Well I've run into some major hurdles, the big problem is there obvious and the solutions are complex. 1 st we know what we want(just based on our experiences from a previous) which seems to make it that much harder. I have no problem admitting that I went into this blind and that at some point I would need e help especially with roofs and stairs ( Ive learned to hate stairs with a passion). An old fashioned t-shape Pennsylvania farmhouse is our dream. I many worried about getting proportions right to keep with the look we like, too wide of a gable end and your house easily becomes a church. So any time we saw a home we thought was bell balances we would simply stop and ask the owners to let us measure. Finally we feeling comfy with the dimensions,'I've done nothing but ram and smush everything into this mold, problem it just won't fit naturally, of course ive been able to keep adding square footage to house but I lose the simplicity, my motto is " it always comes down to adding just 2 more feet". So we began hunting for architect which feels like a step backward at this point because we have a logic behind our placement. ( ex: we have beautiful views to the right side of our house and garage on left so naturally the pantry/mud room/bath plus keeping the kitchen close by for groceries has been part of the problem all though I've made work before just never felt right. Factor in I need 4 bedrooms and love an open floor plan ( no cathederal ceiling, just raised living room) and the simplicity of simple old farmhouse gets complex. 2) I decided I would try to find an architect to basically "bless" a floor plan and then draft into prints for us , logically if he was happy with it and there were no major blunders I wouldnt expect to pay full rate. I think he quoted around 15k for a 2500sq ft houses with a significant amount of the concept done. I believe it was $75-$80 for 220 hours, after the sticker shock, we decided to stay the course. Even found multiple plans from timber/log home companies that would not sell just a floor plan to convert without purchasing the entire kit. I could produce over 50 cad drawings I've done and probably 3 graphing notebooks of half-a$$ sketches that all come out the same, close but never perfect. Even the drawing i submitted was basically to confirm that the issues were not in my head but legit concerns, which is why the criticism didnt bother me. ( I've been yelled by more important people than you mainly. renovater8 ) , since I've posted my print I've already been back at it but this time better equipped with your comments and this site in general. I like "how long have you been at it" comments. I'll probably keep at my drawings myself until I truly feel like I'm at a dead end, and with the help of a friend who is an engineer/draftsman I'll try to stick t through but not until I'm comfortable with a finished product, I love learning and still feel like I won something when someone points out a potential problem I would of never caught myself. If anybody has used an architect geared towards the rustic/country/t-shaped farmhome, I would gladly be interested.' always enjoy finding that diamond In the rough website that leaves the vinyl siding and cookie cutter plans to their 1000 page book and recreates the classics look. Would also love any pics or comments from anybody who's been on the same path. My apologies to renovator8 for coming across harsh, i use a lot of sarcasm and I dont specifically hate don Gardner , just sick of the seemingly identical planss we poured through over the years. Thankss again everybody.

And if you're not a Mom, I sent my wishes on to your family for a happy day nonetheless. Yes, I came down from the ladder - DH took me to Forbidden Kingdom yesterday. Relaxing. Today I paint the living room ceiling, finish the white base coat on my last wall (this is taking forever moving furniture around) and Monday start the colour. Going to take a piece of the fabric I'm making the curtains with to the paint store to match the wall paint tone - heck I've come this far might as well get the colour right. Stopped in at the Lazyboy store yesterday - we ordered a new couch (recliners on either end) and a new oversized giant recliner for Dave (6'3"). It has a great feature of extended leg rest you can push out with your foot so your feet don't over hang. These are do in a couple of weeks which hopefully works out for all of my old furniture around here that is spoken for and due to leave about the same time - otherwise the stuff can get introduced to the back garden shed. No love lost there! Finally getting our first living room furniture that's not hand-me-down. Only took 15 years but that's okay. At least it's cash and not on credit. Wonderful to see everyone is enjoying their families this weekend! Today is clean the fridge day, grocery shopping later. So I am thinking of what can I get myself for this week. Need to also start digging in the freezer to see what we have in there for meal planning. I keep forgetting. With food prices rising, I'm getting more and more fussy on portion sizes (less waste), quality and buying what we really eat and not stuff we might eat. I don't know how folk manage raising families these days. So expensive. Also have to think of packing lunches this week since I start my seasonal job of planting business/hotel garden beds. Need to pack lots of water. If ya hear me moaning next weekend about muscles I forgot I own this will be the reason behind it...I should dig out my bubble bath stuff too for this week! Enjoy your day today. Think ahead. I see apples in the fridge that need cooking (mmmmmmm), carrots and sugar free jello for later this week. Good week to get my single serving containers out to make my treats. Gotta get working on a new mini weight goal! Cheers, Peggy

Hi Dee, I am glad you are here. I checked out the menu at Limoncello and I can picture you, Raeanne and me sipping chilled white wine while we chat over lunch! We need to pull that off again soon. I get so much done by getting up at 4am every morning! On the days I ride I am in my barn at 4:15 to give the girls a snack and muck a little. Then back to the house for tea and change into my riding clothes. At 4:45 I am back in the barn grooming and tacking. By 5:15 I am in the saddle and my ride takes about an hour and 15 mins. So, back at the barn by 6:30 latest to finish chores. Then to the chicken coop to let them out. I am back in the house by 7am and have an hour to shower and get ready for work! I leave my house at 8:15 and am in my office at 8:30! That's a 15 minute commute. Then there is after work! It's easy for me to get up that early this time of year - I love the early morning when it's light enough to see it! We need you all to weigh in on who the biggest AI fan is at this thread ladies. You too JOhn if you are lurking.

kgwlise, so funny you say this. Read on. First I was going to report that I tried on the whole shebang yesterday -- dress with Spanx hose and shoes. I was pleased. As pesky said, no one's going to think I'm supermodel thin, but somehow that saddlebag bulge did not seem as evident. And, I could breathe! (I bought the Spanx on the larger side.) Now here's the funny part. I got on the scale this morning and have lost 4 lbs. since Monday! Obviously I was retaining water, as kgwlisa suggested. But it normally takes me forever to lose one pound, so this was kinda thrilling. I am now one pound less than I was before the trip. Now, if I can keep this going...? I want to lose 8-9 more pounds! So, in the end, maybe the Spanx, combined with my actual loss, will actually make it look like I lost 5 lbs. in 5 days!! LOL.