We have a ton. In addition to the library and librivox, of course. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the others in that series were favorites here. Along with all the classics, and some listed above.

I agree that getting some neighbors "on your side" about the trees is a good plan. The trees sound much more important. Who formed this committee? Was there some kind of vote that these people should represent you? Since there are only 24 of you, I'd think that it would be easy for each of you to vote, if you chose, and a committee to make the decisions isn't really necessary.

Oh! Just for kicks and inspiration today, my favorite trick: we filled DH's colleague's office with balloons one year. The entire room. It was insane. :) That was in retaliation for the time the colleague tin foiled DH's office, a la The Office. Everything was covered in tinfoil. DH still has the tape dispenser, as a memento. :) Another time we pulled apart one of those singing cards and DH modified it, then hid it in the colleague's office. That was fun, too. After that, DS bought a version of the same thing from Think Geek - the annoyer, or something like that. It drives me bonkers.

I woke up to the sound of tape and giggles, as DS taped me into the bedroom. When I opened the door - it wasn't just tape, to my surprise, but a very cool, artful checkerboard of construction paper squares. DS videotaped it all, including my "awful hair" ... Lovely. :blushing: We love pranks here, and tricks, so I'll be watching this thread for last minute ideas. Haven't planned anything this year! Our only rule re: pranks is that DS has to clear it with one adult first, to avoid major mishaps.

We sometimes do this, too. Only we slice a bit thinner, and add chicken thighs, sliced red onion and potato, and orange zest. Drizzle with olive oil. I'm not a huge fan of any type of sausage, but I can handle them that way.

Yep, in some alternate universe we're on our yachts! On the other hand, food is good, so... I'm okay with it all. :)

...DH tried to convince me to buy Apple stock back in the 90s, when it was super cheap. I chose groceries (we were starving students, what can I say?)... Your WoW story resonates here. :)

Watching this thread for ideas. Gotta get baking - what a great idea! Aaack! We had one of those when I was in school, in my 20s. He always left cigarette butts outside our windows, so creepy. Could you hang wind chimes outside your windows, or put something icky where he stands to make it so he can't stand there. And, of course, call the police!

I'm so, so sorry.

What a gorgeous, stunning cake!

Oh, yes - I'm starting to think you are right! This waxing is a lot of work. Whew. It sure looks good though! I'm sorry about your tabletop. :( I was just reading about finishing tabletops, and thinking that I'd never be able to get one clean. I can't imagine cleaning marker and crayon off of a chalk paint table, and we are the crafty type here. It would drive me crazy. Some people online seem to use another finish - I think it's a polyurethane. A few bloggers used it, anyway. That might be an option, if you were to retry your table. DH dove in and helped with painting and waxing today. We are about 3/4s finished now, I think. But still a way to go. I'll post pics when it's all done. No one wants to see our kitchen in it's current state! :)

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

I've always tipped if we left things messier than normal (for us), but we are generally fairly neat, so didn't think it necessary. After reading this, I'll be tipping each time. :)

If you show me yours, I'll show you mine! :)

Ok, here's another update: I've done half the kitchen! Woo hoo! It looks amazing. Really. I am stunned. DH is stunned at how quickly it all came together, and how good it looks, too. He's now shopping for new countertops and a sink. Ha! It's like a case of getting a new bathrobe... I've finished all the lower cabinets, drawers, and a desk area - 2 coats each and one coat of wax. I waited to do the upper cabinets, thinking we might do a different color on top, but we're going with one color throughout. We went with duck egg blue, sortof a retro light turquoise. Love it. And no bleed through at all, so even without any priming or the shellac - we're good. It goes on very easily. I've used not quite half a quart so far. Not much. If anyone else is thinking of doing this, 2 tips that have come in handy: on the second coat, keep a jar with about a quarter of an inch of water beside you. Dip the paintbrush in it, then dip into the paint. That helps the second coat stay smooth. And second is the best waxing tip I've read - it came from this thread! If there are little balls of wax - it's too much wax. That was so helpful! Thank you. The wax is really cool. So far... really happy. :) Oh, and yes, the texture definitely needs the wax. I'd call it ... (wait for it!)... chalky without the wax. Love the wax. Or any other sealer would probably work, too. Tomorrow it's on to the upper cabinets, then more waxing. Then we decide about distressing. And ... more waxing. :)

Ok, if any one cares... :) I did one cabinet door! I chose the worst one, to see if I'd need to do the shellac. Nope! Beautiful coverage! 2 coats - perfect! I waxed the door once the second coat dried, and ... Wow! Yay! I am so happy! So, on to the rest of the kitchen! Woo hoo !

I'm interested in seeing the responses here, too. These threads are always fascinating to me. As a general guideline, for summer, DS has: 5 pairs shorts 3 - 4 pairs long pants (these are left over from winter, if they still fit) 5 - 7 t-shirts and/or polos 4 - 5 long sleeve t-shirts and/or polos (usually left over from winter, as above) 2 swimsuits and rash guards jacket and/or hoodie rain coat sneakers sandals water shoes 2 - 3 pairs pajamas undies/socks - of course :) I try to keep it on the lower end of those numbers, because I don't like letting laundry pile up and the more he has, the more tempting I find it to do so. DD has a different selection, and she's little enough (2) that I'm still figuring that out.

I don't think you *have* to sand it, unless you are going for a specific look. That's according the Purple Painted Lady , whose instructions for use are the most clear and detailed I've found. You do need to wax it though, or put on sealer of some kind, and the preferred wax is the one made by Annie Sloan, though I've seen others out there on the web who've used other sealers. The was is supposed to cure and be very hard, and it's possible to sand that with a very fine grit to get a super high shine, or buff it. Of course, I haven't used any of it yet, so I don't really know how this works. :) I am sitting here staring at two sample pots, the tin of wax and various brushes, waffling about what to do. Ha! Just get started already, right? I plan to clean the cabinets very well with odorless mineral spirits (again, got that info off of the Purple Painted Lady's site), and I am debating about whether my particular cabinets need a coat of shellac. The story is that no prep is needed for most furniture, etc, but on raw wood or pieces with dark stain, a coat of shellac might help prevent bleed through. Our cabinets are not dark (they are actually super light "pickled" wood), but the finish is coming off in a few key spots, and I wonder if they might benefit from a coat of shellac. That's really the part that has me waffling right now, trying to decide.

I hope he is home safe and sound soon.

I would call our social worker and talk to her. If we did not have a social worker (we are an approved foster family but don't have foster kids at the moment), I'd call and talk to someone to find out if they are concerned. If a report needs to be made, I'd make it. Aside from whether it's legal or not, I find the idea of hitting a child with a belt deeply upsetting and disturbing. But we don't hit our children. So I am coming at it from that perspective. ETA: just saw your post right before mine. Whatever you decide, I hope you'll feel good about it, and that you'll feel you are making the best possible decision you can make. Not sharing it here is probably wise. :)

:lol: My DH would like to extend his sympathy to yours! He got off a plane from Dublin, came home and ... watched youtube videos on chalk paint. He is a trooper! We do have a local store, so I may stop in there tomorrow, now that DH is back in town. Pictures will be forthcoming, once I tackle the fear of starting!

I had a pair of gasoline jeans, too. :( Also dark indigo, and I think they were a bit stretchy. They were not Old Navy, but some other brand that people here had recommended. I ordered them online. They smelled so strong, they made me sick to wear them. Tried multiple washings, vinegar soaks, hanging in sunshine. All to no avail. I checked reviews, and sure enough - there were reports of stinky jeans all over the internet - always the same dark color. I didn't have much hope that the company would take them back, but contacted them anyway - and they did. Even after all the washing and soaking. They said it was a defective dye lot, or something along those lines. So you may be able to return yours, despite having washed them. There's hope. BTW, I went back to thrift store clothes shopping, too. No more stinky jeans!

Thank you! This is what I needed to hear! I don't fear the paint nearly as much as I fear the wax. Maybe because I've never waxed furniture or anything this way. I'm not sure. I have read so. many. blogs. at this point, it is crazy. And I've watched a ton of youtube videos. I think my head might explode if I don't just start painting already. But the wax part ... it had me worried. I'm going to start this weekend - DH thinks I should just start with an out of the way cabinet, and see how it goes. (The cabinets have to be refinished/painted/replaced, so whatever I do won't make things worse)... I may do a smallish piece of furniture instead though. Will try to post a picture once something's finished! Here goes... :)

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean the ticks aren't out to get you!

DS's allergist has mentioned seeing a lot of this. We are in Northern VA.