For those of you who might be interested: Before and After pic (probably 3 or 4 wks difference) I'll try not to talk about the other tomato that snapped in two behind the stick. (sigh) The top half was hanging on by a thread so I just placed it back on top of the bottom and secured the whole thing with my soft velcro tape I use to trellis the branches. I can only hope that the top survives. AM not having much luck with my tomatoes this year.(another BIG sigh)

I was just perusing pictures on Crown-Point Cabinets site and saw a beautiful blue kitchen. There is also a lot of natural wood in the room, including a butcherblock counter on the island. It made me think so much of your kitchen that I thought you might like to see it. I can't get photobucket to cooperate (my Avast is telling me it's blocking a malicious site--hmmmm....) so, I'm including a link to Crown-point's page of shaker cabinets. If you click on picture #9, you can scroll through a lot of images of the blue kitchen. It'd be interesting to find out what they used on the cabinets, because it almost looks like the grain is peaking through a bit. I'm wondering if it could be a Transtint Dye or a milk paint. (?) Your counters look great, and I look forward to seeing where you take your kitchen colorwise. : ) I love Bellsmom's picture with all blue. Here is a link that might be useful: Blue Shaker cabinets by Crown Point

Everyone, I am really NOT attacking Glenda...just what she did. I know she's a great person and grandmother and I loved reading her posts and seeing her pictures of her cruise with her grandson. Maybe I went overboard, but as I stated, I was in an accident three yrs ago with a brand new driver. He was with his mom and they were practicing in a residential area. The speed limit was 25 mpr. I saw his car stopped at the stop sign. I had the right of way. Just as I was about to pass his car, he pulled out in front of me. For some unknown reason, he didn't see my car. He was a very sweet child with an equally sweet mom. They wanted to pay for the damages to car without us calling the police or reporting it to the insurance company because the boy would not be able to have a permit until he was 18 plus his insurance rates and his parents rates would go up so high. However, it became evident that I needed to get to the hospital, so an ambulance was called. My 3 yr. granddaughter was in her car seat in the back and Thank God wasn't hurt. When I got to the hospital, they had to do an emergency hysterectomy because I was bleeding so rapidly. (the lap part of the seat belt hit me in a way that caused a rupture to a small ovarian cyst I'd had for a while. Because of all the blood, a total hysterectomy had to be done. Now, all this and both cars were going the speed limit of 25 mpr. No one "expects" an accident. It just happens and there is NO WAY we can control it. I don't mean to squash anyone's fun, but let's do fun within the law and remembering that other people are on the same roads that you are on and you could possibly be putting others in danger. I guess I also don't think that this is the same as eating a grape in the grocery store. I almost lost my life due to the the rupture and I also had a treasured grandchild in my car. Sorry if I offended anyone..that wasn't what I intened to do, however, it makes me see red when I hear someone say that they took all precautions and no accident could possibly have happened. That's just no being realistic.

You need a comprehensive design plan, and budget plan. A successful kitchen will live within those limits. It can't absorb 5 different budget busters, nor can it deal with 5 different ''must have because I'm in love'' elements. There are a lot of right choices for the different elements that neither bust the budget nor shout ''I'm the star''. Learn how to put together your kitchen with those, with your superstars then carefully selected to fit into those surroundings. That may or may not mean choosing a counter that you love, since you state that the range and venting were your ''must haves''. You can't have it all. Decide what are the musts, within the overall context. Not as each element as an individual. That is T-R-O-U-B-L-E. Remember that none of these pretty things will ever love you back. Some can perform better, and that is always worth considering as an ''upgrade'', but not if it blows the budget, or skews the other choices. For instance, a 14K refrigerator shouldn't even be on the table if that choice makes you consider skimping in another area, like not choosing a pro to correctly install your floors, or you decide to skip adding lighting. "Splurges'' should NEVER mean that another element gets shorted to below a reasonable standard.