kiramanell

Haha! I sooooooo hear ya! 🤗 I feel the same about Blush's addon for the Evening Star. Actually bought it, the other day, but just can't bring myself to use it, as whatever I would do with it, ppl would always, ostentatiously, see Blush's creative structure... with some of my own stuff added. This was more to do with my own OCD-ness than anything else, I haste to say; but with my Windlass, at least I could say it was 100% me. But I also just saw someone post a kitchen, with Blush's addon, that was still very uniquely done, and totally felt like a personal creative work of art. So, yeah, now I'm confused. 😀 As for that 'beautiful quote', I recall being so disillusioned, in highschool, when I learned the full quote actually goes, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness." Bummer.

I think I would forfeit that game with you right here and now. You and Marianne are 'walking marketplaces', remember? Me? All my stuff would likely fit inside a single, small designer bag. Pray that I am never stupid enough to enter into such contest with you, cuz I'd lose badly. 😁

Why, I've seen your boat; and trust me, I can grasp someone's urge to copy it in full, cuz it was massively impressive when you posted pics of it. 😍 All levity aside, though, I agree that I wouldn't like it per se, like I said. And I'd probably think "Geez Louise, couldn't you come up with something of your own?!" But I wouldn't say anything. The freedom to decorate their homes as they see fit, sadly, but necessarily also includes them doing things with it I don't like.

Yeah, actually we do, LOL; it's called the Covenant. And it specifically states "*Residents may decorate the interior of their house to their liking." Full stop. As for saying 'she just wanted a discussion', I think the OP did a little more than that. I, at least, felt an incredible amount of angry judgement coming from her. Maybe it's just me, but that didn't feel like a friendly opener of a disciussion to me.

That's gorgeous! ❤️ I especially love what you did with your kitchen. To tag onto a topic elsewhere, your kitchen is a perfect example of uniqueness: yes, it's located at a typical Evening Star location for it, but astoundingly uniquely arranged nonetheless, in a manner I totally haven't seen before, what with that creative wooden box around the fridge and all, and all the other wood panels. I'm very impressed. I could live there.

I might not like it per se, if ppl copied my interior literally for the full 100%, but I would never say anything, or rally to see such behavor stop. Way I see it, there's really only 2 ways to do this: either we all agree (as per the Covenant, btw) that everyone has the right to decorate their homes as they see fit, or get some silly HOA rules governing who is allowed to do what -- with all the ensuing drama that comes with it. And I say a polite "No, thank you!" to the latter.

Opera?! LOL. When I first read your post, my very first thought was "Why, there's enough drama in here for several operas!" True story. But I guess you were looking for the Mac browser, I suppose. Sorry.

There is a third option, even. Which I learned the hard way, from being cooped up on my private island for so long: I want to share! At some point it dawned on me, What is the point of creating something -- even when deemed beautiful in my own eyes -- when there's no one around to see it? I now know this for certain: the human soul was meant to share. I want others to experience what I felt creating it, and be likewise enriched by their works and vision. O Brave New World, that has such imagination in it!

LOLOL.

This is so cute, I could cry from it! ❤️ (I kid you not).

Now, why doesnt that surprise me?! 🤗

The title and tone of your article are a bit misleading, IMHO. Personally, I have set out -- and said so from the get-go even -- that I absolutely did not want to copy what I saw others do -- however beautiful it was. And, trust me, I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate... No wait, I got confused here. 🤤 Point is, that this was just my personal preference. I wanted to create my own idea. I've gone to rather extremes to be original. I even lamented once, that I deemed using Blush's Evening Star addon would be inappropriate for myself, which was kinda silly. But that's the point maybe, that there's really nothing inherently wrong with using great ideas thought of by others. The geatest architects to-date still use ideas and constructs going back to the Roman Empire even! Getting to the part where the title and tone of your article are a bit misleading, between 'blatantly copying' and 'being inspired by' lies a realm of nuance begging your acquaintance. And what is wrong even with ppl liking your home so much they want to recreate it stone for stone? Personally, I feel endlessly more satisfied creating something no one else has done before me. But I am also of the firm belief that ppl are free to decorate their home as they see fit -- and not just with a nasty caveat of "as long as it isn't more than 50% like mine." So, how's about you not telling others how to decorate their home, and we will do likewise, k?!

This could become a thing.

I read your earlier post too; and, must admit, I was rather saddened by it. It's always hard to read how life can throw a curve ball at someone, and seeing them suffer because of it. 🤗 I just want to put it out there, that you can most certainly already be a part of the community. We are generally good folks, and we don't bite**. You should always feel welcome to come and visit us. And, to stay entirely ontopic, there's the new Bellis Blues Café, of course. 🤤 No one there is going to ask you to show the deed to your Bellisseria home, before you are let in. It's all open to the public anyway. I get that you want your own "Forever Home" too (to shamelessly borrow a term from @RaeLeeH), and, if recent "I got one!!" posts over the last few days are any indication, I certainly think that's possible. But in the meantime (while I'm 'borrowing' words of other ppl, LOL), please keep in mind what @Beth Macbain said: it's not about houses, or homes, but about heart. It's about people. And in that sense, you are, to me, already as much part of the community as anyone else. **I cannot guarantee the same for certain rodents showing up at at Belli at random hours. 🤣 Caveat Emptor!

Oh, I will definitely stop by today. ❤️ And thanks for mentioning @Chic Aeon too. You both really outdid yourselves here!