Planningnut, if you're going to buy from a local dealer, it often pays to get a quote or two from an online site to have with you when your local dealer write up the order. I like buying from a local dealer when I can, because without the local people providing the showrooms and their time and expertise, we'd never get to see products in person. I'll eat the local sales tax I wouldn't have to pay if I order online, but not a major price difference. With the bath supply dealer I've worked with locally, I've found that if I come in with my "online research", he'll often match the price, even though it's a steeper discount than I would have otherwise gotten. (I've had this at lighting stores, too.) Many people shop locally and buy online; I like it if I can shop locally, price online, and then leverage the online price to buy locally. Anyway, it's a good idea to get a price or two online. IraWoods.com often has good or best pricing on the lines they carry; eFaucet and faucets.com are others to check -- or you can use a price comparison site like PriceGrabber.com. You may need to visit the manufacturer's web site to get the exact name or model number of the piece you're looking for; then make sure you're comparing prices for the actual finish you want (chrome, satin nickel, etc.). Happy shopping! -- Eric

They are powdercoated tin. American Tin repeatedly reassured me they would work in the bathroom. If you look on their website, you will see other bathrooms. These have actually been up about a year and half and look as good as new with no problems. I finally took photos last weekend. We were about 95% done for a long time. We had to caulk the corners on the crown molding and put up the curved shower rod. That was a big finishing touch, and I refused to take "finished" pictures until the whole thing was really finished.

My son bought me one something like for Christmas about 4 years ago. It's battery operated though, so when you turn it on it gently vibrates, kind of like stimulates your scalp. About freaked out first time I tried it, through I was getting shocked, BUT, it is awesome! Very cool thing to have, and unique.

Outlander is set in the 1740's Scotland leading up to Culloden. The practice stays are stiffened with plastic zip ties, not terribly rigid, but the real stays will be stiffened with reed. It comes in a big roll and you cut it to size to fit in the stitched channels. Whalebone, reed, cane, and wood (often ash) were all used in the 18th century. You can buy a modern artificial whalebone made out of a sturdy plastic, but it is expensive. I thought the reed would do just as well. As for the bum-pad, I suppose they might have used horsehair, but there was a lot of wool around, and it is much softer and far less scratchy. I'll bet people used what was available and convenient. As for me, I used leftover wool quilt batting stacked in graduated layers, the way you might make shoulder pads for a tailored jacket. I plan to finish the second pocket today and move on to the petticoats sometime this weekend. I am feeling the pressure to make faster progress.