I live in So Cal also and stained trim is very unusual, at least from what I've seen, and my former guilty pleasure pre-toddler was going to many open houses! My first real exposure was also here on GW, and I'm so impressed with the stained trim in homes like allison's and kellyeng's that I dreamed of doing the same as part of my entire house remodel. When I mentioned stained trim and windows to my contractor, however, he looked at me a little strangely - even though we have a very rustic house that would do well with open beams and such. In the end, I opted for painted millwork, since we have very low ceilings and not enough light to get the effect I'm looking for with dark trim. I also wanted to go with more color on the walls, and I prefer neutral walls with stained trim. I completely understand the DH's exasperation and trying to excite him about "your" project, since we have that going on around here every time I come up with something else we need to do! Many of my projects only require my elbow grease though, so he doesn't give me too hard of a time about it :-) When it's something that only he has the skills for, I tell him that I'd gladly hire it out. That's usually enough to get him motivated, as he hates paying for anything that he's able to do himself, and that he can do better (albeit take much longer) than a contractor would.

I decant extra paint (from opened paint cans) into as many tip-tip full canning jars (of varying sizes) as necessary to contain it. Then I clean out the gallon can carefully so the label is intact (or remove it beforehand) and then put the canning jars back in the now-empty can and reseal it. That way I keep all the label info connected to the paint. Drill little holes in the handles of your paint brushes so you can thread in a wire (cut from coat-hanger type wire) and suspend the brushes without the bristles touching the bottom of the container and without the ferrules (metal part of the brush above the bristles) being under the water or solvent when leaving them to soak during breaks or between workdays on the same job. If using solvent as a soak (oil-based paints) have a container with a tight-fitting plastic lid that you pierce with a tight-fitting hole for the brush handle to protrude up through. If you are painting a room with the same color from more than one gallon can, then take the trouble to "box" it all together before starting in order eliminate slight color differences bewteen cans. Boxing means pouring it all together into one pail stirring and re-filling the cans (easiest, but messiest) or removing a good part of the gallon from one can and refilling with part of each other gallon and repeating until all the gallons have been admixed, and re-stirred. This ensures that if you have subtle differences between gallons that even if you start a new can in the middle of a wall, there will be no problem. If you can't do this, then try to start new cans at a wall break, keeping the remainders separate, and then pouring them all together and starting as if that was a new can. Working without boxing will make it harder for later near-invisible touch-ups, which is why boxing it all at the beginning is wisest. If you run out of paint and must buy more then, always re-start at a corner, or wall break. When spinning out roller covers (sorry Faron, I do this with all my good quality ones, especially on multi-day jobs using the same paint) put a large trash bag inside a big trash can and spin away within it. This contains the droplets where they can't get into trouble. Roller spinners are expensive, but worth it. I use them for paint brushes, too, prior to final hand shaping for drying. Save the covers from your brushes to store them in after cleaning and drying. Don't start painting w/o at least a roll (preferably two) of paper towels immediately at hand. These are rescue sopper-uppers in the event of an emergency paint spill. I once overturned a nearly-full gallon of oil-based enamel on an unsealed brick hearth (don't ask how stupid I was that day to allow it to happen!) Because I had the towels right there (and a gallon of solvent) I was able to get it all up with not a bit remaining in the pores of the bricks. But only by the good luck of having a new multi-pack of Bounty in the room. Buy good canvas drop cloths, and wash and store them for re-use. They are safer and will make your painting easier and less fraught. I use these under ladders and by walls I am painting. For other parts of the room and piled-up stuff not near the paint work, I use old bed sheets to cover. Bed sheets will catch little droplets, but only canvas will contain anything more serious. Take the trouble to learn to cut-in by hand. If you can apply eyeliner, you can cut in. It's much, much, faster than taping and makes a better looking job since you can easily fill in tiny little wall squiggles as you go along. It's partly in having good tools (properly sized, well-flagged and angled brushes) and also learning just how much to load it for the paint you are using. (Each new paint will require a bit of observation and trial and error to get the hang of cutting with it.) I like to start a big job with at least two cutting brushes ready for use so if one becomes over-saturated I can set it aside and keep on. Practice cutting with a new paint in an inside corner where both adjacent walls will be the same color, not at the ceiling/wall intersection or along door or window jambs. By using the corner your hand will get the hang of that particular paint, with less need for clean ups as it will all get covered with the same color. The same for trim: don't pratice at the intersection of wall and trim, practice at a place where two surfaces of the trim meet each other. Try not to paint if you are really tired, distracted or under heavy time pressure. That's when mistakes happen. Very good light (high wattage) from two angles makes it easier to cut and roll more evenly. When I was in college in the early 70's the University was trying to increase their Equal Employment numbers by adding female workers to their maintenance crews. I had a part-time job with the painters. Those guys schooled me in the ways of professional work. They insisted that (real) painters didn't wind up with paint all over themselves, even their hands. They heckled me mercilessly until I learned to work clean. They also taught me not to leave "holidays", that's places where the rolling was too thin and the primer or previous paint shows through. HTH, L.

Thanks for the great suggestions and the good discussion. Teacats, funny you should link that starburst mirror. I have been shopping (and overthinking) starburst mirrors for months. I have several in mind, but I am planning to put it over the fireplace in our dining room. I also like the other suggestions you make. Those are all along the lines of things that I also do. Like I said, I have framed menus of favorite restaurants, blown up photos, had our kids do "original paintings," etc. May be I'm just tired and being lazy at this point, but I was thinking it would just be nice and easy to buy something instead of making it. I have done so many projects in putting our house together, and I guess my bigger philosophical question is--does everything have to be so darn special and personal in order to be worthy of display? I know, I know, that's a personal question, but this forum is full of people like me who obsess about their homes and finding that "perfect" piece of furniture, paint color, art, etc., and for people like that, do you feel like it's ok to just buy something off the shelf? Thermsen, thanks for your thoughts. As we decorate our house, I do wonder, is some of this obsessing bordering on snobbery? Like the PB stuff that oakleyok posted--I actually like that stuff. But, that stuff is mass-produced. May be it's ok bc PB is classier than BB&B. I saw a wooden billboard sign at JCP and liked it, but I hesitated bc it was from JCP. Here it is: http://www4.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?GrpTyp=PRD&ItemID=166e8cb&deptid=71371&dep=HOME+D%c3%89COR&catid=71784&cat=Wall+D%c3%a9cor&SO=0amp;pcatid=71371&Ne=5+1027+1031+580+1008+8+18+904+949+833&pagesize=1&x5view=1&N=4294953198&cattyp=RLE&Nao=198&PSO=0amp;CmCatId=71371:71784 Ok, thanks for letting me bounce ideas off this forum!

From those on this kitchen forum, do you think that I should continue the Brazilian Cherry floors into the kitchen now that I have new appliances or will that not make the two small rooms look separate so I should do a pretty big tile or some other kind of floor? I like having the two rooms look like two separate rooms and I like how easy my Linoleum floor is to clean when I let my little dogs in and out the back kitchen sliding door but I am ready to change the 20 year old floor and update the kitchen. What color tile or other floor would look nice? I know there were a few kitchens I liked with big tiles. My friend is trying to push me to go with a tile look alike that is softer. I am thinking of going with dark Cherry kitchen doors hardware added unless I should just touch up the oak where it is worn and just change the counters? Any ideas of colors for the counters? I guess you should look at my new appliance post to answer these questions where I put the link below. Sorry about repeat posts but after I took so long to do one post, I was trying to copy and paste it to share to another forum on the GW forum for more responses. I am ready to continue the renovation of my kitchen and add framed pictures to the other rooms to finish them off. One day, I will change the TV to an LCD TV but for now, I want to work on the kitchen since the TV's screen is crystal clear and works so well. Here is a link that might be useful: Stainless Steel Appliances in my kitchen Link to help me continue to make changes with suggestions & ideas