Paula, I sympathize with you on the MIL issues. Been there, done that and all that I can say is that my experience with my MIL has made me a good MIL to our daughter-in-law because I was determined I would not treat our son's wife the way my mother-in-law treated me. You just have to accept that not every relationship is going to work.....and for anyone with a difficult in-law, there is nothing you can do to 'fix' things if the other person doesn't want them fixed. So, don't beat yourself up over it. Mostly likely y'all would have the same relationship even if you lived 100 or 1000 miles away from each other, although living as close as you do, you're not likely to get a 'break' from dealing with her as much as someone does when the in-laws are not right next door. As far as seeing a resemblance between her and the hairless raccoon.....it is what it is. If the worst thing you ever do in your life is to equate an image of a hairless raccoon with your MIL, then you're a pretty good person, you know! I guess it is time to start planning how you're going to keep the you-know-whats (or you-know-whos) out of your pepper garden this year. Razor wire? Dawn

I too have Bianco Antico. It's faaaabulous. It really goes with a lot of colors. You can put pear green with it (which is my accent color in my house), chocolate brown, creams, whites, silver, gray, taupe, etc. etc. It is one of those granites that although it is busy, it is really open to a variety of decorating ideas. I struggled with my backsplash for quite some time with this granite. Yes, I think I'm close to being blacklisted on GW for all of my questions. But as I was closing in on the final tile--a miracle happened--I won a backsplash after entering my kitchen in a contest. The tile I won is perfect for my space. Bianco Antico varies from slab to slab--no matter what the fabricator says. I did not want one that had a lot of black and taupe in it. Mine is primarily brown, with taupes and grays in it. Here's a picture of mine: oh and another:

Hmmmm, owned horses for 20 years---4-H, have had dogs my whole life except when in the Army, had cats, parakeets, tropical fish, white rats, lizards, rabbits, a raccoon, a opossum, and have fed birds on occasion. I am extremely realistic. I currently have two dogs, both mixed aggressive breeds---one of which I rescued from euthanasia----both of whom are stretched out by my feet as I type---tired from the afternoon session of work/exercise/play. They are a part of my family, but---they are dogs first, second, and always. They get treated like aggressive breed dogs, not like my grandchildren or my children. Shorty, the 20 year old chihuahua mix we just had to euthanize because of advanced cancer, was treated like a small noisy dog. Max, my 3 year old German Shepherd/Rottweiler mix(the out of control rescued dog) is a watchdog. The daughter of the family who got rid of him is a friend of my oldest granddaughter and was here Sunday. She had not seen the dog in a year and a half. She could not get over how calm and behaved he is. They tried to treat Max like a person, thinking they were being good owners. Max had no idea how to be a dog---and that had him so confused and unbalanced he was dangerous. I've been an animal lover my entire life. However---people who insist animals have human characteristics are doing a disservice to the animal. Animals have to be treated as others of their kind would treat them to be complete animals. Treating an animal like a human creates unbalanced animals. Now, if the question were---"What has being associated with my animals taught me?----Oh, my, there are hundreds of answers. See my point?

I love almost all of these, although that "target" kitchen was awful and expensive, I bet. I see a theme on many of these of no uppers and no paneled appliances. I think that is what helps to make them unapologetic kitchens. I find that that look is more about function, yet it also has loads of "form" to me. I love the phrase comfortable retro modern. I have been trying to explain to people that I want a retro modern 1930-40s look for my kitchen and that I am trying to make it comfortable and welcoming most of all. People understand a 50s or 60s vibe. They understand Victorian, but there were a lot of years in between! I hope when mine is done it will be quirky and happy. I want it to be a place where everyone knows they will get a good meal and where real ingredients will be used. Nothing pretentious or highbrow. My garbage can will be a garbage can. People will be able to find it and know what it is. My fridge and freezer will be visible and open to all. The stove is vintage and is not a high end restaurant grade stove. I am cooking and baking for family and friends here. I hope to have enough space to hold my gadgets and room for others to hang out and hopefully, pitch in. I'd also like to not feel like I am far away from the action when I am cooking so it will be open plan. I don't need to hide it away. It will be more Julia Child functional than "Something's Got to Give" designer looking. I also don't want it to look like I took it out of a showroom and copied into my home. If I am successful, a new guest will not have a clue what year it was done. BTW - I am a real estate agent and can't stand the same old, same old. Too many houses have expensive kitchens with nothing special about them. Boooorrring. Buyer's don't buy safe and 100% neutral. They want something to be excited about and to tell their family & friends about prior to moving in. Most people want a little style and don't want the same look as everyone else's. It is a myth that people should do things all neutral to sell. While some common elements are fine and make people feel safe about them, there should be something that is a little special, or dare I say, quirky, about a kitchen. People buy when they are thrilled and intrigued by a new kitchen. An older kitchen will matter less, but if they are paying for improved, they want it to have some feature/s that are unique.