Maja, I haven't tried them in water. I take off the lower leaves, put the stem in rooting hormone, and then put them in the ground. I'm in central Florida and I have sandy soil. If it's a very sunny area, I'll water the plants daily for at least a couple of weeks. This is one of my favorite plants. I just started some 2 weeks ago.

hate to not have to say anything new lol..but yes of course, it's the backsplash. nice suggestions above. will make tons of difference hardware can be changed or not..i think it's pretty versatile a rug will help to set a tone..but if you're hesitant about rugs-I'd look into changing the lighting fixture for something that'd reflect your taste more it's all easy fixes, relatively speaking. you're not miles from what you envision..you're couple feet away:) yes, paint creams white color..or not a neutral, but a version of some color you love, so it won't fight with the cabinets you can use creams and whites together a lot in decor, but with cabinetry it's harder to swing it; so I'd paint. Brick-up to you. Will look ok whether painted or not, or so I feel. Maybe start with the build ins then decide about brick. You also will probably have your backsplash by then..will help you decide if the backsplash is patterned for example-I'd be tempted to paint the brick more It's not a lot of brick too, so whatever you decide-easier.

Smamattacker, you make a point about the cabinet color changes. Another on that thread said the lighting was blown up for the 'after' pic... While I agree the lighting is definitely different, and possibly enhanced in photo, if you read the thread, the cabinet color wasn't changed. Anther tip I read on Maria's site for a minor change with big impact related to Charlene's kitchen is painting the dark grout (done correctly it can last many years) the lightest tone in the floor tile. Also, painting the window trim a very light color that matches the undertones of the new backsplash; right now it competes, not contrasts, with the kitchen. It's a lovely kitchen. With the right changes, I believe you can make it a timeless and enjoyable space you will enjoy for years to come.

Your wooden gate is a more rustic style, so you might want to modify it - trim off the dog ears and change the hinges. Agree about the porch post - the style is all wrong for the house. Boxing it in is pretty easy. Also agree about landscaping If you have paint or photoshop, play around with different colors for your trim and siding. The current colors are neutral and safe, but there's no pizazz. Looks at blues, grays and greens, which will work with your brick and roof. I'd paint the window trim too, and look into beefing up the trim with some additional, but simple, molding. I can't see the detail of your front door - if it is a rustic, colonial, victorian etc style, plan on replacing it eventually - and yes, a lighter or brighter color. I don't see how you could remove or replace the "beam" (if I am looking at the thing you mean - across the front, above the windows?) and come up with anything that is better. Your brick ends below it; it is appropriately simple; although it is too bad that it sits right on top of the windows. Perhaps you could paint it to blend in with the brick, but I think just painting it with the rest of the trim is fine.