Happy Gardening!!!

We bought our counter depth Frigidaire Gallery FGHC2342LF model at Lowes for $1200 we love it. It's very attractive and works well. We like the in door ice and water dispenser. Previously we had a Samsung RSG257AARS at our previous condo (sold with the condo). It was similar in form and function but cost $2400. So far we are just as happy with the less expensive fridge but we have not owned it very long so I can't speak to longevity. For dishwashers, I will never again buy a Whirlpool or any line made by the same company (that includes now Maytag, Frigidaire, and Kitchen Aide, possibly a few more!). We had a Whirlpool "Gold" dishwasher in our previous home, the motherboard died at 13 months of age - only 1 month out of warranty! Whirlpool would do nothing for us, not even offer us a discount on a future appliance or the part. The replacement part was $250 plus installation labor. Apparently the same motherboard is used in all the dishwashers made by Whirlpool, Frigidaire, Maytag, KA, etc. and it is notorious for failing. We chose to replace the Whirlpool with an entry level Bosch SHE43P05UC dishwasher, on sale at a local specialty appliance store for $600. I loved that dishwasher, I wish we could have taken it with us when we sold the place! Stainless inside and out, beautiful, whisper quiet, and everything came out clean, even with very hard water, every time. The Bosch warranty is 1 year complete and 5 years for parts including electronics/motherboard (which makes me feel better about the quality of the electronics). So when we bought our current home it came with a cheap-looking Frigidaire. It's "stainless look" which next to real stainless just looks silly. Anyway it stopped draining and it appears the pump is dead, and the part and labor to replace it is not worth it for a dishwasher that was not great to begin with. So I am at home today awaiting the delivery of our new Bosch SHE3AR56UC, this time in white, but still stainless inside, where it counts. Our cabinets are white so with the stainless version costing about $150 more, we opted for white this time to blend in with the cabinets. We had a Whirlpool Gold range at the old place and the new place also came with a Whirlpool range. Ours is entry level and just OK. We'll replace it some day but Whirlpool ranges seem OK based on my experience. We have an LG washer again model WM2650HWA (we had LG also at the previous home - so happy with it we bought another) and a Hotpoint cheap dryer. I didn't want to pay more for a fancy matching dryer since we didn't need to stack it- this one dries just fine! But I did want the front loading water efficient washer for 2 reasons - it is on the second floor and if the washer ever leaks, FL's have much less water in them so a disastrous flood is not as likely. Also water is expensive in CA and saving water is important, and after the $150 in rebates the LG on sale was actually cheaper than a top loader. This model WM2650HWA has steam and gets things nice and clean, they also solved the issue of smelly washers by putting a magnetic seal on the door so that when not in use it stays slightly open to dry, without endangering children or pets. It seems to me that you can't just choose one brand for each appliance, few brands make quality items for different applications. So you may want to gather some info on each type of appliance and find the best deal/quality rather than looking for a matched set. They tend to look the same once installed as long as the finish is all real stainless (some are just "stainless look" which is metallic painted plastic and I'd rather have white than that!)

Bonnie Hunter is doing another Live Stream quilting today (Sunday, Dec 2) a bit after 2pm. I watched it the other night for the first time; I had just gotten home and caught it - I got bored quickly, so emptied the dishwasher - so it is a perfect do some chores and watch - or sew. She reads and answers email live - pretty cool! It is worth tuning in if you are unfamiliar. Here is a link that might be useful: Live Quilt Cam

Lindac92, I had the same thought-- I have a bedroom suit that was bought in the late 90s. It's nice quality (but not fine) and it has wooden slides. And eandhl2, as you said- I can think of pieces of all ages (and varying qualities) from the 1900s and they all have wooden slides (and glides too if "glides" is the word for what's attached to the drawer). I was trying to do my own investigative work and hoped that there would be a simple answer to the question of the metal slides-- I would then have established a timeframe. However, that's not the case! So, I will just post pictures for you guys so you can take it from here. I researched furniture a lot yesterday and learned more about what to look for. I purchased it this weekend off of Craigslist. The seller had a brief history of how it had originally been obtained though I'm not certain that's accurate. I'll share that after I get everyone's best guesses. :) I gave the chest a brief looking over this morning and noticed these points: Machine cut dovetailing on the drawers Burled walnut veneers on faces of drawers and top surface. Solid wood dust panels between each drawer. Stamped on back with "315 CHEST." Screws present, but only flatheads. No Phillips anywhere. It has obviously been refinished because someone took it upon themselves to stain the inside of the drawers. :-/ I learned the name for "barley twist." There's a decorative barley twist on each sides of the dresser (not the legs though). The front legs are a combo of turned and fluted. It has a "splashback" along the back edge of the top surface (is that the right word?). I can't make heads or tails of its significance in dating the piece. There has been some shrinkage and separation of the wood trim that wraps around the body of the chest above the bottom drawer. I can't find any indication that the hardware has ever been changed. Metal was used for the drawer sliding mechanisms. Under the metal slides (the part in the chest itself), there is a strip of wood attached to the dust panel. It looks like this was used to raise the surface so the metal could be mounted flat. It's unclear to me whether the metal slides are original or were added later. I'd love any and all feedback you kind folks may have! Of course, I'd specifically love to know any estimates on age and the name of the style of furniture that it is. The closest I've come up with is Sheraton. (I'm posting the pics in another post. We are in the middle of a remodel so excuse the mess in the background.)