Frank, she's already a beauty, and she's not fully open! Just wait until all the buds open! As I said, it was one of my favorites! Very prolific bloomer... although, all my attempts at pollinating failed. I'll catch it next bloom cycle. Sweet Lilian also proved to be very photogenic! I took the most photos of this particular variety. Viagrow... hahaha! So, what happens if the stem is erect for more than 4 hours? Should you consult a horticulturist? LOL! Larissa, in today's world, you sort of have to help your kids develop a thick skin so they're ready for whatever life throws at them. We're the type of parents that never shielded our kids from the uglier side of life... we were always very open, encouraging them to question the world around them, and to discuss things they weren't sure about. Life is tough... kids need to develop good coping skills! One of our favorite lines was, and still is: Life is full of choices... for every choice there is a consequence... think hard before making your choices! When our kids were teens, our house was the favorite hangout... there were always other kids at our house. They would all come over after school and hang out, play video games, listen to music... my fridge got a ton of mileage! I think we fed the neighborhood! You should hear some of the stories from parties at our house! Our motto was: Don't fall asleep before we do! Oh, the jokes we played on people! Ahh... great memories! Hilarious memories! We never had a lot of money, but we did have a lot of fun! Our kids have some awesome memories to take with them through life... that much is certain!

To gather and think, another houzz article -- art deco: [https://www.houzz.com/magazine/so-your-style-is-art-deco-stsetivw-vs~2131564[(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/so-your-style-is-art-deco-stsetivw-vs~2131564) "Not natural weaves and plain fabrics, but graphic patterns and sleek textures. Mix vinyl, silk and satin for layers of tactile interest; choose rugs, carpets and upholstery with geometric, rhythmic motifs. Animal prints are showy... Lacquer, polished wood and metal, and glossy paint combine for a slick and gleaming effect. Sprinkle glass and mirrored pieces...." [https://www.houzz.com/products/beth-french-leg-lacquer-stacking-console-prvw-vr~39080805[(https://www.houzz.com/products/beth-french-leg-lacquer-stacking-console-prvw-vr~39080805)

What type of nightstand would work well for this? I'm thinking the ones I listed may be a bit too big. Given that the bed won't be centered in the room I think having just the one nightstand next to the bed would work so it won't get in the way of the built-in cabinet. I like the idea of a shag rug, thought good call on making sure it doesn't appear dirty. I know Floyd has their own nightstand, but it's a bit...eh? I do like walnut more 100%, though worried about how dark it is. I think I need one that has a drawer, given the knicknacks I have in there, though it may be time for a spring cleaning. Some others: https://www.allmodern.com/furniture/pdp/easter-compton-easter-end-table-a000401674.html?piid= https://www.allmodern.com/furniture/pdp/barrona-end-table-a000408281.html

I built my dream home. Not my fantasy home, but as Jan speaks of, my realistic dream home. What was important to myself and my DH. Not the fantasy. I joke that I always dreamed of sit down dinners in a formal dining room. However my reality is that my entertaining style is buffet and indoor/outdoor entertaining so we built our house to accomodate that. No separate dining room. My dream was a walk in laundry but nowadays anything that has a stain on it gets a spray of Spray and Wash and gets thrown in the machine and then goes into the dryer. No fussing with laundry for us so we have our laundry in our hallway to our bedroom behind closed cabinets. My studio is large but that's because I'm a professional artist. DH's office is smaller because he doesn't need as large a space. Plus my space doubles as a third bedroom with a pull out couch if needed. (In the 3 years we've been here, we needed it a total of 3 nights.) Our guest bedroom has a Murphy bed and doubles as an exercise room. It's right sized and there is no separate bathroom for only the guest bedroom. I have no interest in cleaning a bathroom that will be used once in a blue moon so the guest bedroom and my studio share a hall bathroom. None of my guests have ever complained! And many have come back to visit second and third times. And would be back for more except for Covid. My point being, really think about how you actually live and how you will live once you're retired and build accordingly. Not your fantasy.