Glo - Thanks for reassuring me! I hope your move is awesome! My husband has wanted to move us to Colorado for years and hasn't managed to quite convince me yet, although I think it's absolutely wonderful there. LOL So, Winter Solstice is the same everywhere? (LOL)... I guess you're seeing how little I know... Nancy - Thanks for the tip! I am gonna have to watch the lead hand myself as I way oversowed my cantaloupes this fall. The poor babies are fighting each other and giving me 2 to 5 inches fruits that don't look like they're EVER going to full ripen. I will be much more careful in the future. I'll try to not get TOO excited when I go to plant. LOL Carrie - Wow! That's some really good info. That's exactly the kind of thing I was worried about. I'm grateful for the heads up. Liz - LIZ!!! Hey, girl! Fancy meeting you here and there and now here! hee hee... The whole last paragraph of what you wrote is exactly what is concerning me. I know that I personally wear shorts through-out almost the whole winter except for those few crazy days that we see. 50's or what have you is not cold to me... We do get the occasional freeze, but then a week or two later at most you could have a 70+ degree high! All this in the same few days / weeks / months... it's SO crazy! Oh, and if they're having a plantswap around the 8th of December as well, I sure want to know as I'll be out that way. :-) Blessings, Angela

This is so broad and lacking of details. Is it "not right" meaning you just don't like it now or is one door white and one is cream colored? If you have painted cabinets, there really shouldn't be any noticeable variation. If you have stained or natural wood cabinets especially highly figured ones , then the variation could be huge - depending on how the grading was done and what kind of matching program was in place at the manufacturer.

I also live in the midwest and like you the only thing we wanted to lift was the pen to write checks for our kitchen remodel. I might just be extremely lucky but we had a contractor who didn't charge a dime over his estimate, had subs who who there exactly when he said they would be, had no issues with any work done and completed everything on schedule. While it certainly isn't comparing apples to apples, I will list the things that were done just to give you some info. My contractor did not actually give us itemized costs but we were comfortable with that because he had done previous work for us and we had 110% confidence in him Our bid included: City permits Demolition and removal of cabinets and drywall Rough carpentry (shifting and reframing a doorway) Disconnecting old wiring, installing wiring for 5 switches, 4 general outles, 2 island outles, dishwasher,disposal, microwave, ovens, cooktop and vent hood. Installing 6 recessed light, 3 pendant lights, 4 in cabinet lights and 2 chandeliers and under cabinet lights. (we did purchase our own lights.) and installing new control for sound system. Rough and finish plumbing: relocating sink drains, vents and waterlines, relocating waterline for regrigerator, relocating gas line. Furnished and installed sink, strainer basket, garbage disposal, disposal flange, air switch, soap dispenser, air gap, and faucet. Drywalled, taped, finished and textured 3 wall and ceiling. Installed vent pipe through the rough for vent hood and installed the chimney vent that we purchased. Installed all appliances. The total we paid was $17,175.00 This did not include our cabinets but our cabinet maker only charged $1,400 to deliver and install. It also did not include our countertops. You may want to see if you can supply some of the material such as light and plumbing fixtures. You may be able to get them for less money. And definitely get some more estimates. Wish I could send my GC to you.

The one thing to check, I think, is if the GC was trying to warn you off. Does he really want to work over the holidays? Do his subs? Are they taking their kids on vacation just when you thought they'd be working? The GC might want the job too much to tell you no-can-do, and figure he can probably make it work out, rather than being eager for your start date. If you're sure he and the subs are on board, go for it! And maybe add an incentive bonus for them to be done, cleaned up and signed off by January 25 (sooner if that's the quote), which gives you a week to get your act together before your party. Plus a penalty if it's not done by February 1. It can be done if everyone's on board. I only worry that less than 2 months over the holidays is awfully tight, if you really want them done in time for the party.