TV shows that make your job harder

[Dreamstalker]

While the BF and I were chatting it up with him, a few younger people passed by to look. Turned off by the prices, they ran off to the gift shop with a rude comment about it being expensive. The carver's reply..."well, my necklace will last you forever".

I'm very good friends with the owner of a small Zuni shop in Santa Fe; she taught school on the pueblo in the 70s. Every once in awhile I'll meet a few of the artists as they're delivering pieces. Yes, what she carries can be more expensive than the other places in town, but is by far the largest selection and she knows the carvers personally so you know what you're getting is real (sadly, there seems to be a booming market in fake fetish carvings and jewelry, and some people are willingly supporting it because they want stuff cheap).

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Oh yes, those "interior decorating" shows where these so-called "experts" redo everything . . .

More like "inferior decorating" if you ask me. I think I'm quite capable of decorating a room on my own, thankyouverymuch.

Besides, most of the time, what the end result comes out to be isn't to my taste, so why bother with those shows?

[Seshat]

Uh, wouldn't it have been better to spend a *bit* more, and just have to buy the thing once?

That's exactly why I've held onto the family heirlooms. They're much better than what's available today

That's why I've got the basics of building furniture in my head and hands. Now that we have our own home, we're just waiting for the immediate cash crisis to be over then I'll start by making some basic wall units. Essentially they'll be really long boxes on their side with shelves in them - nothing fancy - but they'll last. And once I have more skill, I can modify them.

[protege]

I could have built my own wall units. They wouldn't have been pretty though--finding ones at IKEA was easier

I've built a few things with wood, namely the benchwork (support structure) for my model railroad...but that's about it. Since most of that will eventually be hidden with scenery, it doesn't matter what it looks like. As long as it's level

I'd like to learn how to build things, however, I just don't have the time to do that sort of thing anymore

[Shabo]

Any show that has people doing things on a computer that is completely unrealistic. Seriously. Sure, I can hack into the department of defense in 60 seconds... in my wildest dreams! Please! Whoever writes half this stuff deserves to be shot.

I have Ikea furniture for a few reasons. 1) Cheap for me, since I'm a college student, 2) I can assemble and disassemble should I move, 3) It looks really good in my room, and 4) If I want to toss it later in life, I won't feel so bad because it was cheap.

I basically needed everything new for my room (except a bed) since my brother took his furniture with him. I got a really good deal, too. And I put white in my room on the walls, then painted over it with a dry brush in a pretty blue, so it has a nice cool summery feel to it. I went with all white furniture just because I couldn't use natural looking wood... The flooring in that room is a strange orangey-cherry color (it's really old), and there is no way I'll ever be able to find any color wood to go with that. I couldn't even match it if I tried! So, white it was. And like I said, it looks really good in my room. So I'm happy.

For the general wood discussion... I think if wood is fashioned in a way that it calls for the piece to be painted, then that's the way it should be. *Wait! Don't shoot me yet!* I want to build a table that has an oriental look to it, and I plan on using a very light piece of wood (probably ash) and painting an inky black on it for design accents, but I'm planning on letting most of the finish show through. If a piece of wood is finished well, or is refinished, and looks absolutely beautiful, then painting it over or changing the finish is unacceptable. If you want it to look distressed before it's finished, tell the person building it. If you want it painted, tell them what color. Don't ruin all the time they put into the finish!

For trading spaces- WTH is up with that one lady designer that wants to put freakin FABRIC on the walls all the time!?!?!?! The only time she didn't do that was when the couple specifically told her *not* to. WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND PUTS FABRIC ON WALLS!!!!! Seriously! Paint or wallpaper. Not Fabric. And she always picks fabric that has this really ugly print on it. I would never ever leave that crap up. I did see one really fantastic home improvement show (I think it was Trading Spaces) where they remodeled the upstairs living quarters of the ice cream shop place into a retro look, and it was *amazing*. They did such a great job on that. I loved the rooms they did. But beyond that, the show's ok.

I do really love the "What Not To Wear" show, even though they can be a little mean with their comments. I think they do a great job getting the women into new outfits and helping them get hairstyles and makeup that actually look good on them.

/end rant

[Gurndigarn]

For trading spaces- WTH is up with that one lady designer that wants to put freakin FABRIC on the walls all the time!?!?!?! The only time she didn't do that was when the couple specifically told her *not* to. WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND PUTS FABRIC ON WALLS!!!!!

Some retail/entertainment places that have a lot of young-kid traffic.

That's a good enough reason to avoid it, in my book.

[Bella_Vixen]

I do really love the "What Not To Wear" show, even though they can be a little mean with their comments. I think they do a great job getting the women into new outfits and helping them get hairstyles and makeup that actually look good on them.

/end rant

I saw one episode a few years ago, and it was horrible. They made the lady cry, and I was screaming at the TV. I was livid. I don't remember all of it, but they were ragging on her hair extensions (they looked nice!) and all of her clothes. It was just wrong on so many levels. This lady was crying when they were doing her makeup, for crying out loud.

[Becks]

I do really love the "What Not To Wear" show, even though they can be a little mean with their comments.

I've never seen the show. Are the people they pick hideous to start out with, or just running around in jeans/sweats/jammie pants and a t-shirt, thus offending their fashionable sensibilities?

[Sliceanddice]

I've never seen the show. Are the people they pick hideous to start out with, or just running around in jeans/sweats/jammie pants and a t-shirt, thus offending their fashionable sensibilities?

alittle bit of both becky, they have had women who have worn hideous 80s legging everywear, slips for dresses and nothing but animal print and flames and guys with ripped up and nasty clothing, and 80s suits and leather everything, and they have had people who just need a little tweaking here and there.

[wagegoth]

Any show that takes place in a law firm. None of those shows is written by anyone who has practiced law, and they never show the real life of a paralegal or secretary. Completely unreal.

Most legal secretaries are not in suits or dresses or perfectly coiffed and made-up (as applicable), because we spend a good chunk of our time digging through files (and some of those file drawers are right on the floor), running up and down stairs between floors, hauling boxes and file folders, standing on hard floors waiting for copiers to finish, standing at scanners, etc. We don't have time to sit and adorn our desks. If we're sitting at our desks, we're keying docs, doing research, making travel arrangements or trying to find a helpful court clerk by phone.

And the only time the lawyers show up in suits is when they're on their way to court. Occasionally, they may put on ties for meetings with certain old school clients, but that is it.

I'm not even going to comment on the design shows. They pretty much all make me crazy. I did love the original "Changing Rooms" from the UK. Yes, some of the stuff was pretty horrible, but there were a few gems in the big pile of dross. And Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen knew some really interesting stuff from having done stage design, including undercoat that would cover red paint in one coat, and little trompe l'oeil tricks.

[Sofar]

I want to build a table that has an oriental look to it, and I plan on using a very light piece of wood (probably ash) and painting an inky black on it for design accents, but I'm planning on letting most of the finish show through. If a piece of wood is finished well, or is refinished, and looks absolutely beautiful, then painting it over or changing the finish is unacceptable.

A heavy coat of laquer will give you that oriental look.

For trading spaces- WTH is up with that one lady designer that wants to put freakin FABRIC on the walls all the time!?!?!?! The only time she didn't do that was when the couple specifically told her *not* to. WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND PUTS FABRIC ON WALLS!!!!! Seriously! Paint or wallpaper. Not Fabric.

Well, my old house had upholstered walls in some of the rooms, but it was from the Victorian age, and the fabric was only between the wainscotting and the picture rail.

[LewisLegion]

I hate that show, 'What Not to Wear'. They should call it, 'What to Wear so That You Fit into Our Idea of How You Should Look and Buy into the Media Propadanda of What Is or Is Not Pretty'.

I'm a girl. I'm a tomboy. I wear jeans and t-shirts ALL the time, except to church. I wear men's hiking boots that are a couple sizes larger than my feet. I wear a baseball cap ALL THE TIME.

I don't wear makeup. My hair is long and brushed but I don't bother curling, styling, or anything like that. I'm clean. Occasionally I wear perfume. No jewelry except my watch.

That's me. ALL THE TIME.

They'd have a hay day with me. Telling me I look slovenly, how I should cut my hair and wear make-up and dresses and capris and tight little tops and have twenty different pairs of shoes and carrying matching purses, etc. etc.

And I'd fold my arms and tell them right back 'I'm okay with me. If you're not okay with me, that's your problem and not mine. I'm not a Barbie doll, I'm me, and this is how I'm comfortable. Why on Earth should I change to make YOU happy?'

That's what frustrates me most, I think, and I ran into it a lot growing up. Several girls, including my sisters, wanted to make me their 'projects'. A typical conversation:

Them: "Here, lemme do your hair and you'll see how much nicer it looks."

Me: "Are you saying my hair doesn't look nice?"

Them: "Well, no, but it could look nicer."

Me: "Your definition of nicer you mean."

Them: "Don't you want to be pretty?"

Me: "Are you saying I'm not pretty?"

Them: "Well, no, of course not, you just need a little makeup?"

Me: "Why? I'm comfortable the way I am now."

Them: "Don't you want other people to like you?"

Me: "If they don't like me for me, then no, I'd rather not, thank you."

[MystyGlyttyr]

Not to mention the part where every single person on What Not To Wear winds up in he exact same uniforms every time. Tailored blouse, pencil skirt, short hair, and peep-toe heels for women, and slacks, half-open dress shirt, crew cut, and leather loafers for men.

WTF is a "pencil" skirt, anyway? It looks exactly like every other skirt in the world.

[LewisLegion]

Aww, I thought you were mine, Raps

[JustADude]

I hate that show, 'What Not to Wear'. They should call it, 'What to Wear so That You Fit into Our Idea of How You Should Look and Buy into the Media Propadanda of What Is or Is Not Pretty'.

...

They'd have a hay day with me. Telling me I look slovenly, how I should cut my hair and wear make-up and dresses and capris and tight little tops and have twenty different pairs of shoes and carrying matching purses, etc. etc.

Not trying to start a flame-fest here but have you ever actually watched the show, LL?

Because I used to watch it all the time, mostly because it was the only thing on at that time of day, and I pretty much got the exact opposite impression you did.


They give you aesthetic guidelines based on your body-type and situation, then give you the $5000 and let you go pick out the clothes, based on your style. Most of the people that get on there are people who are completely clueless about what looks good on them and/or work in environments where Business Casual is the minimum standard, but come into the office like they're on their day off from a retail job. They get get conventional fashion pushed on them because they have no style of their own.

The rocker, the goth chick, and quite a few others who had their own styles were just given advice on how to make it work better for them. Someone like you would be getting advice on straight-leg vs. boot-cut jeans, what rise is best for you, what colors and fabrics look best on you, best cut for your jacket, etc. They'll want you to pick up some women's shoes, yeah, but what's so bad about having some sneaks and boots that actually fit properly?

As for the rest, they have professionals come in to do the hair/makeup portion, not some teenage girls that have been reading Vogue. These are people that get paid big bucks to make their clients look good, and they know what they're talking about most of the time. If they think you'd look better with a shorter cut they will, of course, try to talk you into it, but since you have a low-maintenance style they'll give you a low-maintenance cut. And, yes, they'll advise you on how to best apply makeup, but you'll thank them for it when you come up on the rare occasion when you do what to go all out.