Phraselet No. 96

Just when I'd conquered the decorator wars with my husband I had to start dealing with my kids. By comparison, coming to an agreement with my husband was a cinch. Wise man that he is, he quickly saw the upside of leaving the home decorating to me. It was either that or domestic homicide. Our truce is modeled after the relationship between the U.S. Congress and the president. (Trust me, girlfriends, this works.) He gets executive privilege. (Be sure to call it that.) That means he gets veto power and final budget approval, but he brings no proposal to the floor or to the house (or to the walls or the ceiling, for that matter). That's my domain. I'm the Congress.

But who knew my kids would come on like a pack of noisy lobbyists?

- Marni Jameson, The House Always Wins