Barryv: This dealer also sells American, Dacor, and Wolf. She said all three have stood behind their products and worked fine with the local customer support contractor when necessary (same local support folks who said they'd no longer work with BlueStar). Dacor price is nice and they have one stacked 18K burner, but they also get some negative press on quality. The major problems however seem to be with Dacor oven electronics vs. range tops. Some complaints also about flimsy knobs which never sounds good for high-end stuff. Deeageaux's comment about a custom built American range top with open burners is intriguing but maybe not feasible given our timeline. DW and I need to go back, look at the American range more closely, get a quote from American and a time estimate for a custom built range top without the oven, and then maybe sweet talk our remodeling contractor if it seems right. The BlueStar isn't cheap, so we were prepared to bite that bullet for the open burners, but we'll see where American's quote comes in. We also appreciate the suggestion to find out who supports Capital 'round these parts. Would love to have a local Capital dealer along with local support, but it's worth a look anyway. We'd love to see the original Wolf open burners back again but we think four 15K stacked burners are better than plain sealed if it comes to that. Lots to consider and lots of scurrying around the next few days. We feel like a couple of ants whose nest has been exposed. Thanks to all for the comments.

Aww, I had the post almost finished and then pressed the wrong button and poof. To all those who said no to beadboard, I think you are right. Dh didn't like it either. To those who said the tile in the first picture was too dark and too busy, I don't think it is really. But as I said there, it's hard to tell when the photos aren't taken at the same time and in the same place. And since it was a sample, with no grout, the shadows there make it appear even darker. Here is a photo of the same tile. But on this one I took a photo of the tile next to the counter and then edited both of them onto my photo and I filled the grout lines with a lighter color from the tile. The dark areas are shadow so try to look past that. This one is #8 which is a very light gray, also with grout lines filled. This one is supposed to be crema marfil though it's hard to tell on houzz if it really is or if someone just makes a guess. A white deee, I think you are right that a solid cream would look good. That's what I wanted and when I couldn't find it at big box stores, I got all these to look at. Yes, all these have the same color tones as the counter with either the yellow gold or grays. Annie, I thought I bought a crema marfil, but I guess I put it back because it was marble. I'd rather have a ceramic than a natural stone that has to be sealed and shows food stains the way marble can. The one I keep editing into my kitchen looks like stone more than any I've seen, but it is ceramic. Tile #4 has the best colors for my counter, but I don't like that the pattern looks like a screenprint. Oaktown, when I found this counter, I got the last 3 pieces of this particular color, and after that I couldn't find enough even for a small cabinet. I don't know if it is easier to find now. Maybe they found another pocket or whatever they do - I haven't looked again. But when we did the counters, we briefly considered putting it on the backsplash, but it was just going to be too thick and the edge would show on each end. mtnrdredux, thanks for the link. There is one bisque color on there that I think would look good. There is a DalTile in Dallas but I'd rather not drive that far if I can find it locally. I'll look on their website and see if there are any local stores that carry it. You'd think that would be common everywhere. Sixtyohno, you're right, and every monitor probably shows color differently. And as I found this morning, even cameras don't show colors the same. Even with the good camera I have to look at it twice to see why it looks more yellow in photos than it does in person and I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that in person, the eye picks up on all the colors where a camera merges them all together into a single image. mdln, yes the cabinets are custom; they were here when we bought the house. Several of our neighbors have the same cabinets and even a friend in Dallas has them. Maybe that style was popular around here in the early 80s. We added cabinets last year and had a hard time finding someone with the right bits and willingness to make more doors. Evidently putting them together is a little tricky. I wouldn't choose them if I were building, but I like them. They are one of those things that belong in that thread about things everyone used to have but couldn't afford it now. hhireno, what I have no is not enough - it's still bare sheetrock that hasn't even been painted. lol I need something that can take some scrubbing. I thought about glass behind the stove, but it's just too modern looking for my house. Do the above pictures appeal to anyone or should I keep searching?

You can also go to the DWTS official web site (part of the ABC web site) and sign up for tickets. Last season I received an e-mail from DWTS offering me FREE tickets to attend a results show taping. I said something to my hubs cuz I was so surprised to get an e-mail like that, and he told me he had gone to the web site and put in my name for tickets. That eBay auction has a starting price of $499 and it says "reserved not met." It also says that each dollar over $500 that is spent is tax deductible. Uh, what about the first $500? Where does THAT money go that it's not tax deductible? I realize the seller shows a 100% rating, but I didn't read any of his feedback to see what folks had purchased, or for how much $$. But there's no way I'd pay $499 for tickets that you can EASILY get for free. There was nothing on that eBay page that said what extras you get for having allegedly VIP tickets.

Sorry, ac91z6, I just saw your question. Mine made it through this past harsh winter and experienced very little cane loss. Many of my roses died back to the ground (not usual here) but this one did great. It blooms well but I wish it would focus more on growing - it’s taking it’s time :)