Thanks for the many replies. I'm back home now - for keeps! I've been on the road for three weeks in Illinois and as soon as I got home, I ran out to North Carolina (about a four-hour drive) to see this Magnolia! BTW, that house linked in this post (Phalen Funeral Home) is a beautiful home, but that is not a Sears Magnolia. The Sears Magnolia was based on a very popular style (Colonial Revival + Foursquare), but the actual Sears Magnolia is quite unique. Thanks again for the replies. :-) Here is a link that might be useful: Boy, am I glad to be back home!

raenjapan: hmm, interesting thought on the pantry door. do you know if you can stop them in any position or do they always swing closed. i'm having visions of walking into the pantry and having the door swing shut behind me. i'll have to think on it. napagirl: i'll go scour the FKB islands and see if i can find the sink you're talking about. i think moving the sink might make sense from a better use of the prep space, and maybe even a better source to fill pots from for the stove, etc. would it make a difference if i said we're considering making it the location of the filtered water, so people might be coming to that end of the island to fill a cup frequently? i think your point about the 42 b.i. being 'equivalent' to the space of a 36" standard is a great one. we have a 36" french door standard in our current place now, and the thing i run out of most often is actually freezer space. but i think i may end up with a small chest deep freeze out in the garage. we'll see. in the mean time i'll add in the bev. fridge to the sketch-up. my builder will probably tell me i can't afford it ;p. thanks for the picture of the boot bench, i'll add it to my file. celticmoon: yup, the 'new' layout measures 12' 4" across by 15' 1" deep, not including those bump outs. 2' 4" of that 15' 1" would be the depth on the fridge and oven stack. i hear you on the oven/micro stack, DH will definitely have some things to consider there as a) he's the one who's jonesing on the advantium and wants that to be not under-counter and b) he's the baker. as far as the dining room table goes, i think it will be ok. it will normally probably be in whatever the smallest configuration is and i'll offset it a little from the center of the room if needed. the big opening on the left of the dining is the great room, so the plan has always been to flip the dining table into the lenthwise direction extending into the great room when we're entertaining large groups and the dining table is fully extended. since a dining set is one of the few pieces of new furniture i'm planning on getting for the new house (i'm tired of my very functional but very 'meh' block top hand-me-down), so i'll just see if i can't find something a tiny bit narrower too. several of the farm/harvest trestle tables i've been eyeing are in the 38-40" width. thank you all so much again and i'll eagerly read anyone else's thoughts, layout ideas and opinions! happy holidays to those celebrating, lori

Thanks to all...so much! I didn't want to bring this up but it isn't only homework...it's really ANYTHING. Example: He took a bath on Monday...Tuesday night I told him it was time for a bath. My bad though...it was late and he fell asleep within minutes. No biggie. On Wednesday at 4:00 I told him again after homework was complete to take a bath...He asked "Now?" I said "Yes, now...so that you don't accidentally fall asleep later..." I was still working until 5:00. I left my office at 5:00 and went to fix dinner...had to do it quickly because SD14's gymnastic lessons are at 6:00. Dinner was complete by 5:30 and SS came into the kitchen. Still had the same clothes on. NO bath. I take SD to gymnastics, go by the grocery store with the other 4, pick SD up and come back home...and again say "Go take a bath right now." He says ok and leaves the room...comes out with his clean clothes and heads towards the bathroom. I go to comfort the hubby who discovered that the company he works for is closing next week. When I go in to check on the kids I notice SS9 is asleep and has the same clothes on. The clean clothes are on the floor. NO BATH. Same thing on Thursday. But this time I say "take a bath today or you WILL be grounded for a day." I have to work again until 5:00...come out and go to fix dinner. NO BATH and since it's Thursday, it's guitar lessons for 2 of my other sons at 7:00. AGAIN tell him to take a bath as soon as we get home from taking the boys to lessons. He gets his clothes and goes to the bathroom. Guess what? Yes...NO STINKING BATH. I even stood outside the door and told him I wasn't leaving until I heard the water running. He apparently just hung out in the bathroom long enough to make it look like he was going to take a bath and then left the room. Friday was "drive 3 hours to visit with Mom for the weekend" day so there was no time to take a bath then because we leave for the long drive as soon as the kids get home from school. This child listens to NOTHING at all and does NOTHING that he doesn't want to do. I'm sure not going to bathe the kid myself...but he will NOT listen to me at all. I have 4 other kids, a big house to clean and a full time business...it is getting VERY frustrating having one kid who refuses to do anything...from homework, to bathing. yes, of course, the other kids sometimes have to be told twice or maybe even three times...but honestly and truly this kid will do NOTHING. I'm obviously VERY frustrated right now.

Thanks everyone. When I bought my house in Wauwatosa Wisconsin in 1989 there were lots and lots of challenges, But what drew me to the house was the tree out front and I think the tree in front of this house with the three trees out back are helping balance out the blue countertop and carpeted bathrooms. This was what the tree in Tosa (city's nickname) looked like originally. I had it pruned which I had to do because I had the house trim and gutters painted and put on a new roof and the lower back tree branches were dead. I would be staying here at new place for 13 months or so. Right now the current rental home lease ends on December 31st 2008 but I have to negotiate for more time. If you all were landlords what would you think about the offer of leaving a newer washer and dryer instead of the full rent? I could buy a new set if I ever needed to in the years to come. Or shall I just take them with me and store them in the garage until the next house? Another advantage of the new rental house is that the home has no mortgage so if the owner wants to do improvements he has lots of equity to work with. The new landlord lives in Chicago. I think his mother lived here and he grew up here. There are all these pencil markings with names on a kitchen wall. I think I would take a picture of that wall before I paint and send it to the owner in Chicago. Now I will have to read up on how to take care of orange and lemon trees and when to pick the fruit or see if there is a reasonable tree care company. I do have a guy who comes here and cleans up after the dog in the yard. He comes every 2 weeks for $29 a month. I can have him come once a week for $44. That's an awesome service they have here. It works here because it never snows and hardly rains and the doogie doo dries up super fast. It's like picking up rocks. My daughter reminded me that I love to do projects. I love decorating and fixing stuff up. I will certainly pace myself and not overdo it. But first I have to be accepted by the new landlord. Wish me luck. If I get this place I will take and post interior pictures and take measurements so I can start to figure out where everything goes. Right now it appears that my glass top small kitchen table and 3 leather chairs from Pier One will not fit in the kitchen so I may move them outside. And of course this art piece - where it will go. This will be fun! While my friend in Tosa thinks moving now is too stressful for me, I think it might be just the thing to help keep me creative and focused on more positive things instead of my pain and side effects which will get two-three months from now. Plus by the time I have my surgery in June I should have everything in place. Thank you. Eileen in Phoenix