And now you will have to buy the "rubra" form as well! I agree it is a cool plant, and surprising in that it seems to do as well in California as it does back east. One of those accent flowering winter bloomers that has interesting form, and almost a tropical look to it when in leaf. I find I have to do a lot of thinning on it to keep it in bounds, and can't say that it has a fragrance that carries, but it is nice. I can relate to the shopping bug, plants were the only thing I shopped for this Christmas season, and got some beauties, like a really full Sticks on Fire Euphorbia in firey color for the back deck, to chase away those winter blahs. I also went for a couple of apricot flowering Grevillea 'Superb' in full bloom, also for the winter color and to attract the Anna hummingbirds. Last were some really beautiful and rare Restios with gorgeous stems, Cannamois virgata, which I rationalized might not be available for purchase next spring, better nab them now! Magnolia stellata and M. soulangeana and M. denudata are also great temptations this time of year, but...I...Must...Resist...

I found myself in the same boat a couple of months ago...Oikos, Burnt Ridge, Simmons...it adds up fast, but it sure is fun! The variety and novelty of Oikos' products is hard to beat, and I ended up with quite a menagerie as well. Of course, they've added even more fascinating stuff since my order in February, so now I'm planning a fall order. As a first-time Oikos customer, my experience was by and large a very good one. I received my order in mid-march, the plant sizes were exactly as advertised, and everything seems healthy so far. I was particularly impressed with the Japanese wineberries (very nice root systems). My order included several trees -- a Robin Hill Juneberry (good size and nicely branched root system), two Nana Dwarf Beach Plums (height as advertised but weaker root systems), and a tiny Medlar seedling. I was initially concerned about the plums, but they've leafed out and are looking very good.

I really wanted marble in our new masterbath, but was worried about the staining and etching. So, I did a mosaic as an accent in the shower and as backsplash behind the vanity. In these areas i figured there would be less of an issue on trying to keep from the normal stains of everyday use. For the vanity I wanted something that would complement the marble (carrera-so mainly white and grey) but add some contrast to the undermount white kohler sink. I decided to go with the silestone line and used the blanco maple. It is mainly white with small grey flecks in it. I was actually more pleased with it when it was all completed than I thought I would be. I do my makeup and use hairspray etc in the mornings and didnt want to hate when I got a stain or have to be extra careful all the time. I know others on this forum love theirs and their patina, but i was not going to be one of them if I spent the money and then had to baby it. With the silestone, I don;t have to worry about stains etc and it is very easy to keep clean. I hope this helps. Good luck.

The towels that tie or hang on a handle are always useful. Not enough time to crochet tops, but perhaps you could sew tops and ties for them using scrap fabrics. Or maybe you could "pamper" them a bit, and go to Michael's dollar bin for some bottles of lotion. Tie them in a circle of fabric or netting to make them look festive. Flavored coffees or teas are always a good choice too. Plop a bow on them or do the circle of netting idea to make them special. If you have a 99 cent type store, they usually have the small potted plants. Buy some of those and tie or hot glue a pretty bow on the pot. Most women love getting plants. Or since you work in a feed store, perhaps you have access to some birdseed. How about creating a birdseed ornament they could hang in a tree or on their patio? I'm sure you could google for instructions to make them wildlife safe. Luvs