I love growing my own plants, so I will knock on doors and ask people for seeds and cuttings. I've made some great garden friends in the process, one elderly lady who nearly landscaped my whole yard because I offered to help her clear out overgrown yard for the plants. She had some seriously gorgeous large bromeliads that sold for $50 each at the one place you could buy them in the area. I must have gotten $1,000 worth or bromeliads and other plants from her for 8 hours of work. We remained friends and I got even more plants from her in years to come. I also trade plants and seeds with people online and off, and dig up, get seeds from, or take cuttings from beautiful blooming natives from the side of the road. I have no pride when it comes to my garden. LOL Of course, I buy half-dead perennials from Lowe's and WalMart markdown racks and bring them back to live. I also live in an apartment complex and have gotten some plants people left behind or gave to me when they moved. I also used to belong to a community garden and got quite a few free plants and seeds from there. I was just figuring how much I've spent over the past 3 years since I"ve lived in this apartment on plants, and it came out to less than $50 and most of that was fertilizer and potting soil. Speaking of potting soil, Lowe's will sometimes mark down broken bags, because they can't sell them for full price. I got 5 bags of nice, organic soil for 50% off by offering to take the broken bags off their hands for a discount. Same for plants with broken pots. I got a beautiful peach tree once for 1/2 price because the pot had split down the side and wouldn't hold water, so it was drying out and dying. But the best and most treasured seeds and plants I get are from GWers. I have such good friends here who regularly send me plants and seeds for no reason at all except they know I love growing from seed and don't have much of a budget. I always pass the favor forward or send them something I know they are looking for.

You use the newspaper between the blotter paper for pressing flowers. The order is corregated cardboard, blotter paper, newspaper, the plant, newspaper, blotter paper, corregated cardboard, etc....The blotter paper is not meant to touch the plants but to provide a smooth surface between the layers of corregated cardboard. The cardboard probvides the airflow needed to dry the contents of the press. If your press did not come with cardboard then get some boxes and cut some to size. I do not use paper towels next to any plant pressing. They can and do leave imprints on pressings. Newspaper ink is now a soy based product and does not smear as easily as it used to and have never had ink rub off on any plant pressing. I buy additional blotter paper at the art supply store-just take a blotter with you and they can get something close that is suitable. The sheets are very large (30" x 40"?) so I cut them myself. You can also buy traditional blotters for plant presses at places like Forestry Suppliers or Carolina Biological supply.

I like allposters.com, though when you order something online you don't really know what it's going to look like until you see it in person. I got this at allposters.com a couple of years ago. I was a little disappointed in the frame but I can live with it. They would not allow me to crop the title and the artist name from this particular print, although they will allow it for others... depends upon copyright limitations, I guess. I've never looked for art on Craig's List, but I wonder if that might also be a possibility?

Thanks for the help! Our budget has not really been decided yet, as I have paid over a thousand for two of my couches, and they have not held up at all. I would probably save a while longer to be able to buy a really quality piece--just because if you buy something, and a year from now, have to replace it, you are better off (and better for the environment too) spending more at the beginning, and getting longer wear.