[laurie]

Hi Jenn and welcome. Thankfully, we're about30 miles from any family so drop-in's don't happen. I think I would feel uncomfortable without people calling first to see if they can visit. But, everyone's different.

BTW, you have a beautiful home. Everyone's very helpful here with amultitude of great advice. Can't wait to see what you do with your kitchen.

[jgsearls]

Hey Laurie, Chabuchie and Liz! Thanks for the nice welcome.

[kirsty]

Hello!

I'm Kirsty-- another Seattle gal. I live in an old beach cottage with my CanadianBF (who is another CoHfan, but recently switched toWoW) and our golden retreiver Eleanor. I am a professional nerd for the local utility company.

I've been lurking around here fora few weeks, gathering pearls of wisdom and ammunition to convince BF that we really can remodel our old, leaking, crumbling, tiny, crackle painted kitchen for less than an arm and a leg! I daresay I will get my way eventually, and hope to demolish something either this fall or the following spring...

I just wanted come out of the shadows and introduce myself--andsay I'm so glad I found this site with you awesome people, your gorgeous kitchens, and this wealth of information.

Looking forward to being an active member of this ikean community!

And someday getting my kitchen with painted white doors! (drool) Or maybe Adel...

[GardenOfDarwin]

who is another CoHfan, but recently switched toWoW

/em boohiss

Sorry to hear of his fall from grace... I know a few folks that have slipped down that particular path. We try to remember them with charity.

What was his preferred AT?

Tell him that installing IKEA cabs is easy enough that a crazy Blaster or Scrapper with delusions of Tankhood could manage it. As a Controller it's a snap...

James

Edit: Yes... I'm borrowing her laptop so I get to pretend to be the almighty adminbug...

[kirsty]

Hi James!

LOL--Sorry I don't know much about the BF's online alter egos--afraid I'm not as knowledgable/amiable about the gaming as Susan is.The best'negotiated settlement'BF's gotten out of me so far is thatI promise not to openly mock in front of our friends.

[Moon_child]

I suppose, since I've posted pics of my kitchen, my house, my oldest child, and my husband (notice how I am not in there), I could at least introduce myself. That way ya'll don't think I'm a snob or something.

I'm Andrea, aka Moon_child, wife to Bryan, mother to Jason (18), Zach (15), Kayla (13), and Kaleasha (11). The oldest is mine from the first marriage, the last three are adopted, all from this country.

We started planning to build a different house (larger) when we found out that we were going to get the girls. That was SIXyears ago. You don't want to know how bad that experience was. Meanwhile, the six of us lived in a 950 square foot ranch that I kinda miss. We were a bit cramped but ok until a friend of our son's moved in with us. Then we were REALLY close. So, for the next year, until she finishes at the local community college and transfers to the university, we are a family of 7.

Did I mention we homeschool? No, I'm not crazy. No, I'm not a saint. No, I don't have the patience of Job, although I sometimes think I should. But I have been at it for 12 years now, so I do have more experience and less fear than I used to, especially since we've now done the high school and college acceptence thing. It's nice to be a vetern.

Hmmm....what else.....

I like to cook. I like to write. I scrapbook and do other crafts whenever I manage to pull myself away from the computer boards. I've really spent WAY too much time on THS Kitchen and Appliance forum, but now I spend most of my time over here.

I'm looking forward to landscaping our new home (previously part of a cornfield, so there's NOTHING here but grass). Anyone who's willing to offer advice, expertise or experience is sure welcome.

That's kinda me in a nutshell. See ya'll on the posts.

Moon

[GardenOfDarwin]

It's so nice to hear about everyone! Please....let's keep this up! 830+ members and counting!

Moon -- nice to know you're here now most of the time! Me too. I spent an inordinate amount of time over there for a long time, but just can't do it anymore. I like you guys too much!

Susan

[Valerie]

Hello - I'm Valerie and I'm British but live (most of the time) in the Czech Republic with my husband. We're moving into the flat next door, which is larger than our current one - although since the house is quite old the layout is a bit odd...We need to put in a new kitchen (and also a bathroom). I've just posted a design in the Planning section.

What else? I'm a freelance translator, so work at home...when I get to to the end of a page I allow myself to move a cabinet around in the kitchen planner

830 members is amazing...it just goes to show how useful the internet is for sharing this kind of thing, though. I was just thinking back to what this would be like before the internet age (all my home-buying/furnishing experience has been post-internet). At the most you'd ask a few people who they'd used and what their experiences had been, but you'd have absolutely no way of sharing this kind of detail.

Thanks for all the work you've put into it! And everybody for providing their pictures etc.

[ourmoneypit]

Valerie wrote:

...I was just thinking back to what this would be like before the internet age

I know I used the yellow pages. Love the 'net. Like having a library in my house (excellent feature for curious me).

Even better, though, I've gotten to meet people from all over the place. It's the best barrier-free neighbourhood there is!

830 and counting. wow...just...wow HI EVERYONE! <waving>

[CindyLouWho]

Oh, my. I seem to have forgotten my manners and have been posting without introducing myself.

I'm Rachel (no, my name is not Cindy--that's the screen name I use at THS and it has stuck). I'm 37 (for a few more weeks ), live with DH and 2 DS's (4 & 6), one golden retriever, 18 chickens and a bunch of horses and cows. We live in Vermont on a farm that has been in my family for generations. We grow a majority of our own produce and eat lots of eggs! (all organic, free-range, etc)

DH and I moved back to VT about 7 years ago--jumped off the Seattle fast track (I was at a "big" software company, he was at a big seafood company) for a slower life as a teacher (DH) and stay-at-home mom.

Built a house about 4 years ago on the family farm that had to be torn down due to major structural flaws (LONG story). We've been living in the upstairs of the garage (700sq ft) for the past 2.5 years and just broke ground on a new house. Of course, the kitchen will be IKEA (I've been a fan since my first apartment in Paris in 1990).

I too prefer to remain invisible, but I'm happy to post pics of my boys...