I haven't been over here since it first open. How long has it been, almost 2 years? I would like to see some of your paintings. Do you have a web page? I'll check out your profile. I think some of the mosaics that the people over in the garden junk forum really belong here with what I think is more of a art than using junk. I stopped posting over there because it seems just to be mostly what's being bought at thrift stores and not in a garden yet. Then again it's winter. I have boxes and boxes of paints so maybe you'll inspire me to try something. The only thing I ever painted was a sceene of a butterfly life cycle with the heads cut out. They were large enough for some faces to poke through at a nature center festival. I know idea what ever happened to it.

If you could help me through it, with baby steps. I am going to assume you are comfortable with opening and having more than one tab open. If you are not, just say so. I discovered a member at the Test Forum was having one heck of a time with the instructions, because she had never had more than one tab (or window) open at a time. Once she master tabs she was soon posting pics. 1...just type your message,...or in this case a reply to this post, changing the Subject of Posting line by one character. 2...open Photobucket in another tab 3...find the pic you want to post in the message, 4...click on HTML code found in the third box below the pic. It will say copied in yellow, 5...go back and paste the HTML in your message box, 6...hit preview, You will then see your message, and the actual pic, and 7... lastly hit submit. Stop on by the Test Forum Gallery. There are 'regulars' there that will help until you get good at it. Sue Here is a link that might be useful: Test Forum Gallery

Sorry if this post is chaotic. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. We are in the middle of a full kitchen remodel of our 1921 pseudo-Prairie style house, and need to make some lighting choices. I don't have plans available, but here are some basics: We will have a U-shaped kitchen (approx 12' x 14' x 8') with the 8' long stretch formed by a peninsula (with raised bar top for counter seating). There will also be a 5' long island in the middle. No upper cabinets. Two west-facing windows and 12ft wide sliding glass doors facing north. Our original plan was the following: 1. Recessed lights (4" LED) above the countertop for task lighting 2. Recessed lights (6" LED) above the passageways 3. Semi-flush ceiling fixture (300W incandescent) above the island for ambient and task lighting 4. Three pendants (halogen) over the bar seating area Our architect questions the use of recessed cans, which he says affect sound transfer between floors and also don't provide as much light as flush mounted (so you need more of them). He also doesn't think that they fit with the style of the house. My original plan was based on the assumption that recessed cans would do just that -- i.e., "recess" into the background so that the main ceiling fixture and three pendants would be the main focal point. It also seems much easier (and cost effective) to find recessed LEDs. We have to contend with Title 24. Can anyone give advice on what might work? Are there quality LED lights that would work as task lighting and passageway lighting but wouldn't make our ceiling look like a collage of competing fixtures?

I was going to suggest DeGroot's Spire, which is an arborvitae. I planted six in the orchard as an allee'. I began planting them in 2008, they are suppose to reach a height of 10' and several are about that now and all stay fairly "skinny". I had a deer come through one year tho and must have rubbed antlers against one, breaking down one side. It re-grew rather quickly but has an odd shape now. I very happy with them, they grow fast, seem healthy still, have a deep green/sometimes blueish cast, and stay smaller in diameter than other arborvitae. The one drawback - they are costly, at least when I was buying mine. I could only afford one or two a year.