I ordered two of the Exclamation planetrees from Advanced Tree Technology. The total of the order including shipping was $64.50. The trees were roughly 4-5 ft tall. They were not bare root. They are shipped in a plastic wrapping that is in the shape of a pot. The trees were essentially potted with a good amount of soil around them and best of all the soil in each "pot" was still quite moist. I expected the trees to be dormant given the time of year that I ordered them but each still had a decent amount of green leaves. They were beginning to go dormant though because each had a few brown leaves as well. Neither tree was root bound when I took the plastic "pot" off to plant them. However, each had a nice root system that looked very healthy. I took some pics of the shipment and I've included them to give you a better idea of how the trees look. BTW, Advanced Tree has some errors on their website. If you poke around, you will find Bloodgood listed a few times as the Planetree that they sell. I talked with a company representative over the phone and she said that they used to sell Bloodgood but they switched over to Exclamation exclusively. This was confirmed by each tree having a tag from Chicagoland Grows that discovered and markets this cultivar. Advanced Tree Technology hasn't updated parts of the website yet to reflect this change. You can't see the prices of anything on their website unless you click on the "Order online" link. You can also request a catalog that has all of the prices. Here is the box that I received: Here are the two trees in the box: Here are the two trees out of the box: Here is a closeup of the leaves:

Alison, that was a VERY creative and clever theme! My favorite is also 'Why? Because you wanted one and 2 are okay." I personally have (ahem) 5 wood and 2 plastic. And yes, the first step to recovery is to admit you have a problem. Just make sure you're not cutting alone too often or people will start talking. I too love The Tassajara Bread Book! What a great box!! Enjoy, Marcia p.s. I have yet to get around to writing you a Thank You note. I can't seem to find the time when I'm home. I still have a White Elephant gift I have to send someone too. Shame on me. Please don't hate me. p.p.s. All four cats are CRAZY about those catnip treats. I sure wish I could find them here! Yum-MEE! You are a Godess to my kitties.

It would do everyone a lot of good to read about KCMA certification. Many of the site built and shop built cabinetry could possibly pass some of the construction tests, but NONE would pass the finish testing. You simply cannot get the same quality finish as with a high quality manufactured cabinet. That may not be important to some, but to most, knowing that their money is going towards something that will look good in 10 years time is very important to them. These tests create, in accelerated form, the cumulative effects of years of normal kitchen conditions of pre-finished cabinets. Cabinet finishes are inspected to ensure that stringent standards of appearance are also met.To test the ability of the finish to withstand high heat, a cabinet door is placed in a hotbox at 120 degrees Fahrenheit and 70 percent relative humidity for 24 hours. After this test the finish must show no appreciable discoloration and no evidence of blistering, checks, or other film failures. To test the ability of the finish to withstand hot and cold cycles for prolonged periods, a cabinet door is placed in a hotbox at 120 degrees Fahrenheit and 70 percent relative humidity for one hour, removed and allowed to return to room temperature and humidity conditions, and then placed in a coldbox for one hour at -5 degrees Fahrenheit. The cycle is repeated five times. The finish must then show no appreciable discoloration and no evidence of blistering, cold checking, or other film failure. To test the ability of the finish to withstand substances typically found in the kitchen and bath, exterior exposed surfaces of doors, front frames, drawer fronts and end panels are subjected to vinegar, lemon, orange and grape juices, tomato catsup, coffee, olive oil, and 100-proof alcohol for 24 hours and to mustard for one hour. After this test, the finish must show no appreciable discoloration, stain, or whitening that will not disperse with ordinary polishing and no indication of blistering, checks, or other film failure. To test the ability of the finish to withstand long periods of exposure to a detergent and water solution, a cabinet door edge is subjected to exposure to a standardized detergent formula for 24 hours. The door edge must then show no delamination or swelling and no appreciable discoloration or evidence of blistering, checking, whitening, or other film failure. Here is a link that might be useful: KCMA testing

txgal, In my bedroom I currently have the 2" wood blinds on all windows and on the french doors to the porch - they look and work great, except that if you will be opening & closing the doors frequently, the little plastic hold downs can break (then the blinds just flop everywhere each time you open the door). It was a $3 fix, but something to think about, especially if you have kids! The windows have panel curtains as well as the blinds, and the door has blinds only. In a former house, we did not have the blinds on the doors - just some panels on either side of the door, mounted on a rod that extended across the whole top of the double doors. That said, I don't think you necessarily have to put anything on the doors...if you don't mind the lack of privacy.