What beautiful stories....thank you, kindred spirits! My own love of nature began in childhood, when my parents' 2 acres of woods and creek seemed to hold unlimited possibilities for discovery and adventure. I knew no names of things, only the richness of sensory experience.....the scarlet of Virginia Creeper in September, the trilling of Spring Peepers in March, the smell of honeysuckle in June. I loved the strangeness, the vast mystery, the invitation for exploration that the woods represented. As a teenager, I drew away from nature, absorbed in the usual teenage activities. Then in college I needed a science credit of some kind and impulsively chose Field Ecology. The choice changed my life! I learned, for the first time, the LOGIC of nature, the amazing harmony of ecological interdependency. It just blew me away that 'nature' wasn't just some hodge-podge of living things, but that each component......from rocks to soil type to plants and trees to insects to birds and mammals....each were intertwined in marvelously balanced, perpetual cycles which made sense, made more sense, in fact, than most human activities. I learned to identify the "22 natural communities of Missouri," the limestone glades and granite balds, the oak-hickory forest and the ox-bough slough. For years after I could go nowhere without drawing a companion's attention to the natural community we were passing. Then I moved away. But I came back some years later. It seems I am as hopelessly native to this region as an indigenous bird or wildflower. I could not feel at home anywhere else. Having returned here, I've made an ongoing project of identifying trees and birds, fossils and wildflowers. I'm rehabilitating my family land to (hopefully) return it to its natural state, and I've volunteered with wildlife and wild bird rescue groups. These have been very educational experiences, but the scientific aspects of nature hardly represent the full picture for me. As an artist, my aesthetics are almost entirely inspired by nature, the seasons, the textures, the colors.....these define my personal sense of soul and spirit. Alone on a walk in the woods, I experience a peace and larger perspective, profound feelings of awe, respect and gratitude. Much, much gratitude. I guess, as Frank Lloyd Wright would say, "Nature is my church." I've also been very involved in local efforts to curtail development that would destroy the last refuges of nature here, both in zoning of private land and public parks. Because if you love something, especially something that cannot defend itself, sometimes you have to fight for it. This activism has also added enormous richness to my life, for I have learned the fascinating protocols and structure of community politics, and through it met my closest friends, including my dear, sweet boyfriend, a nature lover like me. But where did I get my love of the woods? I don't know. It seems to have been there forever...

There are different methods/materials that are used for creating a "watertight" tub surround. We used Hardibacker for the tub walls (a type/brand of cement board), thinset (instead of joint compound) for "spackling", and Hydroban, a brush or roll-on waterproofing membrane. Or, you could use plastic (sheeting) between the studs and cement board, or Kerdi (a cloth-like membrane) over your cement board instead of Hydroban (or Redguard, which is another roll-on product). The important thing is to lay the groundwork first, before you tile and grout. They are only as good as what lies beneath them. As an added measure, we used TEC XT grout, which is supposed to be more stain, crack, mildew resistant than other grouts, and caulked at changes of planes (niche shelves, where the tile meets the tub). We sealed the grout with a penetrating solvent-based sealer (only type to use with the XT grout). We used STT's SB sealer, which was easy to use and had minimal odor, as well. We also are in the habit of using a daily shower spray, and wiping down the walls after showering. Probably overkill, but we lived with our really cruddy bathrooms for too long, and spent a lot of time, effort (and $!) to turn them into nice ones. We want them to remain nice for many years to come, so to us, the extra effort is worth it. If your shower door is in really bad shape, you might want to consider a new one (esp if you are totally remodeling the room). There are baked in and sprayed on treatments available for the glass to help keep them looking nice and clear longer. Squeegeeing the doors after every shower helps, too.

I would leave the brick alone. I think it works well with the color of the floors, and brings in some warmth to a cool palette. It also pulls that rusty color out of the artwork above the mantel. As for the surround, my inclination would be the bronze. I am not sure that I would like the nickel or chrome as well with the brick color. I wonder if you would consider putting the two candlesticks together one side of the fireplace, rather than splitting them. I think they are very nice, but would have more impact as a pair. Then I would get some birch twigs and put in the vase, to mimic the branches in the art. If that fits, you could put that on the other side of the artwork, with the two candlesticks together on the opposite side. Otherwise, it could sit on the hearth on the side opposite where the candlesticks are on the mantel. You have a lovely home.

We are using a custom cabinet guy out of Libertyville. Our kitchen cabs will cost about $25g, but it's all walnut with all the bells and whistles. Another place to check out that was very competitively priced is www.buildmykitchen.com. They have a couple of showrooms in chicago and surrounding suburbs and were easy to work with during our design phase. side note about Abt: I have loved our experience there. They beat everyone's prices and the salesperson I've worked with (Barbra Tector) was incredible. Spent hours with me on a couple different occasions (I took forever to come to decisions!!!) and frequently emailed to make sure all questions were answered. Good luck!