jkitty

My beef with her designs is that they are wholly impractical especially at her price point. For a 1-2M house in the city, you need to be maximizing storage. Most of her kitchens barely have any storage. If they do, she manages to ruin it but doing something like open shelving or clear cabinets. (A glass cabinet or 2 is ok, but not ALL the upper cabinets. Sorry, but my toddler plates and sippy cups are not display worthy.) She wastes spaces that would be a functional and much-needed pantry by turning them into coffee bars and putting in defaced antiques. She doesn’t have coat closets...in Chicago. She takes rooms in a basements that could be a functional space tbd by the purchaser (like an office, playroom, extra bedroom or a small gym) and makes them a wine room. She thinks she is a huge value-add but usually her big ideas are highly limiting. I don’t know anyone in the city who would want AstroTurf instead of grass. If outdoor yard space is that high on your list you probably have kids or a dog. Dogs can’t relieve themselves in turf and it will hurt kids to fall on cement. There is a reason most new builds in an area are “cookie cutter.” It’s the design and aesthetic that meets the needs of most of the consumer. You can’t build a non-custom house like it’s custom and expect to get max price and a quick sale. You will alienate so many buyers that way. She’s just her own worst enemy.

Gold Coast is expensive to be sure... but it’s mostly very old and very dated. Think of 80-year-old women who have lived in their homes for 50 years. The buildings are beautiful, but impractical and lacking in amenities that many younger buyers want and need. The floor plans are closed, the interiors are fussy and dated, and the units rarely have outdoor space or good light. Or they are full mansions like the one Governor Pritzker lives in (which is, quite frankly, hideous IMHO. The one Bill and Giuliana Rancic did was nice though.) Gold Coast is old money with old buildings and older people. Streeterville is new money, new buildings and younger people/families.

I currently live in Streeterville a few blocks from this building. I have two young children and literally every family we know in our neighborhood (which is many through preschool) is looking for a house in the burbs thanks to COVID, Mayor Lightfoot’s abysmal and hypocritical handling of COVID as it pertains to children (particularly in Streeterville and Lakeshore East), and steadily increasing crime In the area. With most of us working from home indefinitely, proximity to the loop is no longer a draw, our kids have no where to play safely, and most activities we loved to do with them are closed. People need offices,backyards, and proximity to family for help. My point is, selling this unit pre-COVID would have been a stretch as it is. At that price point, there are newer buildings with more amenities and more practical floor plans. The square footage may have been smaller, but pre-COVID most people living in Streeterville were not that hung up on amount of space, but more how it is used. (I know many people with 1%-er incomes that have kids sharing bedrooms or have rooms doing double-duty). Any home ownership cost down here is essentially double the mortgage with assessments and taxes. People wanted multiple pools, full gums, yoga studios, working spaces, pet groomers, dry cleaners, demonstration kitchens, party rooms, play rooms, golf simulators, etc. - all of which the new buildings have. Now...I don’t see how she sells this unit. Pretty much anyone who was looking for this unit is looking in the burbs now or is very reluctant to buy with massive tax hikes looming to cover lost income from no tourism, conventions, reduced sales tax etc.

Lol, ok, Bridgeport is NOT the Brooklyn of Chicago. Like at all. Also if they are going to do a house in Bridgeport maybe show some shots of Bridgeport. Every shot is of Lincoln Park, the Loop, and Wicker Park or Bucktown.

This is what I am hoping. I hope she just says “fuck you, I don’t need this shit.” And walks off. It’s what they deserve. I hate that any woman in a position of power on this show (outside of chief stew) is shown as grossly incompetent, a total conniving bitch, or both. I am dropping bravo shows like flies the last year. This one might be biting the dust for me. And probably Below Deck OG after the bruh crew and losing Kate. I don’t have room for this misogyny in my life anymore. Blah. Also, Sandy’s little flex on the radio to show off for Malia was one of the most unprofessional things I have seen on these shows. That’s something f.

Yeah she maybe should have just dropped it then. But she did just ask him about a person he was publicly posting about on Instagram. It’s not like Rob was hiding this. It was out there so I don’t think Hannah was completely out of line for asking a question about it. I hope Rob is not a shady asshole because I like him and Jess together. And his discussion of his mom and addiction was very moving.

Eh, I disagree. Rob appeared to Be actively posting romantic odes to this other woman while hooking up with Jess (or very shortly before). If someone on my team (especially someone I was friendly with) was falling for another coworker who I knew might have a girlfriend, I would at the very least give her a heads up or ask if she knew what the deal was. I wouldn’t want to see her get fucked over, nor would I want to deal with the drama resulting therefrom potentially spilling into the work.

Did Sonja call Chicago “chee” town, instead of chi-town (“shy”)??? Wtf did I just hear?

I don’t remember this. What did Caroline accuse him of? Please share!

Except it was only not as much Simone wanted after the fact. Every time I can recall Kate asking Simone if she wanted service or laundry, Simone said laundry. The only time I think Simone disagreed with her task in the moment was in the middle of dinner service when Kate asked her to start turn downs. I wish I got to dictate my job duties and only do what I wanted when I wanted, but I don’t think that is a reality for many of us.

I was disappointed with this episode. I like Jamele Hill in the “real” world. I appreciate that she has put her values before money and really stood up for what she believes in on certain issues. I was looking forward to seeing her tonight. I liked the “realness” of her and her friends. No makeup. Laughing. Having fun. Being rowdy. but the weirdness with Kate felt forced. Either it was for the show or editing did not lay enough foundation to set it up. And then it was over as quickly as it started. I have been neutral on Simone this season but it seems weird to me how much she hates Kate. Again, lack of foundation. Is it because of laundry? Because of Tanner? Neither is really a thing. We have seen her on service plenty now. And she hasn’t actually done anything with tanner besides a 1-second “friend kiss.” If it is because of the “you might not be a great second stew,” Simone needs thicker skin. That might not have been the nicest way to express displeasure but if that makes Kate the worst person she has ever worked with (when the brus including one who dumped her mid-charter and is pursing her boss are right there), her standards are very weird I can’t with the brus. Even Brian has lost his last shred of potential. Kevin’s face when he walked out to silence was everything. I loved the montage of him saying how horrible Kate is contrasted with her perfectly reasonable questions or responses to him.

I wont talk about Kate and Ashton because there is nothing else to say there. I do agree that the kiss was a move of domination, not lust. When his assertion of power was rejected he lost his shit. I am also firmly team Rylee. Yes, she can be explosive (although we have really only seen that the first night out this season I think), but the way Ashton acts with her is disgusting. If he wants his team to all use the same knot, it is his job to clearly and calmly set out that expectation and provide resources If they don’t know how. The disparity in his reaction to Rylee and Tanner both messing up the knot was telling. He screams at Rylee, again, outwardly trying to dominate her and assert his power. He set her up, ready to pounce at the slightest reaction or frustration. The whole deck crew has been gaslighting her since she got there telling her to calm down as soon as she breathes. She basically stumbled over her words and Ashton lost it on her. Then he gives his bru Tanner a pass and talks shit about Rylee. To me, that interaction was as telling of his views on women as his attack on Kate. I feel Courtney. I don’t think her attitude on the date was related to Brian at all and I think he knew that. She didn’t want to get dressed up, go out, or go clubbing. She wanted to put on some comfy clothes and chill on the sun deck with rosé and a charcuterie board. That club looked like my personal hell and the last place I would want to be after a long charter. Her pouting was a fuck you to production, not a Brian. I am surprised she even went on this show as she gives me strong introvert vibes. I go back and forth on Brian. I think he is mostly nice but is very susceptible to the influence of the other brus. They are too much in his ear and he is not using any healthy skepticism regarding their bullshit. He seems embarrassed he took the bait in retrospect (at least regarding Kate. I think he should feel that way regarding Rylee too if he engages in any real introspection). Maybe he will be able to learn from this a little bit.

I can’t imagine DvF, Leo DiCaprio or Beyoncé and Jay-z sitting at any of those tables (or any BD tables). I’m willing to bet they just have gorgeous, chic fresh flowers and maybe some candles.

I agree. I also think that while Kristin is overly hung up on James, she is the person best positioned to confirm that his parents are assholes. I mean, didn’t his mom steal her credit card and use it for Botox while she was dating James? That alone would be enough for me to feel justified calling her an asshole, but I am sure Kristin was privy to many detrimental interactions between James and his parents (like what we saw with Raquel this season). I’m not saying James has to like that someone called his parents assholes, but it also does not seem to be false.

Maybe there is not a “rule” to the extent that they exist, but it definitely has the potential to offend. There are a million other colors. Why wear the one that the star of the show - particularly one as obsessed with the title “bride” as Brittany - is likely to be in? And when you are already a stand-out guest? And it wasn’t even like it was a pants suit or something. It was basically the cousin of Brittany’s dress with the addition of an exposed undergarment. A quick google search seems to agree with me. You can go there if you want, but why would you want to? From https://www.marthastewartweddings.com/640230/can-guests-wear-white-engagement-party “So, can you wear white to the engagement party? If you don't care about potentially upsetting the bride, be our guest, but your best bet is to save your favorite white, or white-ish, dress for another occasion. If you have a good relationship with the bride and are not sure whether or not your dress even comes close to question, consider calling or texting her in advance of her engagement party to check. Should the party be a surprise, you'll definitely want to leave the white dress in your closet. However, if you're set on wearing some form of cream or white to at least one pre-wedding event, this is probably the time to do it. Since it's not a party that's thrown specifically in honor of the bride, but rather in honor of the couple, you may be able to get away with it.”

Did Lisa wear white to the engagement party? What a C U Next Tuesday. So tacky.

And not just any random, weekend kegger... their engagement party! What she was really asking is “why are you keeping me from the season finale?” but IRL it would take major bravado to march up to a coworker whose close friends you were actively feuding with and ask why you aren’t invited to her engagement party.

Ok so I am not alone this this! Totally agree with everything you said here.

I’ll admit I haven’t even made a dent in most of this thread yet (most because I just don’t care about anything related to puppygate anymore ... everything has been said ad nauseum). I just wanted to see if anyone else finds Lisa’s obsession with dog meat a bit hypocritical/racist? As far as I know, Lisa is not vegan. She owns many, many, many leather goods (worth probably millions). Unless she is also protesting and campaigning against the atrocities of mainstream American dairy and farming practices, which can be as horrific as the dog meat trade, her obsession with dog meat has a whiff of xenophobia to me. We have never even heard her discuss procuring only locally-sourced, ethically raised meat and dairy for her restaurants. That whole spectacle about the condemning of dog meat really rubbed me the wrong way when she is hardly an activist on our farming atrocities here or the hideous treatment of animals by the fashion industry. Am I missing something about this? If I am, please let me know! If this has already been discussed extensively I apologize. This thread is a beast!

Truth. This is why I can’t finish a whole episode before going to bed and there are pediasure commercials. The only way I am up at 3:00 am these days is if I am cleaning vomit out of a crib! (Note: the vomit is a toddler’s, not a 30-something’s.)

This is way more of an explanation than you owe anyone, lol. It’s pretty rude to ask. Think about what someone is actually asking... “what are you finances like? Are you sexually active? What’s your relationship status? Do you use birth control? Do you feel pressure about major life decisions because you are single? Do you have a plan for that? Are you fertile? Have you had anything in your past that would impact your fertility?” A polite “fuck off it’s none of your business” is really all anyone should expect in response to that question. Also, generally c-section recovery is way more painful than a vaginal birth. It’s major surgery. I hear epirurals are the shit though. (I didn’t have one and labor was painful but not intolerable.). Also, at least for me, all the spin about forgetting the pain when the little interloper comes out was pretty true.

I think the whole Tom and Ariana kids story line is fake fake fake, just like the rest of their story lines. That being said, I feel like this storyline is pretty unfeminist of Ariana, despite her smartest-of-the-group-feminist persona. Not wanting to have kids is fine. But stating that you have a birth phobia and find it disgusting plays pretty hard into the bullshit patriarchal notion that women’s bodies are sexual objects only, and that anything that belies that illusion (periods, bodily functions, childbirth, breastfeeding, weight gain, natural aging) is something shameful. I understand that some women actually do have a deep fear or phobia of birth, often stemming from a trauma. So far Ariana has only said she thinks it’s “gross.” She is perpetuating negative connotations of women’s natural biological functions and undermining people with actual phobias or traumas. Ariana is so “ugh.” And Tom is just as bad for going along with it. Also that “progressive” conversation was the dumbest thing I have ever heard. They are going to potentially live together in a relationship while Tom raises a child and Ariana ignores it or dabbles in the child’s life at her whim? That won’t fuck a kid up at all....

I 100% think Lisa wanted to get this out there through John and Teddi, and that she planned to leave her holding the bag. It’s what she did with Brandi and the tabloids about Mauricio cheating. It’s what she tried to do with Kyle and Yolanda’s “munchausens.” And, if I remember correctly it’s what she did with Brandi and Adrienne’s surrogacy. My point is that of all the battles these women could have picked they chose to do it at the least opportune time, to defend the least credible/defensible person, in the underlying situation most sympathetic to Lisa. They are so stupid it’s painful. They are too stupid to win against Lisa, which in my book is saying a lot because I do not think Lisa is the genius they portray her to be. It’s not fun to watch at all. This franchise needs someone with half a brain that can actually think somewhat logically and maybe hold their own against LVP.

Is this season over yet? This whole thing is painful. Please make it stop. I can’t stand LVP. I think she is snobbish, condescending, passive aggressive, and manipulative. I find her humor very childish... she is not nearly as clever as she thinks she is and her accent doesn’t fix that. I find her aesthetic to be equal parts juvenile and tacky. Everything from her home decor to her wardrobe choices remind me of something that a five year old in the 80s would select for their “grown up” make believe. I think she acts like she hit a homer when she married her way on to third. And I find the way she lords her life over some young(ish) people who moved to LA to try to build lives and follow their dreams on VPR really gross and pathetic. (I also think Ken is a reactive asshole who has no qualms about being physically and verbally aggressive with people, including his wife’s friends and his employees.) Finally, I don’t think she is nearly the strategic genius people make her out to be. It’s just that in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king. That has never been more apparent than with this whole fiasco. These morons really thought the season to go after LVP was weeks after her brother committed suicide? And the hill they chose to die on was her backhandedly outing Dorit and PK for the mishandling of a shelter animal in violation of the terms of a written agreement? How fucking dumb are they? And now it looks like they might not even be right about how it was orchestrated? (Unless the cropped preceding line of the text chain is from John saying “Lisa wants this out there...” it looks like Teddy had a far bigger hand than she let on). These women are bumbling fools. This is a waste of my time. Give me New York where the hos know how to have it out and move on within two episodes.

Actually, as a person currently living toddler tantrums on the regular, pretty much all parenting advice states that one of the best and most productive ways to deal with tantrums is to acknowledge the child’s distress and help them describe and process their feelings. They are having a tantrum because they are overwhelmed by their emotions and do not have the mental or verbal capacity to describe and process this. As a parent, it’s our job to teach them this. It actually works really well. For example, you (staying calm because you are an adult and understand the tantrum is not a personal attack on you) say “I know you are upset that it’s bedtime. You want to keep playing. That is making you sad and angry. It’s hard. And that’s ok. Your body needs sleeps though so you can play even more tomorrow. It will feel good.” Usually by this time my toddler has chilled out.