There is a great booklet called Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert that is available for free at most city conservation offices and also at many nurseries and such. Other books: Native Plants for Southwest Landscapes by Judy Mielke Arizona Gardeners Guide by Mary Irish Landscape Plants for Dry Regions by Jones and Sacamano Websites: Mountain States http://www.mswn.com/index2.htm (click on 'Plant Info Sheets') Landscapemart http://www.landscapemart.com/ (click on 'Learn About Plants') ...and the one below is great also Happy hunting and welcome to AZ! Here is a link that might be useful: Desert Tropicals

I've had this one saved in my favorites for while. The width isn't the same but I think if you have the length and the "visual" weight then a more narrow fixture might work. Here is a link that might be useful: Foyer light

This is still not it, darn!! In my photo the part where the fireplace juts out into the room is the only area that is painted aqua - or maybe a softer robins egg. The large piece in my room is dark- a chocolate brown sofa which if you picture, aqua walls, dark gray mantel, brown sofa - it just doesn't sound great, yet there was something in my picture that pulled it all together. Maybe it was the color of the other walls, fireplace surround, chairs??? I don't know, but as I said, I just can't remember why but it spoke to me, and it wasn't something you would see in anyone else's room (except obviously the one in the pic). It began when I saw a pic similar to the one you posted, with a black mantel. Wanting to do something other than the predictable white mantel, but concerned the black would be "too" much with the brown I considered a darker gray - then I saw the pic and I realized it was doable. "My bad" for losing the darn thing. Over the last few years the mags I have received that I might have torn a page out of are, Family Circle, Womans Day, Good Housekeeping and possibly Southern Living/Accents but I have searched their web sites with no success. I have to put it out of my mind for now, and the FP mantel won't be sprayed in the next few weeks, but I do appreciate everyone's efforts. Lynn fr CT

Pot fillers would need to have been done at the rough plumbing stage, when the walls were open. Skip it for sure now. For stone, almost everything boils down to the steps you took 6 weeks ago when you were deciding on someone reputable to cut stone for you. The template and laying it out on the stone should have answered most of your questions. Vetting their seams, and viewing past projects should have done everything else. Verify that the stone color, edge, and sink cutout matches your paperwork before they unload it off of the trailer. For the trip inside, be sure there is a clear straight route for then through the home. If that means using a little used door to make fewer turns, get rid of the stack of books in front of it. Your GC should have already provided their own floor protection for the project already. Dropcloths will not work as they interfere with the wheels of the stone trolley. The trolley needs to roll freely. Watch, but don’t hover. Take pictures. And don’t make little screams or squeaks of apprehension or delight either. The dangerous time is when it comes off the A frame and when it goes from vertical to horizontal onto the cabinets. You don’t want to distract them. It’s a physically demanding job. It needs concentration with no distractions. There may be some slight wall damage or a minimal bit of cabinet scuffing. It is 1000 pounds of stone. That’s normal, and it’s why your GC schedules the touchups for everything after the stone install. Silicone smells. It will cure. Stones are not glass smooth. Some shed more crystals than others. That's normal. They usually cut the faucet holes on site, so get out your faucet and figure out where you want them to go, and how many holes you want drilled. Double check the overhangs are close to the same before they silicone. You’ll need a tape measure. Mostly, speak up if you have a concern. But don’t overreact. And do not sign any paperwork that says that you are 100% satisfied. If they need a signature, sign your name, and “customer reserves the right to inspect at leisure in full day’s cycle of lighting before declaring project complete,” Almost all issues can be solved. And getting anxious and emotional never solved any of them. Calm statements and photographs of the whole process is what needs to happen. It will be fine.