side note to Lynn - I was on the dating scene not too long ago so I know what that's like (after my ex suddenly left me). People show what they're made of over time, so be very patient as you get to know them. Be yourself and don't be afraid to turn off people who aren't a good fit. Few people these days are capable of commitment because our society promotes a "shopping"/disposable mentality when it comes to relationships. Commitment comes from deep within and you have to know a person's character and past to know whether they are capable of that. You can see that in how they've handled past relationships, friendships, jobs, and business arrangements. My current husband and I found one another through non-dating channels. Because it was long distance we had a chance to get to know one another deeply with no pressure or expectations. I'm a lucky woman. I can tell you that having a partner to "help with decisions" isn't always convenient though ;) . Handy-ness can go either way too. I haven't had a sink or range or dishwasher for three days now because dh is too busy with work to hook everything up. When you aren't handy and don't have a handy spouse you just hire someone and get-er-done :) .

If you are putting your sink in the peninsula - especially a main/cleanup sink - then I strongly recommend an 18" overhang - but no less than 15". A 12" overhang will not allow someone to sit there when anything is going on at the sink - prepping, cleaning up, etc. If you don't have enough room in the DR, then consider either eliminating the seating (especially b/c it's right next to the DR table) or moving the peninsula into the kitchen 6" or so more than it is now. Even without a sink, you should have at least 15" of clear knee/leg space. To accommodate a 15" overhang, your peninsula should be 41.5" deep (1.5" overhang + 24" deep cabinet + 1" decorative door or finished panel on the back of the cabinets + 15" overhang). For an 18" overhang, it should be 44.5" deep. You want a deep enough overhang to: (1) Minimize splashing - you should have at least 18" from the faucet stem to the edge of the seating overhang (2) Keep dirty dishes out of the faces of those sitting at the counter. This is one of the disadvantages of sinks in islands and peninsulas - especially when the island or peninsula is not deep enough...dirty dishes are "in the face" of anyone sitting at the counter. (3) Allow comfortable seating - where you don't have to straddle the cabinets, sit sideways, or lean far over to reach the counter. If you're trying to "save space", be aware that people take up the same amount of space even if you skimp on overhang - they just have to sit farther away from the counter and lean farther in...unless, of course, they're sitting sideways - which means you need more than 24" of linear space per seat - or if they're straddling the cabinets - which again means more than 24" of linear space per seat. Oh, and speaking from real-life experience - sitting sideways and twisting around to face the counter is very uncomfortable for more than a couple of minutes. Ditto for straddling cabinets. If everyone in your family is very short and has short legs (and will always be very short), then 12" might work for leg space - but it does not fix the splashing issue. I can't imagine doing anything in a 12" space with water right there. I certainly would not want to do homework, crafts, read, eat, etc. unless the sink were empty and I didn't need any real space for what I was doing.

Here is another drawing with a wider kitchen and moving the ensuite toilet. Is moving the wall 11" to create a 15' 8" kitchen worth the effort? Is the kitchen too wide now? Is that island just a barrier? I love having a small table and nook for casual/breakfast family dining. This plan also brings a new window into the kitchen which I like. Buehl's wonderful plan doesn't involve widening the kitchen beyond its current 14' 9" which is fabulous and will certainly be more cost effective. Each square is 1' x 1', my hand drawing is obviously imperfect though, apologies. I will try to perfect using lay out software this weekend.

I agree with you, eastautumn. I have had nearly all great experiences with CL, and most of the people are so nice. This rug came from a single guy who had bought it at a yard sale, and was leaving the area to move to Boston, where he had found a girl who he said is "the one". It was fun hearing his story, and his pricing was very fair. He found a stain that he had not disclosed originally and right away offered to reduce the price. He liked the rug but at this time was more concerned about moving quickly and efficiently, so the less "stuff" the better, and was happy to see it go. This transaction benefitted both parties, and those are the best kind. I'm sorry you had to deal with a seller that was a little less than honest,....all of us have run into that at one time or another. Thanks for your kind words about the rug. I really love it!!