Thanks lazygardens - I feel a little better because most of the hickory floors I do not like are actually character grade. At least the clear grade won't have all the mineral streaks and knots. I'm not thrilled with the dark parts though as I thought that's what I was avoiding by ordering the blonde. I'm not sure I'm going to get the answer I want. I just called the distributor who actually ordered the wood and they said no, we'd have to order 2 or 3 times as much wood to get 100% blonde. They told me this batch is 40:60 lights to darks. Thank BUDDHA we got all 5" planks - I can't imagine how wild this would look in variable widths to boot. We almost went as narrow as 2 1/4.

woman saya to hubby"our budget is tight, we are gonna have to cut out your beer for a while" Hubby says,"OK, but that means you have to cut out your cosmetics purchases for a while too" Wife says "I buy the cosmetics so I will look good for you" Hubby Says,,"Thats what the beer is for"

Sorry, I don't know how that post was repeated 4 times! Overall, I am I guess relieved that it didn't come out looking bad, per se, but I will not ever be using that guy again. He claims that the tops will get smooth over time and the glossiness will fade. From a glance, it's not bad, but it isn't anywhere close to a really fine job, either. I am really distressed at how RED the top of the vanity looks when I turn on the lamps. It almost looks like it has a maroon or oxblood tone, which I did not want AT ALL! Of course I'll probably learn to ignore it over time, but it has me wondering how much it would cost to have a piece of carrara marble cut to put over the top (which would get rid of the rough surface issue at the same time). I could probably find a remnant at a stone yard that wouldn't be too much because it's not a real big top. I did not see this maroon tone at all in his shop and I don't really see it from the front--its only when I turn on a lamp. I've tried different kinds of bulbs and it doesn't help. You can see faint brush strokes and bubbles in the tops. At first glance I guess it looks fine, but it really bothers me that I went to all this trouble and cost for a less than acceptable result. Of course he went on about how "a finish is gonna do what it's gonna do" and it's almost impossible to control how smooth the top is. Interestingly, the dresser top is much smoother than the vanity. Would it have come out better if he would have sprayed the finish on? He admitted lacquer would be smoother, but he doesn't like to use it because it is not as durable. He said I could throw my pieces in a swimming pool and they would survive due to the varnish. Well I really don't plan on ever doing that so I would have preferred something that is better in the environment the furniture will actually be in--a climate controlled home. My luck with tradespeople and so called "professionals" continues to fail. I live in a suburb of New Orleans of close to 100,000 residents. I would think in a town of this size I could find pros, but I guess I'm gonna have to go to the city next time to find somebody really good. I hope these pieces grow on me. As of right now, I'm almost wondering if they should have remained blonde......

Sorry, I didn't mean regular bar soap, it was J.R. Liggett Original Shampoo bar. I began using it a few weeks before I had my hair done. When I noticed the dullness I started using my regular shampoo again. Not sure if the bar shampoo was the culprit or not. Tuesday, my hair is a mixture of dark and light blonde. Definitely blonde. Mayflowers, I used the ACV rinse only once. I went back to using a tiny bit of conditioner. Luk, I'd appreciate that! Oly, I thought toners were to reduce brass and yellow in hair, mine's neither. What's strange is, when I washed my hair yesterday and took the towel off my head, I could see very bright streaks, just like the first day. I was excited. When it dried they just blended in and aren't that noticeable. I have no explanation. lol I looked in the other bathroom mirror with better lighting and my hair isn't as bad as I probably made it sound. I want it brighter the way it used to be. Does the purple shampoo wash out if I don't like it? Purple tones down color, so I don't see how it can help unless I had some brassiness in my hair. I'll look online to see if I can find one that may help.