Just for curiosity (because of something mentioned in another thread) I tried to send myself an e-mail via the 'send this member an e-mail' link, and got the message 'cannot locate this member'. Doing away with paid memberships sounds a bit drastic. They must reckon that they'll make more money from forcing ads on us?

I've been having the same problem. It took me 5 times to log in to answer your heading. For a couple months I could only answer c. 1 out of 4 postings that I wished to because I could not log on, yesterday I tried logging in and failing and then trying again two more times and succeeded on the third try. Luxrosa

"DD's theory is that due to the global financial crisis, fashion has come to a grinding halt. Nothing new. So the trend lag between here and Europe has collapsed and we're seeing the same stuff everywhere. This is from my 16 y.o. fashion analyst! :-)" Out of the mouths of babes... The Italians are over, this week, and are doing all they can to help the American economy. They came with huge lists from their family and friends. It's all Abercrombie & Fitch. That brand has taken Italy by storm, maybe the rest of Europe, too. They used to buy only Polo. I guess the lines at their stores go on forever and the prices are absurd. With the exchange rate...they're in heaven. We had a dinner last night and I forgot to ask what Italian brand was hot now. Last time it was Roberto Cavalli but his things are way too young for me. I'll stick with Armani if I'm still alive to see the dollar reign, once more.

Just discovered this topic, but weighing in anyway. I am in New England, so I don't have experience with the log firm you are considering. I did recently move into a log home and can give you some insight on the homes in general. The log home company I went with insisted that I use a GC that had past experience building log homes. I also talked to home owners that had gone through that company, and saw their homes, got their feedback. The company also had a yearly date when they made a small structure (garage) on their property to show how the homes are constructed. Very informative. When my house was being built, they sent one of their experts to assist in the laying of the log shell, to make sure that no corners were cut. (I am glad they did.) As far as Summit Studio's feedback: In my home, each log is connected with a layer of insulation. My home here in the hills of western Massachusetts is more tightly insulated than my old stick built home down in Connecticut - this is noticeable in the winter! Up here, I'm on the side of a hill with little in the way of trees to serve as a wind buffer -- it's a LOT cozier here than back down at the old place, where the winds never amounted to much. When the house shell was constructed, there was space along the floor allotted for electrical conduits and outlets. Light switches on outer walls didn't prove to be a problem, either - planned for at sensible locations by entry doors. As for plumbing, all my plumbing is on interior walls or sections of the house, with the exception of my prep sink... those hoses and drain pipe go down to the basement just before the back of that cabinet (which is how it's done in just about any house that has a basement). In winter country I really don't want plumbing on outer walls anyway. Yes, a log home will settle more than a conventional stick built home. When building, they take this into account (a reason why my log company insisted on my hiring a GC with past log home experience). I've had a few minor drywall breaks, but minor, and I knew to expect them. (I did have a few troubles with the GC I chose, but those had nothing to do with this being a log home.) Pricing notes: This worked out to be less expensive than my original stick built plans even though the ultimate house was the same square footage and more or less the same footprint (different design). I knew in my rural area dropping a half million on a home was just plain stupid. The log company charged me for the log shell, and included the roof, front porch, and exterior doors - but not the staining or floors. The GC charged twice that to do the foundation, the walk out basement, all the interior including carpentry for cabinets, the back deck (it wasn't an option on the log company plans), and the septic. (I'm not including the well or the landscaping in this.) I was able to do custom higher end things where it mattered to me, and scale back on the trivial stuff. Excluding that landscaping and well, this worked out to just about 10 percent above the GC's quote. I was able to modify the plans I chose from the log company. I discovered GW (now owned by Houzz) about the time I was working on the kitchen design, and I'm grateful for their assistance! Although the logs were being milled at that point (no changes on exterior), I was also able to get a couple other pointers placed towards my benefit inside.