Thanks everyone! I do not need to learn it in a few weeks I just want to be able to speak and understand someday! I have hung out with his fam on many trips and they do speak enough English so I manage. As for the wedding, we are headed to the Courthouse. Nothing big in terms of a wedding. We both have been married before. We just want simplicity. After we are going downtown (I live in the country in between San Antonio and Austin) to the riverwalk and staying in a nice hotel and having friends and family get together for a fun dinner. We will be eating at a place called Boudro's and my new last name will be Boudreau! Kind of funny!

"Christmas, for me, is a season, not just a day."~ Luckygal I hear you! Someone said "Merry Christmas!" to me on the 27th, then became very apologetic & jittery, "Oh, I shouldn't say that, I mean, Happy New Year!" I said, "Actually, you were right the first time. It's Christmas until Epiphany which is January 6. Twelve days of Christmas, you know." She looked at me perplexed, as if I'd just tried to fill her head with utter nonsense. "No," I could see her thinking. "Christmas is over!" As for "over-the-top" Christmas decor (or any other OTT decor) I don't even enjoy seeing it around or in magazines. My approach is relatively spare, but then this is the first year I've even had a Christmas tree in a decade!

Xedos, Not sure I'm understanding (but thank you so much for advising me on this). For the contract, I will have as much spelled out as I can. As for speaking to the contractors initially to get estimates, I have not been asking for specific waterproofing methods. Based on the conversations I've had with contractors around here it looks like Laticrete is the only vendor around here with a real presence. It's the only product that multiple contractors mentioned using. I haven't spoken to anyone who has said .. I've used laticrete, redguard and ditra ... which one would you prefer. After weeding through the contractors that don't waterproof the walls, and the ones that don't preslope the floor when using a vinyl pan, I feel like if I filter contractors by a specific kind of waterproofing before they even give me an estimate, I will never find someone. Ok, I'm off to email my newly drafted scope of work to a contractor that I got off the CTEF website. Please continue to advise!

Overwhelmed? Perhaps you feel overwhelmed with the many design decisions you face, as one decision may limit choices of the next. So, you don't love the Huzz's rug? It seems too small for the space. Does he have an office space? Tuck it in there- maybe? the foyer? Add a couple of green pillows to enhance the green in the rug? If it must stay in the room, then layer it on top of a plainer weave-natural looking rug. It doesn't have to be a jute rug, but a BIGGER flat weave natural colored rug.. So, all the furniture can be anchored with their front legs on the rugs. Use a glass coffee table for visual lightness. I like your wall art. I think adding a blue would help with using those images. Or....set the tone in your foyer or your hallway. What hangs in your hallway or at the end of your hallway? If you have no other home for them, those images would look lovely in a hallway or guest room or at the end of a hall above a chest of drawers. Another guideline is a Light, a Bright, and a Dark. Your wall art has the ocean in them...Let navy or forest green be your dark? However, it may be easier to find blues-navy rugs in the stores, rather than green. So..... Use lots of plants! Green plants give life to a room. Observe the use of plants in the model homes. I loved model home shopping in California, as all are staged beautifully with all of the available upgrades...,Where I live now... It's just floor plans and builder grade-ugh! This model house has a warm decor scheme- that reminds me of Huzz rug- warm greens, orange, brick & neutrals. I like the wood carving wall art and wood boat tray in the master bath.... (That natural elements were needed to transport an ordinary bathroom to restful place) https://tours.stevenjamescollins.com/public/vtour/display/394521 This house is cocoa brown and citrus with seagrass stools. https://tours.stevenjamescollins.com/public/vtour/display/427418 Perhaps you can add more plants to your decor to get the feeling you're after. The link below has over 50 model homes.You'll see fluid whole house color schemes in all, as well as many plants. Plants add life to a room, as well as an additional color- GREEN! https://tours.stevenjamescollins.com (Thank you for your kind words. I loved green and Asian accents, like woven hats. He loved blue, which I liked, but I did not want an all indigo house. Our design scheme evolved from our possessions and favorite colors.) These wood pieces - Uttermost Rennick- seen them in several model homes in the house as well as patio wall art. I love their handmade look. You could buy or DIY...https://www.amazon.com/Uttermost-04014-Rennick-Reclaimed-Brown/dp/B0061Q5YS0 Another version of wood wall art pecan wood Uttermost Fendrel mirrors (2setsof four here) They have been discontinued. So, now they are sold in clearance stores- save a ton! https://www.1800lighting.com/uttermost-fendrel-wall-mirror-1703188.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=pla&utm_campaign=uttermost&gclid=CjwKCAjw2cTmBRAVEiwA8YMgzT8ZOg0ZuQyIHHZLnhF6PXbjeH69nz6U3zURPNcpCP68qNMRwMJ_eRoCtbsQAvD_BwE