Brooke...you have a good sense of daylilies. I took "numerous" photos of this one. The color in this photo is dead on. And it "is" in the process of being converted. I bloomed this one three years ago. If I hadn't kept the bed it was born in a third year, I never would have had this one. This was the only time I ever let a bed bloom the third year..it first bloomed the third year, being crowded out by it's siblings. That first year it had one scape and 4 buds. I now have 15 scapes and the bud count has increased dramatically. Two top hybridizers, whose names you would know have more than a casual interest in it. I hesitated to show it, but I don't think many hybridizers get on this forum and you folks have been so kind to me, I wanted to let you see it first. Just don't tell anyone! thanks. Bob

Thanks! Purplemoon, actually, I did come away with quite a few things. DD is decorating the hutch in the foyer with some of them right now. She's fourteen y/o, though, so it'll definitely be more cute than I would do ;^P Luvs, the penguin figures are like a flat plastic ornament and glued to the base. You could actually use a number of different things in there. As for the cord, you could possible hot glue it up the inside back of the jar and down the outside. Putting in taller trees would hide it from the front, I'd think. Kathleen, I know what you mean! I actually called the store manager when I got home. I told her that it was a miracle that I wasn't injured, but that it could have been a much more tragic ending if I'd had a toddler or baby in a cart right there with me. I wasn't angry at all, but just thought that she should quickly rethink how and where they displayed those. This was the first she'd heard of the incident, but she agreed and was going to have them moved immediately.

Ginger, they were similar to a "regular" muffin.

To answer (some of) your original question(s), whenever I've worked with a decorator they have 100% stood behind the products they've helped me obtain. Recently a headboard I had made (through the designer) was delivered in the wrong colorway: I refused delivery and called the designer. They immediately (& kindly) apologized and said they would take care of it. Within twenty-four hours they called me back to let me know it was being made again, in the correct colorway and as a rush order. She was professional, courteous (but not obsequious) and sounded genuinely kind and concerned about my (headboard) happiness. Then when the delivery company the designer had contracted gave me a hard time just this past Thursday (trying to charge me for a redelivery fee when delivering the new, correct headboard) I called her again. Again, she immediately did everything right, she said all the right things (sincerely apologized, told me I was right, said she would contact the delivery company, etc.), and took care of it. Like a few above respondents (and I'm sorry I didn't carefully read all of them -- you've a lot of supporters out there!) my experience has been that the designer / decorator is my advocate and has left me feeling cossetted. The only negative experience I had (and it was a doozy) was with an unethical kitchen designer and we contentiously parted ways. But she'd made it abundantly clear that if anything hit the fan I'd be left to clean it up. Alone. She'd be off getting her nails done and screwing her next client. We "lost" some money with her but when I think of the money we would have lost (and that I would have had to spend in therapy / legal fees!) had we continued our "relationship" with her it was well worth it. She happens to be our neighbor! Well, a few houses up the street but we see each other all the time, walking, driving, etc. So I totally understand the uncomfortable social situations! But at the end of the day, I really was right, and not just because "the customer is always right." I was right because I was consistent, forthright, genuine and HONEST. She, like your former designer, was inconsistent, evasive, disingenuous and a prevaricator. Period.