I have always done quite a bit of canning at peak times and I haven't had it cause any burner problems or anything, but then I don't can CONSTANTLY like some of the folks on the Harvest Forum do. On the old stove, it is only the oven that has gone out, so we are going to hang on to it a while....just put it out in the garage/barn. I am not sure about canning on the new stove, and need to do some research (and quickly!). I've thought about getting a big turkey fryer and using it to do my canning....lots of people do that so they can do the canning outside and avoid heating up the house. Speaking of not heating up the house.....one of our neighbors lives in a home his relatives built in 1912. I love that old house! The kitchen is so large you could live in it alone! They have a separate "summer kitchen" about 60' from the main house, and it is the only home around here with a summer kitchen still standing, although I don't think they've used it as a summer kitchen in many years. I'd love to have a summer kitchen. I AM real excited about the convection oven. We never would have spent the money to get a stove this fancy at regular retail prices (living on one income, we've learned to be pretty thrifty). Getting it at the outlet store, though, saved us about 30% and it was brand new--not used/returned/repaired like some of them are (described on their tags as "reconditioned"). It had "damage".....a scratch on the side that you won't see because that side sits next to a wall, so it was a terrific deal. That scratch was the only thing "wrong" with it, and I can't believe a 4" long scratch saved us hundreds of dollars. I suspect the new stove is smarter than all of us humans. For example, I can set it on the convection mode and tell it I am going to bake a cake at 375 degrees (the temperature given on the cake recipe). The stove then will automatically adjust the temperature downward as needed since a convection oven cooks more quickly. I also could adjust it manually, but will just let the stove's brain figure it out! It also has a warming drawer which our older stove did not. While we were at the Sears outlet store, I was drooling over some of the French Door refrigerators with the freezer compartment on the bottom. I also saw some new ultra-modern and gorgeous stainless steel freezers. Now, I don't need a new refrigerator or freezer yet, but I know what I do want when (and if) either one of them ever die. Dawn

Here's what I've found: I know this has little to do with the fact that you're asking about portable or fixed, but I was concerned about wood-burning or propane unit: 1 - The ones with the glass rocks that use propane (whether portable or not) aren't as warm as a roaring fire in a wood-burning unit. 2 - Glass rocks are prettier than the wood, but there's something so cool about a roaring fire as opposed to a pretty one 3 - Guys love throwing wood and sticks into an open flame. 4 - Flame from wood-burning keeps the bugs away, and it makes for a cozy atmosphere at night. It even spreads a good amount of warmth - Fun times with drinks, and marshmallows (Need to buy extra long sticks on Amazon- then toss in fire afterward). You cannot roast marshmallows on the unit with glass rocks without ruining the rocks. 5 - You will come into your house smelling like fire when you sit at a wood-burning unit. 6 - If you use something portable, you can move it to adjust the party size layout. What did you choose?

I think white tile- penny is nice. I love a white bath. Or the sharpness of black and white. Colored and strongly patterned tiles date a bath quickly. Think gray and pink baths from the 50s. or avocado or harvest gold from the 70s. Do a big splash of color with shower curtains, towels or wall paint. Even a painted vanity is going to be easier to change out than changing a bunch of tile down the road. When I bought my first house it was a tiny tract house that had been built in 1968. The neighbors on one side had avocado green tile in the bath and the neighbors on the other side had harvest gold. I had white. My oldest neighbor had been there since the homes were new and she told me when they were being built it was $10 more for colored tile. I was grateful the original owners of my house had been too cheap to spring for colored tile!

If you want some color and interest in the dining room, I would think about changing what is over the buffet and getting a marvelous piece of artwork. Either one large piece or a trio, that goes to the height of the door frame. I would also change what is in those cabinets to make for a more interesting display in terms of color, shape and texture. For example, on the left, you have all white objects, it looks like serving pieces or bowls, all lined up in a row. This is a snooze. If you do these two things, you may not feel the desperate need to paint those cabinets.