Good morning! Well, my computer is holding at the moment, so I'm venturing a few replies while I can.... Borrowed from Wiki - I googled "sinister handed" and Google's first suggestion was Left-handedness - Wikipedia. ;) "There are many colloquial terms used to refer to a left-handed person, e.g. "southpaw" or "goofy". Some are just slang or jargon words, while other references may be offensive or demeaning, either in context or in origin (e.g. the British "cack-handed"). In more technical contexts, 'sinistral' may be used in place of 'left-handed' and 'sinistrality' in place of 'left-handedness'. Both of these technical terms derive from sinestra, a Latin word meaning 'left'.[6]" "Meanwhile, the English word sinister comes from the Latin word sinestra, which originally meant "left" but took on meanings of "evil" or "unlucky" by the Classical Latin era. Alternatively, sinister comes from the Latin word sinus meaning "pocket": a traditional Roman toga had only one pocket, located on the left side for the convenience of a right-handed wearer.[citation needed] The contemporary Italian word sinistra has both meanings of sinister and left (the masculine adjective for sinister being sinistro). The Spanish siniestra has both, too, although the 'left' meaning is less common and is usually expressed by izquierda,[11] a Basque word that made its way into Portuguese too. In Portuguese, the most common word for left-handed person, canhoto, was once used to identify the devil, and canhestro, a related word, means "clumsy" (sinistro means only "sinister"). Furthermore, in English, the expression "To have two left feet" refers to clumsiness in the domains of football or dancing." See ya'll elsewhere....! Josh

Sherry's recipe sounds like my recipe for gingersnaps...one of my favorite cookies. I prefer a crisp cookie, but I do like chewy ones also, so I might try Annie's recipe (I KNOW my husband would like them). In any case, I hadn't thought to use crystalized ginger in a gingersnap....why it hadn't occurred to me I have no idea...but I've got some very good home made ginger, and think I'll try some of that in my next batch of 'snaps. I think a crispy cookie with little bits of chewy ginger in it sounds wonderful. I like a Seabreeze. It's a sort of backwards Cape Codder, a Vodka and Grapefruit juice with a splash of Cranberry. But it really has to be freshly squeezed Grapefruit juice and since moving to the Valley, I can't get good,cheap Grapefruit anymore.

Thanks for your suggestions, everyone. I think you're correct that using a mix of colors and textures will make both of us happy. DH has agreed to a different color island, but doesn't like the look of painted uppers with stained lowers. He says it's "trendy and weird." I don't understand his logic, but whatever. I am so FRUSTRATED because he cares what the kitchen looks like but doesn't offer many suggestions of his own. He says I can do "whatever," but wants veto power over anything he really hates. Which is pretty much anything that strays from what's on our builder's website. I've decided that I can no longer look at photos of any kitchens with white; it makes me sad. I'm looking for inspiration from stained kitchens that I DO like. So, here's what DH & I can agree on: - a wood species with a very subtle grain - DONE - simple cabinet design without a lot of ornamentation - DONE - a medium or dark stain that doesn't have strong red or yellow undertones - getting there - a light, subtle granite that doesn't hog the spotlight - considering Giallo Ornamental, which should meet that need - a wood floor that contrasts with the cabinets - getting there - doing something very geometric with the backsplash - painted island - still undecided. I love the idea in theory, but I need to figure out how to integrate it with the rest of the design. I'd love tips on how to do this. Would it be accurate to say that given all our neutral choices, the backsplash needs to be the star? In case you're wondering, DH is making concessions, too. Our compromise is that I'll concede quite a bit on the kitchen, but I get full reign to do pretty much whatever I like in the bathrooms. Two of the three bathrooms WILL have white cabinets. :)

I dunno.... I'm having a hard time picturing white subway mixed with sage green. I guess it would depend on the where your range is and how the backsplash is laid out. I've seen kitchens where people have mixed various tiles in different places but they were typically on separate runs/separate walls. How is yours set up? Could you post a pic?