[Fashionista55]

Why don't you make them dislike you. Be an annoying neighbor and then they won't want to copy you! I wouldn't want to be like someone I don't like.

[N0help4u]

Start finding little unusual shops and then they won't know where you bought it
Cause they couldn't find it in K Mart or Wal Mart.
Maybe they will even spend hours looking :D <---the little imp in me!
Tell them you are THINKING about going on a cruise in January. Maybe they will decide to beat you to the punch and do it BEFORE you. Then you might have a vacation from them.

[linnealand]

I have a little trouble understanding what the serious problem is here. I know that it's not fun to feel "copied," but I wish my neighbors would use our taste in caring for their homes! Feel grateful that yours find your ideas so appealing. It's certainly better than letting their recreations bother you so deeply, and it's worlds better than having neighbors that don't care about the aspect of their homes. Consistent décor in these cases is attractive... especially if you're the one paving that road.

[Olgak1]

I sure wish that I could have found this website back in 2006 so much to say, well anyway I have the same problem, and I am glad that I have found that you have it as well like I do. I have tons to say...
My husband and I bought our beautiful home that was very vacant (needed some TLC)in 2000 we slowly fixed it we would spend every weekend doing yard work, pulling old chain link fences, we cut down like 20 trees and we did it ourselves, the big ones well we paid for them, but we have always been on a budget and we like to do the work ourselves.
To make story short, we had no idea that we had copy cat neighbors across the street from us, OH OH how I regret having them freaking people.
We got our first dog, then it was like the domino effect... we noticed they didn't have a dog until we got one, then we noticed our outdoor decorations (we have a western theme Texas style)OMG! Did they go do the same thing dang!! They did! I put out on my porch plants, we even made a gravel path, they did the same dang thing! And they try in their minds do it better and bigger than us! For Christmas the same wreaths on the windows! The one thing they didn't get was a neighborhood award in 2006 for Most Original Christmas decorations. I had a baby in 2008 they could not copy that cause they are in their 60's or 70's these old people are still trying to keep up! Recently they got a fence with western Texas stars... just like our theme! Is going on in their little pea brains that they can't be original thinkers, they have no ideas of their own, geeze buy a freaking magazine copy that!! My husband had the idea of putting our flamingos in their front yard during the night but we never did it! I figured out who these people are... they grew up in The Texas Valley border town, where these Mexicans never had anything, (I too am a Mexican living in Houston Texas but I am not like these folks) and the minute they see what you have they want it with avarice,coveting,and they think they were the original thinkers, oh I called them and left a message on their machine I told them how pathetic they really are! Since then they have slowed down some, so they are trying not to be so obvious! I like the idea of Dalmatian print curtains and all those other ideas. I am so glad that I am not the only one on this earth that had this experience! I don't care what people say I can't handle someone being this obvious and think they can get away with it! Heck NO!

[Catsmine]

Olga, I hope typing all that out was cathartic. Did you have a question?

[JudyKayTee]

Olga, perhaps less typing to get it all out and more looking at dates would be helpful -

[jimmylad]

the best one we have just done is mention we were off out to choose our new 4x4 Range Rover ! They had no intention of buying one as they had just picked up a new Ford, but the thing is we were kidding them on we had no plan at all to buy expensive cars, it was a trick as we knew their game. What do you know 2 weeks later a brand new Range Rover has replaced their Ford, and now they are probably having to work all hours god sends to pay for it while we happily tick along with the budget hatchback ;o)

[JudyKayTee]

the best one we have just done is mention we were off out to choose our new 4x4 Range Rover ! They had no intention of buying one as they had just picked up a new Ford, but the thing is we were kidding them on we had no plan at all to buy expensive cars, it was a trick as we knew their game. What do you know 2 weeks later a brand new Range Rover has replaced their Ford, and now they are probably having to work all hours god sends to pay for it while we happily tick along with the budget hatchback ;o)

What? Sounds like middle school games. This is a very old thread.