Jackie, Good for you! Fragrance is very important. BUT, most of the time, I can't smell most of my roses. The Rugosa Rotesmeer is the only rose I grow which consistently provides me scent. I can also smell myrrh which is probably why I like it. I can pick up a little wafting scent as I walk through the garden. It is light and pleasing. But, disappointing when you figure I have at least 30 very fragrant roses. On the other hand, the fragrance of the butterfly bushes is overwhelming. And I love my "Miss Kim" too. So fragrance is not necessary to allow me to love my roses.

Not a Shasta but does anyone grow Marguerites, Chrysanthemum frutescens not a hardy perennial (have to take cuttings) for me but should do well in warmer climes. I haven't grown them for years, in fact I can't really say I've seen them in the garden centers the last few years. Annette

Wine storage over a fridge is not really recommended because of heat and vibration. Unless you go through it fast, I have heard you will be making wine vinegar. I think the doorstyle is perfect. I have the Sub-Zero 27" and you will get a ton of storage in it in a small space. I don't think the cabinets really look too tall in the elevation, and elevation drawings tend to "stretch" the verticals a bit. You could shorten the cabinets and increase the crown a bit, if that's your preference. Since this is a tight NYC kitchen, it has a great window, and it is not eat in, I think you need to allow storage to trump esthetics, at least a little. You will be looking Through the room to the window. Have you thought of doing drawers instead of doors on some of the bases? Its a trade off in a narrow kitchen, but it would probably be easier to stand to one side and open the drawer than bend over and hit your tailbone on the opposite cabinets. Just something to think about.

See...I totally disagree when parents "encourage" the child to do one or the other. I suppose if I were more of a "step-mom" it would probably be more insulting to a "real" mom. The truth of the matter in my situation is that BM doesn't act like a mom and never did. Even when she was with my husband, she used sit home and email/text all her ex-boyfriends while my husband worked 3 jobs so the kids could go to daycare while she sat home "looking for work" as she called it. He later learned what was really going on and after learning of the occasions of cheating, finally gave up on the marriage. (Yay for me!) Now, at almost 30 years old and a mother of 2 children, she lives with her parents and younger brother in between his many transitions (and her parents pay for everything for her from food, gas, car and insurance to alcohol, cigarettes, and tattoos - she doesn't even work!) She pawns the kids off on her mom and my in-laws any chance she gets during the 8 weeks she has them. When they were in her primary custody, she NEVER signed them up for sports or activities, encouraged friends or playdates, partook in any arts/crafts/activities with them at home (let alone anything educational!) Instead, she used to sneak off to the basement to smoke pot with her brother and father and avoid them altogether. There were multiple neglect issues from not being fed or bathed, to not getting medication for an ear infection; and the youngest was even burned by a cigarette next to his eye! We called child services on her and were about to file an emergency custody order when she decided that we could have them if she didn't have to pay any child support (in the first go-around she actually tried to get us to pay her during the 2 months she has them!) We have a temporary order lasting 2 years (because she didn't want to rewrite it a year later) but we are fighting to change custody as soon as they are back with us in 7 weeks. My husband and I have them for 10 months straight without a dime of support from her (and no visitation) and I am a stay at home mom to them (aka chef, maid, taxi-driver) and do ALL of the things for them that she is not capable of. If they see me as more of a "mom" than she is, that's her own fault. If she put half the effort into mothering that she did into trying to get everything for nothing, she could be "mom of the year". I guess in my situation (which is why I say all of our situations are different) I truly feel that she simply carried my children for me (they even look exactly like me and nothing like her.) I understand how a child having "2 moms" could be insulting to a biological mother but the truth of the matter is that just donating an egg doesn't make you a mom. Adopted children don't call their parents by their first names. If I were an every-other weekend warrior with these boys and SHE did everything I do, than I could see the harm of it. But as far as my family, friends, and even the youngest's therapist sees it (and says it)- I AM the mom. BTW, he sees this therapist because of concerns about sexual abuse and inappropriateness in that house as well as for the damage his "mom's" behavior has caused emotionally. BM herself has said that she is fine with them calling me "mom" and went as far as to say that she was concerned about my DH when he was deployed (we're military) because he is the "father of our children." She doesn't want the work of being a mom, she just wants the title and to hang their pictures up on her myspace and say "look what I made, aren't they cute?" so I think she's actually grateful for me. Even if she wasn't OK with them calling me "mom", my answer to her would be "then step up to the plate and ACT like their mom." But like I said, that's just my situation.