"...The hardest part is choosing the right color. I can picture in my head what I want, but I'll be darned if I can translate that image into reality..." Oh my goodness! Picking the color was practically impossible! I brought home some big squares the paint store loaned me (much better than those little chips). I ended up painting four big patches of different paint, all in the same color range, painted on each wall. I had to paint each color on each wall because each wall looked completely different. It is a basement, but has some small windows and the light changes constantly. I finally painted the whole basement and then decided I didn't like the color, so repainted it entirely. My husband kept saying he couldn't even tell the difference between all the different shades, lol. I think I spent more money on paint than all the carpentry, electrical, etc. combined, lol! I'm cursed with being a pack rat. I have such a hard time throwing things away. I think it's the historian/genealogist in me. I need to hold on to everything because it's part of my history. Like I really need the sales receipt from my 1990 Honda to remember I had one, lol??? Any attempt at cleaning becomes a walk down memory lane! I am getting better - mostly with other family member's stuff, lol - but I have given quite a bit of stuff away on freecycle in the last year. I'm getting so sick of my house being a mess that I do find myself getting a bit more ruthless. I finally shredded my checking account statements from 1982.... :) (Jeez, I had them longer than I've had my husband!) Yes, Tiff, the days are getting longer! I check the sunrise/sunset times in the paper every day. Funny how good that one extra minute makes me feel, lol! :) Dee P.S. Cyn, thanks - the knitting is so-so, but coming along!

Yeah, only 3 layers of floor... but they screwed the vinyl down (before tiling) with a long drywall screw every 3-4" or so. My knees are KILLING from trying to unwind them, and I'm only about 1/2 done. ...But... it does feel good to dig in finally! Hopefully by the end of next weekend the demo will be done. Exciting! As soon as I get all the permits in hand and materials ordered, I get to shift my focus to things like sink, faucet, granite, tile, and lighting. Fun!

Your problems could be more than minor...but the issue is the PB has 90% of their money...and actually to be honest with you. On a PB project, once you get to the end, you have no "hand" because of the way payments work. Making a lot of waves at the end doesn't make alot of sense because the PB could walk away from 10% and its going to cost you 25% of the original cost of the pool to finish it. In addition, there is very little profit in the last piece. So in essence, the PB really already has 98% of their profit. So think of it "strategically" as to how to get what you want done, done right. Really at the stage your at its time to start kissing up to your PB...that way they will help you even after they have all their money.

Penny, the planning is worth it! I took that extra pair of shoes and we had safety pins and bandaids and we NEEDED them! We didn't use the chalk or the tape etc but if we had needed them, we would have had them there which is half the battle for 'emergencies'! If I had it to do over....hmmm, well one thing I cannot stress enough is DOUBLE and TRIPLE check with all your vendors a few weeks ahead of the date and the week before! My florist was wonderful but she made a few minor (thankfully!) mistakes like forgetting to take out one boutenier I had to cancel when we rearranged the wedding party after my husbands friends couldn't come out to be in the wedding but the tux thing (shop suddenly said they couldn't get what he needed a week before the wedding!)could have been a nightmare if Jim, (my DH)hadn't found another place that could fit him in less than a week! So keep checking those vendors and pack an emergency kit! Yes, jenny, that's the one! Made me cry halfway through and after I'd just got dried up from my husband's announcement to me....but I loved it! It was the sweetest thing...sigh... Thanks gellchom and Springbride! Yes, it was pretty much without a hitch! LOL, I even got to the church ON TIME despite our not being ready at the house when the photographer arrived! Even the video a friend set up (he was also a groomsman so couldn't hand shoot the whole thing) came out really nicely! To all of you here who've been posting- Thanks so much for your help and advice and especially the support when things were rough, I really appreciate it and can't thank you enough! This is one fantastic wedding site and it has a lot of truly caring and wonderful people! I've added a link to a set of pictures my husband did up quickly today. We'll try for some better wedding shots later, but this is a good mix for now! Here is a link that might be useful: Some of my wedding/honeymoon pics!