txvoodoo

needschocolate - it's a thing in loft-style properties. The key there is that the rest of the place has to be loft style as well - very high ceilings, exposed ducting, etc. And even in that style, electric lines are enclosed in conduit because that shit is ugly, and really not very safe to leave exposed. These condos are not loft style. Exposing the ceiling in them is just indicative of a lack of time and/or money and/or attention. Trying to make a silk purse from a sow's ear.

I like crafty things. I make and sell crafty things. I love pinterest. But nailing empty frames on the wall? NO. The brothers needed just a little bit of help. They had good choices but it definitely looked like a non-design-oriented guy did it. YES on being rewarded for bad decisions. That annoys me. I don't think Nicole should be judging anything. She's not a good flipper, she's not a good conservationist, and what she does on her show and in her homes is so dubious that my side-eye gets tired. And her flips take forever to sell, soooooo. I thought those canvases were nice, even though I'm not an orange-loving person. The real benefit though was that they were removable - they weren't nailed to the wall! Orange is a big color lately so I can see it being used in staging - as long as the eventual owner can easily change things. So I'm glad they got rid of the orange paint stripe. Nailed it! That's exactly what the basement ceiling looked like in the house I grew up in. It's one thing if it's an actual loft-style condo, but nothing about this condo is lofty.

Those blue frames - again, I love turquoise, but those were just pinteresty. And NAILING them on, I cringed. You don't nail on things like that. Twins: I think the traditional handrail & newel post looks rather stupid with floating treads. A real mismatch. Sisters: I really like it. These people are making me like orange, which I don't care for. Big hair+spouse. I HATE THAT CEILING. Especially in a multi-unit condo, it's gonna carry sound SO MUCH. You're gonna hear every footstep, every bit of radio. Nicole never cares about that in her own homes, either. She's done floors where you can see through to the level below - so heat efficient in Minnesota! (not). Also, the door on their garage looked really janky. There is NOTHING "craftsman" about big hair's ceiling. Nicole should know better. I'm annoyed by her obsession with storage under the stairs - they're FLOATING stairs and if you put anything solid under them, you lose the floating feeling. And the plywood piece of junk that team Big Hair used...ugh. I don't think they added any value. I think they took value *away* by not having proper ceilings in that kind of condo. Pedantic whine: does no one on tv anymore know how & when to use "and I" versus "and me"? I weep.

And then I caught a rerun of another show she did this week, where she complained about a house being painted white. She just can't keep track of the things she says! If she'd used accent colors, it would've highlighted the damage that she didn't repair, I think. Being all white camouflaged it.

Someone is writing a script for Nicole, because her talking about you can't over-customize and you have to appeal to buyers is just ridiculous. I'm sorry, anyone who designed an open plan master bath (including open plan toilet) shouldn't be judging. Brothers: it was rustic and nice, for that. Married couple: no hose to water that and they still won? Meh. Big Hair: sand sand sand IT'S NOT THE BEACH it's gonna be a total mess. Trip factor? Married couple had different levels, too. Sisters: I liked it. The pergola was pretty puny and a waste of money. Synthetic grass was a very smart buy. The parquet is meant to be a floating floor. Am I alone in thinking pergolas are really stupid? They don't give actual shade, they're just...wood sticks up there. I see them all over here in Texas and..yeah. Give me an actual porch awning or even an umbrella.

That episode had me & the hub groaning. First, yes, green shingles, as if they're the most unusual thing ever!! Second, the paint job over the white shingles. We had to pause it because, really, she used paint to camouflage how bad of a shape those shingles were in. They were cracked, rotted, awful. There is no way those things were doing anything good for that house. She replaced a few here and there where a shingle had actually broken in half, but this is another case of a house I wouldn't want to live in. There are better ways to make a profit than cutting corners. That's false economy and it's unfair to buyers who will have to live with the consequences of it. I admire the desire to have Detroit come back, but fixing one house in a bad neighborhood isn't going to do that.

Big Hair's kitchen...ok. Why was it so dark in there? Also, if you're standing at the sink, you can't have the dishwasher open, so how are you gonna rinse dishes and then load it? Scott dinged the sisters for that 'bare wall' - well, Big Hair's kitchen turned it into a pony wall with no real function. That pseudo-breakfast bar is too narrow to really work well, especially in what is essentially a galley kitchen. Also, I don't want to see the boyfriend's chest hair anymore. The sisters: I liked their kitchen. Yeah, they should've sprung for the washer/dryer, But it was well-finished, neat, clean. It was neutral - even that stripe could've been easily re-painted if it isn't your thing. (I would've painted it up a bit higher.) Having the sink under the window is a natural thing. Did Big Hair remove a window or something? That window helps keep it bright. Married couple: laundry upstairs is a very good idea. Again, this is a kitchen is a bright one. That fridge/stove - oy. But why didn't Scott notice the sink/dishwasher issue in Big Hair's? Twins: I like the peninsula. The rest of it is exceedingly meh. The desk is something that would work well in a large property, but is wasting kitchen space in a small one. Cover up the washer/dryer. You're woodworking guys - put a cool door in front of it! Also FINISH SOMETHING please. Scott is totally pulling punches on this. He's a really picky guy, and none of these are up to his standard. Funny enough, Nicole was picky in the bathrooms, and that made me laugh. The woman who used reclaimed beadboard for a bathroom counter! Puhleeze. Also, I think she was all "omg shower curtain" because she's now selling her own line of Nicole Curtis shower curtains. (yes, really.) Shallow note: I want to rip those flowers out of Big Hair's hair. I have naturally curly big hair, and using things like that it equals them tangling in it, and pain. She totally has some kind of bump-it behind all her headbands. I think *she* thinks she looks pre-Raphaelite.

I'm from the eastern US, and I think it might vary based on your ethnic or regional background? My Sicilian family always had lamb ("pascal lamb") and bitter greens. Probably went back to Passover, but they wouldn't have known that. :D We also always had "ham pie" aka pizza rustica. This is the closest recipe I've found to it. We'd also have a lamb cake for dessert, NOT made of lamb! A white sponge cake, in the shape of a lamb, covered in coconut. My husband's family, Southerners, have either ham, turkey, or both, depending on how many are attending. Re black or white pudding - those shown above seem to have grains in them? I think the closest we'd have here is scrapple.

Especially considering that Rapa Nui is 15 miles long by 7 miles wide. Our metroplex is 5 times that size, width-wise.

Well, let's be real - there's nothing 'down home' about someone who has a separate house on their property just to use to film their FoodNetwork show. ;)

I get angry at how she treats good meat. Come on, Ree, crisp up that damned fat on the side. They just look greasy and icky when served - not even rare! Botox is an amazing thing. @film-noire - you slay me. I sort of believe you're Bourdain, too, because he likes noire! But yes, you're right. Ree's appealing to the 21st century woman who thinks she can be June Cleaver AND Ma Ingalls which still instagramming and getting her nails done. I prefer more reality.

I'm pretty sure that one, and Property Virgins are less fake. MFP had eps where houses would fall through, and they'd have to start over again. And PV has eps where no sale is made at all.

I recently saw a HHI that was set in Italy, where the couple had no jobs and just wanted to live their dreams. Afterward, I found their blog. Turns out, they lived all of 3 months in Italy and ran out of money, and couldn't get jobs because of visa issues, so moved to Paris. (!) And quickly had to come back to the US because guess what, France wasn't giving out free apartments, either! I mean, they were in Florence for such a short time, that by the time her HHI episode aired, she was already living back in the US! This was their ep http://www.hgtv.com/house-hunters-international/young-couple-moves-to-florence-italy/index.html You can google her blog (I did). There's nothing true about their HH bio! Oh, she also talked about how she wanted to get in touch with her Italian roots, exemplified by ordering 2 coffees in Italian. So basically they took a vacation & got it paid for by HHI. Her blog talked about how they just thought jobs would "find them" or something.

I'm a lackadaisical housekeeper at best, but it's really easy keeping my doors clean, too. And like you, the only person likely to come in there is my husband, so no issues. I dislike curtains. I don't care how much you wash them, they harbor mold. And water gets past them at the bottom! A door *shuts*!

Agree with all this. Felix's moral compass is grounded in his love and loyalty to all those he sees as his family, which now includes the other sestras. They need that, and we need to be able to see it.

I paused the show this week, right before the scene where Sarah's sleeping w/ Kira. There's a car out front, with Ontario plates. (And "Be Green", "Breastfeeding is not a crime" bumper stickers. :D) It's very Canadian!

Agree 95%, @Lola16 ! The 5% is because, well, she doesn't exactly go far outside the box on her colors. :D It's pretty much always white, cream, creamy-white, grayish-white, etc. The exception was the pink details on that one house, and really, the way she did those made me cringe. Very slapdash - it deserved better.

Whenever the hub & I see her in something, we jump up and say "Ensign Ro!" :)

Question - does anybody else watch Property Virgins? Should we request a forum for it? If so, what topics should it have besides a general? Also, Income Property. And maybe the Bryan Baumler oeuvre of shows? Any other HGTV/DIY suggestions?

I think it's funny what one of us thinks is repetitive, versus what another does. :D I'd like to see more Philly or Boston shows. I'm from Philly, so that's fun for me. And there are different kinds of homes. And Boston has a variety, as well. I've lived all over the US though, and I know there's a lot more variety in every area that we see. Since we know at least 2 of the homes are decoys, I'd love to see them go out of the box for those, in every area! Show us a regular suburban, a historical home, and something in the city. Or a Mid century modern, a Craftsman-style, and a colonial! Mix it up a bit. :D That way, we can see all the different things available in different areas for the 1 price point.

And then the flip side - the ones who think laminates ARE wood floors, and I start laughing. All that glitters, people. Or those who turn down quartz countertops because they're not granite - no, they're better, don't require sealing, etc.

Inspections aren't a legal requirement in many places. Appraisals are, by many/most mortgage providers, but not inspections. Add in, inspections can't always tell you about mold, mice, asbestos or other problems like that, because they can't open up walls during an inspection, and those kinds of problems often hide behind walls. And, well, there are bad inspectors, too.

According to my cable guide: 8 eastern, 7 central: 2 hour finale. 10 eastern, 9 central: reunion special. We still get our 3 hours! I'm pleased as punch, because Sunday night on CBS is usually a mess, due to sports and stuff. I noticed that they're moving Amazing Race to Friday nights next season, which makes me happy for the same reason.

I'm with you. It's not even a "love to hate her" thing. I think she's the only one playing with actual strategy at this point. Tony thinks he is, and acts like he's running things, but the only thing he's had going for him is his HIIs, and hanging those over others' heads like the sword of Damocles. That's not strategy, it's thuggery. And it might get you to FTC, but it won't win. Whereas Kass isn't playing to be the most beloved - she's known that for a while now. So her pitch at FTC will be more along the lines of "ok, I didn't ride anyone's coattails. I'm not here because everyone loves me. I'm here in *spite* of everything, because I played the game well. Isn't that worth a vote to win?" It'd sway me. Especially if the other person up there is Tony, who misread people left and right, and whose hubris went wild towards the end. (Seriously, his chastising Kass over her confirming with Woo was hilarious. His word should be accepted? What had he done to deserve that?) I'm loving this season. Not crazy about the special HII.

Truth. I think Tony's ego makes him overestimate how much people will vote for him. No matter what the machinations with the HII, I still can't figure out why he did what he did.