Good Morning all! Guess What??? Yesterday we had SUN for nearly the whole day! After TCS's swimming lesson and a short shoppoing trip, then off to get the two flat tires on the car repaired (road construction can be a nuisance!), we went for a drive to see a house for sale which apparently has huge and beautiful gardens. Unfortunately from the road we could only see about a dozen large hydrangeas, but to me that's indicative of a gardner-in-residence. We then actually sat on the wine deck, with wine even, disucssing weighty matters and being serious. What a waste of wine deck time *LOL* I finally got into my relocated back garden where the soil has compacted to concrete and the weeds have managed to sprount anyway. Got that all cleaned up before dinner. A sort of productive day I guess. Today I am going to finish painting the baseboards in TCS's room. I am going room by room here, decluttering, making minor repairs, putting small annoyances to rights. After IU VI I intend to try to do a room a week in this way. Just little stuff. Julie Jobs. I have done all my shopping for IU VI, and now am starting to pack. DH has told me that I won't exctly be a fashion plate, (he especially dislikes the Crocs) but he thinks I will have fun. I don't like my IUVI haircut so I'm getting another one today. Oh goodness that Ivy is sweet! Oh to be young and adventurous and go camping with a little one! Marie your DD and family seem like such an energetic and fun bunch! And another Ruby Birthday! Hope you have a happy day Michelle! Blackberries and Raspberries - I love them, and Raspberries are DH's favourite. Everytime I've gone to a "pick your own" place to pick my own, I have ended up with poison ivy. I just need to know that there's some nearby and I get it. So I do go to the roadside stands or farmer's markets to buy them already in the basket. Raspberry pie is heaven to DH but my pastry skills aren't the best so I buy the frozen pie shell and cook em up for him. Today if the weather is any good I will take photos of my gardens, being selective so I don't get the rotten parts on film (or whatever it is we get them on now!), and upload to a Photobucket album that we can look at if we have five minutes of down time at IU. Ha! As if! I still have one very messy area to put to rights after the fence construction but as it is on the nasty neighbour side I haven't hurried up. Not very kind of me and it's starting to bother me, so I will maybe at least get started there today. I hate being mean. Also, Tucker distinguished himself by eating the living room windowsill, so I have work to do there. And Ajax came prancing in yesterday with blood streaming from his paw, where he had caught a nail and ripped up his toe. He isn't putting that foot on the floor today, so maybe I will try to gently soak it and figure out what I can put it to promote healing without making him sick. It may mean another trip to the vet. They love me there, they see me so often it seems. Anyway, off to do battle with the elements for yet another day! TTFN! Julie

The one I have is linked below. I know, it's a very extravagant Christmas gift, but DH's company had a good year, etc etc. However, full disclosure, I may be exchanging it for the other ring I had been looking at, which was the ring with the rose cut diamonds. There is something about the ring I do have that isn't sitting right -- I can't tell if the ring itself is maybe 1/2 size too small, or if just the style of the ring is not comfortable on my finger. I picked out the ring, so it's not like I'll make DH feel bad about picking the wrong thing! But I may go to the store tomorrow and try on the other one and see if that feels better. Of course, it's also more expensive, ahem. But at this price, I want it to be a ring that I'm going to wear every day and be 100% thrilled about. Here is a link that might be useful: ring

Bud4598, sorry for the tardy reply, I don't hang out here as much as I used to. I actually had to refer to some photos to answer your question because I had forgotten that detail. Yes, you are correct. There were pipe stubs that came through the gunite for the airflow, but the actual air grid is laid in after the gunite but before the pebble application. Aqua Man, I greatly enjoyed your comic books growing up in the 1960's. I read lots of Superman and Justice League comics, too. My brother had a fantastic collection. I don't think I have any other specific pictures of just the camphor tree, but so far I like it a lot. I also love the white birches back there. They're a little messy in the fall, but only for a couple of weeks and they haven't been that big of a deal. Cheers. Jeff

Please forgive the length of my posts, I have a hard time trying to make long stories shorter ;) Laurience, the tile that is already on the sink walls is the old 6" square tile. It is white, with the odd one having a blue and grey design in it, and although the grout has gotten dirty over the years, the tiles themselves are easy to clean. I'm thinking that I would use a light coloured grout with the new tiles (as some have done in the kitchen forum). That blue counter is coming out this weekend thank goodness! It's been a long wait for new counters! Sarclos, I have seen some of igloochics' rooster decor. Her wall mural is nothing less that a masterpiece! Her whole house is amazing. Speaking of wall murals, I am toying with the idea of hand painting my own tile mural. I don't have a cooktop or slide-in stove that would allow one over the stove, so I thought of doing one in the middle of the newly added cabinet wall (oak end). Apparenly there is a heat set paint available that is durable enough to work. Maybe painting a small 12x12in or so group of tiles, framed with narrow border tiles then the rest in the subway. Dawn, the only regret I have about our butcher block is that I oiled it rather than varnished it. I really don't intend to chop food directly on it, so I think I would have preferred a nice satin finish. Apparenlty Lee Valley carries a nice one 'Tried and True Varnish Oil', and we have Lee Valley right here in my city. I should find out if I can apply it even though I have already used the Ikea oil product. I'm liking the idea of having the light fixture moved, as it would really be nice to have something hanging over the island rather than the ceiling light that we have now. And it would have to move so little, that a ceiling medalion would cover the old hole. I love the idea of red stand alone cabinets! I don't know if the finish on these Ikea ones would take paint very well? I did formerly have a big armoire in the end spot in the kitchen that I had painted red and antiqued, and I loved the colour! Ikea does carry red cabinet doors (too modern looking for this space probably), but changing out the doors and drawer fronts would cost way too much (I just replaced the larger bottom drawer front using one I found in Ikeas' 'as is' room for $10. The actual price for one drawerfront is $75!). But man, now I won't be able to get the idea of having it red out of my head. lol. I'm going to discuss this option with my DH and see what he thinks about painting them. I'm sure with todays' products there is a good enough paint to adhere to the slightly plastic finish of the doors? Here is the red armoire that used to sit where the oak cabinets are now The last new countertop (for the sink wall) arrived yesterday. It will make a huge difference in the look of that space! We're still waiting on the sink to come in so it might take a few days before install. The tiling will have to be done right after, as taking out the old counter will leave a messy gap, not to mention the wall near the fridge is horribly crooked and will finally be repaired. Okay, here is an idea I have but don't know if it would be pushing things over the top a little. Here is my fridge wall We were thinking of adding crown molding to the cabinets over the fridge and stove. However, in a magazine I have, there is these wonderful tops (don't know what to call them) added. Would adding something like this (pic below)over my fridge and stove cabinets be too much? BTW, the cabinets in this photo used to be the melamine slab doors with the oak strip at the bottoms, but have been embellished with moldings and paint!). The boxed shelf tops would be so easy to make! As for roosters, I have three little shelf sitters on order to tuck on the tops and shelves. I suppose I better limit the number of roosters, but darned if I don't keep seeing rooster items I like (such as the bowl in this link that is no longer available) http://touchstonecatalog.com/rooster-bowl-faux-eggs/p/27366/ Just spotted your post, declansmom. I have considered beadboard wainscotting but would worry about water damage. (I have a knack for ruining things with water- don't ask! lol), but I also considered placing some small glass tiles in here and there, if I can figure out how to fit them in a design with subway tiles. Thanks so much again, everyone. It is so great to be able to get ideas from you all and get your opinions!