I'm in St Pete and I can tell you things are winding down for the summer here, getting too hot and humid except for the pole beans, already established Bell peppers, okra and eggplant. If you do decide to order from Burpee I've been growing the Butterstick zukes and Bush Champion cukes successfully in 7 gallon nursery containers, you might want to give them a try when you do decide it's time....

"If anything I find my tastes are influenced negatively here, not in a bad way really, just differently. I love funky bohemian combined with traditional and modern but don't feel that love from most posters so sometimes I second guess myself. There are some canvas prints at Pier One I am crazy about yet they are cheap. Will I hate them because they look cheap? ($30 each btw) Will they make my decor seem too wild? Cheap? As an artist, most other artists abhor this kind of thing and usually are quite snobbish about having only originals in their house. They would not buy a cheap print from Pier One! So, can I over come this pressure and the pressure here (subtle however) and actually get what I love? I do not like the vast majority of art people choose for their home so I would never ask anyone here "what do you think of this print?" I'm rambling but I guess it's all about keeping myself true to me." Bumblebeez, I feel your pain, really I do. :) Something that would truly *speak* to me, would be a gliclee of Monet's Sunrise. It was a work that was derided by critics in its time and I had the opportunity to see it in the Monet Museum in Paris. It would have much more meaning to me, and to my husband, than something I bought off of Etsy or Ebay. At least you, as an artist, have the pedigree be able to get away with buying what you want (not that you should have to make excuses). It's the same way about furniture. If it's not heirloom or CL, there will always be detractors. I just try to suck it up and decorate to the best of my abilities.

I installed these on all my kitchen cabinet doors after a facelift remodel: https://www.rokhardware.com/hardware-fasteners/soft-close-add-ons/blumotion-soft-close-with-spacer-screws-polybag.html I think I got mine from Rockler for about $3 each, but a lot of places sell them. I installed them all using a Dremel stylus. My cabs are full overlay. No problems. It's been 5 years and nary a slam. I wasn't sure if I'd need the adapter piece, so I ordered one. Ended up not needing the adapter so saved some money getting devices without. Laurie, my doors are painted maple shaker with MDF inserts. They are not super heavy. The door doesn't just up and close on its own. You give it a bit of a shove, as you would with a door that doesn't soft close, and momentum does the rest.

Thank you so much mammagoose and herbflavor! you've given me so much more to think about. It was my Jan post that finally lead to me coming the the conclusion I needed to open the wall between the dining room and kitchen. I have never, ever considered moving the peninsula 90 degrees, or having a - gasp -island! Maybe when you have lived in a tiny kitchen for 16 yrs it is hard to imagine actually having space. We are having a beam installed, so there isn't a need structurally to have that funny piece of wall next to the fridge in my first drawing. That was just my attempt to try to keep definition between the kitchen and the dining room, kind of like this. We have similar original crown molding (minus the leaves) and trim. My thought with removing the wall was to keep a similar strip all around. It is a 1920s house and I want to keep that feel while still having a space for today's lives. The N wall cant be moved at all or have windows as it is interior. The fridge and range are your standard sizes and just purchased (at a great sale!) so those are fixed. I had considered your idea for sink on the S wall, but I felt like E made a bit more sense to get garbage, sink and dishwasher more in a row. I envision the peninsula as more of a space for sitting and interacting with me while I work in the kitchen than prep space. But again, maybe I can't imagine anything different because I am too constrained by today's realities. I am really going to think about that 90 degree option. There is no "kitchen designer" on this project so I really appreciate all of the feedback I am getting from this community.