Maybe we can repost this with a note NOT to reply that way it stays at the top? Is there a way we can sticky this?

@Aidan Creekmore yes it's that last picture... I think your sixth. Landed right in front of me and just sat there staring at me on the deck. I quitely got up and went into the house though I wanted to run and screen just like that 10 year old post. Sprayed cutter waited. It left because my bird reflector tape moved so I am back out on the deck nervous trying to enjoy the sun here in Georgia. Lol. Should I worry?

Who knows what tomorrow may bring? There used to be a japanese restaurant in Atlanta many years ago that made you shed your foot wear at the door. It was a novelty then. We would eat there when we were in town for a play or some other such event. We were in Charleston a few years back doing the plantation tour fund raiser. It was pouring down rain when we went to one beautiful place. I can't remember the name now but it had a golf course. We had to take off our shoes at the door and don those hospital type things. I totally understood. The mud and water would have ruined their floors and carpets. Once in Russia I laughed because we were touring a palace there and we had to put shoe covers on. The shoe covers were squares of carpet pulled up by two corners and a piece of elastic holding it together. I remember thinking then that it was a good idea but wished they knew about the hospital shoe covers. I also wondered why they didn't do a similar thing at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg to protect those beautiful old floors. In private homes,I suppose "when in Rome" would be the thing to do. Just think what a whole new world of opportunities for yet another shopping trip it would bring if it became the norm to take off one's shoes before entering someone's home. You'd have to have a pedicure at least every 2 weeks and you certainly wouldn't want to wear those tacky little shoe or foot covers or anything that someone else had put on their feet. The very thought of catching a fungus or some other such thing would be enough to drive one to drink. There would be a rush to design little shoes and foot covers of every color and material. Fabric would have to be imported from all over the world. There would be a scramble of designers to come up with the best the quickest. Milan would probably devote a whole show to shoe covers alone. Television commercials would have to be made showcasing beautiful feet wearing the very latest from Paris in shoe and foot covers. Oh! My! God! we would then have to make yet another decision. Which shoe covers to take to wear with the dress. I can't think about this today. "I'll think about it tomorrow y'all" she says as she presses the back of her hand to her forhead and sighs. No wonder the Wall Street Journal was so interested. Janis

Thank you ALL for your kind comments!! waterpondgal, No, our island does not have a seam. Hmmm, that is a good question. The only seam we have inside is at our kitchen sink. Then our outdoor countertop is a long run with one seam. I don't mind it outside, but I'm not sure if I would want that inside...especially if there is no stovetop or sink to distract from the seam. Maybe you can post your question here on GW and see if anyone has/had the same experience? I know I have done a search of granite seams in the past here. Some of them looked fine, but it also depends on the type of granite you have (color, amount of movement, etc). Maybe you can ask your granite fabricator to show you pics of some seams that they have done? Good luck! desertdance, thanks so much! We had a similar issue. I could've put a wall up between the kitchen and the great room. That would've allowed me to either have more upper cabinets or have a stove with a mosaic backsplash. But in the end we chose to keep the open floorplan. It allows us to enjoy more views from the great room as well. I think you will be happy with your choice, I love looking at the views everyday! Just make the most of your cabinets, such as organizers, drawers instead of lower cabinets and/or pull out shelves in your lower cabinets. Good luck with your new kitchen, I'm sure it will be lovely! ppbenn, thank you so much! We use the pantry fridge like a fridge that people would have in their garage or basement...all the extras such as extra milk, drinks, meats, etc. OR anything that just doesn't fit in the main fridge. I love having the extra fridge right there without having to run down to the garage! I do think that I might still get an extra freezer for the garage one day :)