Hi BettyLu, Brugs contain alkaloids which can be toxic but usually just from ingestion and if the sap comes in contact with the conjunctiva of your eyes they will dilate. If you have especially sensitive skin then you should wear gloves but I (and most others) pinch my brugs and daturas with bare hands. Just remember not to touch your eyes if they have sap on them. I have cats, dogs and other animals and they've never chewed on my brugs. Keep your brug outside during the summer. Give it am sun and protect it from late afternoon sun. The description of where you have it sounds perfect but does the urn have drainage holes? They are very heavy feeders and need a well draining soil. Container brugs will need daily watering during the heat. I don't care for MG products and would add some perlite to it to help with drainage. Feed your brug every 2 weeks minumum. Weekly is even better. I prefer to allow my brugs to go dormant over the winter because they are such bug magnets and I have so many. With only 1 brug I don't see a problem keeping it growing over the winter. If you have a very well lit room it might do ok over the winter but you might want to add a grow light to increase the hours of daylight. It will likely decline some being inside but will rebound once it's back outside. Make sure you don't overwater your brug while it's inside or it can lead to rot. If you decide to allow it to go dormant over the winter you will restrict watering almost entirely giving it just enough to keep the roots hydrated. Maybe a cup or two of water every 4-6 weeks, if that. I have dormant brugs that get no water over the winter. I hope this helps and I'm sure others will chime in with suggestions. Good luck. They are beautiful and addicting. Kind of like potato chips. I don't know anyone that has just one. lol

Well you clearly need a wall with a door to block off the utilities from the rest of the space, but you want to leave as much room as you can around the sliding door for daylight. Make sure the door you add is large enough to provide access so should you need to replace the furnace or something, you can. Is there an existing door on the doorless room? If so, where? May I suggest that you go to some online software like homestyler.com and sketch up the area...you can add walls, furniture, etc. to get some idea of how you might want to carve up the space. I think you'll get a lot more responses if they have a "straw man" to critique. It's a lot of space. If you define it as one room, it will be too cavernous to be comfortable and you have an opportunity to get more than one function out of it. But you need to define the functions you want. I don't know what you mean by "something creative" by the stairs...it's really about what you will use. Function comes first. Do you need a crafting area? Gift wrapping station? Do you have a lot of art you'd like to display in a gallery? Do you play cards and want a games table? Do you want it to be half adult space half kid space with a separate toy area? Or do the kids and adults mix nicely? Will the door to the back be the main entrance on this side of the house? If so, will you need some mud room/cubby/closet space to accommodate frequent entry/exit? You say you want a bar...do you want a wet bar? Then probably need the sink near where the bathroom is. Do you want it to have a MW? Induction cooktop to warm foods? Beverage fridge? Seating at the bar? For how many? Do you want a full bath? with tub? or half bath? shower? Unless you define your needs first, the space will not be as effective for you as it might otherwise be.

I wanted to give everyone a new update on our move with the cat. Everything went so much better than we thought it would. We gave the cat a pill and he went to sleep in his crate for the trip. One dose did it. I put out 3 litter pans in the new house, none of which he would use. He sat at the back sliding door and cried to be let out. So, we took a deep breath and let him out. He went under the deck, did what he needed to do and came back in thru the pet door. We gave him access to the pet door all the time after that. We went to the wedding, came home about 12 hours letter and he was sitting on the deck waiting for us. So, I guess he is just one smart cat! He learned this was his new home from day one. So glad the people who bought our house did not want him and he came with us.

Patty, funcolors, and kmcg85 all said what I want to say...Forget the splotch-shaped splotches thrown in the middle of the wall, and paint out that whole wall. You've already 'ruined' the wall, so go for it. You don't have to cut in or anything, just use your roller and roll out almost to ceiling and over to adjoining walls. Then, re-hang your picture and look at the effect. If you have new bedding, throw that on the bed too, so you can better visualize what your room would look like in the Richmond Gold. I personally would not go any darker that RG. I think it's plenty dark enough for a bedroom and should give a rich, warm look........but is that look for you? I put a gorgeous periwinkle blue on my bedroom walls several years ago and received so many complements. But the soft blue was always too cool-feeling for me. I was glad to see it gone, and I have Laura Ashley Gold #3 on my walls now. It's warm but not too dark. Works with so many colors I like to use. Several have made the comment about the paint color tying in the furniture better. Well, it will certainly do that. On the other hand, if you want the furniture to stand out more, then you need a little more contrast and maybe not as dark a color. So, you bought gallons. Well, only you know whether you can afford to take the hit for more paint if you ultimately decide against the RG. For next time, may I kindly suggest, buying ONE quart of your chosen color in the sheen you want to use. Use that One quart to do what all have suggested. Pour into a paint tray, throw down a drop cloth, and roll it all out onto at least one wall, put your furniture up against it. Then, if you love it you have a start. If you don't feel love, you are out maybe $10-$20, about the cost of an evening at the movie by yourself. Red