FP- and I are alike in thought on many areas. That is a nice change of pace actually since we can converse with each other on shared topics of thought as we enjoy sitting out under the star-filled skies or walking along a street while window shopping. I am not straining to think of something to talk with him about and vice versa. We may not agree with the other's position on a thought but we can understand easily why since it stemmed off a shared thought process in the beginning formation of it. *shrug*

We are also very different in many areas. I jokingly refer to him as "Mr. Ultra-Conservative" in how he likes to dress and wear his hair. (Though I also have to admit, he looks darn good in his selections also! *winkety wink*) I am the dubbed "Scatter Brain" of the household as I am apt to change my plans on a drop of a dime or not even needing a dime to drop whereas he is the "Home Body" of the two of us.

His philosophy while out shopping is "If you see it and want it, then get it then and there - cause it may not be there when we get back to the store" and mine is "If I only have $20 left and there are 2 items I like that both cost $20 apiece ... I will debate for half an hour then leave both items there, unable to make up my mind between the two" and "I will pick up four items, set down one to pick up another, filter out again halfway thru the shop to set aside two others to 'lessen the load' then circle back to possibly pick back up one of them - if not all - after selecting another item ... all the while totally miscalculating how much I have spent ..."

He hates cigarettes and the smell of certain brands really get to his sense of smell. I am a smoker of several years.

He is "Mr. Everything Has A Place, And Things Should Be In Their Place" and I am "Ms. Now Where Did I Put Such&Such At This Time". Out of all of our differences, I would have to say that this one is the required "tongue biting" one for both of us.

He hangs up his dirty clothes so they don't get wrinkles set into it his good clothes prior to washing, I tend to forget to wash these items as I am used to the closets being used for only clean clothes.

Through all of these differences we tend to laugh over them and sometimes just silently shake our heads instead of arguing over them. He and I are not spring chickens so doubt if we will just change our habits to suit the other person after all this time we have lived - but some have been modified a wee bit. Like, he no longer clears my stuff off the computer desk every time he walks by it but only maybe once a week now. *chuckle*

Now when he was growing up, his parents didn't really get into hanging up pictures on the walls. In the living room, only 2 pictures graced the wall of the room, though the TV's top and the bookcase next to it was filled with family snapshots and nick knacks. My parents weren't heavy into items on the walls - but every wall was graced with an arrangement, wether small or of a mix or related items. FP- didn't have but one picture on his bedroom wall ... though it was removed while we were still living there but out of town one time to be given to another member of the family even after when asked about it beforehand he stated that he would like to keep that picture in his possession for sentimental reasons. I on the other hand .... well ... I like stuff on the walls.

Now I will be showing on here some examples of my past decorating - I will have to label these pictures as to the year on them since FP- and I didn't become a couple until the summer of 1996. These earlier styles were able to be spread out and such mainly cause I had a living room in my house in Indiana that measured a mere 16 feet wide by 28 feet long and other bedroom above it was only shorter in length due to the stairwell's opening. (These are only examples of 2 rooms in this house as far as size, too) Hahahah!! So I was able to spread out my items on the walls throughout the house.

When I moved to Pittsburgh, I later returned to the house in Indiana to reclaim some of the wall decor to blend in with the items I purchased in the between time with either Bryan or FP- in attendance. *grin*

When we moved into the apartment in December of 1997 the walls and wood trim were freshly painted white. I don't like white walls - preferring more subtle shades like a pale wheat color or if going with a color-scheme wall that the shade be as pale as I can get by with and still have it show a hint of color. But there are apartment complexes that don't like the residents painting anything in the place and this was one of those apartments so white walls and trim it was for background color. *bleh!*

I already had some items for the walls in possession, so gradually hung them up on the walls of the apartment prior to the reclaiming trip in Indiana. The only wall that has remained untouched so far is one of the kitchen walls - every other wall has been re arranged since that first month due to furniture placement or that I "just don't think it looked quite right there" area of reasoning. Yet now I had gone to Indiana to retrieve some other items to place on these walls ... so what to do now?

Well, first I just grabbed my hammer and a new supply of nails - I hung the stuff up on the walls in a haphazard manner. I basically tried to place the items on the walls I thought best suited for their display in with others that seemed to compliment each other. I do try to set themes to some of my walls - i.e. children, parental, certain color hue domination, animal, whimsical, et al. Once a theme is selected then the other items not of that theme are blended into it that will not detract from the main theme of the wall's titling. If you are confused already, then you can sort of relate to how FP- felt. *LOL*

So basically, over the couch is the wall that became "Parental" in theme - this is where I hung up the main center picture (called Special Pleader, it is a scene where a girl is being punished by having to stand in a corner and the pet dog is "pleading" to an unseen person for her to not be punished). Around this picture I was going to hang up photos of our parents and grandparents that we had in our possession.

On one shelf I have my father's mother's purse from the time period before she got married and a vase she used to have setting out on a fireplace mantle. These are about the only items I have left of hers, the others being a library table and a couple of pictures. I had other items about her, such as pictures from negatives I had made into prints in the early 80's and a cedar chest that was willed to me by her when I after my birth since she wanted to leave something to all her granddaughters and she had already taken in her wedding ring to have the stone divided and reset into smaller rings prior to my arrival -- but these came up missing when I returned to Indiana to get them.

Nearby to a picture of FP-'s grandmother is an item I framed that was uncovered behind the original frame her picture used to be in, and that was an uncut sheet of matchbook covers she had used to "pad" the picture with. Close by is a beer can sheet that comemorated the Pittsburgh Pirates back in 1979 for the World Series that is on this wall to commemorate the fact that FP-'s family is from that area and had been for a couple of generations or longer. (Every Pittsburgher has some kind of Pittsburgh related item on the wall of the house or business - a silent rule I think of the town.) Below my mother's mother picture is a wide framed mirror that holds some of the Cat's Meow Village pieces I came across in my excursions of second hand shops. Next to her is the only picture ever taken of her husband and my grandfather, it was redone from an employee ID card right after his death and the photographer superimposed a suit over the overalls he was actually wearing in the photo for the family. He passed away in 1937.

Intermixed with these main theme items are photos of my girls, Robby, and few photos of my parents and FP-'s parents that we have. To break up the photo mural of faces, I had placed a couple of other shelves to hold some trinkets and some whimsical pieces that makes FP- chuckle to see on a wall. (For example, the little toy rifle that has a couple of little heart plaques hanging around it - one says "So this isn't home sweet home - adjust!" and the other says "This house is protected by killer dust bunnies!". *chuckle*)

The opposite wall from this is our "Welcoming Wall" - dubbed this by the woven welcome sign purchased from a local garage sale that was hung on this wall. FP- also calls it the "Blue/Red Wall" since the tapestry item sets the main color theme for the majority of the items around it. On one side is a little maple nick knack shelf that holds little items of ours that is more of a sentimental value to us. On the other side of the wall hanging is an arrangement of a set of pictures of a boy and girl that on the shelf below holds a pair of toddler' button up shoes similar to what my father may have worn when he was born with a button hook inserted thru one of the buttonholes and an antique wooden horse and soldier toy from approximately. the latter 1860's or thereabouts.

These two walls are the ones often kept in re-arrangement mode so may never look the same twice. Not meaning I have to get new items for it to have it become arranged differently either. FP- refers to these as the "Swiss Cheese Walls" since they are in constant revision and thus I often am caught with my jar of spackling at one or both of these walls.

The wall that the TV is against is my "Homey Wall". In one corner it holds an old simple block quilt that I purchased from an auction a few years back and on the other side of the wall is a mirrored coat rack hanging on the wall that has some little cutesy items around it. In the center currently is a pair of pictures showing a little boy and girl that is separated by a checkerboard. On top of the entertainment center is a basket of handmade dolls the woman craftmaker sold as a set titled "Little Women" so naturally nearby I had to set the Cat's Meow Village piece I picked up in Concord, MA (where Louise May Alcott grew up) of the Wayside Inn. I also have a small pair of wooden shoes picked up during one of my garage sale sprees and some other trivial items set up on here that don't up a lot of room.

Underneath the old quilt is a school desk that holds some little odds and ends that Robby can't destroy. In front of it, a little basket that an old pillow is stuffed into makes a "bed" for a cast iron doorstop shaped like a cat that is slowly losing the original paint due to age and some rust. Next to the desk I placed some of the larger tins of my collection to help prevent the "Robster" from figuring how to get into the corner and play with the quilt itself. The video cabinet is centered on the wall and holds an old kerosene lamp that sports a country-motif stencil on the edge of it and a couple of snapshots reside here in frames. Next to this is Robby's Exerciser thus taking up the last bit of "what can I put here" space.

The Computer desk is against "The Motto Wall" on which is dubbed so due to the two items I had hung on it a while back that have little phrases of inspiration or such on them. The shelf that is shaped and painted to resemble a house holds my little stoneware jar collection that have whimsical little phrases labeled on them as to "what they are supposed to contain or hold". Next to the computer area plays "host" to a couple of matching pantry's (the pressed wood versions that seems to dominate the furniture scene these days) that are literally crammed with some of my books and references I will pull out periodically to consult while on the internet chatting. I put them in there since the doors help hide some of the cluttered look of these books setting on the shelves. Little odd and end trinkets are on top of them, the ones that make FP- roll his eyes at me are the two celluloid dolls heads that are arranged on one corner. He just thinks it looks kind of morbid to see these two heads just sitting there doing nothing but staring at you. *shrug* Men - who will ever figure them out huh? *chuckle*

This wall is separated by a sliding glass door that opens to a non-functional patio of 8 inches max. in width. In front of this is my grandmother's library table that holds my house plants. The curtains are off white sheers (to help break up the white walls and yet not set a color tone for this area since the sliding glass doors are also a signal of a room division aka dining area next to it) that have balloon shades hung halfway up that have a pastel hued floral motif on them. I hung back the sheers with some ivy and rose garlands I purchased at a department store and twisted together - to help accent the subtle floral pattern of the balloon shades and yet compliment the overall two rooms decor.

The dining area is our tightly fit area of the apartment. A bookcase on one wall that my parents got for me one Christmas when I was in Jr. High - I was an avid reader back in those days. On top of this is some of my tin can collection, majority though are reproductions but a couple of first issues are in the mix on display here. Down one side is the start of small framed "advertisement or promotional gimmick items" that i have gradually started to seek out.

Naturally we have the "kitchen table" set in this room - a trestle table with two mismatched benches. At the foot of the table, against the back wall of the dining area, is my prized Hoosier Cabinet! This is my main centerpiece for this room, as it was for the kitchen of the house I own in Indiana when it was there. The upper doors are open to show off an old kitchen towel from the 50's I uncovered at a Goodwill and more of my tin can collection - though these are the more older ones of them. A couple of old cameras set the stage - believe it or not - for the glass juicers I have in my possession. On top of this cabinet is one of the wedding gifts I received from my first marriage that holds some silk roses the girls got for me one birthday. There are a couple of old kerosene lamps that are matching that flank the vase and a couple of old cast irons I picked up over the years.

Off-center in the ceiling of this room is the chandelier that we had to purchase an "S" hook for so we wouldn't knock ourselves out on since it was hung down pretty low. On the wall, an air conditioner unit dominates the scene - making how to arrange the stuff on that wall a bit rigid in concept since you have to work around the large unit. Above it, on curtain rod holders, I have my metal soda pop carriers residing. Down one side is a couple of pictures that are similar in frame style and shade of staining that are separated by an old toy that was originally my sister's but landed in my toy box after I was born and I refused to part with since. On one side you can do math problems - and a little sampling of mathematical problems to try your hand at are printed along the outer edge. On the other you can use it to spell out words, and the phrases it displays are often changed whenever one of us gets a whim to spell out a comment on it then it is hung up on the nails to display the "thought of the time period" to the people sitting at the table. Underneath the a/c unit is a shelf that holds a few tin cans and an old small-sized basket holding little trinkets.

The kitchen is the odd area of the house ... a mishmash of items the walls hold. On the one side of the cabinets that face the dining area are a few trivets that Robby likes to take down and play with. In the heart of the kitchen itself is a small variety of kitchen gadgets (flour sifters, strainers, potholder holders, etc.) mixed in with other items that I just liked and hung up in this room. The coffee mugs are hung up on a wall to blend in with other items due to the small cabinets of the apartment but seems to work out OK so far. By these I have an item hanging that many a person has begged to let them have ... an old framed pictorial description on how to use paper towels from when the item first appeared on the market and were relatively expensive to use - so the description was to show how to effectively use only one paper towel to wash and dry the hands with. The refrigerator naturally has to have some magnets on it, but I have set that are "not to be used" since they are little old time advertisements magnets that aren't too cheap to purchase even though they are new item on the market over the past 8 years. On the side though is a host of magnets of cloth animal shapes and freebie advertising magnets that one normally accumulates. These are the "OK, you can use these" magnets that hold up little notes or items the girls have sent to me thru the mail.

The hallway to the bedrooms is an extension of family photos on display. My father's picture from the 1960's was framed in an older oversized frame so was the reasoning for the theme of the hall. From his side is the start of a mural of nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters, and who ever else we feel is "family" to us. The other side of the hall looks bare as it holds a simple arrangement in the center of it - but no doubt over time that will change. *grin*

The bedrooms are the decor lacking areas for the moment. The master bedroom taking on a whimsical "Love Theme" and Robby's still in the air on what directions it could take in theme. The master bedroom didn't get this theme assigned to it due to it being "the adult's bedroom" but due to a couple of pictures I had hung up in it - one of a little girl jealous looking as she watches a little boy kiss another little girl and the other being an old picture commenting upon "The Highlights Of A Woman's Life" which is kinda humorous as it starts with Courtship, Engagement, Wedding, Honeymoon themed pictures but the "Highlights" end when the woman gives "Birth" to a child. Guess no more highlighting moments were in store for a woman after that. *shrug* *giggle*

The bathrooms are also simple in what they display so far, the half bath has to be kept simple due to the size of it otherwise the person may get claustrophobic if I "cluttered" the walls. The main theme of thought for both of them though seems to be that there has to be kitty-cats featured in them. I can't have a pet at the moment due to Robby's age so the bathrooms sort of going make up for this by letting me display a cat theme in them or at least in one item in those rooms. *chuckle*

So now you have a glimpse into how I manage to drive FP- up the wall while I dabble with arranging the walls and the room themes. It is not uncommon for him to ask me, while he is out town, what I have done that day and for me to respond "Oh I hung a couple more things onto such-a-such wall ..." Actually the wall covering tactic is two-fold. I normally set family pictures on tabletops or such but FP- doesn't like that since it limits adjusting the television antennae or using the end table top easily -- then I have Robby who thinks anything he can reach with his hands is an item he can play with, and since he mastered pulling himself up this sort of covers a broad area of what he can reach! *chuckle*