Barb...both happy and sad....Happy he is moving forward with his life. Knowing he will go far as long as he stays focused on his studies, and learns to quit being so wasteful. Sad because he is moving on and we will be seeing very little of him in the next 4 years or so. We havent made any new life adventures yet. House needs some TLC. I suppose first we will get used to having a home with just us and the critters and go from there. Chell I used to be a dog and cat groomer. I loved it too. But my employer was a deedeedee. Never had the money to pay me each week and always "owed" me. And she never gave me my tips either.Then at the end of the year she reported more earnings for me than what I had really made.Fortunitly I kept records and proved my case and won, so make sure you don't let the same happen to you. I have kept my clippers, blades and accessories and still will do a neighbors dog or two once in awhile to keep my skills up.....but don't miss the hair stuck in places I did'nt know existed....lol. Love all the pictures the everyone post. Always enjoy seeing ya'lls babies. Regina

i've been looking at berryberrys backsplash. it's very pretty. her granite is similar. i'm not sure tile place carries it. DH won't wait for me to order something. got some samples today.tell me what you think: **this one has lighter stone: **this one has darker stone ** here they are side by side here's a pic of the kitchen with the floor then i would do diamond shape above. i think the stone on the left is too light (we put enhancer on it) but maybe it looks better when it's all together. the stone on the right is a bit dark. give me your honest opinion. i love the glass tiles, just wasn't sure if i was supposed to pull in any of the gray color of the counter.

Wow, who knew my Manhandle would be so popular? I love having a little bit of humor in the room, and he certainly provides it! Having just one makes a statement, and the splurge was well worth it! And the owl sculpture over the desk made by DD is another whimsical touch. I had a lot of fun decorating. Plumberry, here are the pantry dimensions: 53.5"h x 29"w x 23 1/4"d. My range does not have an induction cooktop - they probably did not exist when I bought it over 12 years ago. But I would seriously consider one for my next range. That would be great! Arkansaswifey, my range has always been in the island, that is how my house was built. The Jenn-Air range has a downdraft vent which goes under the foundation of the house (great way for ants to get in the house, lol!). A downdraft vent is not the greatest, not terribly powerful, but for my needs it is fine. I do not fry a lot of food and have a very open kitchen. When I replaced the range years back I bought the Jenn-Air because it was the only downdraft range available, but I think there are other brands now (some have vents which pop up). Having the range on the island is very convenient, and I do all of my food prep on the island surface as well. Pasture19, the grey formica is not missed at all, but I do have fond memories of the previous formica...not! When we bought the house the counters were fleshy pink! Revolting!

Pillog, you are right on. The other half of "we" is DH. He immediately got on board, no hesitation, when I told him I was thinking of woodgrain instead of white. You're also right that whatever makes a "happy wife" is good by him. ("Happy wife, happy life" -- something a husband on "Househunters" said.) I like your way of thinking on including him. Jenny, I'm so glad you mentioned no oil base on the floor because I was planning to have them use oil-based Duraseal this time, thinking it would look richer. Thanks again to all. I/"we" are still sorting this out and will let you know what we decide. Still have to learn to post pictures. I'm not comfortable with the fact that my photos apparently have to be available on the general internet, as in photobucket. Correct me if I'm wrong about this.