CruiseDiva

Well, JoJo is the one with the degree from Baylor in Communications. Other than narrating, some of the scenes could have been out-takes from the original show, like the powder room and guest book footage. It was pretty amusing that the Patty Baker show was the first one they used in the new series and that they spent so much time with the pottery guy who personalized all that dishware with her previous last name, I wonder if she gave that stuff to her sons... I presume their last name is still Baker.

I suspected they are a couple as well. Asshat Timmy is ruining that charming place by listening to his "friend" and removing the wall with the pocket doors. Maybe the base molding will be put back in when the rooms are finished. However, the bathroom/utility closet reno looks to be a winner, despite the loss of the clawfoot tub. That said, Timmy is really going to be sick of listening to the "L" trains pass by sooner rather than later on that outdoor space. That close to the tracks, it's wasted space for anything except the trash cans. (Trust me on this--I used to live in Chicago.)

It looked like a crack house in a drug infested area. When I hear "up-and-coming neighborhood" my first thought is RUN, don't walk away from it. My friends bought a century old Victorian in such a neighborhood ten years ago and it's still bad. Their house is a treasure in the midst of trash.

I didn't notice the heavy stockings, but the eyebrows on the judge's girlfriend were really distracting. She needs to get her ass to Ulta for a makeover.

It irritated me that the husband was so adamant about "putting their stamp" on everything and "personalizing" houses that had already been updated to reflect the MCM style. I cringe to think of how he could screw up an Eichler house. Painting grasscloth is really a no-no. My neighbor did that and it looked horrible.

Aubrey seems to think anything more than 10 years old is retro. I cringe when she mentions it.

If it was the official last show of the season I hope that HGTV quits running the Fixer Upper ad with Chip cackling like a goose.

Aw shucks, I'm even older. I remember inflatable furniture from the 70s. LOL!

No kidding. Magnolia trees, even dwarf magnolia trees can grow to be huge. I was stunned by where that idiot Chimp planted it. If the homeowners are lucky it will die. I'd never heard of that "rocker" and figured he wasn't a particularly hot artist since their budget was so tight. I'm sure the neighbors will just love him "rocking out" in that converted garage. That said, the house turned out nice.

Someone needs to tell Aubrey that baby shit green is not retro. That was just awful.

Wow. Those reviews were all over the place. One customer compared the food to Waffle House and not in a good way. I can't imagine waiting in line for a half hour to put my name on a waiting list and then waiting another 1-2.5 hours for a table. Maybe people who'd parked pretty far away were too weak from hunger to schlep back to their cars so they waited. My husband and I don't stick around and wait for more than a half hour to be seated. Someone who sat at the bar facing the mirrors commented on how weird that was and said that everyone sitting around him hated it that they pretty much had nothing to look at except themselves eating. Some of the glowingly positive comments sounded like they were written by friends and relatives or huge fans of the TV show. Reviews by some obvious locals were less positive.

Don't forget the outdoor area they added for the kiddos to play! Several cars could park in that spot. Waco must not have much in terms of zoning regulations. My guess is that if they did, zoning regulations would have required them to NOT remove a goodly portion of the parking lot.

At the reveal when they asked their children if they were ready to see their fixer upper, the children looked bored stiff. The 'bar' seating inside was awful. It didn't look like there was enough room for a plate at that long, narrow bar in front of high stools. Personally, I hate the idea of the 'communal' tables and sharing a table with strangers. I was stunned that they took away parking to put in a large outdoor area for customers to wait for a table. With that huge interior space and tables crammed next to each other, do they really think that many people will be waiting for a seat for breakfast or lunch? I wonder how long the owners of Gander Mountain will be happy to have the restaurant patrons using their parking lot? For "Take Away" it would be a pain in the butt to have to park so far away.

She is a major bitch. I wonder how long they 'dated' before she told him she had a 4-year old. Poor guy--I felt so sorry for him. I can see a divorce in the near future and her wanting the house with him keeping up the payments.

I loved that trash compactor. We only put "dry" trash in it--paper, glass, plastic. I think the cabinet space they took up that could be used for storage is a big issue for most people. These days I use a shredder for paper--mostly things that come in the mail with our address printed on them. Whatever doesn't go down the garbage disposal or in the shredder goes into the trash can. Even shredded paper goes into the trash. We have no longer have a recycling option in our area.

No, my husband got transferred for his job thirty years ago. That kitchen is in a house on Chickamauga Avenus in Shenandoah. After living there a year, we bought a house in Sherwood Forest, which was closer to my office and cut down on drive time. When we lived there Shenandoah was in the boonies. The faux butcher block wall clock matched the faux butcher block countertops in our previous home. But did you put up two patterns of plaid? LOL! There was a lot of 70s style wallpaper in that house.

When we moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1980 we rented a house for a year. It had (gasp!) navy blue kitchen cabinets. The house was built in the '70s by an interior decorator, but as you can see from the photos here, today's buyers would be shouting Gut Job the instant they saw it. We still laugh about the navy blue cabinets with not one, but two patterns of plaid wallpaper. After we'd lived there for a few months I really appreciated that kitchen. It had white appliances that worked just fine and even a built-in microwave and trash compactor. The counters were white laminate and the "backsplash" was the same white laminate. I loved the little desk and the intercom system on the wall above it. I wish I had better photos, but I didn't have the foresight to realize that the cabinets would be in fashion over 40 years later. At the time we just thought they were odd.

They're even showing up in hotels. We've stayed in a few Hampton Inns that have them to cover the closet and adjacent bathroom door openings. You can only close off one space, either the closet or bathroom. They don't close very well and don't lock. I hated that.

You just know that when Aubrey says "glam" the result will be tacky.

Except for those "special sayings" created especially for them, all art for the reveal is carted away after filming unless the homeowner wants to purchase it.

Sitting on the front porch reminded me of when I was in high school and babysat for my cousin whose house was on the main street in town. After the kiddies were asleep I'd sit on the huge front porch and wave to my friends as they cruised by on the main drag. Fun times.

Not only is everything white, but there are no window treatments. I wouldn't let JoJo or Chimp near my house.

I really liked them and they made the best choice. With a baby on the way the wife certainly didn't need the stress of redecorating their new home.

I thought the kitchen was a hot mess. An island would have been an improvement. Those tall dining tables aren't easy for everyone to sit at. My neighbor has one and children and oldsters find the chairs difficult to navigate. I also questioned whether vaulting the ceiling was a wise move. It made the adjacent living room look odd with its normal height ceiling. I thought losing the linen closet in the bathroom was okay because they gained a larger vanity with storage and still had a second linen closet right outside in the hallway. But NO! They removed that closet as well. Duh. That home ended up with a serious lack of storage.

I haven't heard anyone mention using paste wax on floors in ages. My mom got it in tubes. She'd take the cap off and step on the tube, then spread it with a machine that was a floor polisher and buffer. Those ancient hardwood floors shined like glass.