Under a Blue Moon

I'll warn you – this post is going to be rambling and opinionated.  And ironic since I am basically going to be opinionated about other people opinions.

A week or so ago I shared a link to Apartment Therapy's Small Cool Contest.  I have so enjoyed seeing all the entries and how creative people can be with a small space and with expressing their own creative style.  Mind you these are people sharing their personal spaces – not designers show-casing their work.  Real people living in real homes.

I am really shocked (and a wee bit cranky) at how opinionated and rude some of the commentary is.  The rules for the contest are simple – if you like someone's space then 'favorite' it and the entry with the most favorites wins.  So to me it seems logical that the opposite of that would be to just skip over the entries that aren't your style.  But my goodness do people have to weigh in with their not so constructive critiques of the entries they don't like.  

Okay so organizing your books by color is not your thing – then don't do it.  Don't like animal skins in your decor – then don't do it.  Don't like a lot of stuff displayed – then don't do it.  No need to tell the contestant how ugly you think it is.  

The books by color thing is definitely a hot topic with very clear camps.  Personally it doesn't work for me because I *have* to have my books organized by height.  I also don't care for the color orange – so I don't use it.  Doesn't mean those that do are somehow wrong with their decorating choices.

I also see comments about certain trends being overdone (chalkboard paint, cardboard deer head, ikat anything…) or cliched.  Who cares? If it makes someone happy, and no one is making YOU do it, then what is the problem?

Don't get me wrong – I am *very* opinionated about what I like and don't like.  But I wouldn't tell someone that I thought their decorating choices were wrong.  And I would only offer up an opinion if specifically asked and I would do it politely.  

I'm not sure why this is making me so cranky today.  I think it's because it appears general good manners are on the decline as people are more freely able to interact anonymously.  The old adages 'if you don't have anything nice to say…' or 'if you wouldn't say it to someone's face…' really hold true nowadays.  And prefacing your opinion with 'No offense..' or 'I don't mean to be rude…' doesn't negate the bad manners.

Okay enough of that.  I just realized my magazines are out of order and I need to fix them.