Lovely sense of style! Bravo! We investigated porcelain marble look-alike tile but we decided on real marble which we will have to care for without any acidic products. Beware that there is a repeating pattern in marble look-alike porcelain tile like (on wall paper which will give away the secret.) We found great deals on Amazon and at Lowes for Bianco Carrara subways, pencils, chair rails and floor and shower floor hexes (1/3 the price of tile stores). We found a gorgeous remnant for our shower bench at a marble and stone shop at an amazing price. I can't wait until it's done to post photos! But back to your house... it's gorgeous!

Steph, do your stick consist of manzanita and cholla cactus skeletons? Those things burn nicely with a lot of flavor I think. And Shades, I must really let my DH see the two pictures of the trash stove. I am amazed that they are not better known all across the country. I suppose the kitchen trash they burn, besides the sticks, would be something like cardboard, paper packaging? Nothing like plastics though? And would they also be able to burn egg shells and onion skins and potato peelings? I'm trying to figure how I can justify bringing one into my derelict garage project for winter heat only. And consider a composting toilet if needs be, but not a priority. You ladies are just full of interesting information and exciting options. A chiminea? I had one of those. It was a small one. I put it on my carport at MoccasinLanding. Then I put a half of one of those packaged LOGS, maybe a quarter of one. I had sand in the bottom as it said to do. By the time it was fully burning, flames were leaping out the stack about three feet, and I was worried about catching the carport on fire. I got the water hose and misted it inside the cavity and the flames whirled in a tornadic vortex and really roared at me. Then I began to worry. I got a suitably sized terra cotta flower pot which had one hole in the bottom, and I used it as a hat over the chimney of the chiminea. This restricted the heat and finally got it under control. After it was out, I looked in the bottom of the chiminea and the sand had turned to glass. Not GOOD glass, but it was brittle glass. I forget what my DH said caused this great increase in heat and violence...something about venturi effect? Where if you increase the height of the chimney, it can increase the violence of the fire. I know it was hot, and you do have to keep an eye on those things if you use those synthetic logs.

What a sweet, beautiful pair of salt and pepper shakers. The site I've included below has links to different Fenton collectors groups. If you spread the word through them that you're looking for Fenton turquiose hobnail opaque milk glass salt and pepper shakers it will increase your chances of finding them. I imagine at least some of these collectors scout out garage sales, flea markets and such and would recognize the S&P set if they happened across them. Hopefully if they found them and knew of your interest, they would buy them and then sell them to you. I found a couple of specific Blenko glass pieces that I was looking for by going this route. Good luck! Here is a link that might be useful: fenton art glass collectors

One of the best decisions I've ever made re my kitchen, was to replace the hideous laminate countertops that were there when we bought this house, and to use Glacier White Corian. We did not replace the ugly cabinets - we painted them, and since they were quite plain, it worked. We actually had more cabinets made to match them to give me more counter space. But those Glacier White Corian countertops have proved to be perfect AND "timeless"! When we did the fixed up the kitchen after buying the house, we painted the cabinets a color called "Scarab Green" - it matched the green in the fabulous Brunschwig & Fils french documentary wallpaper I used, called "Fraises des Bois". The white countertops made it "work". About 15 years ago, DD told me my kitchen looked dated and I needed to update it. She was right - those green cabinets screamed 1980's, but I did love that wallpaper. Tore my heart out when it came down! But I moved forward. I painted the cabinets a light, warm taupe, used a Farrow & Ball wallpaper for the backsplash and walls, called "Polka Squares". At that time, we also redid the lighting in the kitchen and put in wood floors, bought a new stainless dishwasher (Scarab Green sprayed refrigerator had died and was replaced by a white one), a new stainless hood (goodbye Scarab Green painted hood!) and an integrated Corian sink and a new faucet. But those Glacier White Corian countertops looked terrific with the new color scheme and were in outstanding condition. Fast forward to last year. I had already gotten a new stainless steel Vent-a-Hood and a counter depth stainless refrigerator, and I was finally ready for new cabinets. At my age, drawers are a HUGE help for me, and I wanted drawers. I'm very much attracted to white kitchens, but since my kitchen faces due west and the back wall is taken up mostly by a huge bay window, it would have been very glarey and also just not quite right with the hall and the DR. While not an "open concept" kitchen, one does still need to look at the rooms that abut it! So, this time I chose Repose Gray and Shaker cabinets. I painted the walls 1/2 strength Repose Gray had them leave out the magenta (appears in bright light). I also painted the woodwork a bright white, going against having all my woodwork in the house the same color. It's fine - remember, no "open concept". I removed the old 4" Corian backsplash, and put white Carrera marble large subway tile behind the cabinets and behind the stove etc. But guess what stayed and was re-used? My Glacier White Corian countertops and integrated sink! It's still in perfect condition! And it's truly a timeless classic. It may not be the "hottest trend", but I can tell you that in the UK, Corian (almost always Glacier White) is used in the highest end homes, in particular in highly contemporary ones - it is considered a "luxury" surface there. Glacier White Corian is like a white dress shirt for a man or a great white blouse for a woman. It ALWAYS looks good, and goes with everything. Like the above, it can be bleached if a horrid stain occurs, and since it is a solid surface, it is very easy to keep clean. Yes, it does scratch, but all those scratches are light surface ones, like the scratches that appear on ones sterling flatware over years of use - it's called "patina", not scratches, as it is not something one must simply accept (as one learns to do with etching and stains on marble) - it actually enriches the appearance of the surface. I think painted cabinets are far less likely to look dated than stained wood ones are. We've had cherry, golden oak, and now are using rustic alder etc. They date a kitchen as accurately as an Avocado Green or Harvest Gold refrigerator! Other "timeless" features are true site-finished hardwood floors throughout the house, stained in a medium warm color. There have always been floors like this and there always will be. Bleached woods, hand scraped wood - all these are trends that will date a house. Good windows are also timeless. Replacing the pair of double-hung windows with a huge bay was a very good move on our part. It brought the back garden into the room, made the small room (11x15) feel longer, and gives me a place above my sink for plants. My white orchids LOVE it there - great light, and all that humidity/steam when I run the hot water (I do let it run to give them this steam and humidity, while the dog eats, before washing her dish). As lighting looks change, one can easily change fixtures as well. Undercounter lighting is going nowhere - we must see to cook. Pulls can be changed for a newer look if that's what one wants. I don't see stainless going anywhere as it makes our huge appliances appear, well..not quite so huge. And it's neutral. My advice to anyone doing a kitchen is to stick with good bones. Make the more permanently affixed things more classic. They are not only expensive to replace, they are disruptive and destructive to the house and just a PITA in general. There are a ton of granite countertops out there today that instantly date a kitchen; in 5 years, there will be a ton of quartz ones that do the same. Most people do not like the look of "aged and used" marble and it's going to be coming out. Mosaic tiles for a backsplash? That was a trend that didn't last 5 years! Screams "dated". Subway tile may not yell "I'm hip and trendy" anymore, but it also won't scream that one is dated. H&M is the place to satisfy ones hip and trendy wants and desires. Just don't do it in a kitchen that takes forever to rip out and replace, and will cost one a fortune. And don't let anyone tell you that Corian is "dated". Some patterns certainly are, but if one sticks to Glacier White, it will still look good 5 owners after you.