Romantic Homes March issue

[shabbychick]

I hope nobody minds that I started a new thread. I kept forgetting where the other mention of Romantic Homes was. I did pick up this issue at Joann's Fabrics and really enjoyed it. It was the color issue. Generally I'll pick up an issue of anything that mentions color. I'm not a neutral person in any way, shape, or form, so I loved all the bright, happy colors. That pink house with the pink and aqua interiors was so cheerful. It's not for everyone, I know, but I sure enjoyed it. I've been using a lot of pink as an accent color in my yellow rooms, but now I've got a hankering to do a whole pink room.

Has anyone else ever used that fabric decoupage technique on clear glass plates? I know I've seen articles in other magazines in recent months about this, too, and I'm curious about it. It looks like you'd have to limit the items to serveware rather than, say, dessert plates that would have to be completely immersed. I wonder if there is a way to treat the back of the plate so that you could actually wash it, at least by hand. One of my nieces is getting married in May, and I was thinking it might be fun to make her a set of holiday-themed dessert plates.

I also really enjoyed the article about the tea shop in San Francisco. It makes me want to go there. The brightly checked floor was exactly the sort of thing I would like to put in my kitchen. I love going to tea, though I seriously wish someone could develop a whole-grain, low-sugar, low-fat high tea package to offer on the menu. It's such a visual treat to see those tea sandwiches, scones, and custard-filled tarts piled on the serving dish when you go to high tea, but it comes with a heaping side dish of guilt!

This might be a magazine I'd consider subscribing to. You know what I'd love to see more of in a magazine (though it may not be appropriate to RH) is more how-to articles like the Be Jane ones that used to be in one of the magazines I subscribed to. They introduced power tools and other kinds of things for home improvement, some of which had been purposely scaled down to fit a woman's hand, and explained how to use them. I need something like that. I got a drill and a huge cache of drill bits for Xmas one year, and nowhere in the instructions does it ever explain how to figure out what kind of bit to use for what project or how to decide what size drill bit to use for the size of screw you need to place in the wall. I need articles that go back to the very, very basics of the how-to. I don't even know how to "read" a package of sandpaper. What do those numbers mean? I know it makes me look kind of stupid, but I was not one of those kids whose fathers explained things while they worked or encouraged them to hang around and watch, so I've learned almost nothing. Lots of how-to articles assume knowledge I don't have (including how the heck to get a big hunk of plywood home in a Saturn Ion). If it's true that the right tool for the job improves quality, I'd like to be able to learn what the right tool is and to know if there's a version that isn't too heavy or awkward for my smaller hands.

Anyway, I wasn't sure I'd enjoy the RH magazine, but I really did.

[chyna]

Do you know how long you need that wood cut to? Just asking because most stores will cut it to your measurements if you ask. I believe Lowes will do 2 cuts for you. :)

I picked up that magazine and loved it also. The tea shop in S.F. came in at just the right time becuase we will be in the area come this next week. Not sure if we'll have a chance to drop by there though. :( I keep thinking that I should subscribe to it too and to a Country magazine I've been picking up for months now. Just leery of subscribing to anyone right now with all the recent closings.

[cheapdiva]

s.c. - see my comment about painting my living room pink. two homes ago i had pink in the living room and dining room and it was very soft but i got so many compliments on the color - it really does make you look prettier to be around pink. i also used to use only pink light bulbs but they are hard to find in any wattage other than 60 and with my eyes starting to go also i need 100 watters!!!!

in addition to painting the living room pink this spring, i am re-doing my bath in a very pale silver/gray. it currently is suppose to be a pale coral color but everyone thinks its pink. we replaced the sink in there at christmas - ripped out the old crappy cabinet and replaced with a pedestal sink - got the sink for $49 and spent $900 to fix the plumbing when they replaced the sink:mad:


of course, this meant the wall got torn up and i have been looking at the big patch since then. time to prime and paint. and then on to our bedroom - the only room that hasn't been painted since we moved here. picked out a pale lilac yesterday because it will work with so many colors. thinking about buying black and white bedding for spring and summer.

[chyna]

Didn't you do your house in pumpkin colors? Are you painting over that color? I'm loving the new colors you are talking about by the way. I've been itching to paint my dd's bedroom a soft lilac color but she won't let me! Only room I'd even consider in a shade of any kind of purple and the purple girl doesn't want it. :confused: She confuses me. :p

[shabbychick]

I hear you on those 100-watt bulbs! The older I get, the more lights I have to turn on, and with my very poor eyesight anyway, finding a good reading light is next to impossible.

Pink is such a versatile color, and so many other things go with it. For awhile I got kind of burned out on the rose and teal combo from the 80s (though I loved it then). I moved away from pink for awhile, but now I'm back. I have one wall in my master bath painted a nice coral color, and I'm thinking of going over it with a pink wash of some kind so it looks a little like the sky at sunrise. The other walls in the bath are white (the only light is from a skylight, so I don't want to make it too dark) and will probably end up white again. I might do some rubber stamps of seashells in various pinks, purples, sage greens, and beiges on those walls.

Your soft pink walls sound like they must have been lovely. There's also something about a bright raspberry shade that really appeals to me.

When I was a kid, we had some neighbors from Cuba. They painted their little stucco house a bright, tropical pink. Even the brick fence around the front yard was pink, with the mortar painted bright white. It was quite a sight in our otherwise drab neighborhood. I think a neighborhood full of houses painted bright, happy colors would be wonderful.

[ChapterTwo]

I think a neighborhood full of houses painted bright, happy colors would be wonderful.


Oh, yes! Think of the "painted ladies" of San Francisco, or the equally beautiful Victorian homes in Cape May - the historical colors really make them come alive! :)

[cheapdiva]

yes, currently the kitchen is in shades of pumpkin and spice. I am on a kick to repaint everything because of the remodel. and I am moving to a more uniform look in shades of warm pastels.

living room in a warm pink, entry in a seafoam, dining in a soft coral and kitchen in a celery, new bath/laundry in a blue (yes, I who am not a fan of blue - I have found some colors that I love) and our room in a pale lavender. we had a silvery lavender in our old house in the bedroom - 3 walls and the headboard wall was a deeper version - loved it. our room and the entry way are the only rooms we haven't painted (at least once) since we've lived here. the hallway and guest room won't be touched. at least not this year!

will probably tackle the full bath this week - that's the one going to a silver, pale grey. we have to rip out the tub in there next year but right now i need to do something because of the new drywall in there. so this room might get re-done again next year!!

[shabbychick]

So, I went to the Romantic Homes website today since I'm home sick and just ran out of anything constructive to do, just to see what it was like. Should I be worried that the link to the "current issue" takes me to the December issue? Should I think twice about subscribing if the website doesn't appear to have been updated in three months even though it's a monthly magazine? I am a little leery of subscribing to anything these days for fear the magazine may actually be on its way out. Is RH thriving and just behind on its website, or is it struggling and about to follow in the footsteps of Country Home?

[ChapterTwo]

Oh, noooooooo...that sure doesn't sound good at all. It seems very much what happened with so many other of "our" magazines.
Let's hope not, but...

Okay, I went to the website and saw what you meant, shabbychick, about the Christmas issue being shown as the current issue, so I called the number listed. The woman I spoke with said that RH IS still being published, but when I asked why the Christmas issue was still up, she said that it probably just hadn't been updated. Well, I like to think that, but it sounds a little fishy to me...

[shabbychick]

Sounds a little fishy to me, too. If it were only published a few times a year, I could see the Xmas issue still being up, but when the website for a monthly magazine isn't updated for three months, that begins to sound like there is nobody available to do the updating. I went to the forums page and didn't see much happening over there.

[ChapterTwo]

That's right, shabbychick...the publishers want to get the latest issue out there to entice everyone to buy, ASAP. I have a feeling that there might be news forthcoming about RH and it won't be good.

[ChapterTwo]

I took a peek in Barnes and Noble and there it was...the April issue of RH!
Since I hadn't yet bought C & B, I felt I should buy that first (especially since they're nice enough to host us here), and so I did. I'm sure RH will find itself into my hot little magazine loving hands soon, though.

[Hillary Black]

Hello and Happy Spring!

I'm sorry I've been away from the forums for awhile. We had a show in Asheville, North Carolina and another in Boston. It was great to be out meeting people and sharing the magazines but the elves didn't get my work done while I was gone! :)

I wanted to post a short note to let everyone know that our Homes Group (Romantic Homes, Cottages & Bungalows and Victorian Homes) is thriving. We are plannng to be around a long time. We are working hard to weather these tough economic times as a group and as a company.

In fact, our company is working on revamping all of our Web sites so, while they are not as current as they should be right now, rest assured that we are getting there.

We so appreciate hearing from you about the magazines, ideas or comments.

Also, if you'd like to go directly to the Romantic Homes forum, visit www.romantichomes.com/forums. We'd love to see you there, too.

Thanks again for being part of our growing (and healthy) family!

Best wishes,

Hillary Black
Editor, Cottages & Bungalows
Contributing Editor, Romantic Homes and Victorian Homes

[chyna]

Super Moderator?! :p Cute Hilary. Glad to see you're back and checking in with us again. I was beginning to think the elves had you tied up in the back room or something. :o

[shabbychick]

It's good to hear RH is thriving. I'll look forward to updated websites. Thanks for checking in!

[Hillary Black]

Hello! A belated thank you for all the warm birthday wishes!
It was a beautiful one. Thanks so much for thinking of me.

We recently moved our offices so it has been a challenge to get back on top of our deadlines. The silver lining is the new offices are lovely!

If anyone wants to send me photos of their project, please do. I am always going to be doing a little web/Forums update in the magazine to show off what you all do so well and invite new members. Did you see the cover line on the June/July issue? :)

PS Chyna: I think I became "super moderator" when I learned to delete spammers on this forum! :) Anyone want to design me a retro Super Moderator cape?! LOL

Happy Spring! Hillary

[chyna]

:p So would this cape have blown roses on it or something kookier? :p