skip to main content
Software
Integrations
Mobile App
Expert Support
All-In-One Platform for Construction and Design
See Pricing
Schedule a Demo
Talk to Sales: (888) 316-4595
My builder uses Houzz Pro to plan the timeline and give detailed estimates and daily updates with photos of progress, and provide invoices at pre-agreed key points in the build. This made the whole experience much more efficient and stress-free.
Steve W.
Client of Cribbs Construction
Learn More
Ideas
Discussions
Houzz TV
Houzz Research
Sign In
Houzz Logo Print
Explore DiscussionsFeatured Home DiscussionsFeatured Garden Discussions
Other
mpoulsom

Olld 3/18

13 years ago
Well an early good morning or evening to ya! And a happy belated st. pat day...i probably have missed a lot this weekend. So what problems are we to solve this monday?
Featured Answer
  • 13 years ago
    Good morning ladies and gents........not much going on today........kind of laid up today, as I was on the leg too much this weekend and by last night it was screaming at me....ENOUGH ALREADY!

    Astrea, I have to agree with your comments completely. Unfortunately, I see it as just an overall symptom of societal laziness...... Kids are taught how to use a calculator in school rather than learning how to add, subtract and divide. They are taught how to input parameters instead of graphing a trend..........in essence we've dumbed down the educational experience in favor of technology aided quickness.......... How many times have you been stuck at a cash register at some fast food place, because the system was down and the attendant hadn't a clue what change to give you without the machine telling them . I experienced another one of those episodes just this weekend, where a shift manager actually had to pull out a calculator to figure out what change I was due from a $10 bill I gave them for an order that totaled $5.92...........she insisted it was $3.08 and even stuck the calculator in my face to show me the answer...........I then took a few minutes to explain the principal of "garbage in, garbage out" and that she was apparently hitting a "6" instead of the "5" key with her fingernails.......the manager then got involved and actually sided with the shift manager about the change due...........I just shook my head and asked if they had been hired under the "American's with no abilities act" and asked for my $10 bill back and to cancel my order. The manager said there was no reason to make a racial comment like I did...........????? I took my money and told the manger he was right, I was a bigot........ I have no patience for ignorant people. I then grabbed a place mat and showed him on the back with a big fat Sharpie, that $10 - $5.92 = $4.08. They little girl on the register, who started the whole thing, actually asked where I learned to do that?

    For all the "smart" we have at our finger tips...........we have allowed our skills of communicating, decision making, investigating, experimenting and just plain figuring it out for ourselves with common sense and personal choices to be dictated into a state of paralysis by read outs, computer screens and "mob mentality" in the name of expedience and group acceptance.

    You're right though about Houzz, becoming boring..........just about every posting is the same thing over and over......."what color", "what chair", "what drapes", "what backsplash"............it's the McDonald's drive thru mentality ....................

    Comments (80)

    • 13 years ago
      Oh... my dessert of the day! Since our strawberries are in season right now, it's a strawberry shortcake. My SiL makes it like this and it is really, really good.
    • 13 years ago
      Well creesy...I have a thought about that. You don't have to be considered a "creative" person just in the realm of art (which includes music, design, art, all the usual suspects).... if you are not "artsy fartsy", you can be creative in other ways. Like people who are so anal and organized etc for one example. They are creative too. So are scientists! I have always considered Engineers my favorite artists. They are soooo creative!
      Do I think that everyone has the "Artsy Fartsy" gene. No. i do not, but creative in other ways that I am not for instance!

    • Related Professionals

      Birmingham Bathroom Remodelers · Clarksburg Bathroom Remodelers · Plainfield Bathroom Remodelers · Lewiston Bathroom Remodelers · Watertown Bathroom Remodelers · McComb General Contractors · Meridian General Contractors · Richmond General Contractors · Springfield General Contractors · Alexandria General Contractors · Seattle General Contractors · Jacksonville Interior Designers & Decorators · Anderson Interior Designers & Decorators · Cookeville Interior Designers & Decorators · Grand Island Interior Designers & Decorators
    • 13 years ago
      last modified: 13 years ago
      It's that whole right brain, left brain thing creesy!
      I want some strawberry short cake or something! And what were those huge pancakes you guys were yackin about previouly? I love pancakes and french toast! i think i could eat french toast every morning!

      oh yea, what am i doing talking about french toast??? what about that grandson of yours? Can you tell anything yet? Is he going to be an artist? ;)
    • 13 years ago
      Well, that's what I feel too MP, that creativity just isn't expressed in art, but in other ways. However, do you think some people completely lack a creativity gene?
      Those pancakes are pannekoeken. I think olldcan brought them up. Astraea commented on the different add ons and I had to go looking online for what they were. Don't they just wipe you out? I dreamed about them last night.
      MP, he's adorable even in utero! Hard to tell looking at his brain, but I could sense he was an artistic genious. Grandmother thing. Oh... and he's all boy. Both techies in the last 2 ultrasounds have said there is absolutely no doubt with this little guy. His daddy is very proud. *L*
    • 13 years ago
      I do think that some people just aren't creative; don't know if it's a gene, or partially the way they were raised. They're the people who are happy to do the same repetitious job 5 days of the week for their entire career, without wanting a change, promotion or to enhance/modify the task. They're the kind of people who'd be happy to move into a furnished apartment or house, and never think about changing anything, unless it broke.
    • 13 years ago
      hahaha! on the daddy's so proud thing!

      well, my father and one of my sisters has what I call the "tacky" gene. They cannot help it, but they have no sense of design or art or color.....but i would say they both love art etc and appreciate it. They just don't know how to do it or purchase it. All they care about is that they are comfortable. Saying that, though, my sister makes fairly good money and will spend a ton of money on items and will pick out the fugliest thing you have ever seen. Nothing matches, no plan. And on top of that, she will keep it forever. She had a couch one time that was disgusting when she bought it and she would NOT get rid of it. Many dogs and cats and husbands later still would not throw it away. The last time she moved it, I begged her to let us torch it and have a bonfire. i think my mom told me that she finally parted with it last year, but I think she actually wanted to donate it to goodwill or something. The dump was the only place for that thing. My dad is color blind, but is an art critic! pretty funny. He also has money, but shops at the thrift stores. He's frugal. He owns rental property and has been a realtor for years. He lives in a small ranch house that was probably built around the same time as mine. Of course it is fugly as well and he will not do anything about it. He actually told J that if he wanted to make a few bucks he could paint the trim on his house. I begged him to let me pick out the trim colors. He said to me, "you can, but I'll probably just paint it white again." I could make that house look 5000 times better if he'd let me. I have also begged him to let me deocrate his house and get it organized. He refuses to let me. His living room is hideous and he also uses it as an office. Do you know how much it kills me to go see him? I want to drag everything out onto the street and start over. He is a hoot though. he just laughs at me when i tell him how horrible it is...
    • 13 years ago
      Ok, 5 minute break. My union requires it. hehehe What are we doing......We are finishing staining the enormous freakin' fence in the backyard. Ran out of stain, natch. I am painting the trim in the front yard and I have discovered that standing on a ladder in soft dirt and mulch is not for me!!! Oh that's wobbly. I painted the two steps down to the backyard. Next we will power wash the sideyard and tomorrow we will paint it. Paint paint paint! Two coats on everything. Have to finish the outside before it rains on Wednesday.

      I agree that many people are not creative, my mother doesn't own a creative bone. She can copy things well, though.

      Ok, lunch and back to it! Ugh.....

      Everyone have a super sparkly day!
    • 13 years ago
      Astraea...I DO think it's a gene! My sister that has the tacky gene is only a year and a half younger than me, and we were raised side by side in the same decades and she cannot for the life of her put anything together. Nor buy a piece of furniture that doesn't scream tacky. It's the weirdest thing ever. And of course I'm speaking as if I have good taste...lol....but I think I do! My goodness, if I had money, it would gorgeous...everything that is! teehee
    • 13 years ago
      last modified: 13 years ago
      I agree with the stuff getting boring. Once in awhile you get a great poster who sincerely is looking for help. You share ideas and, lo and behold, you get a thank you for your time and effort. That doesn't happen often.


      I would like to see some kind of a challenge directed at us that would be valuable to houzzers and valuable for us. too.. For instance, bobbi's Revere Pewter. What color scheme could each of us come up with to make that paint do its best? So, maybe, wall, trim and ceiling paint and then 2 accent colors?
      I am struggling along with that myself right now and because I am drawn to certain shades, I tend to lean in that direction every time. That gets boring. I need fresh ideas for ordinary dilemmas.

      Astraea's carnival glass…I bet each of us sees it so differently and might choose a color totally unexpected to accent her collection.

      crees, what happened with the ear problem? When I described my daughter's work, I said ORL..otorhinolaryngology or ENT. (They are not to use ENT at the hospital as it is the equivalent of referring to an Orthopedic Surgeon as a bone doctor.)

      Anyway, if your daughter isn't feeling any better, send me an SOS and I'll have DD ask one of the surgeons for additional suggestions (informing him that she is pregnant). She is invaluable because she has so many contacts. When I was so sick a few years ago and needed surgery, there were no docs around who could perform it. She found me one, with the help of a department head at the hospital, and I went to Brigham and Women's in Boston. The doc is only one in a handful in the country who can do it. It was great.
    • 13 years ago
      Well, not so great :>)
    • 13 years ago
      https://www.houzz.com/discussions/need-help-for-a-cool-way-to-display-thousands-of-vinyl-records-dsvw-vd~400437

      HERE IS THE CHALLENGE!
    • 13 years ago
      WHAT???? MY Revere Pewter? hehehe
    • 13 years ago
      judy, she is still the same. I told her to get in a good walk and try to 'sweat it out'. See if that helps any. If the rains hold off, she's going to try this afternoon. I hate to suggest too much more, she's getting ornery. I've never been one to tolerate ornery well. *L*
    • 13 years ago
      Thousands? Doubtful!!!
    • 13 years ago
      last modified: 13 years ago
      I think it would be a good idea for Houzz to add more international information. ASV describes something that is common in Europe, but rarely seen in the USA. Roo wants something, but the item is not shipped to Australia. ...
    • 13 years ago
      ez, good idea.
    • 13 years ago
      last modified: 13 years ago
      https://www.houzz.com/discussions/trying-to-organize-a-very-small-living-room-looking-for-help-dsvw-vd~396423
    • 13 years ago
      I'd like to see more articles about how to customize tract/development housing, without the typical throwing-money-at it. How to get the most "bang for the buck". I like that show .. maybe they should go an article like that every couple of weeks. I also like the articles about useful novelties around the house .. that don't cost an arm & a leg. Articles about how long different appliances & materials should last today, so people can better decide if it's worth the investment for a high-end item.

      Time to head out; another ugly evening in store! I hope it's not icy when I come home!
    • 13 years ago
      dang judyg...that was a challenge!
    • 13 years ago
      hahaha judy! on the second. stop it! are you dipping into the bottle already?
    • 13 years ago
      I think I may have stepped over the edge...but I felt like I had to tell the truth.

      And I just saw a post where someone had Revere Pewter on their walls...it looked like a taupe color, mushroomy. I had no idea. But then again I can never tell on this monitor and everybody's camera is different too.

      I just thought of bob...saw an old desk that someone had adorned with a penny top. Did you guys see it? It was on houzz this week. AND they showed some cool wallpapers. I had seen some of them before, but not the stacked stone. Great idea on the cheap!
    • 13 years ago
      Yes, mp, just poured my drink. Supper easy tonight, as it is Irish boiled dinner leftovers, which is really my favorite.

      How did you step over the edge?
    • 13 years ago
      well it was one of those questions....that i don't feel is the problem in the room...argh
      i tried to be as polite as i could be, but did suggest some other things...i should just keep my big mouth shutty! I just felt like I needed to say it. Do you know what I mean?
    • 13 years ago
      Yup! Sometimes it just needs to be said.
    • 13 years ago
      Creative genes, you either have them or you don't in my opinion. I don't have any technical genes! Had to listen to a telecommunications expert today, and he lost me after the first sentence. Why do some people feel the need to talk only in technical jargon! Maybe I should have said " Now I really need those ISDN2 lines to co-ordinate with the window blinds, and add a pop of colour over in the corner, and while you are about it, can you just move that data outlet 4 inches to the right so that It balances with the light switch on the left". I might just try that one of these days!

      Just got back from dinner at a family run Sicilian restaurant tonight, great food. Had to battle through a blizzard to get there, but it was worth it! Could almost have imagined myself in the Med if it wasn't for the snow gusting against the windows.
    • 13 years ago
      i am so jealous! i want some good italian foody! i won't be going out for dinner for a very long time! :( but hey, i have pasta at home! and grits and oatmeal and honey bunches of oats...somebody shoot me now!
    • 13 years ago
      Ok! So, today we.....painted the backyard fence; painted the two steps to the backyard; painted one more wall in Rocky's room; power washed the sideyard and got it ready for paint tomorrow; hung one new light; first coat of paint on the front trim; lost the special lightbulbs for the two new lights; accidentally painted the curtains in Rocky's room. Now I think I'll just die. And for dinner, I'll eat anything someone else wants to cook!
    • 13 years ago
      Hi Bobbi, I am exhausted just reading this! I was looking forward to retirement, but I think it is easier to keep working!
    • 13 years ago
      Busylady, you are so right! Working was never this much work!
    • 13 years ago
      i'm probably going to be cut off again...lol...but we just had the coolest thunder storm..i hope that means warm air is coming back this way!
    • 13 years ago
      wow, bob, you guys are machines! i bet you;ll sleep tonight honey!
    • 13 years ago
      bobbi, pick supper from anywhere that offers delivery, gee whiz woman, that's one hell of a list!!!!
      Must pace yourself, it's only Monday.

      Hi everyone :)
    • 13 years ago
      hey can!
    • 13 years ago
      mp, I like your idea of hanging a painting on the fence, good way to break it up. I put a bunch of mirrors on my shed door, now they reflect the purple lupines, it's much better.
    • 13 years ago
      last modified: 13 years ago
      a friend and i were talking about that the other day....mirrors used outside are awesome. I have some on the side of my garden shack as well. i don't think most people think of using them outdoors. I used to have an ornate mirror hanging on a large old pecan tree that was beside my deck at my last house. It was awesome! I have a mirror art project that I am going to start working on soon. I'll be excited to show it to you. Got some big pieces of mirror from the back of the chinese buffet restaurant after they remodeled. Yes, dumpster diving diva here!
    • 13 years ago
      last modified: 13 years ago
      MP, Cut up Perri sausages and brown with an onion, chopped,and a T olive oil. Add Pastene Kitchen Ready Tomatoes, a can of tomato paste, and the Pastene can full of water. Bring to a simmer. Cover the top of your sauce with dried basil and oregano and a shake or two of hot pepper flakes. Cover and simmer for at least an hour.

      I guarantee a great sauce.

      Or come to the Cape and I will make it for you.
    • 13 years ago
      Dumpster Diva, are you? Well I'm the dumpster diving queen around here hahaha. I dove and picked, dragged and hauled, my entire greenhouse. Finding the building supplies was the easy part, the tough part was making it out of all the material I came across. The only thing I purchased was nails and screws.
    • 13 years ago
      sounds yum yum...............i had rice a roni and chicken breast tonight! lol
      it filled the gut! i'm living off of starch at the moment. shredded wheat, peanut butter & jelly sammies on pumpernickel....i have to laugh about this.
      and this woman gave me a free pass to go to the Curves here. I'm sure it's not my bag, but I thought I would at least see what it's all about. I have a feeling, the only exercise i will be getting is running out of the place!
    • 13 years ago
      Ez, ?????
      https://www.houzz.com/discussions/babys-nursery-curtain-ideas-dsvw-vd~400977
    • 13 years ago
      my gosh i saw a watermelon at the store the other night and it was $9...for a small one. Not like the usual long honkers. I was like wow, i guess i haven't bought a watermelon in a long long time. I guess that's normal. I am outta touch sometimes.
    • 13 years ago
      MP, the first pic os of my nasty bright blue 45 gallon rain barrel. Almost can't tell what it even is wrapped in a bamboo throw mat. The next one is of my greenhouse/potting shed made of dumpster dive and back alley finds. The third one is a close up of the windows, if you look through the pane you might be able to see I used old glass sliding doors to make the side walls, railway tie porch and a plywood floor. Now this is my shed, once a tool shack on a drilling rig. I keep my John Deer in here. I applied the mirrors with 2 sided carpet tape and used up some of the extra Cedar kicking around. That old metal headboard to the right, I pulled out of an abandoned farmyard. I have the foot board and side rails as well, both used as trellises now. The farmhouse had been gone for years just the root cellar and a few other obvious signs the property had once been someones homestead. I would have taken the old coal stove too, If I had an accomplice that day.
    • 13 years ago
      Don't do Curves. You get more of a work-out walking to your car.
    • 13 years ago
      Should have done a Nancy…didn't.
    • 13 years ago
      Judy, I missed the whole NANCY thing and have no idea what you guys are referring to when you say NANCY. Please enlighten me, bracing myself now hahaha
    • 13 years ago
      last modified: 13 years ago
      Olldcan. Former First Lady Nancy Reagan, wife of former President Ronald Reagan had a campaign against drug abuse. The catch phrase was "Just Say No." When we OLLDs find ourselves involved in a Design Dilemma that has become unkind, we choose to say no and leave the conversation.
    • 13 years ago
      Oh, yeah…….
    • 13 years ago
      i knew that about the Curves thing...i just knew it. i'm going to have to give that certificate thing away just to get that woman off my back...i just wanna hike and walk with crazy Dali. If I can ever get her to cooperate with the leash.....i'm just dragging her right now. She'll get the hang of it soon. She just wants to be the leader and in charge. In her blood. Poor Fooey. She rounds him up like a sheep in the pasture and when he tries to run away, she grabs him by the tail and pulls him. I've never seen anything like it.
    • 13 years ago
      Hi Can, I want to come and live in your shed! It is lovely!
    • 13 years ago
      Hi all, I'll open 3/19
    • 13 years ago
      MP, that $9 watermelon is probably a seedless one and from Florida. That's why it's high. Out of season and the seedless ones are higher. Once they are in season around here, you can get the honkin' big ones fresh from the patch for about $2.50.
    Related Stories
    HOUZZ TOURSHouzz Tour: A Metaphor and 18 Bikes Inspire a Modern House
    By Mitchell Parker
    Abstract questions help an architect design an expressive, personal home for a Seattle couple
    Full Story
    49
    BATHROOM DESIGN18 Dream Items to Punch Up a Master-Bath Wish List
    By Jennifer Ott Design
    A designer shared features she'd love to include in her own bathroom remodel. Houzz readers responded with their top amenities. Take a look
    Full Story
    118
    BATHROOM DESIGN18 Knockout Ideas for Wooden Floor Showers
    By Mitchell Parker
    Look to an often-forgotten material choice for shower floors that radiate beauty in almost any style bathroom
    Full Story
    58
    ORGANIZINGOutside the Box: 18 Unconventional Storage Solutions
    By Dressed Nest Interiors
    You might never think to use household standards in creative ways like these, but you’ll be glad we did
    Full Story
    115
    HEALTHY HOME18 Ways to Allergy-Proof Your Home
    By Laura Gaskill
    If you're itching to reduce allergy symptoms, this mini guide to reducing allergens around the house can help
    Full Story
    79
    BATHROOM DESIGN18 Sumptuous Vanities for Singular Bathrooms
    By Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR
    Uncommonly beautiful or dazzlingly detailed, these dream vanities bring a rarefied air to bathrooms
    Full Story
    53
    KITCHEN DESIGN18 Ways to Make a Kitchen Your Own
    By Shawn Gauthier
    Give Your Kitchen a Personal Stamp With Color, Finishes and Surprise
    Full Story
    17
    KITCHEN DESIGNKitchen of the Week: An Elegant 18th-Century Remodel
    By Vanessa Brunner
    A 1790 kitchen in New Jersey is remodeled with modern appliances, cabinetry and finishes while keeping historical character in mind
    Full Story
    29
    STORAGE18 Rooms Made Better With Pegboard
    By Spacesmiths
    A grid of tiny holes punched in hardboard can be your versatile best friend in every room
    Full Story
    45
    DECORATING GUIDES18 Clever DIY Ideas from 6 Home Décor Bloggers
    By Becky Harris
    Put your own spin on inventive decorating ideas like tin-can planters, knitted cozies, extra shelving, creative curtains and more
    Full Story
    12
    Sponsored
    Mary Shipley Interiors
    Average rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars34 Reviews
    Columbus OH Premier Interior Designer 10x Best of Houzz
    More Discussions
    Is a dark bathroom floor bad? And other design help....
    16
    furniture layout
    3
    base boards size?
    8
    Niches, shelve, ledges--help!
    15
    Looking for dining room design help.
    4