WOW !!! Thank you for sharing this! You really should be proud of your accomplishments. Bryce is a natural stoneworker. Not only were the pics great, they weren't so large (in bytes) that even with my dial up connection I could view them without spending an excess amount of time loading. Thanks for that too!

Well we definitely have the same tastes! Of all the National Parks and Monuments I saw, Cedar Breaks and Bryce were my two favorites too! But I did really like the olde narrow LONG tunnel in Zion with five "windows" and NO lights in it. IÂve never seen anything like that before, and it was really cool. And I found lots of Aquilegia chrysantha (my favoriteÂfragrant, yellowÂcolumbine) growing out of a rock wall in the mist under a waterfall there tooÂthought that was really interesting. I was bugging all the Rangers for the (real) names of all the plants I was finding! IÂd love to see pictures of your Cedar Breaks when you get a chance, Skybird

Sheila - I LOVE that recliner! The fabric is gorgeous, and it is priced well. Plus, it seems to have good reviews. I like the red or the black fabric print. We aren't big folks at all, but we do have a couple of people in our family who visit now and then who are. I completely agree about the expense of furniture issue. On the one hand, I don't want the furniture to wear out in five years, but on the other hand, I don't want to break the bank either. The hardest part for me right now is coordinating. The room is large, and I don't feel confident in my ability to mix and match pieces, etc. I know what I like, just not how to pull it all together. For example, does all of the furniture in the room need to be covered with the same fabric? I'm hoping not. I'd rather mix it up a bit. So it will be great to see what the designer comes up with. work in progress - Like you, the combination of many large windows and not necessarily liking everything out there caused me to wait over two years to buy drapery panels. The panels are Brookside Diamond by Country Curtains in the espresso color (also comes in cream and rose). The quality is excellent. They cost $129 per pair in the 96" length. For one thing, the fabric is heavy (73% rayon and 27% polyester). I didn't purchase them lined because it costs $60 per pair (and I have 15 panels!), plus I didn't want any white showing on the sides, etc. I hope I don't regret that, and I don't think I will, as the fabric is heavy as it is. I ordered a sample before purchasing. I pressed each panel before hanging with my steam iron, and they barely needed that. I hate wrinkles and was really concerned about it, but they ironed easily. I'm posting a link below to the Country Curtains site. Anyway, I can't tell you how much warmer the room feels. What a difference. I understand your feelings about "taking the plunge". My advice is to take your time making up your mind and finding something you really like before buying. Here is a link that might be useful: Country Curtains Brookside Diamond Draperies

Oh man, that is gorgeous! I have always wanted to go there, I can't believe I haven't yet. My 4th G. grandfather was Ebenezer Bryce, the founder of the canyon. He always said it was a hell of a place to lose a cow. LOL After seeing that pic.... uh, I can see why! Beautiful!