I can still post today! And for those of you who may have wondered, all that trash was dumped effortlessly into the garbage truck and whisked away to the landfill. Now, one of my most important stretches of kitchen countertop is clear, that is the nearly six feet between the main sink and the back door/garage area of my house. Formerly, that spot had been loaded, and I mean fully covered and stacked, with papers, hair doodads, ballet shoes, Boy Scout patches, files, coupons, receipts, bits and pieces of small toys, playing cards, etc. Cleaning off that counter space has finally given me a landing pad for groceries or other gear that is carried in from the van. So now, when I grocery shop, I don't unload bags onto the kitchen floor, I have the counter. This is so much easier on my back and we don't trip over the bags until they get unloaded. In order to clean this countertop, I threw away as much as I could, then I asked my teenage daughter to simply stuff everything else into a milk crate or I moved the papers to the kitchen table. I asked her for help because I was burning out (I worked on this counter for the better part of the weekend in-between everything else) and had the goal of finishing the job by Sunday dinner. When I got to the point where I simpy could not stand to look at another tangible sign of my inability to get it together, she willingly stepped in. She couldn't dejunk a whole lot, but she could move it to milk crates and the kitchen table (we eat in the dining room). So, of course my table is unusable. Today I've got to tackle my kitchen table. I have stacks of papers from the three different schools my children attend, in addition to receipts, recipes, books, magaizines, church bulletins, etc. So that's how I'll spend the better part of my morning. To celebrate my "new" counter space, I found a lovely white embossed decorative pot (in my closet), and bought some cheap silk white geraniums and pale yellow roses for the pot. Now that arrangement sits in the corner and it helps me keep that place clean. It has been clean for about a week. My laundry room is now at the point where I have a clutter free place to put my laundry-sorting totes (I have nine of them; one for each member of my family, plus a tenth for linens and towels), that place being the top of the dryer and across my freezer. So.... I hope to fold and sort laundry in the laundry room as it leaves the dryer rather than toss it on a sofa (where it typically sits for days on end). My laundry room is also my office, I'm sitting here right now on my computer at the conter height desk we built as a part of our remodel. Anway, Talley, my son had a friend coming over yesterday and that burst of cleaning has left my house neater than it has been in months, thanks to slow but steady progress with dejunking. And D.A.Y.Y. I agree 100% about consumable gifts. And what a great idea about making the card special, that's the perfect way to demonstrate the feelings behind the gift. And Talley, I got rid of my stackers. They were in the laundry room (the only place I could set them was on the dryer, and I need that real estate for my folding) where they basically stored papers. I need a better way to deal with the vast amount of paper I receive in any given day. Using a calendar faithfully will help immensely. But letting go of all of the precious things my children bring home is what I need to do. Childhood is so fleeting, I want to treasure each thing each of my children does, that is sit down with them, talk about their work, shower them with praise..... but of course that doesn't happen. Anyway, that's all the news that's fit to print. I'm heading for the kitchen table! Thanks again for all of your encouraging replies. ~Cindy

I've been trying to get on the computer all say! Kevin thanks for the info about your brother. I have seen his posts and think I would be in good hands. My husband and I are going Wed to view the slabs again. DH is going to call and request that the slabs are out to see each one. I will bring an oiled cloth and go from there. Katiob I saw MaryNC soapstone and drooled. I did go to Westwood and I had made an appointment to see their ss. I really didn't care for it. The sales rep did water it down and said some more was on order but could not give any more info. I wish I had asked about the Green Mountain maybe that will be an option if things don't work out. Pmama I will check out Lowell as well! Everyone has given me so much good information here I bound to get what I want. Thank you everyone. I'll keep you posted as to how things turn out.

remodelfla, gr8day - thanks!! msrose, chiefy76 - Here you go, not final but making progress. I am not happy with the outlets in the pantry, think I will decouppage these so that they are much less apparent. michoumonster - No special finish on the fireclay tiles, this was just the way they came. Hi a2 - thanks! Did you say you were finished? Wahoo! IowaCommute - thanks for the kind compliment, of course I was worried about not being happy with these, it took forever to select our final choices. I think I can accessorize and decorate around these, when I want a change, so no, at this point, I am not worried about growing tired of these. Decouppaged outlet I should have used plugmold - curses!!!! Also, don't like the grouted vertical corner line, stands out too much. Need to lighten...

Peaches - you are very sweet and I am so excited for you! You will not regret the paper!! I was away for the summer, and just got home a few days ago. It's funny that you posted b/c I walked into my powder room Sunday evening and thought about how much I love the paper - I have not tired of it one bit! Please do post photos when you are done - I can't wait to see it.