time I was there it was still in good shape, although the vinyl on the floor was quite worn. I have only faint memories of the original bathroom on the main level because they remodeled again when I was five and put on an addition with a larger bathroom, mudroom with 1/2 bath, laundry room and office.

We lived on a farm and my mom wasn't about to let my dad any further into the house than necessary before the dirty clothes came off. The first thing inside the door was the sink next to the hamper, although when he was really dirty, he walked around the corner and put the clothes directly into the washer.

bobbi, Cutie Pie lived in a three decker. One bathroom per unit. First time I slept over night, his Mom put me in the oldest sons's bedroom. He was long gone from the house. In the middle of night I have to go, but bathroom is the floor below. Can't find the light switch so I inch down the staircase on my fanny, find the bath…now, how do I flush? 3 in the a m, can't flush, young and in love, so I inch my way back up to my bedroom, lie awake until dawn, get up again, go down….the flush was a pull chain!!!!!! Never saw one of those before. Needless to say, I didn't look so hot the next morning.

Who the heck is "dirt digger"? Is he/she a foundation/septic worker, gardener or a gossip monger?

Ok, how about this. I didn't own a pair of pants until I was 18. My father would not allow it!

Check this out, you guys, I got one right! https://www.houzz.com/discussions/layout-and-accessories-dsvw-vd~354628

I can beat that, judy, sorry. My entire family (parents, brothers, sister, kids) are spending the night at my brother's house. I had too much to drink and got sick in the middle of the night. Where do you go to be sick? Kitchen sink, natch, everyone else is asleep in the back of the house. Oh, yeah, and then run the garbage disposal.

Ditto Bobbi and never jeans - way too common!!!!

And then there was the bikini!! I bought two, one a two piece my parents approved of ........ just, and the bikini I wanted they never knew about.

We don't have a tv...well we do, but we have disconnected it and put it away. We agreed that we didn't want to expose the kids to that so before it was there and we didn't watch it, but now it's been put away. I miss design shows, but love having extra time to do things with the kids and sleep earlier than normal

Princess, where do you live? You may have said and I just missed it.

We live in Western Canada

Ok, just above me in California!

Yup...we've always wanted to do the drive down! We are expecting baby #4 this summer so it may not happen until next year! Have you ever come up this way?

Yeah, that makes 2 Canadians now - princess, ollcan is our other one. Wonder where she is??? Must be working again.

Good idea with the TV, some people use them as babysitters. My LA dd was adamant hers weren't going to be sitting in front of it, but daddy is a sports junkie so it just couldn't be put away. They were limited to DVDs rather than shows so they could just watch them at suitable times and so far it is working well. They also download some movies to their iPod for the 15 hour flights here.

We only phased out the tv completely in the last 6 months and at first my hubby the sports fanatic was not too thrilled. I heard complaining everyday lol. I just explained that the best way to teach children was to set the example ourselves. I think kids these days are growing up so fast and there is so much pressure on their little minds. I just wanted to keep it slow. We still talk about all the important issues...bullying, appearance, etc, but in a way that doesn't make the kids feel they have to be a certain way. I firmly believe that the first six years of a child's life are the most important and it is the time to build the foundation to their very being. That is just my personal belief. Honestly speaking though, it has freed up so much of our time and we really are sleeping better. Hubby still manages to catch up on his sports on his phone and I get to chat here lol

What is it with men and their sports!! Suppose it could be worse.

Another thing with the TV and kids is the influence it has on them particularly the way advertisers zero in on them. I think this time not only builds their foundation but it also sets your relationship with them, that and communication have to be the most important things, especially before the teen years hit. Of course, it is early days yet for anyone to know, but with the massive effect the social media is having on kids these days, hopefully them learning to live without such things for as long as possible will put things back in perspective. Kids really are losing the ability to put a sentence together, let alone communicate. I have quite a few TV programmes I would hate to miss - things like Downton Abbey for example - but most of them can be viewed on computer now so it does make it more convenient to watch things to suit you, rather than the TV.

Of course there is a downside to it - once they start school and mix with other TV addict kids, you have to be careful they don't feel isolated. It is a fine line. I had a neighbour once who was adamant her children were never going to have sweets or anything with sugar, she was looking after their teeth. She felt she was superior to me because mine had a bag of sweets a fortnight and it was up to them whether they ate them in a day or spread them out. Either way they only had them after dinner and cleaned their teeth directly afterwards. Well guess whose kids were first to the table at birthday parties and couldn't get sugar laden food into their mouths quick enough. She even had problems with them stealing money from her purse to buy lollies on the way to school. Gee, I wonder why!!! They were never allowed to watch commercial channels on TV either so in their teens they were always finding excuses to visit here to watch shows my joeys were allowed to watch.

Problem is too, once the older one is allowed to do anything, it is often hard to stop the younger ones. Like I said, it is a fine line, but I think your attitude will carry you though.

Yes, you are so right. It sure is a fine line. We have to find a happy balance. At this point, the Girls don't complain much because they are involved in many activities at home and outside. I think as parents if we are rigid, we will get backlash...flexibility is very important. We must be willing to change our views as times change and kids grow. At this point, I just want to establish loving and open relationships with the kids.

It's funny I think life was simpler when I was growing up, and I'm sure these kids will feel the same when they have their own!

When I was growing up back in the days of children should be seen and not heard, if I ever asked permission to do anything I got a yes or a no, and the no never came with any explantion so I never eally understood my parents. I vowed from a very young age that I would never say no to my joeys without a good reason or explantion so they would understand and learn why I made the decisions I did. When my youngest was about 16 I had to give her a no but before I could say another word I had a chorus from the whole 3 of them - "you can just say no mum".

Princess, sorry to cut our conversation short but I ran out of steam and hubby put X-Files on and I just had to quit for a while. No, I've never been to Canada, maybe someday. I'm very much a home body, don't like to travel a whole lot. Have you ever been down to California?

Bobbi, you're not out of bed already are you????

No. But I did open OLLD 2/18! Ok, yes I am, you caught me. Going back to bed now. Night night!