Francoise47 - I LOVE Tinker's kitchen. Drool! Those look so nice and simple yet elegant in her kitchen but yes I agree about cleaning them. I don't think I'm willing to do that. I also don't find blinds to be all that user-friendly. Things always seem to go wrong with me and blinds! CEFreeman - I don't see the Lowe's link (?) but I can google it now that I know the location, thanks! I think a valance would block too much light, but the strip of horizontal wall color just above the windows acts sort of like a valance-of-sorts actually! The paint color is Benjamin Moore's Fieldstone a.k.a. Fieldstone gray. Thanks! Lake Girl - thanks for the positive feedback and sorry I didn't see (or don't remember) an old link in which you asked about the tile. I wanted something that was white and cheerful though had a little bit of gray and tan in it so I could warm up the coldness of the stainless countertop (and so I could have both warm or cool colors in the kitchen in general). Hence, calacatta. It was a PITA (although at times sorta fun) and here's what I did: I bought 12" x 12" pieces of calacatta marble from a local stone and tile business. I then called around and found a good fabricator to hone and cut the tile into 2x6" pieces. THEN I pulled out all pieces that were either too dark or busy or too plain white (although I did throw in the occasional plain white piece here and there to keep the backsplash from being too busy looking) and then I had what was left installed! OY! Not quite as easy as stopping by Lowe's, eh?! :: Funny thing was, when the guy was done installing the tile, there was almost no pieces (of the good stuff) left! So it turns out that I ordered the exact right amount since wasting the other pieces couldn't be helped. I can no longer remember the grout color but if you google my name along with the name gardenweb and type in something about grout color, it might pop up. I'm not crazy about the light gray color and wish I'd gone with white but oh well. I don't dislike it that much. I wonder if I could sell the left over pieces. I don't think anyone else would want gaudy pieces either though - especially in those less common dimensions. Thank you!

I'm so sorry for your loss. What a lovely way to inform us, citing all the good things you were able to share after being reunited. Your story reminds me of the suitor my mother refused when they were both very young. (She was only 17, and she and her parents thought this was premature.) As my mother was dying of leukemia, a lifelong friend sent her news of this man -- by then a widower of many years. He came across the country to spend a week with my mother, bringing the photo she'd inscribed to him so long ago, and bringing the perfect little diamond ring he'd kept all these years. I know their marriage would have been uneven. He was a quiet, homebody person, and my mother became a successful career woman. However, I thought he was a much finer person than the successful businessman she did marry (and divorce) -- my father. Sometimes we underestimate how romantic and sentimental a man can be.

Your husband may change his mind after he sees some of the painted cabinets you will see on this forum. Covering the grain seems to be the thing in painting cream or white. If you paint dark, keeping the grain looks great, as in girlwithasprin's dark cabs. I will try to post a couple of pics for you of white and dark. Then, go to the finished kitchen blog for more inspiration. Paint the cabs, or stain them (that would have to be dark if you don't want to strip them), change out the hardware. Get a new countertop. It doesn't have to be expensive. In the finished kitchen blog, look in categories for budget remodels and DYIs. Good Luck! girlwithasprin's fabulous dark painted cabs Here is a link that might be useful: finished kitchen blog

I agree that you have gotten some good advice. As the Mom of triplets and grandmother of four I would hope that your little guests parents will be vigilant and watch their own kids. However I know this doesn't always happen, so protect your valuable stuff and keep doors to off-limit rooms shut. (including bathrooms,they are the most dangerous rooms in most houses) My concern would be mostly safety, make sure there are no medicine bottles around where they could reach. Although ideally they will stay out of the kitchen, make sure when you are cooking all pan handles are turned inward and not sticking out from the stove. Everyone should get in the habit of doing that anyway. If (God forbid) you have chemicals in bottles they shouldn't be in, like cleaning supplies in a soda bottle, get rid of them or lock them in the garage. I remember when a cousin had to call poison control because a niece was actually served Christmas tree preservative by another guest who thought it was 7-up. As for food, you shouldn't have to do anything special. Just have plenty of rolls. You may also want to make sure you have at least one dessert that doesn't have nuts, most two year olds can't have them yet. You could always get some pudding cups or fruit cups for them if you think your dessert is too adult. Then relax and enjoy your day.