Any sub-tropical exotic catches my eye, like the Gunnera's, Windmill palms(Trachycarpus fortunei), giant ricepaper plant (Tetrapanax papyrifera 'Steroidal Giant'), the many different species of bamboo, hardy eucalyptus, & the hardy banana (Musa basjoo). Also the other hardy and semi-hardy palms such as the Sabal's, (Jubaea chilensis) Chilean Wine Palm, (Butia capitata)Jelly Palm, (Butia eriospatha) Woolly Jelly Palm, plus a few others that I see around the area. I also find the bright flowers of the hardy Grevillea and Callistemon very eye catching. Of course Chilean Firebush (Embothrium coccineum) during the spring also catches my eye along with the bright blue flowers of the Empress Tree (Paulownia tomentosa) I also like the bright yellow flowers of the Scotsbroom, specially during our dark, rainy, depressing spring days. Those bright yellow flowers are so cheery. Scottsbroom also provides cover and food for one of my favorite birds, the valley quail. If it wasn't for the scottsbroom around Olympia there wouldn't be valley quail. I also like the bright cheery flowers of the butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii). There isn't the range of color, fragance, and time of blooming of any other plant for the northwest. They are very attractive.

Karen, glad to hear that you are feeling a little better. I can surely relate to all you have been dealing with. We had the last of our 3 family weddings yesterday, this time my son's. It was a beautiful day and the wedding was just beautiful. It was an outside wedding and reception and it couldn't have been lovelier. She used fall flowers and deco's and her dress was ivory, and after the service, they had a lovely barbecue dinner with great food. I really enjoyed it= the fact that it waas the last of 3 in 3 months time, (also a grand daughter and a grandson) When I finally got home last night, the fibro really hit me. I was so tired and achey that I went to bed at 8:oo. My Dh woke me up this morn and asked if I was going to church, but when I looked at the clock it was 10:10, so I said "I guess not today" I"ve just been dragging all day long, and am so achey I can hardly move without moaning and groaning. I don't think the weather forcast is helping any either , we are supposed to start getting rain tonight that will last through Thursday. I thought if I could just get through these weddings, I would feel better, but I guess the Fibro devil had other plans. I am glad that you are feeling better though. Maybe what is really wrong with me is that I haven't had my "retial therapy" for a couple of weeks. Maybe I just need a few hours out of the house by myself. Take care, Janet

LOL Thanks oaky :) It's a lovely home, and I actually have spoken (via posts on an old house forum) about their home :) The wallpapers are all historically correct and they did do as much detail as possible but had a few issues they had to deal with budget wise they simplified. I'll have to send them an email and ask why they are selling. I know they did it for the adventure though. To see if they could replicate a victorian well. Their attention to detail is fascinating when they talk about it. I can't imagine living in a new victorian :oP But it is a lovely home and I'm sure will sell quickly. Ya'll make me giggle. I would have said I couldn't live in a victorian a few years ago as well...and here I am sitting at my victorian desk in the big victorian box :oP I couldn't be happier, but much of the joy of this victorian is that it's a victorian....I'd miss the history if it wasn't present.

Okay I will burden you with the details. Thank you so much for helping. The house is a 150+ year old Cape with most of the old previously renovated out unfortunately. I feel that we should remain faithful to the age and style of the house itself but I can go nuts with my new-found change in style. You'll see the original moulding around the window in the living room picture which had been around three of the seven total windows in the room. We had moulding custom made for the remainder and for around the doors which enter into the room. Looking at the mess in the dining room (wallpapering complete!) you can see that I have a crazy mix of styles going on. I've got my former neighbor's dining room set--I'm actively storing it for her--my mother's antique dishes (the blue on white Chelsea-ware is over 300 years old and passed down to the oldest daughter) and cranberry glass, the floors are stained very dark and you can see that picked up the in ottoman/table and legs of couch. I'm represented in those dark floors, couch and tables, the crystal lamp you might be able to see on the floor in the dining room picture, the whacky IKEA chandelier, those JC Penney grommet top drapes on brushed steel rods--they don't carry them anymore so I can't link them--they are textured, mossy or dark avocado green with appliques circles on them in varying colors which can read yellow/gold/bronze, the cheapo area rug, the fig tree--there are many plants in the room--it's got southern, western and northern exposure--great light, the stool the plant's on is a decrepit relic from years ago in the kitchen. I'm also thrilled with the iron work rectangles art on the wall above the tv and yes, I even like the shiny green paint and steel handles I put on the credenza! The couch and love seat fabric is nubbly and multi-toned, the color is putty. In the dining area I'm responsible for those bright green chairs and they belly up to the table with the others (please note the fabric I chose to recover the seats with!). There's a blue chair at the computer area which you can't see and other blue elements not in the photos. If I could ditch everything and start again I'd probably be in a mid-century modern type phase. I adore the way Candice Olson designs. I don't want white, it reads too cold in this room--the dining room walls were white before the wallpaper. I want saturated color and the right gray could work--what is the right gray though? I thought the rug would pull in the ivoire--the blonde probably is too yellow. I'm bad bad bad with choosing color. After much deliberation I'd choose a BM color and bring home the little pot and HATE it. I gave up and went with the ivoire I saw at work (entryway and stairs) (love it) and just thought the blonde would work; I'd seen them in entire rooms and they were good. Seeing the wallpaper finally going up I had the funny feeling that those colors really wouldn't work and in you all come to help me. Thank you!