Hats off to you, Ladybarber! I'll just confirm the previous posts: START SMALL. Our school developed an extremely large habitat for wildlife, complete with native plants for butterflies and birds. While it's worth every smile on a child's face, it's a huge time commitment to keep more aggressive plants from running amok, weeding, watering, etc. I will second that you'll be surprised at the grants and donations that are available. I donated several native plants from my garden, including all the milkweed, so you may want to tap into the parents. You may also want to see if any scout troops are willing to take on the garden for a service project. Our school even ventured into seed starting. I still help with our habitat, even though my kids are now in highschool. One teacher takes the kids into the garden to help. Wow! That's a lot of energy. While some plants may get smashed or mistakenly pulled to see their excitement and interest is well worth the effort. Three last things. 1. Our teacher created an observation book so that visitors or children can write about their visit and what they saw. There are some priceless notes about worms. 2. We sold stone paver kits to raise money. The kids/family could then make the stone with their own decorations to be used for a memory path in the school garden. 3. Our school also built a shed to house all of the tools, etc. with a combination lock. Good luck! Cathy in SWPA

Nope...the terracotta still breathes. For example, if you were to convert a terracotta pot to a fountain or bird bath, you would need to paint the interior with oil-based poly-urethane and the exterior in order to water-proof it. That's the only thing that prevents the terracotta from 'breathing'. I've done this on fountain projects and bird baths in my yard. Also, if it's a plastic plant container, plastic does not 'breathe'. Spray paint is just such a nice way to coordinate your yard and to keep your planters from looking faded and ratty. Plus, it's a cheaper alternative to replacing a plastic planter. I also spray paint some of my plastic chairs to keep them looking nice. They fade in the sun so quickly. The new plastic spray paint works great - no scraping required either! Tom: I'm going to be spray painting the white buckets that you gave me to blend with my other containers. It should work out fine.

Start with researching your home style to see what might be an appropriate addition to the front. A small rounded portico might OK on a Federalist home, a small hip roofed and shingle sided box might look right on a Craftsman or a simple shed supported by two stainless cables might look at home on a minimalist or modern home. You have to figure out what is going to not look like a tumor attached to the house before you can begin to think about the structural needs of the addition. Once you think you have an idea of the size and scale of the addition, check with your local building codes office about what type of permit you will need to pull. Once you have that information, it's time to interview contractors. Be sure you have a document describing the scope of the work to be done, including the correct flashing from the old to the new structure. If you think you have described the project in enough detail that a kindergardener could understand what needs to be done and be able to select the correct products, then you almost have enough detail. If you want certain lights in a certain finish and style from a certain manufacturer, include those in the spec docs. If you want the siding to match, then include the siding manufacturer, profile, model number and color of that siding. Even if you are DIYing the project, having a good spec sheet will help you keep organized and on track. Once you are buried under the detail, you are just about ready to start. Be sure that you plan an alternate access route to the home while the project is being done. If that will mean walking through an area of unpaved yard, think about some stepping stones or mulch that will not become muddy with use.

I too, am considering making my hobby, a part time job. Not necessarily for the money, but for the company of other crafters who enjoy the same hobby as I do. To the best of my knowledge there is not an active club or group within 15 miles of me now, and I hate having to drive a lot futher to learn new ideas and layouts. I can't make myself just go with CM though. I find that there are just too many new items coming out almost daily, that CM just does not carry, and many people are requesting for their books. I think that CM got so used to being the "only" supplier early on, that they no longer tried to find and market new items, and so they are now paying the price for their slow marketing skills. While I do use some of their products, and enjoy them, I find MANY items cheaper, and of a MUCH larger selection, in the variety of stores that are now catching on to this craft, along with of course all the online stores now available. I would say that if you have enough of a following in your area of friends, who are not already connected with a CM consultant, then by all means go for it, but do your homework first. For example: How much will it cost you to rent/use a building for a class, if your home in not big enough for you to hold it there? How many friends do you know who would be willing to leave their regular CM consultant now, and become your customer? Who will watch your children while you are at your classes? What is your up front cost going to be and how long do you project it will take you before you recover these inital expenses? Does the building in question have heat, cooling, tables, and at least a fridge or soda machine for your classes? The more answers you find for these and other questions you ask yourself now, the more successful you will be later, and the more you will be able to judge if this should be your job or remain just your hobby. Good luck and I wish you the best. Penny