Never mind. I am not comfortable with 18 inch tiles unless I add another layer of 1/2 plywood plus ditra. I also need the height as the toilet flange is a 1 5/8 high. Off to pull nails from the subfloor from the mesh...

Talley: What about the music stand? I know you're just dying to fall over that cheesey metal music stand (in the middle of the night) that's issued to each lucky band student! Actually, the flute is so beautiful. It's really a treat to listen to them practice. My oldest daughter played it for several years, and now my second daughter will begin this summer. My kitchen stackers look like a skyscraper, but I have to say that when it was time to find my Girl Scout cookie money return envelopes, I located them in each girl's stacker (I have four Girl Scouts). What a relief. One more fundraiser that I didn' screw up or turn the money in beyond the deadline. I found a great way to do a family calendar. Actually, my friend Kathy showed me this: use a dry erase board for weekly activities. So I found a nicely framed monthly dry erase calendar at Bed Bath and Beyond ($20 less $5 coupon, so it was $15) that has five weeks. So rather than Monday being a square, it's five squares (all down the calendar). Everyone who can read knows what's happening the whole week, and I have something that communicates what's going instead of my personal monthly calendar. The bottom row (that is the fifth week) is where we put important things for next week so we have a reminder the entire week what's coming up. Talley, this sort of thing would be great for your family b/c each of you could still have a square for each day, plus you could have a "Looking Ahead" row at the bottom. I plan to use my new P-Touch to make labels for the bottom row to help everyone remember to put in future events. This system has been an answered prayer for me. This calendar was one new thing that actually worked!

Thanks so much for the help! All the photos have elements of what I'm looking for Boxerpups, floor - I would love to run my wood into the kitchen but know we will be harder on it than most people and it is soft birch. You will see it in the attached family room so I have to take it into consideration. Tile is the best choice an we're thinking a large tile such as a porcelain slate as long as I can find something with a muted warm tones that is not too busy looking. So far no luck but I have a picture of a mudroom tile from an old magazine I love. I'll try to post it. Cabinets - I think mostly cream with painted island or all lowers painted different colors . The cabinets in the fourth photo with the bleached floors are perfect. counters - I think brown tones but I love grey ( husband not so much) #1 - love but too modern overall #3 - great mix of natural elements with fun color #4 - love cabs, counters, stools #5 - love lighting, stools rustic table with modern chairs, otherwise a bit too fussy #7 - great colors, beautiful backsplash. #13 - great clean look All others nice but but bit too traditional - Honeysuckle vine -I looooove the tile in the first caesarstone photo. I agree a bit dark otherwise but overall a great look. I think I have to get the floor sorted out and go from there. The next most important will be the tile since I want something really great. What do you think?

You definitely have inadequate venting. Under the International Residential code are structures are required to have one "Main Vent" which must run undiminished in size from the main drain through the roof. After that any additional auxillary vents may be reduced to 1/2 the diameter of the line they serve but in no case may a vent be less than 1-1/4" The code minimum diameter for a watercloset drain is 3" and a drain line may not be reduced in diameter in the direction of flow so it would stand that the minimum main vent size would be 3". Under the Uniform Plumbing code all vents may be reduced to 1/2 the diameter of the line it serves providing the sum aggregate total cross sectional area of all vents is equal to or greater than the cross sectional area of the main drain. In this case the total cross sectional area of all vents must be equal to or greater than the cross sectional area of a 3" line (7sq.in). The size and placement of vents is the most critical aspect of the entire DWV(drain,waste & vent) system. The maximum allowable lengths of the fixture arms from trap to vent are very carefully regulated by code therefore indescriminately placing or increasing the size of a vent may not resolve the problem.