Back from out of town....so chiming in, since I added to this with more detail than Patann...sorry.... When I did the cuttage, it was critical that each piece of bulb tissue had a piece of basal plate attached, thus is seems critical/vital that the basal plate is required for bulb growth. Tissue without basal plate won't prosper. I've been in California for the past 4 days, and appreciate all that's been posted on this. I will try and make a trip over lunch this week to speak with the general manager. Maybe the sales pitch from the bulb company was that these bulbs will put on a magnificent display as they are desparate to survive. Doubt the basal plate was removed for propagation purposes. The hurricane lamp and pebbles are pretty shallow and I bet that the company finds that the roots just "get in the way"...and that the bulb will bloom and die.....ensuring another purchase next year. K

I like tall ceilings. We have 10' in every room. You just have to keep the ratio right because you don't want very tall ceilings with a small room. "The Not So Big house" addresses this issue. I'll have to see what page it's on... Here is a quote from a website: "Raising the ceiling height can make a room look bigger, but only if the dimensions of the room are greater than the ceiling height, in which case the room will look smaller". Good website by the way, I just stumbled on it but you might like it: http://www.sensiblehouse.org/des_rooms.htm The article is called Room Design, I haven't read it yet but it looked interesting. Look up "golden ratio" & "room size to ceiling ratio" . As far as finding fixtures cheaper, you first research what you want, be it plumbing fixtures or lights. You find what you like & you read the reviews to make sure it'll last & other people liked it. Then you take the exact name of that product & Google it. You'll then find a number of websites that carry it for either a lot more or way less. Look for free shipping on heavier items & no tax - those will be your big savings. Also always call & nicely ask if they company offers any discounts - sometimes just for calling they'll give you 10% off. And try to buy in bulk - like your lights for example. A lot of companies offer discounts when you're buying a majority of say lighting fixtures from them. Don't be afraid to negotiate, even if they'll match any price always call & say: I'd like to buy from you but the price is a little too high for me. Is there a chance you could give me 10% off? If it's no, it's a no - you didn't lose anything by asking. But if it's a yes & you're buying $6000 worth of lighting fixtures - that's $600 saved. They know they have competition & buying fixtures is one of those areas where being pushy really helps because you�re the one with the check book. Overstock is always a good one. But any website that offers the same product for cheaper is a good website. I�ve saved anywhere from $50 to $150 depending on what it was. You just gotta click on every website that has your product in stock & keep going to about page 3 on Google & you�ll find these sites. LOTS of clicking but you get used to it. Sometimes a price you see is what you get but most of the time it�s not. Websites will come that say they have your product & they don�t so you just go to the next one. If you have a product item/number sometimes you can type it in the search engine of the website itself or search by brand. We�ve found some of our most treasured items at Lowe�s or Home Depot. One chandelier we just sprayed black because it was grey & we wanted black. When I tell people it�s from Lowe�s & cost a $100 they can�t believe it. Try to match the exterior of the house to the inside. If it's a Craftsman style house you'll probably want more woodwork then just 2 posts. Usually Arts & Crafts houses have a lot of detail to make them more authentic. I like 14� lodge room but am not sure if you need to go the extra mile in the kitchen/keeping room/master. Ceilings make statements when they are vaulted or have beams or are tray ceilings & those might be the things you might want to give some thought. I know they�re more expensive but we went with regular 10� ceilings � didn�t even add moldings & they don�t look so great. It was cheaper but now I want to add something to every room to make it feel more special because really the ceiling is your fifth wall. If you�re going to have brick instead of stone though that�s less of a Craftsman style house.

Google is your friend: http://www.legoland.com/Plan-your-visit/accommodations.htm

After cooking, clean by putting hot water in pan and bringing to a boil. Do not use detergent, also avoid putting cookware in cold water. Wipe dry with a paper towel. Apply a fine coating of oil or spray. Cast iron is not DW safe--if that's what they wrote I will correct them on my next phone call Ok what they mean is(I assume this is for the cast iron pans, right ?) Loosen any bits on the pan with hot water, you can use a very soft scrubbie sponge--do not use soap since it will ruin the "seasoning", never put any hot pan in cold water(cast iron or not) completely dry the pan after use(I put my cast iron on a low flame until completely dry) put a little oil just enough to coat and wipe with a paper towel-this protects the pan from rusting(I also dry my wok on a low flame and coat the inside with coconut oil after every use) Cast iron is very easy to care for and Lodge is US made and has small pans. Here is a link that might be useful: lodge