You're in a furniture store and you tell the salesperson "I don't know if DH would like it".

True story. *blush*

Next?

....Jane

When you are in a store -- see something wonderful or a great bargain and think: "Boy! I'll bet The Group would LOVE to see this one!"

When you're looking at a decor book or magazine in a bookstore or grocery store, stop and say: "Thats just like _______'s house on The Group!" And realize that people nearby are edging away from you! LOL!

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

*With no offense intended towards witches, of course.

Him: "Did you post about the roof colour yet? I want to get this going."

Me: "I did!"

Him: "So, what do they say?"

Me: "I need a couple days to get enough responses, back off. We'll decide on Saturday."

Him: "Okay honey."

When you're standing in the decor store (of any sort or kind) and someone asks you for your opinion on "something" and you say: "Well, tell me about your decor! How do you want the room to feel? Oh, great color! About the color of Baby Turtle ....." and they edge away ..... because they just wanted a "hey, thats really nice!"

LOL!

Or you make the mistake of talking about decorating details with your friends or family .... and they start to edge away too ......

Or you get some of THOSE comments (the ones that make you roll your eyes!):

"Wow, your house is really ...um .... different from what I expected ......"

"Wow, you must spend all of your time shopping ....."

"Wow, do you actually READ all of those books ....."

"Oh, your house is so clean ......" ((that comment drives me nuts!! what does that mean???))

Jan at the "different from whats expected" Rosemary Cottage

When you find you're spending over 50% of your shopping time looking at things for other GWers.

Wait! What is the Sweeby Test your speak of Pat tea?

You know you're spending too much time on GW when you start not to care what other people in public places think of you. (This was a big deal to me) Example, dragging dresser drawers into furniture shops along with your tape measure, camera, and notebook. I got the wide eyed look from the sales people and the comment,"Ooooh, you're on a mission. . . "

Or back in my early days here at GW, the time I took along a curtain panel and matching couch pillow in an attempt to find accent pillows. Had it all sprawled on the floor with my camera out and decided to ask the poor lady that happened to walk by what she though. lol

Bumble - That is so true! When I get frustrated with something decorating related I usually end up telling myself (for a pd. of time) that the rest of the world outside of GW doesn't care about or will take notice to xyz and all will be well. :)

And since I used to spend a lot of time at a place called G.I., my family would get confused, asking me whether it was the people at 'G.I.' that don't approve, or the people at 'G.W.'?

Red

But hey, I trust the opinion and direction/guidance from you ladies, as much if not more so than my own family! So that speaks volumes to me. And I'm a relatively new kid on the block, and you all have helped me enormously.

Fast forward two years. Last night he told me that from now on he would take the pics, to be posted, as he was a far better photographer.

Also, was at Restoration Hardware outlet today and saw some coveted schoolhouse pendant lamps and couldn't rememeber who on GW wanted them (Kitchen forum, maybe?) Almost bought them, too....for a virtual friend I couldn't recall....

DH first discovered GW when we started our whole house renovation 2 years ago. We now have a beautiful kitchen and I'm convinced its better than how it was initially designed, thanks in no small part to the wonderful education I received from the great GWebbers over at the kitchen forum!

We are finally in the decorating stage. I find myself often on here, just double checking the answers to such simple questions as how high should I place the mirror above the mantel, to height of chandelier above dining table....

I know I'm spending too much time on GW when it's Saturday night, I'm waiting for DH to come home, and I'm on here reading:)

GW has influenced so much of what I buy. I'm also always wondering how things would look in a picture!

But I knew I was obsessed when GW started coming up in conversation. I am always telling DH about something that the 'forum people' have said. He knows exactly who I'm talking about. I like Jan's name of 'the group' better.

In my house you are known as my imaginary friends. My sisters make fun of me but when they have a home project question they ask me to "check with your imaginary friends".

LOL You got me.

It's dark outside, and you're still in your pj's~more than ONCE!

Start searching on line for things another poster could use in her decorating.

Out shopping and see an item a poster could 'sure use in that room'!

Don't answer the phone because you're in the middle of typing a post, and might forget what you were going to say.

Run out to look at something someone has metioned in a post.

And yes I *have* done all the above! ;o)

HelloKitty made both my hubby and I laugh out loud with this comment:
"My DH used to ask me what I was on the computer every night for. He does not even ask anymore:) I emailed him a link one time from here on beadboard & he asked me if DH was dumb husband!!!!"

Jan I've had that "your home looks different" than expected comment. When I asked why they said I was so "neat" at work. OKAY! Now I wanted to know what that meant. This was back in the early 90's when the first wave of country decor was still popular. I'm pretty obsessive compulsive about my work area being in perfect order with as much as possible put away that they couldn't believe how my home looked. Guess they thought it would be minimalist. They should see it now that I'm online and getting even more ideas and have a larger home to decorate!

"Ni thuigum thu...as Bearla led thoil" means
I don't understand, could you say that in English?

Justgota, where can you get entire phrases instantly translated?

Cynthia

Architecturally, a palimpsest is the ghost image that one building leaves on an adjacent building.

When I was painting as a counterpoint to my dayjob, vs. doing interior design as a counterpoint to my dayjob, I got very intrigued by the idea of painting layers and rubbing or scraping through them.

I like the whole concept of it better than I like the word itself. I was kind of disappointed in the word for it :)

every morning you check the more contentious threads to see if they've been pulled.

Palimpsest, I like that idea. So the "ghost image" you're referring to is the outline of a wall left after one building in a row has been torn down or collapsed? I've seen that, but wouldn't have guessed there was a name for it except maybe "Oops, sorry." ;^)

BTW, where did you learn Gaelic?

every morning you check the more contentious threads to see if they've been pulled.
tee, hee, hee - isn't that the truth...

Its strange learning it all by ear too, I had to look up how to spell "I don't understand, can you say it in English" (roughly) --and its nothing like what it sounds like: niggin hu sburla led ahull or ntiggim tu as berla led hull --depending on dialect.

My family is from one of the small pockets of Ireland where Irish is spoken by about 50% of the population. In some areas its as low as about 5%. In some parts of Ireland, Cantonese or Polish are second behind English, with Irish a distant third.

You know people prefer curtains over miniblinds and puddling on the floor is something a curtain does, not a dog....:0)

When you try to take a nap (unsuccessful), get up, and the first thing you do is look for a controversial thread...and see it's been pulled.

Happens every time.

The one I bought most recently looks like the largest of these (right hand side)...

Now even Hubby suggests I ask my E-Friends or GardenWeb Girls whenever we have a design or shopping question!

And when you have your own test named after you ;-)
(It even comes up on Google!)

Ok, so I didn't think I had anything substantive to add to this thread, especially after DLM's Kumbaya comment. But, then last night, I had a dream about The Home Dec Board, as it's known here chez amysrq. I can't believe I'm even going to admit to this, but here goes...

Palimpsest is getting married. We have decided to give him a present of a scrapbook with a page about each of us and the thing that has us all hysterical is that we can't wait to see him have to explain to all his real life friends who the hell we are...these imaginary friends from some imaginary place.

I have decided to give him a gift of a GW-style question painted around the perimeter of a quart-size paint can. The question has something to do with trim and I am sure it is FPE paint. The paint is white and I am fussing about whether it will be legible if I don't somehow trace the edges in black. I am trying to paint my question around the can in a fancy script, 'cause it is a special day after all, and it just looks like crap, like something a kindergartner would do.

Luckily, I woke up. But, when I was fully conscious, I knew I was spending too much time on GW.

I also know it must be time to order the damn paint and get to work on my doors.

Oh no, Amy. ;(

That's my biggest fear when we go over there. You should see me on the plane (source of most viruses). Purell in one hand and snorting saline solution from the other. And, I never fly without my Zicam sp?. The minute I feel a scratchy throat, I take immediate action. I've only spent one day sick. Unfortunately, it was a day I took a solo side trip to Florence.

What colors were they showing in the windows of Paris? Their two dominant colors of clothing always seem to show up in our paint palettes, here in the States, in a year or two.

Oh, and congrats Pal. :)

You know you're spending too much time on GW when you don't have time to read every thread in its entirety but post on all of them anyway :-D

Too funny!

I spent some time shopping for clothes and accessories for DD since her birthday was the day after we returned. I have to say, nothing looked too exciting....for that age group anyway. And for the first time ever, I bought nothing for myself. Nothing grabbed me.

Got home and perused the Urban Outfitters catalog and honestly, the stores in Paris had nothing on us here. It all looked remarkably the same or even better on this side of the pond.

DD's theory is that due to the global financial crisis, fashion has come to a grinding halt. Nothing new. So the trend lag between here and Europe has collapsed and we're seeing the same stuff everywhere. This is from my 16 y.o. fashion analyst! :-)

Out of the mouths of babes...

The Italians are over, this week, and are doing all they can to help the American economy.

They came with huge lists from their family and friends. It's all Abercrombie & Fitch. That brand has taken Italy by storm, maybe the rest of Europe, too. They used to buy only Polo. I guess the lines at their stores go on forever and the prices are absurd. With the exchange rate...they're in heaven.

We had a dinner last night and I forgot to ask what Italian brand was hot now. Last time it was Roberto Cavalli but his things are way too young for me. I'll stick with Armani if I'm still alive to see the dollar reign, once more.