Hi Zeffy - I'm glad you took the time to catch us up on your life, I've been wondering. In fact I have a Thanksgiving card in front of me on my desk with your name on it and cannot find your street address! So now you know how cluttered my office is, because I know it's here somewhere, just not in my email address book under residence, or my regular address book either. I'm so happy you are feeling better - it doesn't sound perfect but better is good if it's letting you enjoy some things again. And I love the idea of two turkeys to cut down on your work Thanksgiving Day (read your other post on the day-before gravy). I'm the gravy maker in our family and will cook that at my Sis's house; last year my brother put the turkey in a roaster in his Traeger grill (uses wood pellets) at Christmas and the bird was great but I had a heck of a time with the gravy, the drippings had a distinct smokey taste that I didn't like and I couldn't find anything to add to diminish the smoke flavor. Thought I might roast some hind quarters or something ahead of time and freeze drippings to take this Christmas on the chance he does that again :) Maybe I'll even just roast a small bird for leftovers and use the juices from that. I think Robyn can count on her children seeing the divorce differently when given some time to mature and get used to the change. It would be nice if it was sooner, but if she's patient I'm convinced they'll come around. When my sister and her husband divorced, to her credit she never once said anything critical about him to her kids and they blamed her for his unhappiness and their own. Once grown, they came to understand on their own and to trust her completely while with their dad, they realized (finally) they were always trying to please him enough to 'deserve' his love. In fact, in court (huge battle over custody) the judge even said HE trusted her enough to put the kids ahead of her own feelings and make sure they had quality time with their dad, he didn't believe the same to be true of her ex, told him that, and she was given full custody. Celeste, I hope you have a lovely holiday too - what a difference a year makes! I think you have an angel on your shoulder watching the loving care you give your mother - that mother who looks so content in the pictures you've shared.

Imatallun, I was thinking along those same lines - get the kids interested early, make them life-long gardeners. Katie, would a children's garden be feasable? Would the local schools be willing to promote "Garden Day" field trips to give kids a chance to actually work in a garden and learn where so much of their food comes from, what composting is and how it works, etc. Could you find a local artist willing to donate drawings for a factual coloring book the zoo could give to Garden Day participants and perhaps sell at the gift shop? Sorry to be so long-winded, guess I spent too many years in advertising. cora

Dreamgoddess - Mine is 7'5" not sure why I had to buy that huge of a tree. Bought my furniture too big, entertainment stand too big, why not the Christmas tree too! :) You're using iridescent garland on your tree? Are you going to use pearl beads? I'm still debating on whether I want to use pearl or silver beads. I didn't care of the other tinsel garland I saw. Got out all my decorations a little bit ago and had them scattered all over the floor taking pics. I really need to find some nice looking blue ornaments if I'm going with silver/white/blue theme. I currently only have 6 crackle glass blue ornys. My tree skirt is also a blue velvet. I bought some thick silver and white garland at the end of last year and was going to use that on the tree but think I'm going to at least attempt to do the draping like above. If it looks that bad we might go with the big garland! Getting back on track, that would be great if you could let me know how much you used. I'll be putting mine up the day after Thanksgiving at the latest. I'm just so excited.

Thanks folks... greenthumbfish, I think you hit the nail on the head with this, "In every inspiration image, there is a comfy cozy quality..." That's exactly what she's articulated that she wants. Something more cozy and casual, AND that doesn't rely on bare dresser tops and open space to work. Her room now (and I will add that SHE picked out all the details. I was pretty skeptical of the wall art and bedspread when she chose them, though they worked in the end) anyway, her room now is never as neat as in that photo, and the piles and collections just look plain old messy in that room. I'm hoping (!) that in a more casual, cozy room, it won't be as bad. anele, our living room and dining room furniture is high-end designer teak from Denmark in the 40's/50's (Hans Wegner, etc) and I love that look, personally. The really good stuff has curves and a handmade quality that actually IS rather friendly and cozy... and "natural" in a way that Ikea (or even the later 70's teak) isn't. But- I understand my daughter's feelings. I grew up in a house with a fair amount of "modern" (my dad is an architect who went to college in the mid 60's) and at 13 I, too, wanted a more feminine and cozy room. I have a feeling it is partly to do with, at this age, starting to define yourself as a woman, and wanting things more feminine, and also wanting to define yourself as different from your parents. I stayed interested in vintage-y antique-y furniture till I was in my mid-late 20's and then found myself drawn back to the style I'd grown up with. Funny...