Well, that's a great attitude. African Violets are not really hard, but they have a few quirks. Once you learn the quirks, you're golden. There are a couple of very important things to know about them. First, they HATE being wet (wet and cold is even worse) and they HATE being dry. What's that leave you? They want to be just barely wet to just barely dry. Second, most potting mixes we normally use are really, really good at staying wet. So, they tend to work poorly with AVs. When too wet, you get mushy leaves - in essence you're watering it to death. So, for now, STOP watering! Third, they need to be repotted at least once a year! Most plants can hang out in their pots for awhile, but not an AV. They only have 4 or 5 active rows of leaves at any time. Slowly, the oldest row starts to die, as the new rows grow in. You pick off the leaves and then you get this long stem-like thing that AV folk call a neck. You have to replant it and get that neck in the soil to remove it. Fourth, because of their small root systems and because they can't tolerate too much water, they need to be in a relatively small pot based on how large they are. So, tackling what Irina said, you probably need to repot the plants. To do that, you need to use a soil that an AV will like. Many people use different things. You should be fine if you use either 1 part each of peat, perlite and vermiculite OR 1 part each peat and perlite. Lots of people use other things, but this work just fine especially when you're just starting out. Just don't buy a mix that says it's for AVs because it probably isn't all that good for them. Next, measure the AVs across the top. Now, use a pot that is 1/3rd the size of the plant. If your plant measures 10 inches, use a 3" pot. Crazy, huh? There are a LOT of tutorials on line regarding repotting an AV and handling a long neck. Let me see if I can find some and post them for you. Since you're new to this, it may seem a bit daunting at first, but you can do it.

Aminopyralids...DESTROY ALL PLANT LIFE ESPECIALLY BROADLEAFS like Beans Peas broccoli family etc etc http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/news/story.asp?nid=1448 i had trouble in washington state with the CERTIFIED ORGANIC COMPOST i was using...seems most commercial composters use municipal as well as public sources for their compost ingredients. all it takes is a few contaminated yard clippings that have been sprayed with ROUNDUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yep ROUNDUP that poison pushed by Costco even...thousands of gardens wiped out!-it takes up to 4 years for it to COOK out of your soil even after that you might experience problems-MAKE YOUR OWN COMPOST and boycott MONSANTO! ALL THEIR PRODUCTS! for they are poisoning the world. there are tests you can do -home control plots etc etc-but you need to start with pure virgin soil...good luck p.s. i am Michigan Now and they are having the same problems as WA state had 10 years ago...they are finally waking up though as people pass around this information.Namaste T

This is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. I've been searching for a vintage living room chair for months and just found this one right before Christmas (will be re-upholstered as soon as I can find a rug for the room and can reliably pick a fabric): The chair you posted is a nice chair, but it seems formal to me (as opposed to grandmother-ly). I found that most chairs of this vintage have a bit of wood on the arms, and it makes them seem uncomfortable or formal. Fully-upholstered is hard to find, and when you do find it, it's often quite wide for an old chair (this one is 37" I think). A while back, I did find a nice one on craigslist with a tight upholstered back and tight upright thin upholstered arms, but it was the wrong color and I passed on it because I was hoping to find something that I didn't have to reupholster. I'm still regretting that missed gem! So if you see one that has nice lines, I'd say snag it, regardless of the upholstery. Hope that helps in your search. Good luck...the pickings are slim around here!!

BG - I'll just echo what other's have said and what my initial impressions are. Aethestics are of no value in a nicely finished room when occupants have no way to egress in the event of fire or other emergency - There is a case right now where NYFD veterans had to jump to their death fighting a fire where illegal apartments were put in a building w/o proper egress - Sorry that there has been a % of people that have shared the same - I can only tell you this - I was in the direct vicinity yesterday (Ct) at a Nature Ctr -where the Chimp attacked a woman- The amt of rescue, police, FD and sirens was deafening. There happened to be local fireman @ the ctr who advised us what was going on. Not knowing where the Chimp was, we not only chose to leave immediately but quietly notified families we came in contact with - One woman went on with her appreciation - My response was "I couldn't live with myself if I read about you in the paper tomorrow." Personally, I'd rather see some well thought out storage systems which is what the space is intended for. Good luck with your space