One year I made my own cards on blank paper. I got a very fancy filagree wreath stamp...don't quite remember but I think you stamped on some type of adhesive. Then you covered it in a powder and then heated it which caused the powder to melt and become dimensional. Then I hand colored each one with water color pens. I got another stamp for the inside that said Merry Christmas or some such holiday wish. It was a lot of work, but it was fun. Not sure I have any left...

I'm thoroughly enjoying this post - love Mtn's suitcases and her DH's originality. These are some of the presents DH wrapped, you can see the elegant brown wrapping paper with his custom calligraphy. Notice the large white one? The one covered in paper towels with the crude lettering on the side? He put this under the tree after I went to bed on Christmas Eve and he made sure that it was the last one opened. Under the paper towels was a brown cardboard box with round holes in it from Longfield Gardens, the kind they use to ship flower bulbs. He reminded me not the shake the box and I assumed it was full of bulbs packed in peat and dirt. I thought it a little odd because we had recently planted a hundred or so bulbs and I was not looking forward to planting more in the middle of the winter. I opened the box and it was full of styrofoam peanuts, the kind that fly up and stick to your clothes and hands. My grand daughter immediately dug in and giggled when she discovered that they clung to her arms and belly. There was another, smaller box at the bottom and inside was a beautiful tsavorite necklace and a little note that said he had finally found a birthstone for me that was prettier than the traditional garnet. He was quite pleased (me too) with his little charade.

We don't close up our camp for the winter, but when we leave we close the blinds and draw the drapes to keep it warmer. Although it is rare there has been instances of break-ins in camps that are closed up for the winter. Keeping the blinds closed would keep eyes from looking in to see what is worth stealing. Also one or two lamps on a timer wouldn't hurt and wouldn't cost that much in electricity.

Thanks everyone for your comments, very helpful (and reassuring). Martha- We will only need about 6 inches of baseboard for the small area that won't be covered by the bookcase. I think we'll be able to get an intact piece of existing baseboardfor that. Lyndee Lee-fortunately lighting won't be an issue. The living room is flooded with light from southern and western exposures with no buildings blocking the light (9th floor). The bedroom will be a little darker, but that will make my husband happy LOL. kats737-crazy old house person here too! Elizabeth-the contractor and plaster specialist are going to discuss/make suggestions about the millwork, whether to remove the section that the bookcase will cover, or adapt the bookcase around it. We're not sure just yet. summersrhythm_z6a-We need space for many more books than a secret door bookcase would give us LOL. My husband is downsizing a library of 10,000 to about 3,000 and I REALLY need this 12-foot run of wall for one of the bookcases we'll have in the apartment.