Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.... And a kind word is better spoken than left in thought only. I've stopped and complimented gardeners before. I've had people stop at my house too; it always puts a bounce in my step the rest of the week. I got a start on many of my old-fashioned perennials from an elderly neighbor 25 years ago at my starter home. I was a newlywed and working on establishing a veggie patch and flowers in my first house. Mrs. Foxwell walked down to offer advice and starts from her garden. She gave me bee balm and larkspur and irises. She continued to garden, against her children's advice, after her mastectomy. My only advice to her was to wear two pairs of gloves (surgical gloves under her garden gloves) to prevent infection. She was a kind and generous person. I say "was" as she was in her 80's 25 years ago and I moved from that town 15 years ago. I gently suggest that you take a card and/or a bunch of posies to the house of the master gardener. If she has passed on, her husband will be touched by your kindness and memory of his wife's creativity (even if it touches him to tears, it is good; memories are precious). If she is still with us but in frail health the visit will be appreciated. Every time I see a bee balm start to open I hear Mrs. Foxwell saying..."see, its the Lord's plant, the crown on his head opening to the flower of redemption." Bee balm flowers do resemble a head with a "crown" as the flower petals start to emerge. I am continuing her legacy; my niece and her friends stopped by my house after we spent most of the day a a lavender festival. I toured the girls around the yard and then gave them slips of oregano, bee balm, thyme, pineapple mint; seeds from money plant, cilantro, and larkspur; and cuttings of lavender. One of the girls went to offer me some money and I declined; saying gardening should be community in the old sense of the word. We share with each other; no sense of a favor given or a favor owed. We are community; we share.

It is overwhelming - especially if you are doing it alone. Most of the time, painting a new home is something a crew of painters would do in a week or two depending on the size of your home. If you have plenty of time, just take it a room at a time. Buy High Quality paints. You'll be happy with the results. If you are trying to beat a delivery or install of some other item, then time may be a factor and you may want to hire someone reputable. Make sure you are happy with it and both of you agree on what you are expecting when the job is complete. Specify what paint you want and how many coats you are expecting - new homes = a prime coat and two finish coats minimum. If your walls are level 4-5, eggshell is great. If they are level 3-4 better go with a Flat finish. I've painted two of my own homes and don't want to do it again. I just don't have the time it takes to do it right.

I photocopied this from a book at least a year ago but I've never used it because none of my problems seemed to fit the rule. Maybe it will help you. "A proportion is a relationship between lengths that always stays constant no matter what the size. For example a 10 foot to 20 foot proportion is the same as a 2 foot to a 4 foot proportion. The proportion called the 'golden mean' is 1:1.6l8. The golden mean is also known by the Greek letter phi." The book goes on to say that if you follow this rule in designing your house then it will be spatially harmonious. I think this means you should find the ratio of your negative space to your cabinet height and compare it to the golden mean and if it's approximately the same then you'll be okay.

I ordered a custom wood cutting board and a grid for our prep sink; neither cost $200 but they weren't free either. What I have discovered is that the grid is invaluable, and we use it for some jobs that we used to pull out a colander for. OTOH, we almost never use the cutting board that fits over the sink. We do use cutting boards constantly, & bought color-coded ones for our new kitchen, but I find that having the custom board OVER the sink gets in my way & has mostly been a waste. I'd hate to find out that an expensive colander would not be used after all. I'm not saying you won't use it, just be sure it's the best thing that you'd want to use every day. If it is, go for it!