I'm using an interior designer in my area on a consult as needed basis. Believe me, small "emergencies" will crop up (i.e., grout the wrong color)where you will need someone who can pop in for quick consults here and there. I paid consult fees and interviewed three designers to get the right person. What I learned was that an ASID designer,someone who has a four year degree and is in your area, is your best bet. As the other GardenWebers have already told you, you should now weed out candidate #1. His pattern of behavior is saying loud and clear that he does not want your job at this time. I got the same behavior pattern from someone who sells custom cabinets. They keep making up excuses until you finally get the message.

All The move. I used to live about 12 miles north of the Minot Air Force Base which is about 8 miles north of the city of Minot. Now I live about 15 miles south of the Air Force Base in the city of Minot. You wouldn't think that a 25 mile trip (one way) would have that much affect on someone, but when my husband and I were spending several evenings a week in town due to meetings, the drive home became long. That coupled with the fact that we were tired of paying rent to someone else, and the decision to move was pretty easy. In the past, the Air Force always moved us, so they packed up absolutely everything, loaded it onto the moving truck, unloaded it at the other end and I just had to unpack. This move, we had to do absolutely EVERYTHING and then make that 30 mile trip between the houses...several times. Then there was the tought of having to clean the rental unit...which I knew wouldn't be that big of a deal, but it still had to be done. In the middle of our move, I had to make a trip out to Grand Forks (about 3 hours away) to move my daughter out of her dorm and into her apartment. We took a truck load of stuff out to Grand Forks with us, unloaded that, and then loaded yet another truck load from her dorm room. I am moved out. The house is livable and my husband had been a god send. We have the remaining boxes either in the semi-finished basement or the garage, so the main living area is almost "normal." Because the new house has cathedral ceilings, the "little" pictures that I had just won't cut it, so pictures aren't up yet, but I'm not too worried about that. I haven't said anything to my husband about my sewing room, because he has been extremely stressed with the move and things at work are a night mare right now, but bless his heart, he got my sewing table set up tonight in my sewing room. I'm going to stick to my guns, however, and get the rest of the house done first, because I don't want any hurt feelings that I can play in my room but he can't play in his room (garage). I can make that sacrifice, especially seeing that I am off to a quilting class tomorrow afternoon. I will post pictures of the house, sewing room and breast cancer quilts as things progress. Lynn

Thank you!! I've never hear of understitching. I can try that next. After staring in the mirror at the shirt, I've decided I just can't wear it (except as pj's) in its current condition. I just cannot be tugging at the neck to cover my bra straps all day! No way! The part of the understitching instructions that I'm not sure about: Apply binding, and then open the *entire* binding flat and press? When I aplied it the first time, only one crease was pressed open. Now I press the whole thing flat, and up away from the neck (as if the binding is an extension of the neck)? In this position, the binding is going upward, and the seam allowance is going downward (toward waist of shirt). Is that right? I did some online google searching for phrases like, "why won't the !@#$% binding on my knit shirt lay flat?" but I couldn't find *exactly* that phrase anywhere. :-) However, I did find a few instructions that said the neckline will be very prone to stretching too wide, and so the binding should be SMALLER/TIGHTER than the neckline to pull it inward when worn. Hmmm. did the opposite. I tried to relax the binding as much as possible so that everything would lie flat when I was ironing it. So I wonder if this is a big part of the problem? My new plan is to make binding out of the knit material (I found instructions online), both because it is stretchier than the Wright brand tape that I have access to. Also, I, um, think there was a moment when I threw all my pink binding in the garbage in a moment of rage. The garbage went out later than night, so it has gone to the landfill, and I don't want to go out and buy more. So, I'll try to apply it more tightly, and then understitch it. (I did staystitch the neck in the very beginning.) I'll have to take the shoulders apart again too, since I changed the neck by doing the front and back separately. So it will be an ordeal. I hope I can do it today. Of course, this may ruin the knit fabric, but the only other option is a jammie shirt with flouncy sleeves. I also promised my 5 year old we would start some jammies for him today. My 7 year old started his last night, which led to lots of high pitched whining of "that's not faaaaaaaair!" from my younger son. And boy, is the laundry and general house mess piling up again! Mr. Magnolia isn't thrilled with the current state of my housekeeping... Thanks again!! :-) francy

Belle~ so sorry to hear you are sick now. You take care of yourself. Glad DGS is doing better. I meant to ask about him yesterday. He's on his way to recovery I hope. That is some nasty stuff and he may still feel a little weak even after he's over it. The good thing is that he's old enough to do for himself. Glad you liked the candy bars. They were just something simple, but it was fun dressing them up. We all have those long never ending lists of projects I think. I hope I never get thru mine. ha I have 2 sick kids myself....stuffy noses, sore throats, fever and whiny to boot. I'm here because I missed DD's game. I lost my DM at Walmart and she didn't have her cell phone so we spent a lot of time wandering around trying to find each other. Then their cash registers were having a problem so the lines were looong. Anyway, by the time we got out of there and got the groceries home her 1st game was almost over so I figured I'd just stay home and relax while I can before it gets crazy tonight. Have to get some birthday things together to give 2 of the girls tonight. I took some felt of different colors and cut out flower shapes. Hand sewed around them and stacked them with a flower shaped button on top. Then hot glued it to a magnetic clip. There is another pack of decorative magnets hanging from the clip that we are giving them for their school lockers, but I thought I'd dress up the clip a bit. Turned out cute and the girls like them. I'll try to take a pic Friday and show ya'll here. Hey Luvs~ I'm feeling very chipper today. Thought it was supposed to be snowing, but voila...the sun is out! Our weatherman is on crack. ha Poor Mr R. I bet it itches too...I've heard they do. Luckily never had to have one...have you? He doesn't have too much longer with it anyway. Did you sign it for him or better yet paint him a little something on it? Maybe have DGD draw him a little funny on it. You are really making me want chili. I bought soup and chili fixins at the store so I'll be making them both soon. I usually have to double up my recipes for this crew and then I may have enough for my lunch the next day and if I'm lucky there will be enough leftovers for everyone to have the next night so I don't have to cook. Sometimes I take the last meals ingredients and turn it into the next meal. The chicken & rice had leftover chicken that I'd baked a few nights before in it. I hate throwing out good food too. Was it you who was asking about all the cooking for the week in one day? Your DIL? Obviously I forgot to reply. I only do that for holidays and it wears me out. Can't imagine doing it every week. How is it going for her? Well, I have time to do at least one load of laundry and get the dishwasher unloaded before I have to run DS to scouts. Ya'll have a good one. ~Anj