In our area there is a lot of cleaning in post-foreclosure homes. Repossessers and restorers and resellers and the like have to renew the insides for renting and or resale. I haven't seen a once-a-week-in-the-home cleaning person advertising in our older neighborhood since perhaps November.

Still trying to find a copy of a Disc. Annies Attic pattern book "Teeny Tiny Snowflakes" #878806. Unable to get from them. Also want patterns from a Family Circle magazine from Feb. 1977 "Sew the Sunbelt in Style" It included 4 sweater patterns and 4 different styles. One of them was Jacqueline Jewetts easy to knit garter sweater in grey wool by bernat. Any help finding these will be great.

jamms - thanks for the compliment. I have an older home & was just doing the kitchen & new back room. I also did lots of exterior work (like a new garage since it was in the way of the addition). All the decisions can definitely be overwhelming & I did not have a designer. I have lots of materials in the kitchen & I did worry about it looking like someone threw up in there, but it all worked out fine (for me). A lot of the decisions were compromises with my husband. I would have done a brown-tone island & a off-white subway but he had to have his say. I am happy at how it all turned out. There are a couple cleaning products for the travertine floors that I bought from the tile store (made by Miracle Seal). I can't remember how often I need to re-seal but the gal who sold it to me has the same floor in her kitchen & she hasn't resealed in like 5 years & it still looks great. So it may depend on the wear & tear. Here is a link to my post with more details on my kitchen: Here is a link that might be useful: annekendo's finished kitchen

Just as an aside, I have a basket weave mural in 2 places and the grout in each is different and gives a very different look. So here is the original mural From Powder room As a backsplash i used the darker grout of the rest of the backsplash From Powder room and on the floor in front of the vanity of the powder room i used the light grout of the tiled floor From Powder room the floor also doesn't have the pencil border but you can see the difference. More striking with the dark and softer with the light Thought it worth mentioning