dixie I won't stop providing counter arguments as long as there are inflamatory statements made like the ones below - which happen to come from MA in a recent thread. But it wouldn't have mattered who posted them, the response from me would have been the same. I find it disturbing that there is no declaration by MA right up front that he is an architect so that the OP's (especially new posters) know the perspective from which his views are derived. In all of the other forums that I read and post on, this is the norm by true professionals in their respective fields. "I suspect that much of the savings from the use of prepackaged designs and/or incomplete documents is subsequently given to the builder in change orders or noncompetitive cost plus billing. Why are owners so stingy with designers and so generous with builders?" "I think the bottom line is that in addition to a lower hourly fee, a home designer must be providing an abbreviated set of contract documents which inevitably exposes the owner to more risk and therefore more cost. I believe this must account for half or more of the design fee savings." "I can see how these approaches could work for off-the-shelf designs or for spec houses but my practice is for completely custom original designs tailored to the needs of the homeowner's family and the site. A stock plan would be useless even as a starting point and the plans given to me by owners usually just slow down the initial design phase and increase my fee. "

I am with you on all of the reuse and buying out of the box so to speak. I have gotten some amazing finds where other people would refuse to look. I have gone to auctions and builder's clearance centers and flea markets.... You name it. I love the idea of finding something for a lot less than you would have thought possible. I also like to find unusual uses for things that end up being cheap or free. Examples * a tub at auction $25 * a double basin ceramic vanity top (new) $5 * shipping crates from a local factory (free) - used the dividers for building cabinets in kitchen - used the dividers for underlayment for hardwood floor in the bathroom. (seems crazy, but it only cost me $50 at auction - used the 16 ft boards from bottoms on ceiling for rustic barn look - used 4 shipping crates to build garden shed * bought a refurbed ceiling fan with 3 yr warranty for $24 at builder's clearance center As you can see there are a million ways of doing things differently and saving money. By the way, your kitchen is gorgeous! I love it. And I agree on the whole white appliances being universal and timeless. I think they are easier to keep clean compared to stainless. It was nice to hear from someone who likes to think outside the "box" when remodeling, too.

I read the Bismarck ND tribune on line everyday. I think a subscription for out of state is maybe around 400 dollars already. In state the last I know it was 240 and that was about 15 years ago. I can't afford it. I like to keep up on things there. I just found out that my last great aunt died at the age of 98. Some of the news is online before it is in the daily paper though. I don't understand why they do that. We subscibe to the small town local paper here in our county. It is about 28 dollars a month. I too started getting it so I would get to know about some of the people here and what was going on when I moved here. I also got another small town one the first one or two years but I cancelled that one. I sometimes read the Pierre Capital Journal on line. There is a paper that comes out of Pierre that is free. It is the want ads and flyers from the CPJ so I see what is on sale and the rummage sales if I am going to Pierre.

Only once, when I was about 16, at some fair. She asked me if I was a vampire. Of course, I answered no. I don't remember much of the reading at all, other than that she kept coming back to the vampire thing, asking if I was sure I wasn't one. I know that parts of this next bit are gross, but absolutely true: Years later, as my tastes changed, I preferred my steaks more and more rare, and during my pregnancies, while preparing meals I'd sneak little bits of raw beef and eat them. After removing the beef from the styrofoam package, I even took to pouring the blood that remained into a small saucepan, adding a little salt, warming it and drinking it. I had to heat it very slowly or it would curdle. And although everything I know tells me that it isn't wise, I prefer my pork and chicken just a tad underdone as well. Some people tell me that the fortune teller may have been right after all, LOL.