Thanks for all the suggestions! Tanowicki, you're right about the timber wall. We will be getting engineer help with that one. The weird thing about that wall is that the dirt it's retaining is way below the top of the wall. The top two timbers aren't actually retaining anything! (Why did someone build a wall taller then they had to?) I like your thought about building in the handrail! I hadn't even considered that. Deviant-deziner, I definitely wish we could have gone with a stacked stone or other "wow" wall, but it was cost-prohibitive. We had a few landscapers come in to give us estimates for this project; they ranged from $4-6k. We did the whole project ourselves for $800, including all the gravel and sand for the footings. It was just no contest. But you're right, they're one step above cinder blocks (but I'm still proud of my sort-of-ugly baby!). I like the climbing vine idea. The ficus pumila is very cool, i've never seen it! I wish I could grow it in my zone. Chibimimi, thanks for the suggestions! Vinca is a great thought, and guara is gorgeous! I think I might try starting it from seed, Dr. Google tells me it might be easy to start from seed. Thanks for all the suggestions and advice. I stopped by my local landscape supply store today and came home with a car full of plants. The folks there were so helpful and full of information. They helped me pick some winners :)

Framing isn't really a big issue. Most houses south of 15k sq ft that don't have massive engineering complications can be framed in several weeks. Even most 10k sq ft houses are usually framed in 4 to 6 weeks. I'd like to see what the interior and exterior looks like as that really determines the true fit/finish of the house. Like I said, I'd like to see it to see if its really just a big house mcmansion or if its truly a 10k sq ft custom home that deserves to be called a 'high-end' home. A lot of people just want to stretch their dollars to go larger (which is fine as its their choice), but its not always better. What is very nice trim ? Is it appropriate for mcmansion style house or is it like what a 10k sq ft house 'should' be. I know of very few high-end homes with hardiplank. While there could be some to arrive at an aesthetic, its usually chosen to alleviate cost. And usually with hardiplank, the style will dictate some sort of shutter. Were real shutters(like say from Atlantic Shutters) placed on or some sort of fake alternative ? imitation slate - two levels below real slate but one above asphalt. The problem with imitation slate(and I'm familiar with almost all of them) is that they are all remarkably similar which real slate is not. It's like distressed floors - is their adequate variations in the distressing, or do they show substantial similarity in pattern (like the same machine or tool was used). BTW, there is now a ceramic type(Ludowici) of slate roof which is excellent and really looks a lot closer to real slate than imitation rubber. It's costs are a bit lower than real slate but still higher than the imitation tire rubber ones. What type of kitchen cabinets ? Pure custom cabinetmaker, QCC ? etc or more mainstream ? The last 10k sq ft house I was part of, just the media room took 3 to 4 weeks and about 120K to construct. The door hinges/hardware from PE Guerin took 3 to 4 months to custom manufacture and ran about 150K (yeah, for hinges, knobs, catches, etc). Apologies for the slight cynicism. While I can see a house of that size being built in that time frame, I'm not sure I can imagine that a house that wouldn't just be another mcmansion being built in that amount of time. As in a house with real character, exterior/interior architectural elements and not something that was just put together. A 'perfect' house (and of course that is subject to a lot of interpretation) would involve a lot more detail than would more likely be possible to be done in 7 months even with all the moons aligned together. This doesn't just apply yo 10k+ sq ft houses. I think any house that has had a lot of thought to detail, fit and finish will take longer than 7 months in any decent size (say larger than 4500 or so sq ft).

The young people I know have a very different idea about what "entertaining" is than we do. They need the space because their version (and ours, when we were young) involves a whole bunch of their friends, lots of drinks and snacks and music, and general horsing around. We are more sedate about the whole business. But I disagree that just because you do things only once a month, you shouldn't have a house that supports them. I have four people at my table as often as once a week, six once a month, and eight or ten three or four times a year. Then there's the occasional cocktail party for 20 or so, which is about all this house can handle. I want all those groups to be comfortable, and to feel that we made an effort on their behalf. I want to be able to handle them all relatively easily, which keeps it fun for me. But back to the molding - I don't think it's necessarily about showing off. It's about an old-fashioned level of formality, and a signal that life is lived a certain way in the house. And it's also a pleasure to look at. I don't think anyone should feel uncomfortable in beautiful surroundings, even if they aren't part of one's everyday life. The best advice I ever heard given to a young person about to be entertained in a place that scared her to death was this: "Don't worry about not fitting in. Just stand up straight, smile at everyone, and speak clearly, softly, and rarely."

Cawaps, truly. Hallucinations? yes. I swear. I staved off Menopause for an extra 17 years or so by forcing my gyno to keep me on The Pill. Finally, at 57 she put her foot down and said, "No MORE!" I'm trying this new stuff, but frankly I have a hard time seeing through the sweat dripping in my eyes. Hence the hallucinations? At least this year my energy bills should be lower. Practigal, not that much extra flooring. I just finished laying reclaimed pine which I love. I don't mind the change in flooring so much. I haven't stained anything yet, but think I might be able to use some of my flooring's stain on the pine to tie it together some. Not yet thinking about that. As far as moving the island around? Probably. I move my base cabinets around when I need space or tops to work on. I am not confined to certain areas, but rather tasks have their area where they're preformed. I can't see an island with the peninsula, but without it seems to make more flow sense. The opening between peninsula and opposing cabinets is 36" already, but without the peninsula I'd have the 8'. Lensai, I have a lovely school house, close-to-ceiling light over my sink. I love it. I'm thinking if I could raise the pendants. I love them, too, so I'll have to think about this. I have to tell you, I've almost convinced myself to take out the peninsula. I have the cabinetry, so having to buy some isn't even an issue. If I could get some of the crap out of the way (read: everything on the counters) I'd take a picture. But right now I'm very, very lazy.