Did you moisten the materials when you put the pile together? FYI for future reference - I wouldn't layer materials. You'll end up with a bunch of leaves clumped together and clumps of wet slimy grass clippings. This mess typically doesn't compost well (the voice of experience). It annoys me when I read things about composting that advise people to do this. The materials need to be moistened and mixed together from the get go. BTW, the sawdust in the stable bedding does actually make nice compost. And don't discount the urine being a green. You could add some Starbucks coffee grounds for more greens. The nicest compost I make is in the bin where I put nothing but shredded leaves, coffee grounds, and horse manure (including the stable bedding). The compost turns out a wonderful texture and is loaded with worms. Deanna

I have a CM heritage album with black pages that presently has 38 pages. It's about 2 1/4" thick - probably about the same as some D ring albums. I don't think I'll be adding any more to this album, but it's not really too bad.

Well, it seems I have more "planned" than I've actually done. But here's the scoop on what I've done/am doing. 1. 8x10 size for my mom's 2nd wedding 2. Going Down Under (trip to Australia) 3. Baby's first Year (my dd's baby book) 4. Ds#2--Birth to 5 years (not quite done, as he turns 5 in 5 weeks LOL!) working on my wedding/honeymoon album just decided to do an ABC album with ds#1. He is 7 and we are homeschooling, so this is kinda his project too. I tell you guys, this is an awesome way to use up misc. photos. In the future: I will have a Birth-5 years album for ds#1 and dd. These will be their books to have when they leave home. (Obviously will also do 6-10 yrs, then 11-graduation) I will have my own family album. But when I say "family" I more mean just pics of my kids. Maybe some other family members will make it into the album, if they're lucky LOL. christmas thru the years album The Grandpa Book this will be a 5x7 tribute album for each of the kids, about thier grandpa and great-grandpas who've passed away. Summer and Winter Fun Birthdays This should take me till I'm dead!

Joann: Thank you for the design and all of the example pics. You and your DH are really very talented. Did either or you ever do this work professionally or is it a hobby? Thank you for highlighting all of the architectural details. That is exactly what I need to see. DH and I were debating about this glass as the side panels are quite narrow so your pics are very helpful to visualize the whole effect. I should mention here that this is not a fully custom shop. We basically get to pick different door/cabinet styles, wood species/stain/hardware, height/width, drawers and component configuration so I may not be able to order some of the lovely design details you incorporated, though I will bring in the pics and inquire about it on Sat. I did notice the bottom doors on the console are not full overly which it looks like you designed for the sides. I'm going to guess my top option will not be full overlay so we'll see. Also, my hinges are not the euro style on bottom and stick out the sides. Wouldn't they need to match? As the TV is 50" wide, I was thinking of having the center opening be 51". Then in the vertical direction with the TV height at 31" I was thinking we should add a bit of beathing room--say about 3" extra on top so the TV box would then be 51"W x 34"H. I think I'll check the TV specs to see any ventillation requirements, though I know DH wants some holes in the back for cables, etc. I notice hoosiergirl's TV is very tightly set into the built-in. I'll let you know what they come up with when we go in over the weekend.