Onyx is gorgeous, and in a kitchen it's to die for...really to die for. It can be used in a kitchen as counters, but you just have to know it's not as hard as a granite or marble. (I saw a beautiful soft yellow kitchen with honey onyx...I was going to buy the house....horrible place....just to be in that kitchen). Honey is typically a stronger onyx than others because of it's pattern. The more you see the look of geodite style pattern, the more fragile it is. That said, I've seen in it a high traffic bathroom. Yes it's scratched (it was on a backlit floor) but you don't really see that when you're walking on it. On counters it can scratch, and it's probably better used in a bath than in a kitchen, but if you can live with a few scratches...it's fine in either if it's a strong onyx. I'm doing a countertop in honey onyx in my master suite, and I may use some in a dining room. I just adore the stuff. It's expensive, but it varies significantly in price. Honey onyx is probably up there with a high end granite. Other colors...Turquoise etc., they're VERY expensive. I wanted geodite in browns...OUCH OUCH OUCH (I passed) heh heh

In terms of whose colour it is (asked above). Ivoire is an SW colour. I wanted low or no VOC paint. Originally, I wanted the BM Aura low VOC paint so that is what initiated the original BM colour match (lousy match). So I then decided to use SW Emerald no VOC paint and go back to the company whose colour it was, for the reasons you stated. Emerald is a very new no VOC SW paint - so likely not what most others on here have used for Ivoire. Not only was their own formula for Ivoire in Emerald paint totally not a match (they admitted it did not match and called the manager - I noticed the mismatch when 1st gallon mixed) - they then attempted to colour match their own colour and did a marginal job - they had already added too much pigment and made it too dark/blah and it was clear that they were going to be unable to get a match as they thought it was good enough and I did not. So back to a BM moore store to attempt yet another match to SW Ivoire. I think the match was okay - but I was fed up at this point and decided that this match would have to be okay - I have a rest of my life to deal with incl. my career etc and this was taking far too much time!. In hindsight, it may have not been quite bright enough, or maybe it is and Ivoire just plays strange on my walls or I made a poor colour choice etc. I don't know. It looks about what Ivoire should look like during the day but just a tad green at night (although new lightbulbs have helped). Mind you, my blue carpets are not helping matters (they will be changed to hardwood in due course). Or maybe I am more sensitive to greenish undertones than others might be - esp. as I had wanted apricot undertones. This post was edited by Scarlett001 on Mon, Dec 3, 12 at 16:26

Thanks all. I think I really am looking for something simple, not outstanding and something that will blend nicely without shouting, "Look at me!" Subtle is best in my book and I think the countertop speaks loudly enough. I couldn't think of or find any other "colors" or "textures" beside the darker gray that would do just that. It was late when I posted so I forgot I had pictures of the tiles, duh, that helps huh? I think the minimalist idea but not harsh and stark and cold is what this kitchen needs. I wasn't thinking in terms of feminine just with so many darks I didn't want it to appear at first glance that many men lived here, (although three out of five do!!). They really could care less anyway, just strive to make the mom happy. What a blessing! Anyway, try to imagine a 7x20 tile laid lengthwise with about 1/8 in tiny bit deeper color grout. Now what do you think? Without the tiny tiles inlaid. Remember: Place them lengthwise in your mind and keep in mind that EXPO uses flourescent lighting and I have lots of overhead lighting plus zenon undercabinet lighting. Thanks again!

You cannot get a quick spring green up unless there is heat, sunlight, and plenty of reserve nutrition in the plant roots. You cannot affect the heat and sunlight but you can recharge the plant's roots by fertilizing in the late fall. Specifically once the grass stops growing but before it goes dormant, hit it with a fast release, high N fertilizer. This is called 'winterizing' the lawn. If you wait until early spring to apply fertilizer, the roots have not awakened yet and the fertilizer washes away. At this point all you can do is wait until the grass awakens. Once it does, sit on your hands until May or late May. The grass should come in fast and fairly furious for several weeks all by itself. If you fertilize early as it's greening, you'll stress the grass with too much nutrition. That's why we wait. The organic fertilizer is very good at making your soil microbes healthy. When they are healthy the soil does what it is supposed to do with both plants and chemicals you apply. You can apply organic fertilizer any day of the year, even on the same day as you apply chemical fertilizers. I don't use chemical fertilizers anymore. Here's a picture of what happens when you apply alfalfa pellets (an ingredient in many organic fertilizers).You can see the improved color, density, and growth. Thanks to mrmumbles for posting this picture many years ago. The alfalfa was applied in mid May and the picture was taken in mid June. Does that help? Yes the organic will help. Now is a great time to apply organic. Where do you live? What kind of grass do you have? What is your watering schedule? How often and for how long do you water?