We have used the little rubber-backed wooden "furniture coasters" (package of 4 is about $5 at Home Depot or Walmart) with no problems on our prefinished wood floors. The flooring store also carried them but they wanted a ridiculous amount for them. We found the cork ones slid almost as much as the bare furniture legs.

I will be no help whatsoever but I must tell my story... I wanted a very subtle pattern on my bedroom wall...I love Spring so I picked out a nice fresh looking green & yellow. My DH painted it and it came out looking kinda cottagey but the colors were not pale enough(my fault). I finally decided that it looked like a clown had been attacked in my bedroom. I did live with it for a long time... Now the small bedroom is BM urban nature, a very relaxing green.

Many moons ago in an apartment I was renting, I hung lace curtains with roller shades behind them. I let the lace cover the windows completely - there was a wall full of narrow windows and I hung one panel on each window - there was some shirring across the top, but not much (which was good, since it didn't obscure the lace). I used the roller shades behind and only pulled them down at night - the rest of the time, they were rolled to the top and very unobtrusive. So in your case, I'd do the same thing - leave the lace all the way across the window (no need for a valance then) and put roller shades beneath. I'd vote roller shades over the blinds becuase: a) they look like they fit the style of the kitchen better b) they can roll up farther than faux wood blinds - usually teh blinds take a good bit of stacking room c) the horizontal lines of the blinds (if you leave them down but open for sun) will compete with and obscure the lace pattern. JMHO! Good luck!

Crafty, Your skate looks so pretty too! Very festive looking. I think I would be very comfortable in your home--we both seem to like oak and crafts, and florals! Love the pinecone swag too--did you make it? Bet my chances of finding an ice skate in So. Calif would be pretty slim, don't you? Still I am going to make it a point to watch for them now after seeing how you and Frances have decorated them. Thanks for sharing. Luvs