Mindy et al, I got that tall blue pot I had my eye on. It might have been $200 marked down to 40 marked down to TEN DOLLARS. I also got a big metal/copper bucket marked down from at least 150 to $37.50 (I don't think she did the math right. I'll have to check in the morning. I had wanted something like a watering trough near the bees, and this might fill the bill. Or we can use it for logs. That magnificient green pot. I met the nice guy who works the floor. I told him what I wanted to pay for it and without my knowing it he called the ?manager? anyway a woman, and she no way was she going below $160. I think the problem is there was no pink marked down price, so it was 75 % off 699. I really don't want to pay that much because I know I won't move it in freezing weather, and it may break. I'm only willing to risk 100 or less. If anyone can talk them down to $100 or less, I'll take you to LaPatisserie for lunch or Quebrada in Arlington for a cake. Could also do Lakota for a dozen cookies. There's a challenge for the bargainers out there! I'll pay you back in cash and could even meet you at Mahoneys to load and transport pot. Mindy, I saw two "maroonish" pots (one upside down, the other on top) on the pallet, next to the sky blue tall. Are those the ones you are talking about? If there was a salmon pot in the "transition room" I missed it entirely. I'm not looking at your post right this second, but I thought you said it had some branches dispayed it it. I'll look again, maybe when I check to see if the christmas tree is marked down. I wasn't too offended by the look of its branches. But then I had pots on my mind. Marie

We know what you really meant! Myself, I would have a nice thick file at the FBI. Because when the noise started I would paint myself up in camoflauge, stick branches and leaves on me, get the binoculars and a big flashlight and stalk them. Then I would stand in the back yard with my "rifle"-the rake-and point it at the helicopters and make gun noises. After the FBI arrested me I would go on Good Morning America to proclaim my innocence and c/o the government spying on good old American gardeners who are just trying to help end hunger. And that was just plain old mud stuck to me, thank you very much, and who EVER heard of shooting at a helicopter with a rake? The government has gone crazy, first tapping out phones, then how we spend our money, that right there is proof, all my money goes to nurseries and garden books, 6 of my ancestors fought for this country's freedom way back when, I'm a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution for crying out loud, noone in MY family ever shirked their military duty, my husband is a Vietnam Vet! What is wrong with the government? Terrorist everywhere and they are scaring and arresting gardeners! Of course, I probably already have a file with the FBI!! Keep your head down! Tally HO!

I think that maybe looking for fresh new ideas is part of the problem. There is a vicious circle that goes on in the crafting world that involves the basic "I wanna do that too" mentality. Right now a large chunk of the crafting community is into jewelry right? Well, if I went to a crafts show and saw that 10 of 20 booths were all selling jewelry that pretty much all looked the same, I would in all honesty quickly lose interest as a consumer. But if among those booths I find one booth that has something completely different even extraordinary from all the rest, I might be tempted to linger and look, and if the crafter is warm and friendly, I will probably buy. I, who does find the style charming, am throroughly sick of "country crafts" - no offense to any of you who love and enjoy that. It's just that it's something that has been done over and over and over again. I think the key to having a successful crafts business these days , and I don't count myself as an expert, is to find something that is hard to duplicate by machine. In reality everything can be replicated by machine, but some things just aren't the same. Maybe we need to look not for brand new ideas, but dig into the past(and I mean pretty far back) to revive all but dead crafts that could have a possible aesthetic and attention grabbing quality that would appeal to today's consumer. Consumers who are looking for that special something that is out of the ordinary. Honestly, if you go to the same crafts shows year after year, how many scarves and Home Sweet Home signs can you possibly collect before it just becomes ridiculous and not worth your effort. I don't even go to the local crafts shows anymore because it's just the same old stuff year after year. And I too understand the fact that most consumers now days can't tell the difference between handmade and machine produced which is a sad indicator that the artistic side of our culture is in a sad state of decline. Personally, I don't join crafts shows anymore either. I sell to private persons who have entered my home and drooled over my wares long enough until they are willing to pay the price I want because they can't find somthing like it elsewhere. As for "Dollar Tree" ornaments...sure, I've bought some in the past and will probably continue to buy them in the future. But I do have rules when doing so: 1). Is this what I would consider a "bare bones" ornament, meaning will it act as a filler. 2). Will it compliment my "handcrafted" ornaments, which happen to be the showpieces on my trees? 3). Is this something that is of decent quality, that would cost me a fortune at an upscale ornament display and would be very difficult to easily and successfully replicate by hand? 4). Is this something I can take apart to use in my "hand crafteds"? And personally, as a crafter and artist, I am finding myself drawn more and more towards "old world" crafts that just cannot be had in this world, things that are even difficult to find reading materials on. You know there is a reason the Amish make the kind of money they do from their quilts. It's hard to find quilts that have been completely hand constructed these days and with the precision and artistic quality they present. So I all of a sudden find my self interested in things like bobbin lace, weaving, egguery, pysanky, and many other things. From an equally frustrated crafter who refuses to give it up because a part of myself would more than likely wither and die - doubt I would be much fun if that happened. Netta

You have a lot of space, it's just not working very well, esp those little lips that pass for work spaces. If you could really re-do the entire space cost effectively, that would be best, not only for now but for longterm. Can you give us a good idea of what you have in budget and how much DIY you can expend? And where you are in the nation--climate, costs, labor, etc? One problem with planning on finding antiques and useful castoffs is that you will find them a week after you quit your search and commit to a plan B. Doesn't sound as if you have the luxury of time to collect useful stuff. I like to think that our G-shaped kitchen is somewhat like a farm kitchen. We can have 4 working cooks inside without saying "excuse me." We got new oak "shaker" cabinetry by a local guy at $8,000-10,000 and $3500 for finish and installation--you can avoid much of this if you re-use your oldies and work in some additional ones or perhaps just doors, trims, etc. We had to put in new floor and walls and plumbing and electrical fittings and had to marry three wood floors and accompanying walls, which was a big expenditure in time and money. You're in a better position--not making new spaces. As you note, you don't need to follow all the fanciest choices--we sure didn't for much of our project. I like the idea of Ikea butcherblock (we have two hunks of this in beech) but don't discount the new laminate countertops either. Don't feel the need to buy new appliances right now--you can leave standard spaces and swap out your stuff later. That's what we did--hard to trash or sell a 4 yr old Energy Star refrig so we didn't put it into a custom housing. When it dies or someone decides to trade it out, it can go. We have very modest appliances; affordable white enamel in sinks and appliances. If the old cabs are salvageable, it's possible to get doors to match new units. Or give your plain slab fronts a custom paint treatment, perhaps paint with one color and add a distinctive recurrent stencil motif along the bottoms of doors or such in a complimentary color. Then if the other new unit doors are similar, the motif can be used to make them match more. It's very important to plan for the young people when they become adults, or at least adult in physical presence. What will grown up women feel like in the space--you and a subordinate or co-cook? That collision potential was the worst aspect of our old kitchen and the best part of our better planned new space. I actually like other people better in an efficient kitchen than in an inefficient kitchen, or put it another way, my old kitchen made me dislike my own family sometimes. On one of my constant tirade topics, I recommend pullout breadboards/cutting boards to expand work surfaces and plunk space. Are your countertops less than 24 inches at present or do they just seem narrow? Eliminating the 1-inch backsplash at back give you another inch of room on counter. What amp electrical service do you have and how extensive will the work be to bring everything to code if it's not there already? Will you be opening up any exterior walls? If so, insulate, insulate, insulate. Even if it costs. Since you have marked that you are moving the sink, give yourself permission to really redo the room arrangement--you're committed to plumbing costs already. Strongly urge you to visit the paint counter each time you are in a store--ask about "mistake paint." One of our vendors gives it away; others ask $5 per gallon. This stuff might give you the freedom to paint insides of cabs & closets, clean up stained areas, etc. You can try some experiments with it too. Consider a movable work/island cart as a way to expand efficiency. If the floor cleans up but still looks sad, consider stencil painting a design on it, perhaps in a classic folk motif if that's your taste. Or just checks, stripes, rectangles for rugs, whatever. There are a lot of examples to look at and a wise pattern can reinforce or define a room's visual layout--walkpaths, work zones, etc.