Check out the link below from the Discussions area, Beth. Lots of pics there! :) Brenda Here is a link that might be useful: Request for Waterfall Pictures

Thanks for all of the quick feedback! I am thinking for my bedroom area that I might just get like an 8x10 all white shag rug to place under my bed. The wood floors are very rich and dark so I think the white would add a nice contrast. Then do a bedspread that is predominantly black, maybe with some type of white pattern on it. Do you guys know of a good place to find good deals on modern bedding, rugs, prints, etc?? Everything I find online is unbelievably expensive. I found one place that had chairs that looked like something I sat in back in kindergarten and they were like 900 bucks...lol I want to be patient with this project and find what I want. With my current apt I was happy with the outcome, but it didn't turn out as modern as I had planned. Live and learn!

I've commandeered a spare bedroom for my sewing/craft room. It's a relatively small space, so I've had to be super organized to store (and be able to find--LOL!) my supplies. Here's how I've made my space work for me: a couple of bookcases to house my large collection of children's books (contemporary story books, antique storybooks, cooking and craft books) and games. I've got my craft supplies in labelled plastic bins in the closet. My best find, however, if a European Computer cabinet. It looks like a tallish armoire. When you open the doors, there is a large space at the bottom (perfect for bolts of fabric and quilt batting. Then there are 2 pull-out shelves--great for storing thread, bobbins, buttons, etc. Above that are 2 more shelves on which I have my fabric folded so it exactly fits the space, arranged by color. On top of the cabinet, I've got a big basket of my small scraps--rolled so they are easy to see and grab as needed. It's amazing how much that one cabinet holds. I also have some hooks within reach of the sewing machine that hold my: scissors, tape measure, rotary cutter, etc. With my intense use of the storage space available, there's plenty of room for my sewing table and ironing board. I'll probably even manage to squeek in an extra arm chair we have, once we buy new furniture for the living room. Whether you have a bit or small space, I think organization is the key. Those plastic shoe boxes are great for storing things like: pipe cleaners, beads, small spools of ribbon, other little 'gizmos' you happen to have. Larger bins are good for storing leftover skeins of yarn and so forth. I make sure each is labeled on the exposed side--makes finding things so much easier. I'd also recommend not using open shelves for storing fabric so it doesn't get dusty or faded before you get around to using it. Of course, it's nice to have some 'entertainment' available--a TV or radio, or maybe a little DVD player. I'd higly recommend thinking about the arrangement of your equipment. I've got my sewing machine at right angles to my ironing board. Since I use an office chair with wheels, it's easy to swing from one to the other, when I'm working on something that needs frequent pressing (when doing that, I have the ironing board set up so it's low enough to use when seated--otherwise I prefer to press clothes standing up. I also keep a decorative crock in my sewing room--it's large enough to hold a couple of 'fills' worth of water for the iron, so I don't have to constantly be running down the hall to get more. Another thing I like to keep in the sewing room, is a small dorm-style fridge so I can keep a supply of drinks (and sometimes even lunch) handy so I can work with minimal breaks. I also love that my sewing room has a lovely view out the windows. If yours doesn't, because it's a basement room? There are some amazing photo panels you can put under the lights of a dropped ceiling--pictures of clouds, or hot air balloons, or branches of flowers--they make an interior room feel a little less closed in. Carpet--for a sewing craft room, I like something with very little nap so it's easy to find dropped pins, beads and other tiny bits. If your carpet is thicker, you might get an area rug to put under your work area. Have fun designing and using your space--it's so nice to have a well-organized space to do your hobbies. One where you can leave everything sitting out and no one will care. Enjoy!!!!

Sorie, With the way torrential rainfall occurs here sometimes, I'd be worried that heavy rainfall would cut right through a raised bed and wash it away. I do think you have to start with a French drain somewhere, whether temporary or permanent. You have to be really careful because if you make changes that cause more water to flow onto a neighbor's property or into their house, they can sue you. The fact is that raised beds without permanent edging (built more like a mound of soil than a soil-filled rectangle, for example) would be likely to wash away. I am sure a landscaping contractor could build those sort of island beds with some kind of internal drainage system that could keep a bed from washing out as long as actual flooding wasn't occurring, but that might be a pricey project. I love, love, love the idea of a dry creek bed like the one in the photo Miraje posted. Personally, assuming there is not a Home Owners Association with rules prohibiting dry creek beds or rock gardens, it is exactly the most perfect solution for you. With a high-quality landscape fabric underneath the stones, it also would be very low maintenance which is also a plus. Scott does landscaping work, so I am hoping he will have some good ideas for you when he sees this. Dawn