Was feeling a bit under the weather today (hope it's not another sinus infection brewing...), so spent time shopping on the web for prices and availability of my proposed hostas and heuchies. I have read and absorbed the lore here about itty bitty TC starters as a no-no, but the Advanced Starters a year or more old looked big enough to deal with. They looked as big as some of the hostas I've already received in previous years. I also researched prices and availability of my H & H's at some of the nurseries you good folk suggested, which I'd never heard of before. None of the hosta nurseries had ALL the varieties I wanted. Hosta Direct had "Advanced Starters" of Paradise Island, Rainforest Sunrise, and Remember Me, $9.95 apiece. They only seemed to offer Rainbows End as a teeny baby starter, so no thanks. They also had 4 of the 5 heuchies I wanted for $7.95-8.95. They currently have a 15% off sale and a flat shipping rate of $6.95 plus .75/plant. Free if you spend $85+. Wade & Gatton (one of the nurseries suggested here) wanted $11 for hosta Gypsy Rose vs. Hornbaker's $15 and Jim's Hostas $16. Hallson's had Paradise Island, Rainbows End and Rainforest Sunrise for $14, $16, and $14 respectively. So far, NH Hosta (which I've ordered from before successfully) and Hosta Direct seem to have the best prices on Hostas and Heuchies, minus Gypsy Rose. Hornbaker was second-highest across the board but had 4/5. Hallsons was a dollar or so higher than bottom and if they had all the varieties, I'd go with them in a NY second. But they only had 3/5. Jim's Hostas had 4/5 but much higher prices. In the Country had prices so high as to make me laugh. Obviously, I want to order from the least possible places to keep the shipping costs down. If anyone here has a better source, please let me know.

Well, here's what I wish someone (hadn't discovered GW back in the "old days" in 1990) had told me about kitchen remodeling and managing the all-important "want" list: Certain parts of the kitchen are easy to change and certain things are not. Had I known, for instance, that one must measure the walls at 3 points to get an accurate in-between measurement, I would not, almost 20 yrs later, now be short 1/4 to 1/2" to fit in a pro-style 30" range. I would now have to move a minimum of six cabinets - remember, all of which are in perfect condition but more importantly, aren't made any longer so cannot be easily matched even by custom - in order to gain a lousy 1/2" of space. That's a slight exaggeration, mind you: I'm actually only short 1/8", but I figure some of those pro-stoves get pretty hot on the sides so I'd want a little bit of airspace, just in case. When we replaced our refrigerator in 2002, I found they had gotten bigger and bulkier (Energy star requirements needing more insulation), so instead of a 23 cu.ft. refrig I had to go down to 19 cu.ft. in order to fit in between the surrounding cabs. Thus, I know now that such things as light fixtures (not the wiring), floors, counters, sinks, faucets, venthoods and even DWs, aren't that difficult to replace. But it's a real pain when you're later limited to certain appliances only because you're lacking a few all-important inches somewhere. Once the cabs, electrical/plumbing/gas lines are in, it's costly to change those around. So Ive learned there's a reason for using a few filler strips. I could easily have planned for larger appliances by moving a non-bearing wall we installed in 1990 back another 4". I didnÂt, and can only regret it. I could have put in a good, middle-price stove (just as I did) and gotten 5-10 yrs of service out of it, then replaced it with whatever I really wanted to splurge on. ItÂs a lot easier to spend the extra a few years down the road, when youÂre just replacing one or two appliances, not remodeling the entire kitchen. When I started hearing about the Bluestar, I went to see one and loved it. Could have paid cash without any trouble. But it simply won't fit, unless I change out my cabs. But the Cormatin will fit much better, so I'm willing to give up a little of the BS performance for Lacanche's good looks and still better-than-average performance. If I were remodeling my kitchen top to bottom, and wanted a Cluny but couldnÂt quite afford it, thereÂs a few choices to be made. First you scale down as much as you can (the aforementioned easy-to-change stuff), and shop every sale like a fanatic. Sheet vinyl flooring remnant? Take it! Fight the crowds, serve your family cheap plastic-cheese pizzas, whatever it takes. Save every penny. No more Starbucks lattes, no more Haagen Daz. Bring your lunch, rent a movie instead of going out. Yeah, itÂs awful, but you (hopefully) donÂt have to do it forever. Ask your friends for help, whether itÂs watching the kids or going to the grocery store and taking your list along with theirs, while you stay home and tile your backsplash (after taking that free class showing you how at the local big box store). Promise to pay them back with half-a-dozen great meals cooked in your gorgeous new kitchen (and then be sure you actually do it). If you still canÂt manage the cost, plan properly. Arrange your upper and lower cabs, vent/wiring/gas or electrical, so that youÂll have enough room in the future. Remember my sad lesson of 1/2"  give yourself a skootch more room than you think youÂll need. Figure out what works best as a substitute. A 36" range with a small countertop convection oven as a second? Or maybe the Kenmore/Frigidaire 40" 5 burner? No, they wonÂt make your heart race, but they work, and work well. WeÂre in an incredible time right now, with a plethora of choices available at every price point. Then start saving for your Cluny. YouÂve got a bright shiny goal, itÂs either worth a bit of personal sacrifice or it isnÂt. In the meantime, at least youÂve got a working kitchen that has a better layout and is more beautiful than what you started with. We are all on budgets; some of them larger than others, but most of us cannot afford EVERYTHING we want, all at once. But if you realize that prioritizing your wish list between the "wants" and the "needs" can mean if you're patient, you may eventually end up with what you wanted  and sometimes, something even better than you originally thought.

Years ago we raised a home we remodeled but ours was a different situation since we had a crawl space under it. We raised it 10' and then built another floor under it. Talk about some memories.........we lived in it during that time with a 2 yr old! I would be concerned with her choosing the option of raising the whole slab due to unstable soils around N.O. She needs to talk with several contractors and price out all the options. From my experience, I would think the best choice would be to make the lower level a garage/basement and then make the second floor the living area. I would find it interesting if she found raising the slab cheaper than building a second floor since it's often more economical to build 'new' vs restore/remodel. There will be no guarantees as to how much damage will occur within the house. Expect cracks in the walls and tile floors if she raises the slab. When she gets bids on the work, she needs to be sure and include all other costs from other contractors/subs for electrical, drywall repair, plumbing, repair of siding, any possible roof damage, etc. Plumbing will be much more labor intensive with a slab floor. The link below describes the options your DS has for Katrina damaged homes. I'm sorry she's going thru this. So many people don't realize the nightmare of Katrina continues....................... Here is a link that might be useful: Projects

Thanks again. We are very happy with our kitchen and it is such an improvement, especially layout-wise than our previous kitchen. The backsplash tile is Allen + Roth in Pearl from Lowe's. It is very affordable and looks handmade without the variation in size that you find with some handmade tiles. The mosaic is from The Tile Shop. This was my first tiling effort and boy is it backbreaking work! It didn't turn out perfectly but maybe that helps it look more handmade:) I sent EAM44 an email regarding custom cabinetry but for anyone reading this that hasn't signed on the dotted line regarding their cabinets- seek out a cabinetmaker and get a quote! When I was in the planning process, I got quotes from all the big box stores and found that the upcharges for special sizes was so expensive. By using a custom cabinetmaker, I could get everything exactly the size I wanted and exactly how I wanted it to look for about the same price. I also was able to pick the exact stain and paint colors I wanted and was not limited by the choices on the display. I thank GW for leading me in that direction along with teaching me about drawers instead of doors, Blanco sinks, my corner cabinet design (from willtv), dividers in the cabinet above the refrigerator, and morgue drawers for the banquette. This is such a great place!