First question is, what kind of siding is that and does it need regular painting? I see gutters and so are they fully covered with leaf guards? I'd hate to see you blocking the second story interest of the windows . These are important to the appeal of the mult-level roofline. The single window nook between the main house and the garage is begging for not a crape myrtle but perhaps a nice vitex that isn't insulted by harsh pruning should you need to get behind it to paint. It's airy looking in form and wonderful for lighting of the small white holiday type or simple uplighting. The breadth of it's branches provide dappled shade to annuals and it doesn't mind underplantings. Garage wall is begging for some dark lump medium height evergreens (holly rather than boxwood which are suffering from leaf miners/virals). I think it's important to not cover the break between the two grey tones of the garage. It is visually interesting with the stark white break. Is that shredded hay or dormant Bermuda grass lawn out front? Do you have a edging planting bed on the lawn side of the sidewalk? The chairs on the front porch and pairs of windows behind them say you don't want anything even mid tall fronting porch in the beds. But, you might want to extend and curve the left porch bed around the side of the house.

So Lisa - Do you want the whole white inset - soapstone 'vintage look'? (just with a twist) Or do you want an entirely 'different' look that happens to use white insets and soapstone? How do you want your kitchen to feel? "Because I see this kitchen everywhere (and DH won't consider anything but white - it's his only strong opinion) " It sounds to me like you want something different -- something that DOES NOT look like (or almost look like) the "see this kitchen everywhere" version. For that reason, if DH is stuck on white cabinets, why not bail on the soapstone? There are so many other fabulous countertop choices that will completely change the look of your kitchen. I'd go through the finished kitchens blog, the Gallery, the 'Kitchens we Love' blog -- Collect pictures of kitchens with white cabinets that somehow look different. "What you describe is such a classic it is hard to improve on." The poster who wrote this provided a very real and valuable insight. White inset cabinets and soapstone is a 'classic look' -- and changing it could end up being 'wrong' instead of 'different'. Think of the little black dress, classic pumps, a strand of pearls, and a wild, funky hat. Different? - yes. Can it be pulled off? - probably. But if you drop the pearls and change to Wow! shoes with the hat -- then you have a totally different statement.

'Letters to a Poet' by Rilke is an excellent choice - a book I return to often. I would highly recommend Francine Prose's 'Reading like a Writer'. I firmly believe you can't be a writer unless you are an avid reader too. I reviewed the book a couple of months ago on Amazon: Reading Like a Writer, May 29, 2007 By Adam (Adelaide, Australia) "The best books, to my mind, are those which give rise to discussion and thought. Prose provides these in sweeping doses here. Prose superbly evokes in this book, the need for the writer to read, and read widely, slowing down and carefully paying attention to the minutiae of the text. It is the focus on language: "lingering over every word, every phrase, every image, considering how it enhance[s] and contribute[s] to the story as a whole...[and by] reading a masterpiece can inspire us by showing us how a writer does something brilliantly." "Reading Like a Writer" encourages you slow down and absorb every word, sentence and paragraph. It also lets you ponder such things as: Narration, character, dialogue, and the details of text that makes literature dazzle. Towards the end of the book, there is an insightful chapter on Learning from Chekhov, in which Prose suggests that we read his many stories, and by doing so "admit that you know nothing of life, nothing of what you see. Then go out and look at the world." This is sound advice, I think. Finally, Prose details a list of Books to be Read Immediately. These range from Jane Austen, Raymond Carver, Tolstoy, Henry Green, Nabokov and Flaubert among others. These are books to be read and savoured, because we have to keep working at being better readers and writers, for we have an exciting apprenticeship ahead of us. Prose does not talk down to the reader, rather she treats the reader as an intelligent person, who wants to learn a thing or two about how to read more effectively, so that they can aspire to write effectively. Prose is a fantastic and witty communicator; her ideas are explained clearly and with passion. I highly recommend "Reading Like a Writer" to anyone that wants to be a greater reader, and indeed a quality writer." Also, if you can track down an essay by Raymond Carver, I think it's called 'On Writing', then you will be rewarded by his insight. I'm sure it is in his 'Fires' collection. Adam Here is a link that might be useful: Reading like a Writer

I think if it were mine I would have Hardy plank(fiber cement siding) added solid all around the bottom it will last forever with no maintenance. If ventilation is needed I would cut one rectangular cut out on each side and install solid metal mesh screen and then vent slats over that, frame it in like a picture frame so it looks pretty, similar to that picture of the vent but with the metal mesh screening inside. nothing could get in and it would get ventilation. The Hardy plank is good solid long lasting material, it is cement based, and can be painted any color. The vent would match just like the vent in the picture of your shed in the top of the wall. You can actually buy those vents and just cut the slot to nail it into the Hardy plank.