Yard - my initial question presupposed that, since I don't remember reading anything in English sources about dire effects on trees etc., there must be some reason for that in terms of something different there than here (e.g. pests of some sort or other unidentified conditions...) It was probably misleading of me to use the word garden when I was interested in the bigger picture also - although I did also wonder about it in gardens too... (Bahia and Ink's input helped answer that question, as well as a recent post on GW that included comments from an English gardener on controlling ivy in the garden - she does much the same things as I do to control the ivy coming from my neighbours...) It just occurred to me to check the RHS web site re ivy. Interesting... While this doesn't explain why the ivy would be more damaging in areas of North America, it's interesting to see the English perspective on it: "Just how harmful is ivy? Here are some facts that will help you decide; - Ivy growing on trees is often thought to be a serious problem, endangering the health of even very large trees. However, its presence on the trunk is not damaging and where it grows into the crowns this is usually only because the trees are already in decline or are diseased and slowly dying - If the branch canopy becomes thin and allows sufficient light to enter, the ivy will develop into its arboreal form. Fraxinus (ash), a naturally thin, open-crowned tree may suffer heavy infestation, and for this reason ivy on ash trees is often controlled - When trees grown for their stem or bark, such as birch and some acers, keep the stems or trunks free from ivy - On other trees, ivy can be allowed to grow on the trunk, although one problem with very old or damaged trees is that the ivy may hide cavities which, in time, could gradually enlarge and possibly affect stability - Ivy is not a parasite; the short, root-like growths which form along climbing stems are for support only. Its own root system below ground supplies it with water and nutrients and is unlikely to be strongly competitive with the trees on which it is growing - Ivy has much wildlife value. As ground cover in woodland, ivy greatly lessens the effect of frost, enabling birds and woodland creatures to forage in leaf litter during bitter spells. Growing on trees, it provides hiding, roosting, hibernating and nesting places for various animals, birds and insects (including butterflies), particularly during the winter months and in areas where there are few other evergreens. Note: If you are concerned about an old or diseased tree, always seek professional advice from an arboriculturist or tree surgeon." Their recommendation on how to control it when it is an unwanted groundcover and you don't want to use chemicals: "Dig up all stems and woody roots. This may be difficult on heavy soils or where vegetation is very dense. Where the site is not needed for planting, an alternative control method is to clear away all top growth before laying weed-control fabric and a 10-15cm (4-6in) deep layer of bark mulch. Leave in place for at least two growing seasons." I would bet that a big part of the problem here is likely due to the greater presence of evergreen conifers here that are not evolved to live with evergreen vines. I'm not sure about the PNW, but most forest vines here are deciduous, so are likely less stressful on the trees when they climb on an evergreen conifer. And I wonder if the local bird populations have developed a strong preference for this 'exotic' food source... :-) Note that the RHS info only seems to be talking about deciduous trees and makes reference to ivy having value particularly in the absence of evergreen trees. So I think the the difference in the type of trees in forests between here and there is very much likely to be a key factor in how ivy performs in the environment here relative to there.

We got our tile for the second bathroom, and ended up going in a completely different direction. Instead of a large format wall tile and an accent stripe (which is what we did in the other bathroom, as you can see in the picture above), for the second one, we went with a textured semi-glossy white Porcelanosa tile for all the shower walls, and a stacked mosaic in multi-tones (greys and blacks) for the shower floor. Glad that's done, but I'm so tired - I want it to be done! (Aside: the sheetrocker broke the existing cooktop today - by accident of course. I don't care about the cooktop, since we're redoing the kitchen, but we have to live there for 6 weeks before the kitchen cabinets arrive. So now I have to find a cheap cooktop for the interim!)

What about using tie wraps instead of sewing for those who might be challenged in that area - LOL? If it is something like the stem of the mushroom where you can put your hand in you can do it so the clasp part is on the inside and then you just cut off the excess. I get tiewraps at the dollar type stores and the clasp part is small and the strap part is flat enough that once you cover with cement you aren't going to be able to tell how it is put together anyway. We were cleaning out behind our shed today and came across a bale of chicken wire and I was thinking of a similar project, but the gauze is really too large to have a sturdy frame to build on. You're awful brave to take on such a project on your first try, but seems like you and DH are a great team. Good luck and can't wait to see the finished project. Here is a link that might be useful: tie wraps

You have a nice house with curb appeal. Your job is to make the house look like something people want to buy, and I think you need to work on making it seem more spacious. People buy space when they buy a house. Wallpaper makes a room look smaller, and I could not believe how true this was till we removed our wallpaper in a redecorating job. The rooms looked so much bigger without wallpaper. I also think you should go neutral with the paint when you repaint the walls and use the same wall colors in rooms that look into each other (dining room, hall and living room, maybe kitchen too). Using the same wall color this way also makes the place look bigger. The other thing that makes your living room look small is the large sectional that you have there. This too large, over stuffed furniture in small rooms only makes the rooms look even smaller than they are. You are selling space, so work to make the house look more spacious.