just got a similar dining table from saloom. it is a much darker finish. has planked top and is distressed. i bought a 84 x 44 table with 6 ladderback chairs for a little more than restoration wants for just the table. if you go to the saloom website click on the new castle line. they have many wood fininshed that you can choose. the furniture is made in the usa and it is great quality. good luck.

Lesson for the day: the next time you try clothes on that must be pulled over your head and you have make up on, take a large square scarf (made from a slippery type of material) and drape this over your head and completely cover your face, THEN pull the garmet over your head and you'll avoid this problem in the future. It's a little harder to remove clothing this way, but it can be done. This is a trick I learned while doing theater when we had to change clothes with all that stage make up on, and it also saved our hair-dos. Personally, I think it's a "you break it, you buy it" situation, that you should take full responsibility for. You can avoid the "itchy" by wearing a turtleneck or blouse under the sweater. BTW - did you happen to try a Tide-to-Go Instant Stain remover pen? I wouldn't be without one - they work THAT well. -Grainlady

Is this it? OXFORD FRUITCAKE This has been my favorite fruitcake since I first tasted it when I was in my teens. The recipe is adapted from one given to me by Daphne Giles, the British sister-in-law of my late childhood friend, Noel Giles. Daphne comes from Newbury, near Oxford, and prepared this every year for Noel’s Christmas day birthday. Makes 50 2-inch squares Batter 8 ounces dark raisins 8 ounces golden raisins 8 ounces currants 8 ounces dates, pitted, cut into 1/4-inch dice 8 ounces dried figs, stemmed, cut into 1/4-inch dice 8 ounces mixed candied fruit 4 ounces candied cherries 4 ounces candied pineapple, cut into 1/4-inch dice 4 ounces walnut halves 4 ounces pecan halves 4 ounces whole almonds 1/2 cup plus dark rum or brandy, plus more for sprinkling 2 1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter 1 cup dark brown sugar 4 large eggs Topping 1 pound almond paste 4 cups (1 1-pound box) confectioners’ sugar 1 cup light corn syrup 1 12-x-18-inch half sheet pan 1. In a large bowl, combine fruits and nuts and toss with rum or brandy. (The mixture may be left covered several days at this point.) 2. When you’re ready to bake the cake set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees. 3. Sift flour with other dry ingredients and set aside. Beat butter until light then beat in brown sugar. Continue beating until lighter. Beat in a third of the flour mixture, 2 eggs, and continue alternating until all is combined, ending with flour mixture. Pour batter over fruit and nuts and fold thoroughly together. 4. Press batter into the prepared pan. Place a piece of parchment or foil over the batter and press it so it adheres well. Bake until firm and no longer wet, about 1 hour, being careful not to overbake. 5. Cool the fruitcake in the pan. Moisten cheesecloth with 1/2 of the remaining rum. Sprinkle cake with remaining rum and wrap it in rum-moistened cheesecloth. Wrap in plastic and foil and age the fruitcake several weeks, if you wish. (Please note: Although the cake should keep fine at room temperature, especially since it has been soaked with alcohol, I prefer to age it in the refrigerator.) 6. For topping, combine almond paste, sugar and 1/3 cup corn syrup in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse repeatedly about 10 or 12 times to form a dough. Remove from work bowl and knead until smooth. Double wrap in plastic and store until needed at room temperature. 7. To cover the fruitcake with the marzipan, bring the remaining 2/3 cup corn syrup to a boil in a small saucepan. Brush half the hot corn syrup on the fruitcake. On a surface dusted with confectioners’ sugar, roll half the marzipan to the size of the fruitcake. Lift and place marzipan on fruitcake, pressing to adhere. Invert fruitcake to a clean surface and repeat with remaining corn syrup and marzipan. Trim edges and cut fruitcake into 2-inch squares. Wrap any leftover squares in plastic wrap. - See more at: http://www.nickmalgieri.com/recipes/oxford-fruitcake/#sthash.QoTOGCiw.dpuf Looks like all his recipes are online. Here is a link that might be useful: Malgieri recipes

Eaglemom, congratulations on deciding to start! We'll be with you all the way. By all means arrange your home to serve and please you and your family. I have a sewing room, an office, and a parrot room from what should be three "spare" bedrooms, and also my master bedroom making four. Paint the walls whatever colors make you smile. Try decorating with colors you look good wearing, especially ones that reflect well on your skin; then you will look pretty in your own house. Have you looked through the room threads in our gallery for inspiration? It's like a huge stack of decorating magazines without pages of ads. Don't be afraid to experiment to find what's perfect for you. Paint is only paint... not that expensive and I think fun to do because the results are so fantastic. Except two stories up on a ladder. Paint "resale neutral" in those places so you won't have to do it again. But a bedroom? You can change the color as often as you like until you find the best for you. It's only paint! Remember, even the pros have problems with picking out just the right wall colors. Please yourself and hug your friend and say thanks, but no thanks. She can paint her own house white with colored accessories. If it's not your thing, don't get talked into it. This is Eaglemom's house and it has to have Eaglemom's personality in it. Above all, please yourself and your DH and you can't go wrong.