David, I have this same Ech as you have. I kept it dry as a bone last winter and in a South Bay window and it still stretched like crazy. The bottom leaves folded down like yours too. I'm convinced that this type does not winter well inside. My topsy turvy and black prince did winter well in the same conditions. It's looking decent now that it's outside. Anyone know the name of this Ech? This post was edited by LauraRobichaud on Thu, Jul 10, 14 at 17:40

Here are some photos of our new en-suite sink with a white Corian basin moulded into a Burled Beach Corian worktop. The wall tiles are a soft white/grey matt finish and adding some interest are some matt multi colour mosaic tiles that tied everything together. There is an area where there are swirls of that grey grimey-looking pattern that charls_walker mentioned above, but the fabricator made sure these would be at the back of the worktop where they are hidden by the things stored there and a large curved mirrored wall cabinet set above the back of the worktop. Colour-wise, you need to choose your decor carefully as the worktop without the surrounding colours could look quite dingey. Without the mosaic tiles I don't think it would have worked as well, so I was thankful to find that particular mosaic in a Topps Tiles outlet closing down sale. By the way, this design was our solution to a huge staircase bulkhead taking up a large section of our bathroom floor. We raised the floor to reduce the size of the bulkhead and increase the floor area. That gave us a step up from the toilet and bidet area to the corner shower and basin area.

I agree with the idea of going to a veterinary dermatologist, and you can try several approaches to helping your dog (often trying them all at the same time works well). First of all, though food allergies do occur, MOST skin allergies are NOT related to food (90%). But if it were a food allergy, changing brands of food is rarely going to help, as most of the time dogs are allergic to an ingredient in the food, not a brand of food. Common ingredients implicated in food allergies are soy, wheat, beaf, chicken, turkey, and less often, corn and lamb, and least often, rice and other products. You will find most dog foods contain at least one of these items so swithching brands rarely (though possibly) resolves the problem for those 10% of itchy dogs who have any sort of food allergy. For the rest (90%) it is usually an enviromental allergy- atopy or flea allergy or house-dust mite allergy (sometimes it can be mange or something more serious, but mange is not seasonal and it is incredibly itchy- rarely ever would respond to cortisone). So for those dogs you can do multiple things. Best would be to move to a new cliamte... oh well, not usually an option for most people. Antihistamines are always a safe thing to add into the treatment mix, though they are not very strong medicine... just very safe (as long as you follow your vet's dosages- MORE is rarely better with antihistamines and can really create some bizarre manias if overdosed). Long term use of antihistamines is very safe. Fatty acid supplements are likewise very safe, though sort of slow to help out. Still, good for lots of things (joints, kidneys etc.) other than just allergic skin. Fish oil (primarily Salmon oils) are the best. Cod Liver oil is NOT a good choice- too much vitamin A and can end up being very toxic. Antibiotics are almost always a good idea when skin is getting scabby or raw, and can help with the itch as well as get rid of the secondary Staph infections... antibiotics should be used precicely as your vet recommends, and often for months at a time (1 week of antibiotics rarely end up doing anything worthwhile). Most cases I refer to the derm clinics that end up on antibiotics are on a 2-4 month course of therapy, sometimes indefinite. Shampoos are rarely that useful in treatment of allergies, as most, if not all, further dry the skin and make it itchier. They can rinse off antigens, and help get rid of infections, but usually need to be followed by conditioners if they are not going to contribute to the problem rather than help it. Topical sprays can be useful for focal allergic spots, but rarely are useful for 'whole body' itching. Some have cortisone and antbiotics in them, and are really pretty good at helping, at least a lot more so than over-the-counter products. And lastly, of course are the 'strong meds' like cortisones and cyclosporines... these are meds with potential side effects so using them has to be done under close veterinary supervision. Often using all of the above is needed for severe allergy dogs. The veterinary dermatology specialist will help you diagnose the problem, first, and then prescribe appropriate treatment. Good luck!

Since I'm a DIYer on a Budget, I've really searched for stuff I can afford to help me get the stuff thats expensive ( at least to me). Here is an example of it: Backsplash glass tiles: Believe it or not, after seeing stuff at Walker Zanger for about a million dollars, I saw exactly what I wanted at LOWE'S!!! For me they are awesome, subtle beige, green and taupe in polished glass and frosted bits... Shrinkwrapped per 12" square for the generic consumer :) and a steal at only $14- in the tile section... Called "COSMOPOLITAN" glass mosaic in "Neutral" ( wowee), 1x1 "Hecho en China" and kinda thin, but still with lots of depth and glassy reflectivity. Flooring: "Monoceram" of Italy, "New Age", Sand color; 20X20 rectified porcelain. These are flat and precise as can be. I have a 1/8" line between, and each piece looks like random sandstone (Not TRAVERTINE!), with almost no repeat. 7.00/ft at my local tile dealer . The kitchen is now at the cabinet hanging phase and I'm exhausted but it looks good. Floor is in, not backspash yet..