Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Thanks for your kind words - here are some answers to your quetions. The counter stools - I'm pretty sure that I got them at the website below - I had them stained walnut. Looks like the website is down for maintenance right now, but try back later. Her's a close-up of the stools - THe mmirror is from Bombay Company - but I've seen somthing similar in Ballard. Topiaries came from a local Florist Called Johnsons (got them during an after Christmas sale). Yup, I have some quimpoer from Pierre Deux on the walls. The lamps came from different places - the red ones from a store called Kellogg Collection and the mustard ones from a place called Annapolis Lighting. As it turns out they both have pomegranates on the sides on the lamps. Didn't plan it that way - I just liked the scale. They look VERY similar. I wanted to have kind of have a ying yang thing going on with the red and mustard color. One side - golden couch w/red lamps, other side - red couch golden lamps. Yes we'll be decorating the tree will go (I think) in the room with the red couch - the side chair w/wood arms will go to the office for the holiday season! Thanks all! Here is a link that might be useful: Counter Stools

Thanks, everyone, for the supportive comments about the sofa! As beautiful as it is, I must admit to a bit of a guilt attack after I purchased it. I usually pace my furniture purchases out a bit (LOL for years and years I purchased nothing!). Squirrel, I live in New England. Western Massachusetts to be exact. For the most part nothing good ever gets listed on my local Craig's List--so this was a big exception. I have no problem driving an hour or two to see something, however, and have had better luck closer to Boston or NYC (Fairfield County CT has great stuff!). After years of scanning estate sale ads and the like I think I've developed a fairly keen sense of what's worth driving to look at and what isn't. Regarding the sexy XXL PJs and odor eating socks--well that did happen, but not exactly as I originally posted. I love big, roomy flannel PJs up here in New England and told that to DH years ago. I actually told him to buy me men's small or at the largest, medium flannel pajamas. I guess he thought that wasn't "romantic" enough, so thought an XXL was the female equivalent. Now, my DH is a reserved and somewhat shy guy, so would never buy anything sexy for me because he'd be too embarrassed at the store--I guess the "leopard" was as "hot" as he could handle. I have to wonder what the saleswoman must have thought . . . Regarding the odor eating socks--I don't think he even knew what he bought! He didn't say a word after I pulled them out of my stocking. Obviously I got a little paranoid about stinky feet after that, and actually asked him once if it was true! He had no idea what I was talking about! I didn't want to embarrass him so I never pursued it, LOL. Actually, he has given me some pricey jewelry over the years--but I'm just not into jewelry that much and it seemed that his naivite was always exploited by the overpriced mall jewelry salespeople so I hinted that I had enough jewelry and didn't need any more. He may not be classically romantic, but he's the best friend and father I could ask for (he spent the day scrubbing floors, shopping, and wrapping gifts to help me out for Christmas). Over the years I've learned that he really wants to give me everything I want, he just doesn't know how! And the older I get (I'm 48), there's not much I want that I can't get for myself or already have. Except, of course, for the gorgeous sofa I just found on Craig's List. Which is why he will be thrilled to learn that he bought me exactly what I wanted for Christmas! Happy Holidays to You All!

Sometimes an old thread like this one can very interesting, so - I installed Marmoleum click in my kitchen 10 years ago. Verdict: very disappointing and now I'm looking to replace it. I loved the original color and the way it felt underfoot, but in so many ways it has been subpar. It stains so easily - I have a permanent dark circle from a pet food dish that had a black rubber ring underneath it, and that happened in a very brief time period. That's only one of several stains. The seams between tiles are lifting and puckering. The floor has faded in color very unevenly. It looks like it came from two different color batches, which it didn't when new. And, as several people have commented, it dents easily. Time for something else!

I waited to post here hoping you would include the Dragonfly story. I had not ever seen it before. It is beautiful. Your bench is beautiful, too. Some things are definitely worth waiting for, including the bench and the story. I will save the story. Sue