Thanks everyone! CMK, yes that is our thoughts. Just not enough time to get much done, so why rush it. So many other things...As far as design? No not really, not yet. Am thinking of lining the driveway with peonies. As the garden we removed had 4 very large old peonies that I dug and divided this fall. Ended up with 14 peonies. Not sure where else I would go with them. DH's wheels were turning today though, he mentioned several different ideas. holleygarden, we had thought originally of floating bricks randomly in the concrete. But with our winters were afraid they might "pop" out due to freeze/thaw cycles. Pat, if that's what you think, then we achieved our goal! :-) Many hours were spent planning the look of the garage and especially picking the paint colors. We started painting the house this fall as well, but that won't get done until next year either. Just ran out of time and energy!! thymetodig, good to hear that you don't think the big area of gray concrete doesn't look too much? That was my fear. If we could have afforded to stamp the concrete that would have been another story, but just could not see spending the extra $$$ to do that. Thinman, finding 2 over 2 wooden windows with actual muttins was a real challenge. Not many have the muttin on the outside/inside of the glass so that it can be painted or they are just snap in plastic grills. Didn't want that. Not sure about that small area yet. Guy that poured the concrete suggested it as he didn't think we would want the sidewalk right up against the building. I had thought perhaps window boxes under the windows? And yes, we are hoping to be able to build the balcony next summer. We have decided to make it a 2 level porch with floors on both levels. Don't have the plans fully developed yet, but working on it. :-) Keesha, quaint/old is just what we were aiming for. Our home is 141 years old and we wanted something to tie in with it. Memo, if you only knew how I struggled over the paint colors! Went with a historic color pallet and then customized each color. You know, a little tweak here and there. Part of the problem was picking a color that would work well with the roof (we put a new roof on the house last year)and also work well with the brick that the majority of the house is built from. We also have a fair amount of detail on the house to paint out, so wanted at least 3 colors to work with. This is the bay window that we also had rebuilt due to major rot issues. We at least got that painted this year....The picture below was taken while the painting was in progress. One of the actual windows is removed as we are having them reglazed. What you see is the inside storm. The windows, when done, will be the rust color like on the garage. Again, thanks everyone for your kind words. It really makes me feel that maybe we are achieving what we set out to do - build a new garage that, after landscaping is complete, will look like it has been there a long time. Marylu

Terry - that was great - thanks. It completely did what I wanted to achieve. I can easily see if I've gotten new email on my other account without switching software, etc Now a new problem occurred yesterday - before I made those changes - and I have no idea what I may have done to cause it. probably something I did in experimenting with all these different email issues. I had my firefox set up to send links in emails (from my AOL address). But now I'm trying to send my mother a link (for the emergency microsoft update from 2 days ago) - and when I'm in Firefox (and the computer forum thread is open - or any web page is open) - and I go to File - then click send link - it brings up an email form (with my screen name in AOL as the sender - so that party's working) - but a whole mishigosh of info (the link info, perhaps) appears in the space where I should be entering the email address I'm sending it to. I have no idea why that is happening. If I cut and paste that info into the body of the email - and send it to myself to test it - it doesn't appear to be a link to get me to the webpage I want). Seems to me that the webpage link should be referred to in the subject line - and supplied in the body of the email - not some mess of information occuring in the send to line. I tried going to FF tools - applications- and mail to . I have several options to choose from - use AOL software (this appears twice - once with the AOL triangle with "default" in parentheses and once with what looks like a mail page form), and once it says use AOL mail. I think I've tried all three and it still doesn't work. And before I started trying to change my email settings this week, I think there was only 1 or 2 AOL options for mail application in Firefox. Okay - so now I checked all three. On use AOL mail, it gives me the gibberish (somehow related to the webpage I'm trying to send a link for) in the to: line. If I choose use AOL software (default) - with the mail form logo - it goes to AOL software - sets up the email correctly with the information about the link in the subject line - and the to: field blank for me to fill in the recipient. But it wants me to sign on or the send button is faded and I can't click it. If I choose use AOL software (with the AOL logo - not the email logo), it takes me to the AOL software page and says this file may not be supported by AOL. AOL will try to send it as a text file (and if I choose to try, it will tell me the file is too big). So I do I email somebody links? Thanks. Lynn.

OMG!! I thought I'd give this just ONE more shot before emailing Tamara and YEE HAW! I even got to sign in. Now we'll see if this will post or not. Never touched drugs in my life but I feel like I just had the biggest 'fix' in the world. (is that what they call it? teehee) Nita and Donna..Oodles of thanks for all of your help. FYI-my msn rep said all websites have a 'back door' (I'm assuming another url?) to access their site..Tamara-maybe that will help those who cannot yet get on board, if there is such a critter?

This is a tough one. Normally the filler stock piece is what accounts for the difference, like Beuhl shows, and it's what I've always seen. But THESE cabinets won't look right with it. They are really nice, but built weird. I mean unusual. Not weird like you'd look at 'em and say "how weird", but there is no wiggle room with the crown. Everything has snug gaps and they need to be even. I think you have to tackle this from the ceiling, like Plllog's. (I'm surprised a cabinet seller would allow you to order something like this without being darn sure your ceiling was perfect.) Don't leave it like this, though!