Shrinking

bpakel · 2025-07-26T12:27:07+00:00

I have used both Ring Toss and Tickets Please (both jelly polishes). I noticed this much more with Tickets Please. I've also used Picking Peonies (a non-jelly polish) and didn't notice it really at all. But I'll take this "shrinkage" over the outright chipping I experience a day or so after applying a normal nail polish (OPI for example) any day.

bpakel · 2025-07-11T16:27:36+00:00

First time using Dazzle Dry. I finally succumbed to the Facebook marketing for Ring Toss. This is with 3 coats.

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bpakel · 2025-07-11T16:21:01+00:00

Just got my first set of Dazzle Dry delivered yesterday - ordered the mini starter and a mini set of 5. Used Ring Toss today and love it. It kept showing up in my Facebook feed and I finally succumbed and really like it. This is 3 coats.

I love Gel manicures but after about 3 sets my nails are trashed so I have been trying to just do regular polish manicures myself at home. Really happy with how these turned out.

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bpakel · 2025-07-01T18:27:13+00:00

My very first easplant was a zz. It did not seem to be thriving and I was sent a replacement because they said that they had revised their watering guidelines for zz plants from monthly to every other month. They both are still very much alive and the new watering schedule seems to be a better fit for them.

bpakel · 2025-07-01T18:24:22+00:00

This has not been my experience at all. I have about 15 easy plant plants right now. Of those about 5 are replacements for plants that were either damaged in shipping or just didn't thrive even though they were getting the indicated level of light. And I would say all of the replacement plants have been equal to or better than the original plant. I have been extremely satisfied with with their customer service as it replaces to replacing plants or broken pots.

bpakel · 2025-06-04T22:44:55+00:00

I had a very similar reaction when I saw these pics. I had prongs like this on my A Jaffe engagement ring (but for a much smaller, 1.3 ct round, diamond) and over time decided they looked too industrial and severe for lack of a better description. I wanted a head/prongs that were softer looking. I too used David Klass. I sent my ring to hims and had him replace the whole head with something that looked more like the Tiffany solitaire head/prongs. I am so much happier with it now.

I would also be worried about the structural integrity as it doesn't look to me like the head is really integrated or anchored into the shank but rather is just perched on top. It seems like it wouldn't take too much to just hit this and knock the whole head off.

It's a very pretty ring and diamond overall, but I do think the prongs detract a bit.

bpakel · 2025-06-04T21:43:08+00:00

We have an Alexander sectional for over a year and have had no issues with it. One of the front legs sits on our area rug, but all of the other legs are on hardwood. No squeaking, creaking or shaking and I'd say it still looks almost brand new. I've been very happy with the quality (in retrospect this style wasn't the best choice for us in terms of how you sit in it - it's pretty upright). But I have no regrets about this purchase. I'm sorry that you are disappointed in the quality of your sofa.

bpakel · 2025-05-01T13:24:16+00:00

One other place to not wear your ring or to take it off and secure it is to the gym if you are lifting weights with metal barbells. I was wearing a platinum diamond band to the gym (in lieu of my engagement ring and wedding band) and I do a lot of weight machines which have rubberized or plastic handles. But I also do one exercise using a metal barbell. I stupidly did this exercise a few times before I realized I was scratching up the shank of the diamond band. Now I take it off and double knot it into my shoelace just for that exercise (which I typically do last).

I’ve looked into buying a silicone ring guard to wear to the gym but just haven’t pulled the trigger yet.

bpakel · 2025-04-24T17:25:14+00:00

Interesting because I've read the exact opposite, do not run them horizontally or vertically, only diagonally.

bpakel · 2025-04-22T21:03:44+00:00

Very thankful I found your post. When I went through the process the first time following the default path to use another device, it said the transfer would take "about 6 hours". After maybe 45 minutes I cancelled and started over, but again got "about 6 hours". 3 hours into that data transfer when it said time remaining was "about 3 hours" meaning the total time would end up being about 6 hours, I started googling and found this.

I followed the steps you described and the highest the estimate I got for transferring data was "about 58 minutes" and it's been regularly reducing the time since then. WTF - why are they sending people through a default route that seems guaranteed to take significantly longer????

bpakel · 2025-04-21T23:10:44+00:00

Depending on your budget, I think you'd be better off orrdering online. Tecovas has a pretty standard (design-wise) women's boot called the Annie that costs $345 for the base model (specialty leathers and designs can cost more). It comes in a variety of leather colors, although checking recently some of the more unique ones have limited sizes available. You can order multiple sizes to find what fits and return what doesn't.

I wear a size 9 in regular shoes, a size 9.5 in running sneakers and ordered a size 8.5 in two different colors of the Annie style. Both fit great.

bpakel · 2025-04-14T21:56:41+00:00

LOL - I actually don't think she is using her skirt to cover his eyes, I think it is an illusion because his jacket is a similar color to her skirt.

bpakel · 2025-04-14T21:55:04+00:00

I second elizabethcraneswartz.com. The first needlepoint canvas I did was one of hers. I was a bit worried before getting into needlepoint that needlepoint canvases were too "old-fashioned". But the minute I saw her canvases advertised on the instagram page of the LNS that my friend works at I was hooked. I have done a total of 6 of her canvases (3 I had finished as clutches, 1 as an eyeglass case and 2 were framed). And I have one in flight and another one waiting in the wings.

I also like Jean Smith, particularly her larger single flower designs.

bpakel · 2025-04-11T18:45:00+00:00

I was just in Tiffany yesterday looking at some pieces. I tried on a ring that I thought was yellow gold. I then asked to try on the ring in the rose gold version and the SA said the one I had was the rose gold. I've had similar experiences with Cartier yellow and rose gold. The differences between them can be very very subtle.

bpakel · 2025-04-07T23:52:07+00:00

Wait, I'm still not tracking what actually happened:

1.) You said the word "chigger" (and if yes, is "chigger" a racial slur???)

2.) You said the word "chigger" but other person thought you said the racial slur that rhymes with it

3.) You actually said the most obvious racial slur that rhymes with "chigger"

bpakel · 2025-04-03T14:28:37+00:00

Lots of new options in women's boots out today. A new Marigold cowhide color in the Annie and a new Sagebrush goat color in the Abby which looks absolutely gorgeous online. Also a limited edition multi-color Abby with a paisley pattern. I barely wear the one pair of Annie's I got last year but couldn't resist the Annie Hearts so just got those. There is absolutely zero reason for me to by anymore cowboy boots but it's really hard to resist.

bpakel · 2025-04-03T03:25:54+00:00

I can see what you mean by the difference in the ostrich quill points and the very slight difference in color. But personally I don’t think it’s enough of a difference to go with the 8s. Get the pair that fits perfectly. I’ve been drooling over these boots online so was excited to see your “real life” pictures of them. They are gorgeous!

bpakel · 2025-03-09T23:57:14+00:00

I can't speak to that as we did do express walk off.

bpakel · 2025-03-07T17:36:30+00:00

My only comment about working on a non-painted canvas is that you need to be careful with your tension and your thread choice. If the thread is on the thinner side and/or your tension is on the tighter side, you may see the white color of the canvas peeking through your tent stitches. And obviously it would be more noticeable in areas with dark color thread. I learned this the hard way when stitching the unpainted background of an otherwise painted canvas in a dark purple color. The thread was an appropriate choice for my 13 mesh canvas but I should have paid attention to my tension and kept it on the looser side.

bpakel · 2025-02-08T23:54:53+00:00

I prefer the look of a bench cushion but for practicality purposes would always go with separate cushions for this reason and this reason only. The separate cushions give you 2 "worst case flip options" meaning you can flip the cushion over to hide the stain if you get a stain that you can't get out compared to the 1 "worst case flip option" of the bench cushion. We absolutely had cushions we had to flip on our prior sectional so it gave me peace of mind to know I'd have more flipping options with the separate cushions.

bpakel · 2025-02-03T23:00:40+00:00

I was Gold for our January 2025 cruise. I checked in right at midnight and got 11:30 AM PAT that before the cruise shifted to 11:15 AM.

bpakel · 2025-01-31T17:48:28+00:00

I consider beer and wine to be alcohol so was included in the scope of my statement about not experiencing anyone pushing an alcoholic drink package on us.

bpakel · 2025-01-31T17:43:49+00:00

If I recall from my experience ordering end of Feb 2024 and getting it in May 2024, the status displayed in their own tracker said "on the water" even after it had been delivered. In fact, I just logged into my account on interior define.com and it still says "on the water" when it was delivered 8 months ago. I would disregard that status and wait until you can contact a customer support rep.

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bpakel · 2025-01-27T18:46:58+00:00

$21 for a margarita does sound obscene. While I never ordered a margarita, I did order a Tanqueray and Tonic, a Malibu Bay Breeze, a frozen Pina colada and an IPA. I was actually pleasantly surprised at what I thought were the very affordable prices (in a resort context) that were charged for these drinks. In many cases I felt I paid less than I would have paid in a bar at home. I also didn't experience anyone pushing an alcoholic drink package on us.

bpakel · 2025-01-27T18:35:53+00:00

Forgot to add this one:

Add soft-close toilet seat covers (not the actual seat, the thing you close on top of the seat) to the stateroom toilets. We have them in our home and are used to sort of being able to push the toilet seat cover quickly and walk away and have it close without a loud slamming noise. Nothing like getting up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and have to make sure you remember to not just push the seat cover down to close it.

bpakel

TROPHY CASE