I have to admit, after reading all this, I would LOVE to be on a warm beach sipping something with umbrellas right now. No chance of it happening, but it's a lovely fantasy.

Thanks Tex. Good idea of maybe a solid Yellow Talavera switchplate or...paint. And any new ideas for your splash with Sevillas?

Plugmold.

This style is for one centered grouping per elevation. We have say:

Section 1- left of window
Section 2-right of window
Section 3- right of flower basket
Section 4- left of flower basket

Do any of these tickle your fancy so far?

plllog, don't be coy? You can play too!

ooo plugmold is a good idea. :)

tex - when does spring arrive there? bet you'll be outside sipping umbrella-laden drinks long before we will. Perhaps we should plan a road trip down there and crash the 'welcome to spring' party. :o) How far from a beach are you??

solman, sorry I gotta bow out of the backsplash voting. I honestly don't know what goes with what in that situation.

Thank you, Prairie Girl! You speak for us both on the backsplash vote. Which, btw, is why you all haven't heard from me in awhile. I've been lurking but I haven't seen a truly appropriate place to speak up. I've already voted on the faucet and have given my 2 cents on the sink question (fwiw). However: (1) I don't have enough sense of the bigger picture in order to vote on the backsplash pattern (but think I'm leaning towards #3); (2) I've never been to the Pacific Rim, but believe that the best sunny & warm places I'd like to retire to are (A)Salvador, Brazil (B) Capetown, SA, or (C) Kuaui or the Big Island, HI. I also don't care to hear another word about Tiger's misdeeds! But trust me, friends -- I'm still here keeping an eye on how Solman's kitchen is progressing and if, or when, I think I should pipe up -- I promise I will. In the meantime, carry on! :-)

PLUGMOLD.

And, yes. In order to avoid visual disruption of the backsplash pattern, I heartily agree with use of plugmold. I have it in my own kitchen. I also recommend your use of angled plugmold instead of the straight strip. The angled version gets installed between the undersides of the cab and the wall (but is still not visible at eye level). This way, it's much easier to see where you're putting the plug -- as opposed to standard strip plugmold which gets installed directly beneath the cab.

Try again

lol plllog, if at first you don't succeed, speak louder!!

I'll have to investigate (A) Salvador, Brazil (B) Capetown, SA, or (C) Kuaui or the Big Island, HI.

I also don't care to hear another word about Tiger's misdeeds! Good grief!!

Solman, have you looked at plugmold?

oh my god! I finally caught on, it's a product. I thought we were making a funny name for the plug, like an ugly piece of mold. Good grief. Never heard of this

So the product is plugmold. Amazing. SOLD.

prairie- thank you.

imagine my the confused look on my face.

All along I thought this was a cute name destined for plllog's little folder.

lol You're welcome. :) there seems to be several varieties out there. I don't know what everyone else has used. I just googled the name to come up with a sample product.

I lurked for awhile before posting anything, and saw plugmold mentioned a few times.

A couple other goodies that twigged as good ideas are

Airswitch for garbage disposal
http://www.presair.com/uploads/SafeAire_disposal_switch.pdf

Never M T Soap dispenser
http://custominserts-store.stores.yahoo.net/nevsoapandlo.html
or make it yourself
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0814101620153.html

toe kick drawers for pot lids/trivets/spare oven grill etc

http://www.improvementscatalog.com/home/improvements/792927248-turtle-stool-folding-step-stools.html

http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/articles/6441-toekick-drawers-modification.html

built in vacuum 'sweep' hole (sorry don't know the proper name somewhere in the kitchen

delta pilar 'touch' faucet (which i don't think would 'go' in your kitchen)

and the aforementioned tapmaster

There are more out there, i don't know if the threads are still around or not. There was a huge cut the other day and the vast majority of old threads seem to have disappeard. :o(

aha - here's info on the vacuum sweep receptacle thingy

http://www.google.ca/search?q=built+in+vacuum+sweep+hole&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

I'm thinking that if you don't have a built-in vacuum it's a moot point.

well this maybe begs a little discussion. Present receptacle boxes are sitting there, wired, live and basically ready for plugs. These are few inches off the counter. Scary thing is what if there isn't enough extra wire to move up the wall to cabinet height? Then I guess Electrician would have to re-wire all of them?

Let's take a vote on who would:

1. Put in plugmold despite extra cost if needed to re-wire
2. Use standard plastic plates (painted) or glazed colored Talavera plates.

Sorry. I didn't know you'd never heard of it. The angled stuff is expensive, and called a different name. You can also angle flat plugmold and mount it that way. Mine is flush to the top of the cabinet facing down so as not to conflict with the backsplash tiles (okay, mostly to sooth the contractors--I don't plug enough in there to fight for angled). It's also pulled a little way from the back wall. You can also do it flat against the wall facing out. Think of the gray railing with the outlets above your lab bench. That was basic plugmold. Some people are very picky about how they want it.

HD and Lowes and electrical supply stores all have a variety of the stuff. There are more decorative plastic housings as well. There used to be another company that made all kinds of pretty stuff, but Wiremold bought them and have only recently started producing anything but the basic stuff.

Did you decide if you're getting a light rail? That might affect your decision on how to mount it.

Re the mermaid movie, can you do three rows of Guadalajara with yellow either side (seeing as tile can be cut, just to see if it's worth it to get the secondary pattern going?

I don't like the hillocks at 20:04.

A definite yes to the under counter lighting. LED or Xenon guys? I just can't go up the Frankenstein fluorescent color path.

"I don't like the hillocks at 20:04."

I was desperate and I had hit a creative wall :) It is also my least liked one.

LED. Get the multi-color kind that gives you a better overall color of light.

plllog, question about your UK induction cooktop. Is it a North American 30 inch or Euro 28 inch, or 24 inch?

I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on the order so some opinions
and feedback would be great.

Options:

1. 28 inch free zone

2. 30 inch free zone.

The reason I ask is based on the prep area immediately to the right of the cooktop. That distance is:

1. 27.5 inches to corner of the "L" if 30 inch cooktop.

2. 28.5 inches to corner of the "L" if 28 inch cooktop.

Is 27.5 inches considered a reasonably good prep area?

If not, would you compromise the cooktop model size and get a Euro 28 inch? I mean Europeans use 24 inch as their "norm".

"LED. Get the multi-color kind that gives you a better overall color of light."

Oh never heard of multi color LED? The day I was at Lowe's talking to the 2 nice ladies, the one from the actual lighting dep't told me to wait a couple of weeks as she was pretty sure that a whole new line of LED strip was coming in. So, cross my heart (I mean fingers), couldn't resist :) (those were such bad ad's by Playtex) that these colored LED's are on their way.

They keep saying this isn't the big storm. That's for later in the week. The first one has killed at least 17 people since it left California.

UGH!!!

Hang on tight, Missy!

They keep saying "sprinkles" for this one, though it was sunny today (got a lot done, luckily). But I've felt like dwarfs have been industriously drilling into my skull all day. I wish it would start raining already if it's going to rain.

Can't we send the rain up to the Sierra? We need to fill reservoirs not storm drains! The rivers are much safer when they look like they did in T2.

So I was happily applying the Rolling Stones and Robert Palmer to my poor head as I was driving around in the sun, and then the lead thunk came in from the ocean (bad ocean) and they were only playing pretentious, self-concious '80's new wave.

This just in from Hotel Fiesta Americana Cancun. Judges are still deliberating as there seems to be a deadlock on votes! This is a first in the history of The Pageant.

The judges have just left the Hall and are on their way to The Margarita Lounge in order to loosen up and be able to think more clearly.

Stay tuned....

Oh my plllog, I thought you sunshine California Dreamins had it easy!

I just got in from outside and yes it is Minus 23C with the windchill factor. Horrible. The poor homeless is the first thing that came to my mind.

You have homeless? I thought they all came down here... I would.

I just Googled your temperature (I love that!! Using Google as a calculator). It doesn't sound rational. Isn't that when people start wearing bear skins and breathing gear? My relationship to Celsius (from when I lived abroad) is at the other end: 38 is bearable. 40 is just too danged hot. 42 is pretty awful.

But we do have it easy compared to you hardy (read "crazy") folks. We have problems with the part where we're on a different tectonic plate than the rest of the continent, but the high today was 60 F. And the current storm is supposed to stop sometime tomorrow, though the really big one may have moved in by then.

See, I have this problem. Unstable air makes my head hurt. Bad. But once it starts really raining that usually lifts, and the ionization is pleasant.

Current reports is they're not closing the roads into the burn zones until tomorrow night.

Poor you.

Wow, that is cold, brrrrr. I won't complain anymore about the cold here, it's nothing compared to that. Missy, we get spring in March. By May it's hot and by June it's dang hot. August is hellfire hot, then it cools back down to just hot in September. October and November are usually pretty nice, although we had an early winter this year and only got about 3 weeks of Fall.

On the tiles, I'm a bit confused, but I do like all the ones from 23:45. I guess I'm not much help, sorry.

I didn't know what plugmold was called. I wanted that in my kitchen, but DH put in outlets instead. A lot of outlets for sure, but the plugmold seems like a better idea and a lot less work.

Stay safe everyone, and warm and dry.....

It's Plugmold Day! Yayyyyyyyyyy.

Just like a little baby solman has learned a new word. Plugmold. Pugmold.

The Egyptians had the wheel but we have Plugmold.

Oh and it's also frigid day. Same old minus whatever outside. I think I like that approach. I don't want to know the actual number because it just sends you into a deeper funk.

Say, have things settled in California today or is the real storm still coming?

Tex-any news or sketches with the Sevillas for your splash?

Steff-how do you like the last 3 renditions?

Also guys, thoughts on the cooktop vs prep area size. Maybe you could share what your actual prep sizes are by comparison.

Steff-How is SA today? I'm waiting for poor Prairie Girl to thaw out, she's probably still frozen solid like a salmon steak.

I think you wanted to see the tiles go all the way without the yellow border.

How's this one?

'mornin'. bleary mearnin'.

That was sprinkles? It's gone. The "really big one" is coming in. Then they go on east to y'all. ughhh

had juice still can't dea4l nneedd moreeea sleep

saw cooketop quetion comb ation 15in gaws wolf euro 24 something centainmeterihs like 23.5878687 gagg

zomeless aeg rettpitedly in canada investgeate before buy euor

havea gagg repairmen heetre

rain hangove

Hiya,
plllog stay warm and safe! That sucks that the weather changes affect you like that. Many folks really suffer here due to our drastic barometric pressure changes. Migraine sufferers are often so glad to move away.

We're more moderate today (-7) and it's snowing big fluffy flakes - really pretty actually. Mid week next week they are saying we should hit 0 wooohooooo :o)

Nice to see some of the 'missing' folks pop in. Hope you are all well and not too busy to enjoy the season.

i LOL @ baby Solman learning a new word. Someone should get a video of it to record for posterity? lol

Tex, loved the variations of 'hot' your seasons go through. :) They all sound good from here right now hehehe

Solman - how is the kitchen progressing? Has your carpenter thrown in the towel yet? I'm very lost (again) on what's been decided and hasn't as of yet. I kind of get the feeling that you're going to (in desperation) just go with what is easiest at the last second.

As far as cooktops go, I think a 'regular' size is fine for most folks. Most of us very very rarely use more than 2 burners at once. I am kind of at a loss what people do with the huge stoves ... this is just MHO - hopefully I don't offend anyone by speaking up. I've somehow managed to cook good, nourishing, beautiful meals for my family (of boys) for many years without ever 'needing' a huge stove. There has been a time or two when an extra oven would have been nice (turkey + pie) but we got a nice toaster oven which has been a big help for the odd times we have needed it.

~ Missy

plllog??? u ok???

had juice still can't dea4l nneedd moreeea sleep

saw cooketop quetion comb ation 15in gaws wolf euro 24 something centainmeterihs like 23.5878687 gagg

zomeless aeg rettpitedly in canada investgeate before buy euor

havea gagg repairmen heetre

rain hangove

Hey folks,
I've been distracted, trying to finish this semester in the sudden arctic weather. It's -10 over here on the Eastern shore today, with 48kph winds. Brrr.

Did I vote yet? Ah, no I didn't. I vote for the Mico Hex (of course) because it has that cool pump-esqueness and the single handle, but a close second are either of the Price=Pfister models because they seem to be what Solman likes best.

To file under "anal retentive": here's something that's been bugging me: those little aqua triangles in the window. I would go to the craft store and buy a $3 jar of transparent glass paint and paint 'em a nice deep cobalt-y blue. But of course that's just me. I'd be fiddling with the color of the towel racks while the roof caved in above me...

oh my our dear plllog is a shellshocked and tired. Poor soul. We need you in your full glory.

I felt exactly like you the morning after the pounding here Wednesday night.

Prairie-you seem to be taking it in quite well for an ex Pilipina.

To file under "anal retentive": here's something that's been bugging me: those little aqua triangles in the window. I would go to the craft store and buy a $3 jar of transparent glass paint and paint 'em a nice deep cobalt-y blue. But of course that's just me.

It's not just you.

Theory. I could get wet (shower) and go shopping. Practice. Amazon Prime. Reality. Return to bed.

Head hurts. Storm coming. Didn't sleep. Rained. Will rain. Ate sandwich. Typing improved.

AEG zoneless reputedly in Canada. Check before importing.

Mine is five burners total. 2 medium sized Wolf gas. 3 on the closest thing in centimeters without going over 24" imported from England, German unit Gaggenau. Okay with insurance, electrician and local Gaggenau repairman.

Most people need three burners. Rhome410 needs lots more for all those mouths to feed. I need more when the family comes (very big).

Need sleep. Phone rang. Oh. Right. Gotta do some work. Ugh.

What was the question?

Hello this 911 Cancun.

We just received a rescue call for a plllog. Now we understand the situation could be serious so this is what we are about to do. First we want to revitalize her body fluid levels.

"Jose Dame una botella de Aqua de Papaya"

plllog, maybe it is not your favorite but this special water made from delicious ground sticky Papaya Seeds is bound to put some kick back into you step.

Then we will be flying you straight to Riviera Maya where you can gather your soul with some fresh fish - filete empanizado con aroz y verduras and a bottle of Cerveza SOL at the beachfront restaurant. You are also welcomed to top up your tan on the powder white sand.

Later we will book you into the massage and steam therapy room.

Now, should you require any of our services, please just dial nueve uno uno.

Allergic to papaya. Allergic to fish. Allergic to rain.

Barf.

Yeaaay Peanut's Back!

"Did I vote yet? Ah, no I didn't. I vote for the Mico Hex (of course) because it has that cool pump-esqueness and the single handle, but a close second are either of the Price=Pfister models because they seem to be what Solman likes best."

OMG I hope I'm not becoming predictable. The last thing I want to be:

"Because, I'm a Man"

(couldn't resist-oh so hoakey and disgusting scent to boot)

Howdy all, just checking in from SA. Cloudy, wet, 9C(48F) cold for us. Saw a woman with a scarf wrapping her ears and nose against frostbite. It will warm up soon we are told.

peanut - Are you on the Eastern Shore of Maryland?

Plllog - I hope feel better soon since Hanukkah begins tonight.

Tile patterns - Prefer the options with more deco tiles. The tiles make a more authentic pattern close together.

"To file under "anal retentive": here's something that's been bugging me: those little aqua triangles in the window. I would go to the craft store and buy a $3 jar of transparent glass paint and paint 'em a nice deep cobalt-y blue. But of course that's just me."

Oh. Slight problem. all the windows on the main floor have that stained glass, multi colored panels.

By the way, Carpenter was just here and I think we have tamed him. He heals when I say heal and has magically accepted our Mexican Fiesta. We beat the silly "3 colors for every kitchen" rule out of him.

He finally realized that we're aiming for the Puerto Rican spirit of 512 festivals per year of happiness. Wait a second, there's only 365 days in the year. So, they are partying every day, and sometimes several different times in a day. No wonder they're the happiest people in the world.

Prairie- I think PR just entered my destination list.

Salsa-Merrengue-Cumbia, hell no, all of them.

"Howdy all, just checking in from SA. Cloudy, wet, 9C(48F) cold for us. Saw a woman with a scarf wrapping her ears and nose against frostbite. It will warm up soon we are told."

Quick Prairie! we need the falling over on your back smiley for that quote FAST.

welcome Steff.

"Tile patterns - Prefer the options with more deco tiles. The tiles make a more authentic pattern close together."

so you like the very last rendition of one continuous line of Guadalaharas best?

Hello we just received the call t transfer.

Plllog we are taking you to Algeria for Camel therapy.

We understand you are allergic to fish, rain and Papaya, so you should be at home here in the desert. We'll give you dried figs, dates, and well water.

Uh, oh. I think it might be Marthavila pipe up time! :-)

I actually don't have a problem with those blue triangles. (Are they really aqua blue?) Do they really not work with the blue of the tiles (and possibly a sink?). I tell ya, the thing that doesn't sit well with me is the window casing. Now, that may be only because I'm looking at a prototype in photoshop as opposed to one in real life. And, I'm aware that you have other mouldings, trim, doors, etc. in the house that are of same wood as that window. So, not saying it can't work. Just, when I look at the mock-up I think dark brown casing is what throws me off -- much more so than the blue tiles.

Meanwhile, as I sit huddled over my laptop in my kitchen, with ovens on for extra warmth, let me also use this delurking moment to send you all you lots of good wishes for warm, dry, soft and comfortable surroundings (with lots of wine, Tequila, Papaya water, aspirin, etc.), safety from storms and mudslides and all kinds of bodily maladies and mental hassles. And, especially to Pllog and all else who may observe the season: Happy Hanukkah too!

Yep, it is pretty funny when it gets "cold" here. I have lived in New England and traveled a lot so it has to get a lot colder before I notice it. What is not so funny is when we get ice storms and they put gravel on the road instead of sand. It's like roller skating on an ice rink and there are a lot of accidents.

Glad to hear carpenter is getting into the idea of more than three colors and bringing a bit of sunshine to the cold dreary north. I really liked the double row of deco tiles best if you can solve the outlet issue.

Good evening everyone, just checking in. Plllog, feel better dear, perhaps a steamy shower with lavender and rosemary oil sprinkled on your washcloth - inhale during the shower seems to help.

On the window, I prefer cobalt to aqua, but the aqua doesn't bug me, especially if it is all over the rest of the house. I would really focus on getting the kitchen done before worrying about the window, as the tile could influence your final decision.

Glad to hear the carpenter is being nice. Maybe he will come back and play again.

I have to sit and mess with the sevillas and see what I come up with, haven't done that yet.

Can I have figs and well water too? Any way to make that alcoholic?

Turns out this is the end of last night's storm. Tonight's storm hasn't started yet. Crazy, huh?

Thanks for all the Chanukah greetings! It's very kind of you all. I think I'm going to skip the candles. Open flames don't sound like a good idea in this mess (house draped in plastic, boxes, etc.). I should mention that it's one of the minor festivals, but the influence of Christmas has made it fun. And if you're into what my grandmother called "stomach religion" it's a great excuse to eat fried food. No borekes this year since the kitchen is non-existent.

Solman, I'd take you up on the desert, but I already live in one. :) That's why we take rain so seriously. Figs, dates and spring water (i.e., wadi)? Yeah, that's what I have in my fridge. And tamales.

Hey! I wonder if buñuelos were started by maranos? That would make so much sense! That they were being fried for Chanukah. Because what has it to do with New Year's? Aha! According to Wikipedia, yes! (sort of)

Merengue is DR, but PR sounds nice. Never been there. Love festivals.

HI PEANUT!! I totally get what you're saying, but I think the mismatched glass just gives the visual tension the room needs, so it'll be fine.

Hey, Missy. You could come visit. It's pretty awful here, but it's incoprehensibly awful there. And that's not even your "real" winter?? Maybe Solman will give you the ticket to Bali.

Tex, Steff, has it warmed up at all for you?

Tex, thanks, the herbs sound nice. I think I have some lavender oil...

Marthavila, are the twinkle lights still making up for the chill?

Hello we just received the call t transfer.

Plllog we are taking you to Algeria for Camel therapy.

We understand you are allergic to fish, rain and Papaya, so you should be at home here in the desert. We'll give you dried figs, dates, and well water.

Steff-How is SA today? I'm waiting for poor Prairie Girl to thaw out, she's probably still frozen solid like a salmon steak.

I think you wanted to see the tiles go all the way without the yellow border.

How's this one?