I'll pass the word to my mom. She's always helpful to new sew-ers; I wish I could get her onto some of these forums as she is a walking "how to" book for sewing! I hear ya on the price of fabric and patterns. Get yourself on Joann's mailing list. It will tell you when the patterns come on sale -- Butterick, McCall's and Simplicity for $.99 to $1.99, Vogue for $3.99. KEEP your patterns, as you never know when you'll make that again. Fabric there always goes on sale, or use the 40% and 50% off regular priced fabric coupons that come in the mailer or your email. I refuse to pay $25 for fabric -- with that price, it's cheaper to buy ready-made (just be prepared to repair it). I know there are those that don't like the store, but Wal-Mart is another source for some types of fabric. I just bought 2 yards of fabric there for half the price of what Joann's wanted for *the same fabric*. It was a Disney print, which means it's more expensive anyway (Disney's gotta get their share, I guess). Wal-Mart only carries two brands of patterns (Vogue is NOT one of them) and they're 50% off regularly. (I still wait for Joann's sales, but I am fortunate enough to have a Joann's close to me.) I'm glad you found a good repair person. Mom and I were guessing that it probably only needs cleaning up and a maintenance "tune up" to get it running new again. The older machines were made to last. I love my Viking - it's a basic machine, but it has always run well. Donna

I've had clients who went out in the middle of a BIG project and bought furniture that was beyond hideous - it was a monstrosity. I could have cried - all the work I put into this MBR and then they bought this enormous bed with built in headboard/bookcases/lights - heck there might have even been a refrigerator in it - it was bigger than some efficiency apartments. They could not wait for me to see this purchase, of which they were SO proud. I responded the same way I do when a really ugly baby is presented to me and said, "Well, that's quite a bed!" (I always say "What a baby!"). After the installation of what we were doing was complete, I bowed out - WAY too busy to help them with more decorating - always WAY too busy for the next 2 years. They finally quit calling and I was greatly relieved.

https://www.houzz.com/products/quoizel-laila-4-light-18w-mini-chandelier-rustic-antique-bronze-prvw-vr~142694794 https://www.houzz.com/products/laila-rustic-antique-bronze-prvw-vr~65234927 https://www.houzz.com/products/quoizel-laila-chandelier-rustic-antique-bronze-lla5205ra-prvw-vr~25692376 I think these are all the same. Thanks for all the suggestions! I have the table moved out now, it's not terrible. I'm just going to live with it a few days, maybe I'll try rotating the table for another few days and see how I like it.

Nice home and yard -- far from a disaster. Would NOT paint the brick. You could paint your front door. Is there a deep bold red wine color that you like that you could use for your door and any storm door frame ... with or without adding a brass or stainless steel kick plate at the bottom. https://www.pinterest.com/carenpinette/front-door-color/ If you painted all the painted surfaces of your home -- gable end, porch, fascia -- a medium gray color chosen from within the brick, the contrast would not be as stark and, in my non-pro opinion, would be an improvement. While I'd not have chosen that roofing with those brick, I'd still NOT change the roof only for looks -- not worth the considerable expense to do so -- but do consider the colors in the brick when actually is time to change the roofing. In the meantime, it is possible to darken the shingles. https://www.hunker.com/13401213/how-to-change-a-shingle-color If you have all bronze window frames in good shape, keep them; however, if you have a mismatch, consider painting them all black. Since the walk path from driveway to front door is soggy, you clearly need to work on drainage. With the absence of a distinctive slope to the yard adjacent to the front of the house, that requires creating a path for the water to run off. Although a French Drain could work, it could also require more maintenance. Instead ... A wide shallow scoop that can be mowed without other maintenance may well be your best option. In your case, the scoop should be an "L" shape parallel to the front exterior wall of the house and turning to be parallel to the sidewalk leading directly away from the house. The scoop may be wider and more shallow or deeper and less shallow depending upon what works in your yard. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/435582595190669883/ You'll also need to make sure the water from your gutter downspouts is being moved farther away from the house before it is released into the yard. https://www.twofeetfirst.net/how-to-bury-a-gutter-downspout/ You can have the water released above ground or to the first solid pipe, you can attach a different pipe with holes in it into a buried ditch filled with gravel to disburse the water underground in the same way a drain field of a septic tank would. https://www.thenaturalhome.com/septic/ Another alternative that might work IF you have a drop off near the road: With a slope in your front yard, you might be able to create a very short knee wall about a dozen feet or from the front exterior wall of the house, above which would be your walk path -- paving stones with grass growing between them. https://www.google.com/search?source=univ&tbm=isch&q=grass+and+paving+stone+walk+path&client=firefox-b-1-d&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiTxtGI_7npAhVamHIEHYXGA64QsAR6BAgKEAE&biw=1324&bih=648#imgrc=nJStdELGb78dmM A very short one step high retaining wall would still enable the yard to drain down to the lower level. https://www.homedepot.com/c/ah/how-to-build-retaining-wall/9ba683603be9fa5395fab90d68eac94  To create a knee wall for yard drainage, you'd need to dig out the front yard between that knee wall and the road. Have the ground above the knee wall have a very slight slope from house to knee wall so the water will drain off that part of the path/yard to below the knee wall. Put grass above the knee wall with paving stones buried so their tops are ground level and move any shrubs between house and knee wall to below the knee wall. If you need a place to put the dirt you remove to create the lower level, building codes permitting, you could add a raised planting bed either in your yard -- less stooping for your gardening -- and/or create a raised planting bed along side the property line to create a green privacy wall/fence. If Aucuba bushes will grow in your planting zone, they'll keep their leaves and look good year round. If liriope will grow where you live, it makes a good plant outlining a sidewalk and/or driveway and/or parking area. Do know what utilities may be buried in your yard before digging. Consider adding a tree on the left sunny side of the house about halfway from the back of the property to the front -- one that will provide shade in the summer for a side yard patio but let the warmth of the sun come through during winter. Also, consider move the bird feeders a bit farther from the house and add a plain concrete bird bath, also visible from your front window and not far from the feeders. By doing this, you will have even more birds coming into your yard, perhaps even nesting in the trees. If you will add landscaping that includes plants with blooms that attract humming birds, you'll have those birds come by to be enjoyed as well.