I haven't been on in a long time... maybe months. My life has become almost entirely unbearable, which is one reason I don't come on... my problems are so overwhelming that people don't know what to say. I lost my job and had to go back to work for my father. Just last night he fired me again... for the 4th time.... then he got violent with me, refused to pay me and I found myself bloodied on the ground crumpled up outside his front door. I bet the only regret my little brother had was that he didn't die sooner. I don't know how he managed to survive and be such a sweet kid after so many years of that kind of abuse. I have shut down and life is so depressing I can't even go outside; all I do is cry and I feel totally emotionally incapable of finding another job even though I just graduated college at the top of my class (3 days before the tragedy). If it weren't for my mother I think it would be quite easy to just... stop... living. I know this isn't how life is supposed to be, and I felt so much better when I was away from Dad. I felt sorry for him and he needed help running his scrapyard. I wish he hadn't said all those horrible things about me, hadn't disowned me or beat on me. It may seem like I'm whining or that I've created my own problems but all I ever wanted was to be there for him in his grief and for him to be there for me. I didn't even provoke him; I worked hard and I don't think I deserve the way he's beaten me down. My big brother used to save me from him by being the object of his aggression, my little brother was so sweet and he always knew just what to say to calm Dad down. With both of these men dead and gone I am alone, I wanted Daddy to be nice to me like when I was little but the man has lost his mind.... Here is a link that might be useful: pics

Not certain if you are speaking about painting for the exterior or interior. Hardi Plank is, I believe, a concrete product. Therefore pretty unafffected by mositure and a quality latex paint should be fine. For the interior, I always provide rather contrary advise for new construction. That is to select a neutral paint which will please you for the first year. During that time you can get a feel for the lighting, furnishings and personal preferences for your new home to repaint - which will then be necessary. Reason it will be necessary is that during the first year your home will settle and the materials will dry. Accordingly you will begin to see nail pops and taping seam splits. These are inevitable and is why your builder will provide a 1-year follow-up inspection to repair these issues. But they won't repaint - that's your job! That's when a quality paint will be your best investment because better paints generally cover more area per gallon, cover in fewer coats, clean better and maintain their appearance for more years. Truly a $40 per gallon paint is worth the difference (and quite possibly less costly) unless you're planning to move shortly after completing the paint job. Personally I like SW Duration but many here like BM Aura - both top-of-the-line products. I'm not a fan of Behr, though I used it in our basement. I felt is was unusually thick and applied differently, and after about 5 years I notice it getting a chalky surface. Where in Iowa? I grew up on a farm near Newton and went to college in Iowa City. Know the climate well! Enjoy your new home.

Um....well....wow. I did make it through the entire post...and quite a post it was! By the way....I'll take the pony. I already have a dirty kid. Lucky for me I have good paint on the walls...LOL! OK....let's get this out of the way... There's a good chance I may say something you don't agree with...and that's OK. I'm a 3rd generation painter and started learning the business when I was 12. Take that for what you will. Every painter...no matter how long they've been doing it...thinks they're the expert (just my opinion after knowing thousands). Now..your situation... This new concept of "full spectrum paints"....pure baloney. Absolutely nothing but marketing. Every paint is a full spectrum paint. Let's not forget that there are only 3 primary colors. Black is the presence of all color and white is the absence of all color. From this we derive all variations....and colorants (the term for what is added to paint) are manufactured to certain variations for simplicity. Without boring anyone to death about the progression...this page is a good start: http://www.artsparx.com/color_basicprinc.asp That said...what is most important is quality of the paint and the consistency of color. Quality of the paint is fairly simple. Every paint manufacturer has good paint and garbage paint. There is no such thing as 'which brand is better'. They all have top of the line...and they all have contractor (new construction) grades. What you want is 100% acrylic. Acrylic refers to the type of resin used to make the paint...and it's the best. Consistency of color is a tad more involved. Green (for example) can be made from blue and yellow...or it can be made from black and yellow...or from purple (blue and red) and yellow. All results are 'green' but they will have a different effect on the eye. You can take the same shade of green...made each way...and they will 'look' and 'feel' different. The best way to get an idea of this is to look at a paint 'fan deck' or color chip display. You see blues in one area...then blues in another different area. Most people look at this and wonder 'they're all blue...why aren't they just all together'? There's a reason...and you have to understand the reason. While they may look very similar...they are made from different color combinations. This is what gives color a 'feel'. An example is a home I recently painted. They do not like color. Huge fans of beige...in different forms. They chose shades from all over the sample choices. Beige is beige...right? Nope. I tried to explain...but they loved the little chips. Now that it's done...there's a different feel from one room with a beige based on black...to the adjoining room with a beige based on red. It's subconscious...but recognizable. Now I'm repainting 3 rooms. So here's the thing for you. Pick whatever color you like for each room. You can go for warmth, soft, vibrant, or any mood you wish the room to have. What creates flow is not color...but what the color is based on. Try to think of the basics of color and not get drawn into the hype. Now...this post of mine has gone on more than I planned....so if anyone makes it through...you can pass my pony on to them. I'll hang on to the dirty kid I have......for now. Best of luck to you.

Wow, thanks for the compliments and the warm welcome! You guys are great and I'm so excited to finally be participating in this crazy forum:) I've been having computer problems all day, it keeps kicking me out every time I'm halfway through typing my response. this will be my 4th and final attempt to respond tonight...grrrrrr. Barb - I have some blue mirror tiles I was thinking of using on the stand. I'll have to play around with it a little and see what I can come up with. As for the other bowling ball, I want to wait until I have a little more experience and then I'm going to attempt to do one with tiles, plates, etc. Slow - The addiction sure comes on quick does't it? Right now I'm in "hunt and gather" mode, lol. My husband has been really helpful with the search for supplies and is excited to see what I'm gonna do with it all. I have no tools and no pretty glass, but I have my GEII, a hammer and lots of stuff to smash up! I'm not sure what my next project will be, but I'm itchin to start bustin stuff up! I got some fabulous deals, I'll have to post pics of my new treaures. Becky - I looked through the old posts and found your bowling ball pics. It's a beautiful design and I can see that you put a lot of thought into it. I can't wait to see the end result! I do hope that you finish it, I would love to see it. Jane - Yeah, I thought we could use another Canadian here....about the sane part..hmmm...well, we'll have to work on that. Besides, I think that sanity is seriously over-rated, lol. I'd love to see a pic of your twin BB, I couldn't find it in the old posts. By the way, the info on my page is really outdated. We just recently move to Barrie, ON which is about 45 minutes north of Toronto. Thanks for the reminder, I'll have to get in there and bring it up to date. Sunshine - That's exactly what I was afraid of, lol. That nobody would say anything. Wouldn't that be horrible? I know from reading all the old post how encouraging everyone here is and that that would never happen but I have to admit it took a little nudge from DH to get me to take pics and post. Nice - I'm sure I'll post so many pics and questions that you'll be sick of me soon enough, lol. I'll try to behave myself for Jane's sake;) Hrsg - Spent so much time trying to get the puter fixed that I had no time to play. Now it's already time to sleep again. Ah well, tomorrow's another day Sweet Dreams, Cindy