Claire...I do not know how true this is...but a friend of mine who used to raise goats in Kentucky said that Pizza Hut (Tricon Global) is the biggest buyer of goat in the USA. That means all the pepperoni, sausage and hamburger meat on our pizza's are goat! Doesn't bother me in the least if it is...I love chevon. He used to have 100 - 200 does producing kids all year round. He would ship them to a market in New Jersey. If you can believe him...he said at certain times of the year he would sell his goats for as high as $11 per lb! I thought he was drinking too much...LOL, but you never know. Reading some auction results from different people on the Yahoo / Boer_Goat_Forum...the smaller goats sell a lot better than larger ones. It seems like 65 - 90 lb goats are what is desirable right now. One guy only got $45 for a 150-wether. It definately will require some research in our respective areas in order to be profitable. I do not have the land or desire to have a large operation ...but I would like to have a market to sell my kids from our 12 - 15 does. I am also trying to develope some show quality animals I can sell as replacement stock. I have done a little reading in "Storey's Guide to Meat Goats" where they explain the different ethnic groups and what they are looking for. I highly recommend this book for anyone considering raising meat goats. Storey has another book for dairy goats as well. The diary version is actually better for "goat information" in general. We just love the goats and would raise them whether they become profitable or not. All my facilities are done and paid for. I need to add onto the barn this spring...but I already have the money "rat-holed" for it. I just have to worry about feeding them now...LOL! Claire...I wish you well on your goat venture! Brian

I've been under the weather for the last few days, so wasn't able to act on any of the additional suggestions until today. Thank you so much to everyone for the feedback, pointing out both the good and the bad. Today I moved a few things around. I decided to concentrate my efforts of lighting, as I think this will help us to enjoy the room more. The new additions are just stand ins, while I look for the right lamps and plants etc. I will also look for better wall art by the love seat and go to Benjamin Moore to look for a warm neutral that's lighter for the walls. I also liked the suggestions to replace the several small accessories with larger ones. And also to try to incorporate the window seat into the room more somehow. I was thinking of trying more colorful cushions on it, to tie it in and make the eye travel back there more. I will keep the points about the tables in mind for when it's time to look at new furniture. Thank you again so much! I feel so much better about this room already! I will start a new thread if/when I have specific questions about lamps or pillows. Thank you!!

I don't think I like Option 2 partly because you have to go up a stair to get to it. And if your kids are anything like mine, that door is going to be open all the time because everyone is trying to get out of the house at the same time. If they're in an enclosed space, that's going to be trouble. Could you do something similar to Option 1, except instead of just removing the door and moulding, remove the entire closet? (As I removed the "walls" as well) You would see everything through. Then like Option 1, build a knee wall for cubbies. My kids are teenagers and I had to put my foot down (no pun intended) and only let them keep a couple of shoes they wear all the time in our entryway. The others stay in their closets. I also put the cubbies with their winter hats/gloves/scarves in my basement closet during the off season (which gets shorter and shorter!).

Thank YOU, C Rebekah, for letting us live through your remodel vicariously. I am thrilled with the this amazing transformation. You are creating such a wonderful backdrop for all of the things you will bring into this room to give it your personalities. I would have a hard time choosing the color for behind the shelves, as so many of the colors you’re drawn to would look beautiful. You may want to wait until your furniture and rug are in place to help you decide. Do you have any art that you know you will be using? That might be helpful, too. I’m glad you will be putting in a darker brown floor. I think it is timeless.