LOL @ the progressive ads, Steff! Thanks for sharing. I had a good chuckle. Too funny that she even mentioned the bugs in her teeth. Plllog, the leathers are very good for protection etc. So far I haven't had trouble wearing them as the weather hasn't been great (Yes, Solly, it's snowing here as we speak). I'm pretty sure it will be harder to wear heavy leather when it's 30 degrees out there. I LOVE LOVE my MC boots. They are soooooo cute and I feel very sexy when I wear em. :o) Much better than spikes I think. I didn't know you rode horses, Plllog - you and I are more alike than I realized. I'm glad I mentioned the email, Steff - I really did want to thank you - that site looks great. :o) Sorry Solly no advice on the cookware - I'll leave that up to the experts.

Ooh yay more responses!! :) There is a flush mount light, since the wiring is not centered over the table. Long story having to do with our not-stellar builder. To center something I would have to deal with about 3.5' of cord. Here's where my taste gets complex. And frustrating. And -- impossible. I love a lot of "Mexican" pieces - heavy pine furniture, rustic pottery, etc. but I do not love a true Mexican look - I don't care too much for the textile patterns, overall palette, etc. I actually used to have a flat weave rug that my MIL loomed hanging over the table, but it was too large for the space. One that's a more suitable size is on my perpetual shopping list. I've been looking for something I love for a very long time, and no luck yet. I would love to have something other than a print there, prints are just "safe" for me - easy. I'm competent at hanging a print. I have all sorts of hangy things but I'm not competent when it comes to piecing together things that don't obviously "go," and I'm not very skilled when it comes to arranging things in space (spatial is not one of my higher intelligences!) I just raided my storage room with a camera and got a VERY SMALL sampling of things to show my "taste." Do you see any of these things "going" together? Because I can't, and would need help here. A large lantern w/ glass inserts that I adore, but can't find the perfect place for: Wrought iron sun shape w/ mirror insert: Obligatory Pier 1 candleholder: A pair of candleholders: Two similar wall hangings that are sun outlines with amber inserts. And a grass-like metal thing (thought it would look good in my bathroom once upon a time) on top of them: Carved wood mirror: ...and lots more where those came from.

Thanks to all of you for the feedback and suggestions! Enduring, I do like cafe curtains, and in fact that's the style we had up pre-remodel. I had not thought of wrought iron before, but I can definitely see how that could work. I generally lean toward simple styles, and like the idea of a plain white flat fixture for the center, if I can find something that would not look too commercial. I like that white dome pendant you posted, too, UpNorthHey. I am limited for the over-sink fixture by the distance of the light box from the wall, though. I think I can only go up to 8 or 9 inches in diameter. Those are some cool ceiling fans, robotropolis! I go back and forth on whether I want something more attention-getting vs. fade-into-background, to the extent that any ceiling fan can fade into the background. One of the plainer options I've had my eye on is this Minka-Aire Concept II. I love the industrial/barn style fixtures. I especially like the copper finish option on that Sea Gull pendant, though I'm not sure copper would be a good choice for the room. My only hesitation about this style is that I don't want to veer too far into a cottage/country look to the point that it looks goofy. iroll, I'm glad to hear you are happy with your Ramsjo white cabinets! I mostly hear people complain about how pink they look in the displays, and I will admit that I normally prefer a whiter white, myself. However, I do love how the grain shows through. Thanks for posting about Graveyard Mall - I had not heard of them before. A general question: should the fixtures over the sink and the peninsula match?

mpagmom - So glad I can help you procrastinate! I always have something for you to think about, if you are in need with your own list of things to ponder. Thanks for including the link/pics to the garbage under the sink. I'm open to the idea of garbage or recycling under the sink - or both. I think I'm going to need to decide if I want a 30" with a single bowl or if I want to keep the double sink and go back up to 36". One thing I've been pondering is the location of the sink on the peninsula run and that cabinet being right next to it. Things can get splashy, but I also benefit from counter space on both sides of my sink. Hm... lisa0527 - That website is fascinating, though some parts of it are creeping me out. The botanicals are cool, though. leia_in_lalaland (Love your name!) - Wow, you went to town, and I really appreciate it. Those plants are so unique, I need to look into that more. For some reason, they reminded me of the plant shelves I posted a pic of below. I stuck that in one of my files several months back now, while researching Sochi's living wall. I really like the shelves, but I'm just not sure I can afford to have something that comes out into the aisle. Unless it was high up and didn't interfer with opening the upper cabinet. Floating shelves are one of my favorite things. The picture 6 up from the bottom is also fascinating. It seems they stuck a very narrow upper across the galley wall. I wonder how far that extends. I imagine there's no uppers on the left side, either. It looks very practical and seems not to interfer with the use of the peninsula. The shutters, though, are also intriguing - that pic that shows a set of grayed out shutter doors, especially. I could have a faux door after all. lol Hm..and the tin reminds me of a piece I have in the entry. It hangs coats right now, but could hang towels, I guess. It's a piece of architectural salvage with hooks on it. I'll have to go stare at that... lol Thanks so much, everyone.