smom40, I'd agree with cantstopgardening, just weed wack a little too close to the tree in a circle. You might even follow up with some roundup sprayed on the area you cut, just in case you missed any "weeds". Also, WAY back in this thread Brent_In_NoVA mentioned how NoVa would like to seperate itself from the rest of "the Commonwealth". I know he was joking but, personally having lived in southwest virginia, I'd rather live surrounded by the mountain wildflowers and rusted cars than in the traffic and sprawl that NoVa is known by. One of the sad things about the the new houses being built, it actually that they have no sense of place. If camarodreamer67 had not told us that she lived in Southwest VA I'd have no way of knowing by the archetechure or the landscaping. My one single piece of advice would be to help restore a sense of place to your home and landscape. Consider using a native plant or two, or drive around some of the older nice houses and consider integrating some of the features you find and enjoy. I'm not saying you need a tractor tire planter or fake goose, but I'm willing to be there are things in older areas that make your town special and they are worth noticing.

Please read this in a good natured tone of voice. I am not being snarky. To someone whose idea of gardening is to buy a condo and let the landscaping crew mow the lawns, a fruit tree would look complicated. Growing organic fruit can be a challenge. I gave up and I spray. The upside to that is I actually get to eat fruit. When I grow fruit trees, I am producing food for my family and I literally spend less time working on the trees than it takes me to drive to the market and buy tasteless, under-ripe, expensive fruit from the produce department. Thanks to the internet and especially thanks to this forum, all the information about how to grow fruit trees is readily available. Seriously, it is simply paint-by-the-numbers to get started. Follow simple instructions. Get a couple of easy trees to begin and then you can get fancier as you learn. I'm still not ready to espalier. My veggie garden is a lot more work. I only have to dig one time to plant the tree. Did I mention that tomato horn worms are close to being the grossest thing on the planet? I'm going to agree that berries can be easy, as long as you like feeding the birds. Pruning brambles can be intimidating. They fight back. I find grapes to be easy, but I know that they take a lot of spraying in climates different than mine. The simple truth is that some people like to garden and some don't. For those who don't, that's why they build condos.

I've had both hardwood and laminate in my house and I must say that handsdown I prefer hardwood over a laminate. Yes, it does get dings and dents, but it can always be refinished. It is an investment that can outlast you if you treat them well. You certainly can't say that for carpet and not even for a laminate. That said, laminate does have it's advantages--esp. if you are on a budget. It's almost indestructable as long you don't get it wet or want to remodel because it's very difficult to piece it in later. I would also factor in the installation cost into your decision as what you really prefer and feel you can maintain for your situation as well as how cr*py your carpeting is. If you'd like to use your pennies for other things in the future, perhaps the laminate is the most suitable choice. If you anticipate either an increase in income or are pretty happy with other areas of your home, then perhaps the hardwood is the way to go with the expectation you will extend it later (and may not get such a good deal on the other wood). Most likely I'd end up choosing the laminate if on a budget and with a house that there are other improvements I'd like to do and with the associated expenses of raising four kids. It's a very practical choice, even though, decorwise, hardwood may be preferable.

brody_miasmom, per the Ikea cabs, I went and did another look at Ikea cabinets last night, just to keep all my options open :-) Yesterday afternoon I spoke with a realtor and she was along the same lines as you; that Ikea cabs are just fine but I should put in granite. I also went and looked at counter depth fridges in stainless and now I am in full irate mode over the price of them. SHEESH. I called my sister ranting and she assured me that black would be OK too...but really, if the masses love stainless, I should put those in. I am flip flopping dependent on if I've just seen a price tag or not, LOL. igloochic, OK, I cannot wrap my head around this. WHY is Silestone priced in different grades? Isn't it just resin and filler? I can see granite priced differently based on rarity or quarry costs...but Silestone is...all...the...same. I don't get this. It's like they have a lower range in unexciting colors just so they can charge you more for the prettier stuff. I mean, really, do the little flecks of mica and pigment really warrant that much more?? Can you tell I'm annoyed?? Do you by any chance have a pic of the granite that looks like the sliced river rock? I'd love to see what that looks like. lishaana , congratulations on the quick sale! That is awesome. Your updates look great. natal, do you have recessed lights over the countertops, and if so, does the glare bother you? You are right, never too much light! Of course I am afraid I will put in too many and the ceiling will look like swiss cheese. You look like you have a nice big kitchen -- lucky! :-) bigdoglover, what is "boring dinkety dinkety dink small builder granite with dull bullnose edge"? I mean, what's the name of it? I'll try to avoid it, LOL. bbstx, indeed, there was no backsplash when we bought the house...just a laminate edge and then paint. It was hard to clean, that's for sure. I lost track of how many times I simmered tomato sauce too hard and had little spurts all over the wall by the stove :-) Oops. I will probably put in a backsplash if I can find the right tile at the right price. mnzinnia, thank you neighbor for your help! Are you currently living in EP? I made a note of the places you said to visit. The outlet place sounds like a must-see. And I hope you find your perfect house soon :-) crazyhouse6, another neighbor! I totally agree about the ugly soffit...and you know what, the edges of the soffit that weren't touched by cabinets are POPCORNED. Yes. I coudn't make this stuff up, it's too horrifying. OK you've given me the opportunity for a small rant. I honestly don't know why granite is necessary to sell. I can certainly see why someone would put in granite if that's what they love, but then they will put in the granite of their choice, not live with the lower grade or ugly-to-them color that a seller chose simply for resale. It's so personal. On this thread several granite owners mentioned picking out their specific slabs, it's like picking out artwork, no? Wound't someone who loves granite much rather rip out a laminate counter than a granite that is new, functional, yet not to their taste? I dunno, that's how I see it, but I will put in granite cuz that's what peeps like. Personally I find it too hard. I would pick either butcherblock or stainless steel. So...if I were looking for a house, I would MUCH rather find one with cheap laminate and rip that out to put in my taste in counters, rather than rip out granite that someone thought made the place look upscale. Oh well. Granite it is. Granite for all! The puttig-back-together starts today with Measuring-Guy-Joe showing up at 3:30pm. Yay! supercat, your kitchen looks bright and open, I love that! Whatever you did worked, because it looks very nice. BTW, how do you like your corner sink? Joanna