amjo. I have made pillow shams before.One simple and one with ruffles.I used a Simplicity set of patterns I've had for years, has about 6-8 different pillows to make. I would stay away from the ruffles, a lot of work. I did them to "save" money by not buying the already made ones, and using the top sheet of a set that matched the comforter. Not sure if I really saved though. But more simple ones probably. I have been searching on and off for a while for a duvet cover and hadn't found one (want some sort of pattern in certain oolors) There are lots of choices for solid colors and decent prices. To make one with sheets for a king size you would probably need to buy 3 king size flat sheets and cut up one of those sheets to make a border all the way around. You would probably be ok making a queen size duvet using 2 king flat sheets. It is hard to buy just flat sheets. If you want to use fabric from a fabric store you will need to use 3 sections for length on each side. (I helped my sister do this once)

quote" Why did the buyer bail on bluestone? "quote Because I'm a Wussy and let them change to Oklahoma multicolor. Most of my competitors won't let a buyer out of his choices. I have buyer compassion when it comes to changes. If I'm told before the work starts on tile and coping they can make a change without additional charges as long as the product is of equal or lesser value. At any given time I have lots of pallets of rocks behind the shop so I really don't lose any sleep over it. I'm not sure if it's select or full color, heck I couldn't even tell you if it's from Pennsylvania. I'll be going to the shop this afternoon and will take a digital camera to snap some shots of the pallets. See ya, Kelly

"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.

Thanks Patricia. Removable isn't a requirement, just thought it'd be nice to be able to easily take on/off as desired. I like the idea of rolldown screens, but from I've seen the price is much higher than simply adding a frame with some screening. I'm also looking to keep it simple and DIY. Rolldown screen wouldn't inherently solve my issue related to the stone veneer. This is the question I'm scrambling around. I'm assuming I'll need to cut the stone veneer to have a flat surface, or it'll look janky. Any thoughts/resources on the stone veneer question?