Every couple deserves to live in a home that they both love. Unfortunately, for most that is easier said than done! Decorating a home that both he and she approves of requires a lot of compromise and patience. Trust me, I speak from experience!
That’s why when Joss and Main invited me to curate my first-ever Apartment 34 collection, I jumped at the chance to share what I’ve learned!!
Launching at 9:00 pm ET today, we’re hoping you’ll find the perfect yin and yang balance with our Joss and Main His & Hers Curated Collection.
First, let’s do a little breakdown of masculine and feminine design.
In more masculine rooms, there tends to be neutral and darker color palettes. Furniture lines are clean, streamlined and are often more modern. You’ll tend to find different finishes of wood, varying from dark to light with chrome accents and modern art on the walls. And you can bet on finding a leather piece in there somewhere!
Feminine rooms are usually a bit more colorful. Tufted and velvet pieces of furniture are often combined with delicate glass, gold or brass accents. Obviously, vases and flowers are a must. And you are likely to find pattern and texture interwoven throughout the room.
Here are some styling tips and our hand picked favorites Joss and Main collection to help you create a gender neutral space that you both want to live in!
Tip 1: Start with a more masculine base. This means wall color and big pieces of furniture should be in a neutral color palette. You also want to stick to clean lines and stay away from anything too curvy. This really helps to set a more neutral tone in the room. Just remember feminine pieces speak much louder than masculine ones!
Tip 2: Bring in texture and pattern in accent pieces. Think a patterned rug and accent pillows. Drape in a cashmere throw on the sofa or add a pop of color in an accent table. A more modern chair upholstered in glamorous velvet is a great compromise accent piece.
Tip 3:The third layer should involve more feminine touches. A vase of flowers instantly brings femininity to the room. Just remember feminine pieces speak much louder than masculine ones. So for as many gold vases and pretty bowls you bring in, be sure to add a masculine touch to juxtapose the feminine lines. Think industrial objects or a vintage toy.
Here’s an example of a fabulous space that both he and she should totally love.
Love the look as much as we do?!
Starting tonight (and only until Saturday!), shop our Joss and Main Collection to grab the pieces that will work in any home and are guaranteed to be a hit.
If you shop the sale be sure to come back and tell us what you bought!
PS: Still not a Joss and Main member? Get your exclusive invitation right here
Are you tired of being asked why you’re still single? It can be one of the most draining and uncomfortable questions out there. But fret not—being single doesn’t need to mean being alone! In this blog post, we’ll provide tips on how to respond when someone asks why you’re still single, teaching them (and reminding yourself!) that it’s more than okay to be unattached for now. So whether it’s your first time facing such an inquiry or the 50th, get ready to take back control with these simple responses from Redditors:
1. I have Personality Flaws I’m Unwilling Fix
Photo Credit: Shutterstock.
One user shared, “Because I have raging personality flaws that I’m unwilling to work on. Usually prevents any follow-up questions.”
Another user replied, “This is good. The first step is accepting that you have problems you’re unwilling to fix.”
One commenter added, “… I’ve never seen myself described in a single sentence before.”
Another Redditor said, “And you don’t even need to lie this time! Yeah, I see the issue here.”
2. Have you Seen the Economy!?
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One Redditor posted, “Have you seen the economy!?”
One replied, “In this economy???? Hahaha, but I know people that live together ‘as a couple’ just because it is cheaper than separate. I live in Brazil, but I know Brazilians in Portugal that live in 3 couples in a small three-bedroom condo, just because six people working to share rent is the only way to make the month.”
One user added, “The economy is in shambles.”
3 My In-laws were Unable to Conceive
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One user commented, “My in-laws were unable to conceive.”
Another added, “That’s really creative.”
One Redditor commended, “That’s the best reply I’ve ever seen. I wish I had enough brains to remember it.”
Another user said, “Excellently clever. I’m envious.”
One commenter added, “I had to think about this for a moment.”
“Imma use this next time,” one user concluded.
4. You See how Picky I am about Shoes: They only go on my Feet!
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One user posted, “Go full-on Cher from Clueless: “You see how picky I am about my shoes, and they only go on my feet!”
One commenter replied, “That movie was amazing.”
Another shared, “My go-to answer at this point is, ‘I really don’t know.’ Because I really don’t.”
5. Because I have a Radio Face
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One user shared, “Because I got a face for radio work.”
One replied, “…and a body for Standard Def.”
Another one responded, “…and a voice fit for silent films.”
One commenter said, “Objection! Radio work would not be a viable career choice if that were the case!”
6. Look at my Face and Take a Guess
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One online user commented, “Look at my face and body and take a wild [hecking] guess.”
One responded, “‘But you don’t look bad at all.’ ‘If that’s so, would you date me?’ ‘Eww, no.’ ‘So you think I look bad.’ ‘I already told you that you don’t look bad at all.’ ‘So it’s me you don’t like.’”
One user commented, “Unironically correct, lol.”
7. I didn’t Pass the Beauty Standards
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One Redditor stated, “I didn’t pass the beauty standards of my country.”
One replied. “You pass the beauty standards of Antarctica.”
Another added, “Sounds like a compliment … until it isn’t. Also, how dare you assume that the ten or so scientists that are stationed there aren’t super hot.”
One commenter added, “They’re, at the least, very cold.”
Another user shared, “Penguins are really attractive.”
8 I Don’t Meet Eligible People
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One user posted, “I don’t meet people (who could be potential partners), and I think more and more that I am not a ‘date’ type of person.”
One user replied, “You missed the arranged marriage era. It might have worked out for you. Perhaps you could borrow someone’s overbearing mother to find you a match.”
One Redditor added, “I have a couple of coworkers. One is Bangladeshi, the other is Indian. Their parents were like ‘Times are changing, you can marry for love if you want, and we’ll support you,’ and my coworkers were like ‘What the heck, you mean I’d have to DATE? [Forget that], please find me a husband.’
“Anyway one is now happily married and the other is constantly roasting her dad because he keeps offering her deadbeats riding on their dad’s coattails.”
Another commenter added, “No joke, arranged marriage sounds better and better, these days.”
“Yes, yes, I didn’t consider that. Tnx,” another user replied.
9. Why not?
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One of the Redditor commented, “Why not?”
One user then added, “That’s basically my response when my extended family asks this. They all have that small town, hurry up and settle down mentality, and are ALWAYS on my case about being single with no kids whenever I visit. Took me far too long to realize some of them are actually jealous. My money is MY MONEY. My time is MY TIME. I don’t have to confer with anyone before making a decision.”
Another user responded, “Misery loves company. They’re jealous…”
One Redditor added, “Do what you want whenever you want and indulge yourself and no sacralfices.”
Another user stated, “I’ve got a lot of friends from my hometown like that. I see how miserable some of them are and that’s repellent enough. Some of em got married way too young and didn’t vet their SO enough and realized they were crazy after they already got married.”
10. I’ve got the Personality of a Spoon
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“I’ve got the personality of a spoon,” one user shared.
Another asked, “Big spoon or little spoon?”
The OP answered, “The one you can never find a purpose for.”
Another user replied, “Salad spoon.”
11. Because I’d Rather be Alone and Happy
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One online user commented, “Because i’d rather be alone and happy than dealing with someone else’s work drama and emotional problems lol.”
One replied, “Being in a relationship seems so exhausting, I’ve been single for several years now and have absolutely no urge to date.”
Another user commented, “too real.”
12. Because I Tell the Truth
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One Redditor shared, “I tell the truth. I’m shy and don’t really meet new people. I’ve not added to my friend group, aside from partners of existing friends, in about 20 years. At work I have acquaintances from work—they’re nice people but I don’t communicate with them outside of work. I live alone, I work mainly alone, I don’t have any hobbies or interest groups.”
One replied, “Same.”
13. None of your Business
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“None of your business… that’s my usual response,” said one of the users.
Another user replied, “‘It’s because of Narnia.’ ‘Narnia?’ ‘Narnia business.’”
One also added, “It’s even cooler to turn it around on them: ‘Why would you think that’s your business?’”
Finally, another replied, “If they don’t know you that well, try weeping excessively. That discourages follow-up questions.”
14. I’m not Single; I have a Motorcycle
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One of the users said, “I’m not single. I have a motorcycle.”
Another user replied, “My cat takes up most of my free time.”
Another one responded, “What kind?”
One user added, “….and her name is Betsy and she lets me ride her all day and night, whenever I want.”
15. I’m Happy Single Right Now: Don’t Want to Ruin It
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One Redditor also shared, “I’m happy single rn. I wouldn’t want to ruin it.”
Another added, “When I was still single my response to this question was always ‘because I’m in a happy relationship with myself.’ I wasn’t, but it’s the thought that counts.”
One also confirmed, “I got out of a relationship a few months ago, it’s been rough but I really love my personal freedom. I’ll jump back in when I get tired of myself.”
Source: Reddit.
Image Credit: Shutterstock – Denis Makarenko
Who is one actress you can never stand watching, no matter their role? After polling the internet, these were the top-voted actresses that people couldn’t stand watching.
10 Actresses People Despise Watching Regardless of Their Role
These 7 Celebrities are Genuinely Good People
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We’ve all heard the famous adage that “no publicity is bad publicity,” and while it tends to be accurate, there are certainly exceptions. But what about those few stars who stay out of the limelight and get along without a hint of trouble?
These 7 Celebrities are Genuinely Good People
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Have you ever known someone and thought you liked them—until you learned about their hobbies? Then you get to know them and then you’re like, “Wow, red flag.” Well, you’re not alone.
These 10 Activities Are an Immediate Red Flag
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Some celebrities definitely seem to enjoy the limelight and keep working to stay in the public eye. While others quickly move out of the spotlight. Many of these actors and actresses stepped out of the spotlight to live a more private life without constant media pressures.
10 Celebrities That Made the Big Times Then Disappeared Off The Face of the Earth
Image Credit: Troma Entertainment
We’ve all been there – sitting through a movie that we can’t help but cringe at, but somehow it still manages to hold a special place in our hearts.
These 10 Terrible Movies Are Still People’s Favorites
Some credit cards include a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), aka rental car insurance covering damage, theft, and towing. CDWs save you the $15 to $30 per day you would otherwise pay for the rental agency’s insurance, and in the event of an accident can help you avoid paying a deductible and hike in premiums for your regular auto insurer.
In June I shared some tips for reducing home energy costs. Most of the information came from Michael Bluejay’s excellent guide to saving electricity. I was curious how much electricity invidual appliances use, so I ordered a gadget that Bluejay recommends: the Kill-a-Watt electricity meter. The official web site declares:
Connect your appliances into the Kill A Watt™, and assess how efficient they are. A large LCD display counts consumption by the Kilowatt-hour just like utility companies. You can figure out your electrical expenses by the hour, day, week, month, even an entire year. Monitor the quality of your power by displaying Voltage, Line Frequency, and Power Factor.
I’ve gone through our house and measured the power consumption of random devices:
Microwave (while dormant, simply displaying time): 2 watts — It costs us roughly $2/year to leave the microwave plugged in all the time.
Microwave (while heating a bowl of homemade bean soup for dinner): 2020 watts
Nintendo Wii (while playing Trauma Center: Second Opinion): 16 watts — Far less power than I would have guessed.
Strand of Christmas lights: 39 watts — More than I would have guessed. It will cost us roughly $3 to have this strand of lights plugged in during the Christmas season.
MacBook Pro (recharging with battery at 66%): 58 watts
Oil-filled radiator-style space heater: 520 watts on low, 820 watts on medium, and an unknown amount on high. I tripped the circuit breaker when I tried.
Dual-control electric blanket (one side set to three, the other turned off): 80 watts, declining by a watt every few seconds (presumably because it requires less power as it gets warmer — I don’t know). I stopped watching after it had dropped to 58 watts.
Desk Lamp: 5 watts
Nighlight: 1 watt — Assuming the nightlight is on 12 hours/day, it costs about 50 cents to run for an entire year.
While researching this post, I learned that cable boxes are hidden power hogs. It hadn’t occurred to me to test ours, but I’ll do so tonight. (I read one report of a cable box drawing 100 watts. If you leave yours on 24/7 as we do, that’s about $100 a year!)
The Kill-a-Watt’s best feature is the ability to measure power consumption over time. If I want to see how much power the cable box really draws, for example, I can leave it plugged into the Kill-a-Watt. After a few days, I can check the cumulative power consumption in kilowatt hours and compare it to the amount of time that has elapsed. (Both of these are measured by the device.) Simple arithmetic will show me how much I’m spending to power the cable box!
The Kill-a-Watt does have some minor drawbacks:
The unit doesn’t measure power consumption for large appliances like a range, or a washer or dryer.
The unit itself is rather bulky. When you plug it in, it’s tall enough that it crowds (and usually blocks) the other receptacle in a standard outlet.
The screen can be difficult to read, especially for a chubby old geek like me. The readout is relatively dim, and most outlets are located near the floor. I had to do a lot of crouching and crawling to make readings.
The user must do some math in order to figure out overall power usage and, especially, how much the usage costs. Fortunately, the math is relatively simple.
Once you have the initial information, the Kill-a-Watt isn’t very useful. It’s not a tool you will use all the time.
I find the Kill-a-Watt fascinating. It makes an abstract topic concrete. I can read all sorts of tips about how to save energy, but they’re all rather esoteric until I can actually see the numbers in front of me. The Kill-a-Watt gives me those numbers.
Note: I purchased this device using Amazon credit earned from this site. I also purchased several personal finance and self-development books for future review. I hope to begin “re-investing” some of the site revenue in items to review and to give away to readers.
Eager to know how to retire rich? It might be surprising that Dave Ramsey‘s site has one of the best money hacks I’ve seen recently. Drive Free, Retire Rich explores the impact of carrying a car payment, and offers ideas on how your money can be used more wisely. Though the sentiment is familiar, I find Ramsey’s approach novel.
You want a brand-new sports car that would normally cost you $475 a month. The car you’re driving now is worth around $1,500. If you take that $475 and pay yourself instead of paying the dealer, you’ll have $4,750 in just ten months. Add that to the $1,500 you can get for your current car, and you can pay cash for a used $6,250 car. That’s a major upgrade in car in just 10 months — without owing the bank a dime!
But let’s keep going. If you kept saving at that rate, you’d have another $4,750 in another 10 months. Chances are, less than a year later, you could sell your $6,250 car for about what you paid for it. This means that you can step up again — with cash — into an excellent $11,000 used car just twenty months from today. Not bad!
Not bad, indeed. Ramsey goes on to explain how you could actually get “free” cars by investing your $475/month and using the returns to purchase your vehicles. (The assumed 12% return is a stretch, though the overall point is valid.)
Car Values and Financial Freedom
How might I make this idea work for me?
Instead of buying a new car from a dealer, I could set aside the amount I’m willing to spend on a monthly payment. The presentation uses $475/month as an example. I could never pay this much for a car. I’d be willing to go as high as $250/month.
After a year, I’d have saved $3,000 for a car. According to kbb.com, the trade-in value on my current car is $3,700. Using these two sources, I could buy a better used car for $6,700.
Here’s where it gets interesting. If I kept making $250 payments to myself, I’d have another $3,000 saved at the end of the second year. Let’s say the $6,700 car lost another $1,000 in value and was now worth $5,700. I could trade it in and use my saved money to upgrade to an $8,700 used car.
I can continue this cycle until I reach the level of car with which I’m comfortable. After that, the amount I need to save each year would decline sharply. I wouldn’t have to save to upgrade my car, simply to maintain the level of quality.
I’ll certainly remember this for the future. As soon as I’ve repaid my home equity loan, I plan to begin saving for a car!
Zillow isn’t a mortgage bank, but they still have pretty good taste. So when you ask Zillow for an interest rate quote, they pass your information on to a lender they work with. One of their best-reviewed lenders? Total Mortgage.
Here are the top 5 reasons why Zillow users have recommended Total Mortgage.
1. They’ve been in the business for 20 years
Total Mortgage was founded in 1997 and has since grown from a small 3-person shop to a national lender with branches scattered across the country. Unlike many other midsized lenders, they never fell into the trap of sub-prime lending, and escaped the housing crisis unscathed.
2. Zillow users rate Total Mortgage highly
If Zillow knows one thing, it’s when to listen to its users—and based on the 4.9/5 rating across over 300 reviews, its users overwhelmingly recommend Total Mortgage. Take a look at what reviewers are saying here.
3. Your processor is always in-house
While some other lenders farm out their processors and customer service agents to outside companies, Total Mortgage keeps their processors on-site at their corporate headquarters in Connecticut or at their local branches. That makes it super easy for them to work with your loan officer if your application ever hits a snag.
4. They offer a 30 day purchase guarantee
Mortgages can take a long time to close—and some lenders take longer than others. Total Mortgage, though, has made a commitment to close on time. If your purchase loan isn’t closed in 30 days, your first mortgage payment is on them.*
5. Total Mortgage is an approved direct lender with Government Agencies
Total Mortgage is a direct lender to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as private investors. That allows them to minimize the overlays and added restrictions that keep buyers from qualifying for the loans they’ve earned.
Two Orange County, California, individuals face charges of conspiracy, bank fraud and identity theft, accused of targeting elderly members of the local Vietnamese community and duping banks into distributing $2.2 million of their accrued home equity.
Thao Thi Kim Nguyen and Nghiep Chinh Nguyen were arraigned in United States District Court in Santa Ana, California, on Monday. Both entered not guilty pleas to the charges against them and were granted bond. They each face a single count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud.
Thao Nguyen was also charged with multiple other counts of both bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Nghiep Nguyen, meanwhile, faces an additional two counts of bank fraud and another of aggravated identity theft.
The purported violations occurred over a four-month period in 2018 after Thao Nguyen opened accounts in her name at two banks, who were not identified in the court indictment. Later, she would return to the banks accompanied by Ngiep Nguyen and other participants involved in the fraud, who posed as homeowners.
Using stolen identities and phony documents, including California driver’s licenses and Social Security cards, Ngiep Nguyen and the other alleged fraudsters would typically impersonate elderly Vietnamese homeowners to take out mortgages. This gave them access to the victim’s accrued equity, through obtaining reverse liens after forging signatures on banking documents and grant deeds. Thao Nguyen also added the victims’ names to the accounts she had previously opened at the banks, claiming, in at least one case, they belonged to her parents.
She then reportedly received wire transfers of the withdrawals made by the other parties from the fraudulent mortgage accounts. Thao Nguyen subsequently moved those funds to different bank accounts she owned.
The scheme netted almost $2.2 million, according to the indictment, with Thao Nguyen taking in approximately $1 million while distributing the remaining amount to her cohorts.
A trial date for the two defendants is scheduled to begin on Sept. 26. If convicted, both face a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each conspiracy and fraud charge. They would also be required to serve two years for each count of aggravated identity theft if found guilty.
Neither the identities of others participating in the scheme, who were not part of this indictment, nor of the victims were reported.
The charges against Thao Nguyen and Ngiep Nguyen follow another recent trial involving elderly homeowners in California. In that case, the head of an investment company promised homeowners he could help distressed borrowers avoid foreclosure through transfer of their deed title to his business. After losses totaling more than $7 million and the eventual seizure of all homes belonging to the victims between 2015 and 2019, Robert Sedlar was found guilty on more than 100 felony counts earlier this year, including conspiracy, grand theft and elder abuse.
In discussing mortgage rates near 23-year highs yesterday, we asked if there was any hope for relief and concluded that the only question was one of timing. In turn, timing would depend on economic data an inflation. Rates got a glimpse of friendly economic data today following the big jobs report from the Labor Department. It was still very strong in a historical context, but not quite as strong as economists had predicted.
Up until then, rates were in a bit of a panic this week due to a confluence of other data and events. Wednesday was saw the biggest jump after the ADP employment data and an announcement regarding the government’s anticipated borrowing needs (via Treasuries).
U.S. Treasuries are at the core of the rate market. When investors become less interested in buying them or when the government becomes more interested in selling them, rates rise. The ADP data hit the demand side of the equation and the Treasury announcement hit the supply side. We can see how things played out in the following chart of 10yr Treasury yields as well as the much-needed response to Friday’s more important jobs report.
Despite Friday’s recovery, current rate levels are still uncomfortably close to long-term highs. Mortgage rates only made it back to Monday’s levels (30yr fixed index still over 7%). In order to get meaningfully into the 6’s, we’ll need more data that comes in cooler than the market expects.
So what’s the next big economic report to watch? Easy! The Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Thursday, August 10th. CPI is the only other piece of scheduled monthly economic data that could compete with the jobs report over the past 2 years when it comes to impact on rates. The last CPI report was good for rates, but the market needs to see a pattern that’s repeated for several consecutive months. If inflation is lower than expected this time around, it would be a solid step in that direction, one that likely allows rates to continue to moderate after this week’s push toward long-term highs.
Mortgage applications recovered slightly from last week, increasing 0.5% for the week ending Feb. 26, 2021 according to the latest report from the Mortgage Bankers Association.
A giant dip in applications was reported following the devastating winter storms in Texas the week of Feb. 8, but a week of normalized weather brought numbers back up, according to Joel Kan, MBA’s associate vice president of economic and industry forecasting.
That is despite the fact that the 30-year fixed rate experienced its largest single-week increase in almost a year, reaching 3.23%.
The refinance share of mortgage activity decreased to 67.5% of total applications from 68.5% the previous week.
“The overall share of refinances declined for the fourth consecutive week, and conventional refinance applications fell more than 2% to the lowest level in four months,” Kan said. “Government refinance applications historically lag the more rate-sensitive movements of conventional applications, and that was true last week, as both FHA and VA refinancing volumes increased.”
The refinance index increased 0.1% from the previous week and was 7% higher year-over-year. The seasonally adjusted purchase index increased 2% from one week earlier, and the unadjusted purchase index increased 5% compared with the previous week.
“The housing market is entering the busy spring buying season with strong demand,” Kan said. “Purchase applications increased, with a rise in government applications – likely first-time buyers – pulling down the average loan size for the first time in six weeks.”
The FHAshare of total mortgage applications increased to 12.1% from 11.2% the week prior. The VA share of total mortgage applications decreased to 12.3% from 11.9% the week prior.
Here is a more detailed breakdown of this week’s mortgage application data:
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($548,250 or less) increased to 3.23% from 3.08%
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with jumbo loan balances (greater than $548,250) increased to 3.33% from 3.23%, breaking a five-week stretch of decreases
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages increased to 3.19% from 3%
The average contract interest rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages increased to 2.64% from 2.56%
The average contract interest rate for 5/1 ARMs increased to 2.84% from 2.83%
With rates pushing up to super long term highs by yesterday afternoon, it may not have taken too much of a miss in today’s jobs data for bonds to rally. That’s essentially been the thesis so far this morning. NFP was a bit lower than expected with a small downward revision to last month. Wages increased, but some trade desks have pointed out that there is a calendar component that pulled some of August’s wage gains forward to July. The only other offsetting component was the small downtick in the unemployment rate. Bonds briefly sold of but have mostly been rallying so far this morning.
As far as the notion of recently higher rates providing fertile ground for a correction, the following chart helps put that idea in context:
In other words, the gains are nice, but also overdue and underwhelming in the bigger picture.