I live in the North-East Bronx, just South of Westchester, NY, and I find that most of the local nurseries, garden centers, and Home Depots/Lowes etc. suck, if you're trying to find anything that approaches an "exotic" ingredient for making Al's growing medium. None stock Turface-MVP, and they never heard of it. I've been to them all, and haven't found anything that could be called "pine-bark fines"...just shredded mulches....that will mat down, and clog the mix. After you factor in the cost of gas, your personal time, phone bills, cost of the products, time used to screen out unwanted materials -which doubles the cost, if 50% is wasted- the mix becomes very expensive. I can't be bothered hunting down all the ingredients anymore. I cut my losses. I just buy premium grade Repti-Bark at the local Pet-Co/Pet-Smart, a 20 lb. bag of aquarium grit, and a bag of Turface-MVP, and make the mix. NAPA Auto has oil-dry compound that can sub for the Turface. Some of the bark nuggets are too large, but, what the hay. Most of it is usable out of the bag. Hit the big pieces with a hammer. Yes, there are cheaper alternatives for the ingredients that I have mentioned, especially the Repti-Bark, but I'm not driving all over the state just to collect the ingredients that I need. Re-read the 2nd paragraph. Just my two-cents worth. The mix is great,...if you could find what you need, EASILY. My Clivia love the stuff, and you can not over-water plants! No PWT either! Frank PS....When the bark breaks down, just wash out the residue, and re-cycle the Turface-MVP, and the grit. Use new bark chunks, and you're good to go. Just the bark-fines break down.

Ok. So got a few things to 'throw at cha' All my new cabinets are in, I need to figure out how my lighting is going to go in my newly renovated kitchen. Contractor is going to put a can light above the sink, and the rest of everything is up to me. The mistake I made (or maybe not a mistake) was to buy my main light fixtures before this renovation was even started. I got excited and ordered them on Lamps Plus.com. Not sure if I'm totally crazy about them, but the shipping will be very expensive to ship them back and I believe I can make them work nicely. The first area I need help on is the Island/Table area. It is roughly a total of 100 inches long or a little over 8 feet. These are the fixtures that I have purchased and I am wondering how I should position them. My guess is to put the chandelier in the middle and the pendants on each side. Need some input. I also need to find some mini pendants for the snack bar area, but my contractor has told me that the top part that attaches to the ceiling needs to be VERY small, like 3-4 inches in diameter - I don't see this measurement included in the specifications on the pendant lighting, just the diameter for the actual light that hangs down. HELP!!!! The URL link that I am including is the chandelier. Measurements are as follows: 28" high, 26" wide The mini pendant is 8" wide and adjusts to 53" high. Need some opinions on how this will look, if anyone has the same type of set up and if you can send me pictures I would be SO grateful!!!!!! Thank you :-) Here is a link that might be useful: Lampsplus.com

Can you post a picture of the space? That might help with seeing what would look good. And what style are you going for? Traditional? Contemporary? Retro? Provincial? British Colonial? Urban?.... Maybe a combination of them all. Have you done the Sweeby test? I have a pennisula and had the same quandry trying to decide on a lighting plan. A huge factor for me is the source of light. Is it glaring? Is it blinding? I spent more money on under cab lighting because I do not like the glare of a light bulb in my view. I think if you plan on the pendants being more of art and less of a light source you might find they are adding to the beauty of your room. Those who rely on pendants for a strong lighting source wind up disappointed with the glare bomb in their eyes. Let me know your style, ideas and what you are looking for and I can help do a search of images for you to think about. I think with an 18 foot island you can do some gorgeous lights...Oh I can't help myself. Let me toss in a few ideas below. ~boxerpups ( I would bet there was a third pendant closer but for the photo image it was held aside so the view could be nicer for the picture) Okay these are not mini but check out the artistic imapact No pendants Here is a link that might be useful: HGTV tips on lighting in a kitchen

we taped the outline of the island on the floor not for light placement but just to get an idea of the whole aircraft carrier., I mean island. The lights were placed after cabinents and countertops. I used the Quoizel Grant Pendants. The have a rod like your pictures show. We had the option of buying additional rods if needed. We have pitched ceilings so the lights are different lengths but hung level, a fun day indeed. Did you go to the manufacturer's web site to see if there is a companion chandy? if not, maybe call them and ask them for an idea on a complementary light?