Thanks, all. The reason I'm mentioning sand is because the Johnny's catalog says to grow in a mixture of 1/2 spaghnum peat and 1/2 sand. So, I think I should include at least some sand in the mix. I'm just planning on substituting some FREE oak leaves and pine needles for some of the spaghnum peat, to save money. I can definitely also acidify the mix somewhat with sulfur, aluminum sulfate, or similar, and use an acidifying fertilizer with micronutrients and trace element supplement on them during the growing season. Bogs -- well, bogs aren't strictly required for growing cranberries, they just need decent, consistent soil moisture. The bog culture thing is mostly about conveniences -- as the Ocean Spray commercials dictate, the bogs are flooded at harvest time because the berries float like corks, making it much easier to extract them, they just suck them off the water's surface. I am planning on putting them in a low area where water naturally collects at certain times of the year for a few days at a time. I'm going to dig the bed out, line with a liner, perforated with just a few holes for a bit of drainage, and backfill with the planting medium. Dennis SE Michigan

Welcome Loisgriffin! It's so exciting to build and yet a daunting task to pick everything out. There is also a building forum if you ever have questions on construction or general building help. All of these forums have been invaluable to me since we built a year ago. Here is a link to the Building Forum I'll also give you a link to the Bedroom Gallery If you look near the top of the page, you'll see a button that says "Switch to galleries" and there all all kinds of threads over on that board that show pictures of paint colors, specific rooms and inspirational ideas. The bedroom style you are describing is pretty close to mine. I have Restoration Hardware furniture with a dark finish, Cappuccino colored walls and dark beige carpet. This combo (I hope) will allow me to change the bedding fairly easily since it's fairly neutral. In fact, the bedding we have is 10 years old and we always think about changing but haven't found something we both love yet. Here's my color scheme. This paint is a tad darker than it appears in this photo. ;c) Good Luck building and happy decorating! Lindy

Thank you all so much! I feel so relieved and happy (and so does DH lol im driving the poor guy crazy) Really, all of your opinions mean so much to me. my mother and sisters kept telling me to just order something already and i was like well whatever i do i have to post it on gardenweb before i order anything! they all thought i was crazy but im so happy because this is way nicer than what i wouldve ended up with if i rushed thru the decision. cindee- i no rite? decisions r the worst- i would say next time i would just get decorator but that does take away a lot of the fun :) thanks so much for ur vote of approval :) i also thought it was perfect amount of elegance- the glass samples tended to look to "cool"/modern and marble kinda looked too elegant (especially with the concretey looking floor) kirkhall-i think i need continuity- its not a huge kitchen (220 sq ft) so definitely wanted to open up the space and theres already a lot of contrast with the cabs and granite. plus the granite is pretty busy so needed something that was simple overall badgergal- thanks so much! ya i was pretty stubborn abt having interesting shape cos i knew i would have to do one color with my busy granite. ps-love ur kitchen btw :) camphappy- so happy to help- hope it looks good! 12% off expires on monday! kris_ma and buckeye thanks for the votes of approval!! every one counts! (i am literally counting them lol am i crazy or what? my only comfort is telling myself that everyones like this lol but who knows) a2- i just learned about this ABB club from angies post lol but i dont even think im in it because our handles, fridge paneling, and pantry are still not in! weve been chasing after this guy but he is super busy and i think we may just start looking for someone else. a2 and fouram- i think im leaning towards up to ceiling...ive been getting mixed reviews from ppl who come into kitchen so wasnt sure but i think im just too scared about having that "U" of paint kinda floating... theres not too much paint in the kitchen.. thanks a2 for looking at ur pics for me- just went to check some out too- ur kitchens beautiful and ur BS is SPECIAL! but ya like u said couldnt see a head on shot of window.... cat_mom! i looove ur backsplash! u have the wolfgang white artistic tile? opera glass? is tht wat its calleD? ive searched thru so many things i think its all a big blur. thatd be pretty embarrassing if i mixed u up with someone else but if its u- i love it! i think i was considering it but its pretty pricey? i have 55 sq ft of backsplash so had to be pretty careful. anyways thanks for the gr8 feedback! thanks sailorgirl!! i love my granite too :) it is my favorite thing in my house thanks trailrunner and rhome! this is so thrilling to get all this gr8 feedback. i truly value all ur opinions so much. SO.... should i order tonite? ... or maybe ill just wait til monday... :)

You should have been budgeting for a complete pipe replacement for 3 years now. This guy was exceptionally honest with you. The guys you used for 3 years are the ones that didn't tell you the truth. Any time a pipe has roots growing in it, it's broken. Roots cannot get into modern PVC plumbing pipes without a hole. Old terra cotta pipes, sure. But those should also have been budgeted for replacement if that were the case. Investigate a home loan if you have to, but start thinking major plumbing project here. You want to have him take a look at a lot of things when this is done. Like your main supply. If you have a hole dig, it's smart to replace everything that you can at one time.