Lisazone6, we make lots of jam, and we eat it, too! The very small 4oz jars and the 8oz jars (half-pints) are too small for us. Well, at least the 4oz jars are. I usually make the 16oz (pints) and decide that "that's the flavor we'll eat right now" so that it doesn't sit around too long. We also refrigerate the jam once it's opened because my husband's worried about spoiling. If you're purchasing new jars you'll see that there's very little difference in price from the smallest to the largest jars. That might be another factor. If you're gifting some of your home canned products (which many of us do) you'll notice that most people don't return the jars ... although it would be wonderful if they did. So, if you'd like to make some gifts of jam you might want to use the smallest jars for some of the batch, and fill up the larger jars for your own use. Jam making is so much fun. It doesn't take a huge amount of fruit or time or equipment. And it always tastes wonderful! Oh, and when you "skim the foam off the top of the jam" before you bottle it, don't throw that foam away. It's delicious. Keep a little bowl handy to fill with the extra jam that won't fill a jar ... and that will be your reward. Freshly made jam on a spoon, a piece of toast, or a bowl of ice cream! And yes, I understand exactly how excited and proud you are. I don't think you'll outgrow that feeling either. It's that feeling that will keep you canning in triple-digit heat, standing over a boiling water bath, and cleaning up the jars and mess (and being too tired to make dinner) that will keep you doing it year after year!

Orubis...You have no idea how timely your post is! The gutters are going in on Tuesday followed by French drains on Wednesday. :o) We don't have gutters on our current house (never needed them), but the new house is a whole different story. We realized after the first heavy rain that they'd be neccessary. It's been pouring rain for 2 days and there are trenches where it's coming off the house. The puddles are turning into lakes. *sigh* Since we're on the subject of gutters, we were amazed at the variance in bids that we got for them. We need 141 LF and 10 downspouts with a few miters. We had 4 bids that were between 800-900, 1 for 1700, and another for 2700!!! I think that guy's method of bidding a job was to see how much he owed in bills that month. LOL

Here's a glimpse of my 10 y/o son's room. It needs help. After seeing your before and after pictures and actually seeing my uploaded picture, I'm strongly considering painting the slanted walls in his room. We recently replaced his carpet with the hardwood, removed popcorn texture, painted his room, and put up that ceiling fan that "he" picked out. I have not got to the accessorizing part yet, so there is not much to see (except red walls and those slanted walls that now really seem to stick out like a sore thumb). Whenever I get to that point, I will post more pictures. Again I love the color of your son's room, and I hope you will post it again after it is decorated. BTW I don't think you're nuts:)

I don't think you need to paint the bedroom furniture if you go back to the blue silk rug. With the dark and warm rug, I think it would be better in a least a cream or latte tone if not stained wood, but I think the white can work fine with a lighter rug, If the sofa doesn't need to stay, I'd probably prefer a pair of chairs and table or ottoman in front of the fireplace more than a sofa to the side, but you have the sofa. Move it over there and see how it looks under the window, whether it is too large to go across in front of the fireplace,etc. Then decide. Consider one of the round tables at that end of the room either as an end table to the sofa or between two chairs. If you want the piece under the window to be showcased, you have it in the wrong place. It has too much competition there -- a fireplace, the wood mantel, the black fire screen, a window and a dark mirror all competing with it. Is there room for it across from the bed if you also put a bench there? If not, I would try it at the end of the room where the sofa is but to one side. If you don't have anything under the spot with the painting, it could go into the corner of that wall and the wall where the sofa is. Are the drapes something you had and thought you might use or something bought for this room? You might be able to make them work, but to be honest, I'd like something lighter. Silk panels would look rich. I've seen smocked gauzy white than could take the room in a much different direction. I am guessing your French leanings would favor the silk panels.or long yardage draped across the window and down in an exaggerated scarf treatment.