jaybird.. I remember seeing that tutorial before! I promised myself I wouldn't go buy anything more this year. We just bought a new taller tree for this house. But if I'm going to do this mantel thingie I'm going to have to go buy more stuff. Lots more. I guess I'll start with the thrift stores, $ stores and then on to the more expensive places. :) Jim, I see how buying through out the year helps spread the cost, but for some reason I just don't. I think.. I can get that later closer to Christmas....then I'm right back where I am now. :) I had wanted to do 2 huge windows in addition to my fireplace mantel but its looking less and less likely that is going to get done this year. Oh well... I'll plan better for next year! Thanks for all the suggestions and encouragement. Today I'm concentrating on cleaning the house and getting ready to do those garland things.

Thanks for the input! Vicki: We're in Newark, but also own a log cabin in the area of Warsaw, about 20 or so from Amish country. The furniture is fairly priced. Les: Thanks so much for your input. I do like the table you posted, but wouldn't have picked it for myself because I always choose rounded shapes and that pedestal is staight. I'm really thinking about it though. The chairs are "java", a very dark brown, almost black. Does that change your mind about making the table base black? The cushions are an off-white. Homersmom: Do you own something by them? I'd love to see a picture. Elsa: The table I have really is too small for the area, and my pictures of it really underlined that for me. I'm really having a problem, like you, of not thinking of the stained top/painted base as "country." And, the problem of matching the cabinets made me think of a black table. I'd love more input from others! Here's the table Les suggested, as well as an example of a black/stained table and a white/stained table: Les' suggestion Dee

You already asked this earlier and have gotten several replies: Here is a link that might be useful: Boring window treatments/trouble

It appears you are changing locales as well. By the vegetation in the pix, the new home looks to be in a desert region, and I would guess the old home is not. That means you'll be dealing with a change of natural light, and those windows may let in a lot of it (I note the shade screens) so you may find it to be brighter than where you now live. Your present dining set looks to be Queen Anne style, which may not fit in well with the more contemporary lines I see in the new home. Try to see this as an opportunity to branch out from your norm, stylewise. The FP wall definitely needs a makeover. Is there TV behind the doors? Perhaps TV could go in that office recess where they have the big china hutch and convert that space to a media room. A curved sofa against that sweeping pony wall would be striking. You may do yourself a favor by touring some homes for sale in the area. You can do that online. If this is desert SW or Nevada, for example, you want to stay in keeping with local expectations when you change the interior architecture, especially if you will be selling a few years on. See how others have treated the FP area. As for me, I would close the cubbies and do a new type of stone for the FP itself. In the office area, you can wallpaper the backs of the cabinets to work with the wall color you select. Since the kitchen cabs will remain maple for now, leave the office cabs to coordinate, but make them smile with something interesting in the backs. Consider the color of your flooring grout as a jumping off place for wall color. You could go with that and add a tinge of green to it for an interesting gray/green wall color. That can cool down the day time temps for you too if this is a hot climate. Green is emotionally soothing as well, and with enough gray in it, you should be able to see it as a neutral backdrop for upholstery, rugs and drapes. Definitely exchange the valances for fabric to soften the harshness of the squares that dominate the windows and the openings to the kitchen and breakfast area.