This year I added some green hosta (not something I do often). My favorite green additions: I really liked the fat, rippled leaves of Lakeside Old Smokey with white backs: Blue Monday has beautiful heart shaped leave that look like a green version of Moon Lily (one of my favorite golds): They don't look like much yet, however I'm already looking forward to next year as both plants had a number of eyes. I also liked Sara's Sensation and am looking forward to the very wide margins as it matures. It also handles a lot of sun well: All of these may not look like much now, just wait!

Most people who aren't professionals, either decorators or photographers etc., have no idea how much light is really needed in a home. You need layers of light, from the top of the room down to the bottom. The most flattering is indirect light, which is why they will use screens to bounce light off of during a photo shoot or filters to diffuse the natural light (Bee's sheets over the windows.) Starting with the top, a semi flush fixture with a shade will point the harsh light at the ceiling and bounce it off of there while the diffused light that passes through the shade gives an ambient light level for the room. It should be on a dimmer, and any room larger than 12x14 needs at least two ceiling fixtures. You may not always use these lights, but something has to be on the flip switch immediately when coming into a dark room and these are usually already hardwired. The second layer is also general lighting, and that's from recessed lighting. My personal lighting trick with recessed lighting is to choose trims designed for the shower. They have a lens cover over the bare bulb, so you get intense, but diffused light. The third layer is accent lighting. You also want to make sure to use the recessed lighting for proper accent lighting, such as washing down a wall. That involves lower wattage spot lights rather than higher wattage flood lights. That is the biggest "secret" in using dark paint or dark furnishings. When you properly light that dark wall with pools of light washing it down, it's stunning. If you don't have that, it will be flat and "cavelike". You can also use sconces to get those warm pools of light onto the walls. The fourth layer is task lighting. That means lighting at the human level down where people will be using it. In a living room type space, that means lamps. A rule of thumb is that a room that is at least 12x12 will need at least 3 lamps in it, and if the room is larger, you will need larger lamps and more of them to provide the proper scale. The fifth layer of lighting is drama lighting. You may not use this lighting every day, but it adds "oomph" to those special occasions. Uplights for plants and behind large furniture pieces to cast shadows on the ceiling. Rope lighting above crown molding. Small "character lamps" like a Tiffany turtle or the old hula girl "TV lamps". These add the drama and that makes a room interesting. These layers of light all work together. It's not just about being able to see to read or to eat. It's about highlighting architectural features and creating intimacy and a warm ambiance.

cmarlin - if we keep them, I'll clean them, but no paint, I think they look pretty rich and even though old, I actually like them. I think I'll probably put in something like Silestone in a mocha color and it would look great. What will determine whether we keep them is if I can find a good match that will appropriately fit. kelpermaid, I think they painted in the house recently, though I'm not sure - going to try and find out. I know they've lived there for 6 years, so if they are the only people who smoked there in the last 25 years since it was built, at least 19yrs of it had no smokers - but not sure how bad the last 6 years have been. creekside - now you've TOTALLY confused me! In some cases, homes need to dry to the interior. Kilz will prevent that. So will some other products. A spot of Kilz here and there won't hurt anything. Rolling it on all the interior walls may promote mold growth. So, if you are going to use Kilz after cleaning with TSP or something like it, you can't paint everything?? I'm sure I'm not understanding something here - I'll try to read the info on the link you sent - maybe call the co. next week. Carol_from_NY -thanks, I think my cleaning list is growing by leaps and bounds. The way I'm going, I may have to put my mother on the top of the car and tell her to hold on to the luggage rack for the trip up I'm going to have so many supplies to take! Thanks for mentioning the steamer, I have one and wouldn't have remember to think about taking it. I've never heard about putting gum in for smells, that's a new one. I'll try ANYTHING to get the house to normal. Thanks for all you suggested. Well, at this time we are in limbo. Inspections turned up a few problems, two problems that could be major, one that definitely is and has to do with a foundation failure. I am trying to get the owners to agree to fix what's on the repair list I sent them - which isn't everything that needs to be repaired, I took on the cheaper and more easily aspects of it. Will know more next week whether the deal goes through or falls apart. Wish me luck!! Thanks again to all - everyone has been extremely helpful, and it's all appreciated! Oh, one more thing - my Mom was there during the inspection and told me they had a machine running to take the stink out and she thought it smelled better in there - was probably an ozone machine. My nose will decide (if we close on it, that is) THANKS!!!!

Unfortunately, a Shaw's isn't in our budget for our new kitchen (in our new house) to be built next year. But we do have an Ikea not too far away, so the main clean-up sink is the Domsjo double-bowl apron-front sink, and the prep sink on the island will be the Domsjo single-bowl apron-front sink. Not a very helpful answer, I'm afraid! And yes, I do prefer a double-bowl sink for my washing up : ). I was so nervous (or paranoid, I suppose) that Ikea would discontinue the sinks (which I've heard can be hard to find anyway in some cities), that we bought them last month, even though we aren't starting construction until next spring... But I don't think they need to be matching, unless that's what you like. I have wanted a Belfast sink for the past 25 years, since graduating from university, so nothing besides budget was going to change my mind! Here is a link that might be useful: Domsjo's single-bowl apron-front sink