Welp, I am not going to fight fate. I was working on a room for the Gem contest and suddenly, "Look! Up in the sky it's a ....... REFRESH!" This has happened so often lately when I'm decorating. Bam! I lose the entire room and all that work.
So, I'm not gonna enter the Gem event because it is just a pain in the patootie to lose that time and work, and I can't just save it and come back. Or if I can, I don't know how.
I'm getting so paranoid (remember: just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're NOT out to get you!!) that I put one chair in a room and hit 'SAVE'. Let's get this fixed, ok, Vikings? My nerves can't take it.

I've had the same issue several times. Sadly, now, when I join Gem Events, I tend to rush through them and not do the best I can only because I'm worried it will refresh and I'd lose it all.

I am totally hoping they will be able to resolve this. It is frustrating.

I have had this problem. You can hit the back button and it will save it. You can then come back in and do a little more and back again to keep from losing it all on a refresh. It has worked for me. Although it is a pain, it is not as much as losing it all. Hope this works for you!