Thanks for the maple images, amazingly with some 230 cultivars in my database I don't have most of those listed! I'll buy a few maples from Topiary Gardens for sure. The graft listed date feature is SUPURB, I wish conifer growers did that. I'd love to be able to lable exactly how old some of my plants are. coniferjoy, thanks for the compliment and the corrections! I always welcome advice, name changes, critisism, etc. as I am just a new conifer 'fish' and learning a lot as I go. The great thing about these lables and plant markers is that I have been able to effortlessly remove lables that are misspelled and make new ones for pennies on the dollar. I am anxiously awaiting spring so I can watch all these little guys start going. Indeed, I have visions of having well meshed vistas of conifers of all shapes, sizes, colors and textures. Walking around Coenosiums gives an amazing perspective on how impressive a mixed conifer garden really is. These three images just put me at a loss of words. Shot this fall at Coenosiums.

PM...it's funny that Luvs asked that question about weaving a flat charger like basket..I had the same thought in mind. The one you just showed is really lovely. I remember someone here I believe, had woven 'charger mats'. I can't remember who, but I thought they looked so nice. Now I have a question...you said you're able to change the color of the reeds by a boiling/steaming process...can you also 'Color Dye' them too? I'm thinking of those charger mats and how they would work in different colors!! I'm sure it would be a long process to do just one. I can also understand why hand woven items are so expensive because of the labor that goes into each piece. yachter...Yep...you did start a 'Fire' over the CB Easter plates. I agree, CB has so many cute things that are very tempting. The one that's near me, is an hr away, (good thing) but that's okay..it's worth the drive. lol I used to drive further for CTS before they started moving all over the Country and now only 15 mins away!! jane

Yachter, you have some very nice things. You are off to a good start, getting the knack of accessorizing takes some practice, believe me I am still practicing! Sometimes I will start out with a particular "vision" and it will turn out to be totally differently. I really have to "play" around with my items, often what I thought would look well, ends up not "doing it for me" then I will roam the house looking for a different item that will work, if I can't find what I want then I will go shoping for that particular thing in mind. Usually it will be that I need something of better height or needing more of a certain color to "carry the theme thru the arrangement, or I am in need of a certain shape. What Tam had posted about my suggestion of doing photocopying and cutting and pasting into a new sheet of paper really helps. It is a suggestion of what I tell anyone that asks, it still helps me to this day if I am up against a more challenging look, or if I am starting from scratch, I really do need visuals to make it easier for me. Plus taking a picture of the finished look helps me to really take a more critical look of what I have just done, then I fine tune it a bit more. I don't want to sound like a broken record, but really and sincerely the book by Christy Carter on Accessorizing is excellent, well worth the buy, I wish I had found it earlier in my struggles, but I still find it very useful. Also, when I find a look by another person or picture, I will "take it apart" in my head and on paper (I make lots of lists) and anaylize it to understand why it works. Alot of times you can simpley just copy their look with your SIMILAR items, just copy the correct heights, shapes of things and similar items and you will be on your way to acheiving your look, personal to your home. HTH

The whole, large, apartment is old-school formal traditional. The bedrooms are fully upholstered, essentially. I don't dislike this one but it must take an awful lot of vacuuming. I am sure someone is paid to do so.