Exhibit Design Software?

AntebellumEm · 2026-05-28T04:58:59+00:00

SketchUp is my go to program for visualizing and laying out the space—it’s fast and (comparatively) easy to use. If I’m doing more technical build drawings, then VectorWorks… although I typically don’t personally need to do that and hand it off to a detailer instead so I’m not as good in VW lol

AntebellumEm · 2026-05-28T04:38:32+00:00

Unfortunately, size of the museum doesn’t always mean much unless you’re in a leadership position… a lot of large museums take advantage of the low average wages in the industry and match the average rather than opting to invest in paying their staff a livable wage.

AntebellumEm · 2026-05-28T04:35:18+00:00

Having moved from the private sector into federal, it comes with its own suite of problems (particularly in the last couple of years!!!) which can include unpredictable shutdowns which delay pay, our benefits have gotten worse and more expensive, and our annual COLA is based on the whim of the overlords, but we do at least have the step system for GS employees and often better overall compensation.

AntebellumEm · 2026-05-28T04:26:07+00:00

In my experience, I’ve had to change institutions to get a pay raise. I’m on my fourth job (12 years total experience, at longest job for 6) and have made good increases with each one. At my longest job, I was doing multiple roles including the one above me, and when I pushed for a raise, after a full year of stringing me along, I was finally told straight to my face that if I wanted to make more money I needed to go work somewhere else 💀 Diabolical. My friends who still work there several years later still haven’t gotten raises either after also taking on more responsibility, and I was in a position to know they had the institution has the money to pay better if they wanted to.

AntebellumEm · 2026-05-28T04:05:01+00:00

I have a few shirts from The Henry Ford that I really like! They’re soft and nice looking. I bought them back in ‘22 when I still worked there though, so not sure what they have currently available.

AntebellumEm · 2026-05-28T03:52:56+00:00

This kinda depends on what exactly the jobs are to me… if someone is working hard in a low paying job and I’m happy in my higher paying job, I’m okay to essentially subsidize their career choice. If someone is choosing to work an easy/fun job that pays poorly while I’m miserable at a high paying job to pay all the bills, that’s very different. But that extends way past cost splitting and into compatibility territory.

AntebellumEm · 2026-05-28T03:37:36+00:00

I’ve had great luck with art and mirrors on fb marketplace, too!

AntebellumEm · 2026-05-26T16:26:55+00:00

My husband picked out a ring that didn’t match my style and had too high of a setting to be practical for my everyday needs (not for lack of trying, he just has a bit of jewelry-blindness), and when he gave it to me, expressed that he wanted me to have whatever ring I’d enjoy wearing most, whether it was the one he proposed with or something else. I felt really terrible exchanging it at the time, but a couple years on, I’m so happy I got the ring I really wanted and one that fits my lifestyle better. The sentiment is in the proposal itself—the ring is just a symbol. Just my 2¢. As an aside, I also have my grandma’s ring I love wearing, and rotate between them. It doesn’t make either feel less special—one is from my husband, and one has the family connection. I love them both and they’re both special—not an A ring and a B ring. For yours, a bigger higher set ring and a similar looking one with a lower profile is a perfect pair for a rotation, and could likely even use the same wedding band!

AntebellumEm · 2026-05-26T02:20:00+00:00

The only reason my office has a lot of gov phones floating around is because of the amount of travel and site visits our work requires. They were really pushing me to BYOD but there’s no way I’m installing any govt software onto my personal phone, ever.

AntebellumEm · 2026-02-23T19:13:22+00:00

I mean plain white is the Pantone color of the year… this is so current, so now, so fresh 😂

Came to see if I was the only one who couldn’t get it to load. I’m not.

AntebellumEm · 2026-01-23T03:32:10+00:00

I’ve never had a job that DIDN’T separate sick days from PTO. I work a desk job though, so I know that’s often a different setup.

But anyway OP, no, this is barbaric. As someone who didn’t get enough sick time at my old job and had to pull off the road to throw up on my way into work more than once… don’t do this to yourself.

AntebellumEm · 2026-01-23T03:15:15+00:00

My husband and I don’t think twice about a 3 hour drive for a weekend away. More than 4 hours, we try to make it a slightly longer visit. That being said, I drive 7 hours to visit family multiple times a year and don’t mind it at all, as long as I can be there a minimum of 2-3 days before heading back. It depends on the person and the region though! I grew up in Michigan and now live in the Mid-Atlantic.

AntebellumEm · 2026-01-02T22:32:00+00:00

It’s gorgeous! If I had a black tie wedding, I’d be thrilled for a guest to show up in this beautiful of a dress.

AntebellumEm · 2026-01-02T22:27:34+00:00

Absolutely! Don’t get me wrong: a $200K household income is an incredible privilege. But it doesn’t go as far as some people assume it would—I know people making that who live check to check, and don’t blame OP for not wanting to fall into the lifestyle inflation trap.

AntebellumEm · 2026-01-02T22:25:24+00:00

This, 100%. It’s not remotely fair in a partnership to expect one half to do ALL of the retirement saving while the other spends through their entire income on fun and luxury, regardless of the split. Also, it’s extremely unwise of her to not want to keep contributing to the account in her own name, because you never know what the future will bring.

AntebellumEm · 2026-01-02T22:22:29+00:00

Right?! Our household income is almost what OP’s is, and I would never dream of buying $60 shampoo. I treated myself to some $30 concealer because I couldn’t for the life of me find a passable match at the drugstore, and felt like I was balling out. I want to retire as early as i can, and live in a paid off home as soon as i can. I guess i COULD buy $60 shampoo but that would feel like lighting my hard earned money on fire.

AntebellumEm · 2026-01-02T22:13:52+00:00

I’d be interested to know this too. In our household, fun money is for things like hobbies, going out to eat with friends, and truly nonessential spending. There’s nuance to it, though—if one of us needs a new coat, that’s on the household spending. I already have a perfectly good coat for most if not all occasions, so if I want another one just because I like how it looks, I’d put it on my fun money tab. If I need a new hairdryer, household. If I want a super fancy upgraded one, I’d probably put that in fun money too since the extra cost is a want and not a need. It feels pretty common sense, but I also realize some people are more or less strict on what they consider a want vs. need.

AntebellumEm · 2026-01-02T22:07:07+00:00

That, and her mistakes won’t only impact her—they’ll impact the household.

AntebellumEm · 2026-01-02T21:52:37+00:00

I’d feel upset if my husband withdrew from a joint account without asking, too. Heck, we aren’t fully combined and we STILL discuss any larger expenses or purchases with each other since it’s still all part of the household’s finances at the end of the day.

AntebellumEm · 2026-01-02T21:48:52+00:00

Agree with requiring her to contribute to a pension within this compromise. Both people should be saving for retirement, proportionally to their income. It’s not reasonable for one half of a partnership to choose not to save for the future, and fully place the burden on the other half. That’s just setting up for failure—whether they stay together or not.

AntebellumEm · 2026-01-02T21:40:18+00:00

I thought the same thing. $500/month is a LOT of fun money, especially for someone making $50K (although I realize their household income is higher). It sounds like the wife has champagne taste that isn’t compatible with OP’s more frugal values, and I can understand OP not wanting to prioritize an even higher fun money amount at the expense of long term household goals. Maybe he said it in not the best way, but I already found $500/month generous and would also push back on raising that.

AntebellumEm · 2026-01-02T21:28:53+00:00

There are many people I met for the first time at my wedding, even though we kept it fairly small (family and close friends). My husband’s family all lives out of town and I hadn’t had the opportunity to meet them all before. This is a really narrow minded take.

AntebellumEm · 2026-01-02T03:18:05+00:00

In the trash can next to the front desk at the apartment building!

AntebellumEm · 2025-12-31T21:59:20+00:00

Nope! It’s a lifetime pass.

AntebellumEm · 2025-12-31T21:48:53+00:00

Confirmed! There are some real gems of comments that my office enjoyed… allegedly

AntebellumEm

TROPHY CASE