I'm just another major mosquito magnet, so I'm constantly looking for ways to avoid getting bitten. Ironically, they don't even land on my husband. After Bite is ammonia with a bit of oil added to help keep the skin from getting dry. I refill my After Bite stick with fresh ammonia when it runs out. When I can't find the stick, I just splash on some ammonia. I have learned to make my own repellant from a mix of herbal essential oils, a base oil, some water, and some Vodka to help it to dry quickly. I'm happy to say it works very well and it has a very pleasant herbal fragrance. Avon's Skin-So-Soft lotion is great too, especially against the no-seeums I encountered in Florida. I can't get refills for the repellant lantern that was on the market for a couple of years. That was great, I used to just carry it around the garden to keep the bugs away. It had a small fan inside that pushed the repellant smell about 15 feet in all directions. It kept my open porch free of mosquitos even after dark. But another company has come out with a lantern that uses an insert in the top, instead of the liquid the first one used. It is probably very effective too, but since my porch is now screened in I don't need one. I really don't like using the canned sprays at home, but at camp it is a very different story. We camp on a river, the bugs are ferocious. That's when I go for the deep woods formula! Forget about the "it's a bad year because of all the rain etc." story, because if mosquitoes like you, EVERY year is a bad year. Try your local health food stores for some herbal repellants, and always have some ammonia at home and After Bite in your purse or pocket. Mary

boycrzee, yes I have seen (or heard) about stairs that have drawers in them. I thought it was a good idea too. Just make sure no one leaves one open while walking down the stairs late one night-LOL! Well, I did get two of the four holes taken care of, in taking down the towel warmer. My DH put a towel bar that was just the right space apart. I still have the two upper ones to take care of. If you didn't know they were there, you probably would never notice it, but, I know, and my eyes fall right to those two holes in the wallpaper. And, really, since I got the sink grid for the farm sink, it really is so much better! Either that, or I am getting use to it. I do have to say, I like being able to fit big pans in it. brutuses, I was really trying not to sound like you offended me, but, I guess I couldn't get the right words out. I didn't take it that way. I bet we will be hearing some "Hallelujah's" when you move into your home. At least on yours, you've taken the time to really think things out. We had to rush through some things, but, did try to think of everything-which never happens!

Sorry to be late; didn't check in for a couple of days. Yes, the Panasonic makes extremely sharp photos, thanks, in part to the Leica lens. It offers two types of image stabilization, both optical (the best kind): 1. continuous and 2. at the moment of shutter let-off. Of my six non-DSLR cameras, the Panasonic DMC-TZ5 is the best one. Like most digital cameras, it has a wide range of shooting modes, most of which I never use. But they're there. It also shoots video, but I've never done it; I do know that it lets you zoom during video filming - I understand that many cameras will not zoom during video. As I said, the flash range is limited and the camera DOES NOT have an optical viewfinder. One other drawback - which you can overcome by careful "holding" - is that the flash is located below the shutter button, and it's natural to put your middle finger over it. You've got to get used to that. Panasonic has packed so much into this little camera that I don't think there was any other place to put the flash. And by-the-way, like most small digitals, it does not have a hot shoe for using an auxillary flash. If you'd like further info from me, go to My Page and email me directly. Javert

Susanilz5, I could have written your original post! That's exactly how I have been feeling! 10 years ago, I would not even use taupe inside my house because it looked gray! Every light tile I brought home I didn't like because there always seemed to be a gray undertone. I didn't use white fixtures in my bathroom because I thought they looked gray instead of white! I picked out some paint chips today in the gray family, showed them to my sister and she got a funny look on her face and said, "They're too gray! That's not you!" I told her "Gray is the new beige." I actually put a post on the kitchen forum about using a gray/blue/green with my oak cabinets and only got one response--SW's anew gray (which I haven't checked out yet). However, my dilemma would be transitioning from a gray room into my other warm colored rooms and how to make that work. I'm not sure I'm capable, but I think I could get by using it in a bathroom or bedroom because they are destination rooms and not rooms connected to multiple rooms like a kitchen or family room might be. Good luck! I'll be anxious to see your results.