Julia, Just to give you another perspective on seed starting / seedling growing. I use 4 foot fluorescent lights with one cold and one warm bulb per fixture. I have them on a timer and the light is on for 16 hours a day. Once the seeds germinate and are ready to transplant they are moved to small 4 oz cups and a piece of yarn is pushed into the bottom of the cup and the yarn is left to dangle in water that has a bit of fertilizer in it. The seedlings water them selves and take up as much water as they need. The advantages are that the plants can be left for days, a week with no supervision at all. The plants never get too wet or too dry (just make sure your starting mix has perlite in it). All you have to do is add more fertilizer water every couple of weeks and keep moving the lights up as the plants grow. You want the plants a inch or two from the bulbs but even if the plants grow up and touch the bulbs while you are away it does no harm as they are cold. IMHO It is the easiest way to produce big healthy transplants that are blocky and have big tough stems. The picture is my setup from last falls starts. For the spring planting it is much larger with 4 light fixtures in use. For the picture I moved the lights up away from the plants

That's ok Phil. I realized it was either a brain/finger mis-comunication or a misreading. Happens all the time. LOL I looked around some more and found some of your pictures, Phil. Lovely! Can't wait to have more time to look. Coral, I do have more time now and will have even more after May 2012! Woohoo! I'm also in the Charlotte area. When I get things going, you'll have to come over for coffee. And Ken, I have, gulp, sweet gum trees ... lots, and Lots and LOTS. The only redeeming thing about them is that they provide shade for shade loving plants. I did a bunch of research the year I worked on the one bed. I learned that I CAN build up and amend the soil without killing the trees IF I do it slowly. I did plant a dogwood in that bed that is doing well. The other things I planted in that bed are encore azaleas, a lace cap hydrangea (not doing too well due to neglect), astilbe, heuchera and caladiums which went by the wayside LONG ago. Where I come from in TX, caladiums are perennials. Not so here. So I dug the tubers up to replant in the spring. Then my dh, (bless his ever lovin' helpful heart) threw away my "box of dried up potatoes". Still, I'll keep him. He indulges me. And I let him. Thanks for all the encouragement and I can't wait to get started! Robin in NC

Hi Scrapinsal -- Boy, I wish we had your "before" kitchen -- you've got a lot to work with there! Quick thoughts.... * I'm not a huge fan of glazed cabs, and as you say the color's not bad at all. I'd do a very thorough cleaning of the exteriors (check with wood experts on what to use) and def change out the hardware. I'd think black would play up your appliances and granite. * It was ages ago, but maybe there's an old-timer around here who remembers a fairly modern kitchen that had lighter cabs with black crown? It was stunning, and I think something like that could look great in your kitchen too. * I'm pro black painted cabs in the serving area, but then I have a mix of finishes in my small (also budget!) kitchen. Good luck -- looks like you're on the right path to me!

Congrats! DH just completed a Masters of Science in MIS last month (graduation's in a couple weeks--wahoo!). Our excitement about his regained freedom might be short-lived however. We just found out that his company and the school will now be offering an MBA program (with profs coming to the office two days a week to teach the classes and tuition reimbursement as well, just like the program he just completed). Tough decision--get our lives back after three years of heck (and tackle the home projects that have been languishing the entire time), or take advantage of free education from a top-ranked school? Hmmmmm?