Hi Mollie, You may want to consider a camel or wheat tone to go well with what you have described in your room. That would compliment the red brick and the cherry tones you would see in the kitchen AND the medium oak table (you mention it is large) so make sure the paint tone blends nicely with the wood color of the table and chairs). This color will go well with the pine floors you have now but should also be very nice if you opt for a richer tone in the future. This range of wall color should be very nice with all the various colors in your carpet and the blue will just become a small accent. Have fun!

We went through the dark floors dilemma this past fall. After debating dark floors ad nauseum- we bit the bullet and I love them!! RMkitchen and Redroze were both very helpful- although we actually used a different stain. I believe they both used a bit of ebony stain, while we went with Jacobean. Unfortunately- I've never posted a picture, so I'll have to work on that. Our floors are red oak. We tested just about every dark stain. They did do some sort of prep to the floors after the initial sand. I think it might have been called water-popping (to help the dark stain absorb). The end result is a beautiful dark chocolate color. The grain is even darker. They do show scratches and dust more than lighter wood, but I wouldn't change them. (Don't think I didn't cringe everytime my daughter tap-danced through the house or my son raced his firetrucks across the floor. Minwax also has touch up kits. Good luck- and I'll work on posting a pic.

He is so precious. I'll admit it; I'm "partial" to little boys. Not that I don't love little girls equally. But boys are such a hoot. Nothing is sweeter than a little guy about 4-6 (except Grant at every age!) And once they hit 13-14; they are so entertaining. One minute they're "all grown up, ruff and gruff he-man," and the next they're wanting to sit on your lap and be little boys again. I'm missin' my "little" nephew now. He's 22, 6'2", and just got married. I called him last week and sang the "Barney" song with him. Then he asked if I'd been drinking! LOL (No; I hadn't.)

Thanks for taking time to respond, Ken. Your phrase about loving my plants to death made me giggle. I used to groom dogs, and that's the phrase we would use when referring to morbidly obese pets lol! It makes total sense to apply it to plants too. I appreciate you letting me know that I had latched onto incorrect information. I had planned to fertilize the roses every two weeks because that was what several websites said that they needed when I was searching for care instructions. It didn't quite make sense to me, but I wasn't sure if the minis needed extra attention since they are in pots for the time being. I have a full sized rose in the garden that is doing exceptionally well with minimal time investment on my part. I water it, prune it, deadhead when I remember, and put new mulch down every year but that's the extent of its care unless I see it's having an issue. I live in southeastern Louisiana, so blackspot and powdery mildew are common issues for some gardeners down here. These little ones will go into large containers when it's time for them to move outdoors. I am originally from Georgia, and am planning to move back home this fall to be able to spend more time with my dad. He's in the early stages of liver failure and has RA, so he'll probably be needing some help managing his home before too long. I am planning to take my little roses and some gardenias I've grown from cuttings with me to plant at my new house. Thank you for the link to the "shrubbery" (sorry, total Monty Python fan here lol) instructions. Summer down here is no joke, the sun can and will bake plants to a crisp in no time if I'm not careful. As for your new addition: I'm sorry for not being sorry lol! I was cruising through minis on the Heirloom Roses site and was in awe over the many different colors they have to offer. I saw striped ones like the one you picked up and they do look quite glorious! I signed up to be notified when Cafe Ole becomes available again, I thought it was such a beautiful color and am excited about the prospect of it being somewhat fragrant. There were others that I added to my wish list as well, I'm a sucker for the apricot, orange, and coral colored varieties. Innocence and Violet Mist really grabbed my attention as well. I'm glad to hear you'll enjoy your new plant, when I got mine they were also discounted. I got them a couple of days after Valentine's Day from Wal-Mart for around $2.75 as well. Chris had asked me if he could treat me for the occasion and I had told him no, but when I saw the roses I changed my tune lol! Their roots were also not very long, but that may have been because 2-3 plants were crammed into each 3 inch pot. Only time will tell how well they develop, but in the meantime they're bringing me a lot of joy! Thanks again for your time and knowledge!