And on further review....we're both right. I have personal experience, Your Honour, with both methods, and if it please The Court, can bore you for a fortnight or longer with tales and truths about rooting Pachyphytum, Crassula, Echeveria, Kalanchoe, Thompsonella, Cotyledon, Grahamia, Tylecodon, Pachyphytum and other Crassulaceae - and that's just the Crassulaceae. I could go on with the Apocynaceae and other genera, but I shouldn't take up that much of your time. With few exceptions, if you're trying to root succulents, particularly Crassulaceae, you can take it to the bank that, given warm (20C/70F or higher is better) ambient temps and at least a modicum of sunlight (filtered is better than mostly direct), you will get leaves/cuttings/branches/stems to root faster if you give them an occasional spritz of water. I hope this provides a fuller bloviation on my comments earlier.

Thank you! By the way, I did want to share 2 plants that we were utterly transfixed by. We bought them both on a fluke in October 2012 because some of the plants we planned were not available. They are Scaevola Amula 'PUrple Fan' and Dipladenia (the pink 'shrub like' one). Both available at Mariposa Nursery in Bradenton - right by Lakewood Ranch. They have both literally bloomed NON STOP since October. The Scaevola Amula 'Purple Fan' is a low growing ground cover (about 6") with purple flowers - its created a swath of non stop purple on a slight birm we have - it gets sun in the morning and late afternoon (bright dappled shade midday). Each plant has spread about 1 to 3 feet. They are not competing with the Salvia or Angelonia planted next to them and instead create a purple carpet. The Dipladenia pink we put right next to our pool cage - they have dark green shiny leaves and dozens and dozens of pink flowers (pink range in color from pale to deep rosy pink on same plant). They are about 2 1/2 to 3' tall and about 2-3' wide (the brances arch up and outward). Again -- they have flowered non stop since October. This area is in bright shade until around 11am and then dappled sun / direct sun in afternoon. I wanted to share these two as I spent months researching on Gardenweb before buying over a thousand plants and as noted, these 2 were just flukes ... they've turned out to be the best non stop color so far (Oct-April...we'll see how summer goes). The Blue Daze and Lantana Alba (low growing) have also flowered non stop but the Scaevola is more flashy then the subtle tiny flowers of Blue Daze and the Lantana goes through phases of kinda looking ratty. The Scaevola and Dipladenia are prettier and have required absolutely zero maintenance. Sorry for the long email -- its just exciting to be able to share something that worked ;->!!!

I can ice cakes, bake (and I don't think it is that much more exacting than other cooking) and cook most things. I can even make a presentable decorated cake though I still struggle with making roses. I dread any recipe that involves caramelizing a syrup. It goes so quickly from looking not caramel at all to burnt. I almost always end up burning it the first time and having to start over. And I still struggle with rolling a good looking pie crust. I know that practice makes perfect there, but pie crust has so much fat that I don't feel our diets can afford much practice. I'm surprised that Mandie said she can make white sauce easily but can't make a gravy. To me, the technique is pretty much the same. For gravy, it starts with the steps of deglazing the roasting pan. Then I transfer the liquid from the roasting pan to a measuring cups (preferably one of the fat separator ones). Skim off enough fat for the gravy. I usually use a couple of tablespoons per a cup of liquid that I'll be adding to the gravy. From here on it is the same technique as a white sauce except with a different fat and liquid. Put the fat and about an equal volume of flour into a sauce pan. Stir over heat to make a roux. Add the liquid slowly while stirring.

We have a powder room and a full bath in our house. My uncle is an interior decorator....we have the option to add a 3/4 bath (shower only) to our master bedroom, OR to expand the existing full bath into one large bathroom. He suggested that we expand/remodel into a larger full bath, leaving us with the same 1 1/2 baths. This is from an interior decorators standpoint, and also someone who doesn't have children. I'm more practical. It doesn't make sense to me to spend the money to expand the existing full bath into a larger bath from a standpoint of resale value, when I could sell this as 1 full bath, 3/4 bath, and 1/2 bath. Would I love to have that huge full bath? You bet. Does it fit into our current home? Nope. We live in an English Tudor style home, the rooms are typically small scale, with little closet space. Lots of character, spanish plaster, hardwood floors, etc., but that's the trade off. Our full bath measures (tile to tile) 4'8" x 7' 4". By no stretch of the imagination is this a large bath, but it is a full bath nonetheless. You can't use the commode and open/close the door (not sure that you'd want to anyway), because your legs are there. Next to the toilet is the sink, and directly next to that is the tub, and the linen closet is in the hallway. Our powder room measures less than 5' x 5'. Again, small, the door would swing onto your legs if you are on the commode, and the sink with a counter/cabinet that runs from wall to wall, is right next to that. So, based on your overall measurements and available space to work with, if you really want a full bath and either a powder room or 3/4 bath, I think it's doable. Small, but doable. I personally would look at it from a standpoint of who your market will be when you sell. We live in a neighborhood comprised of families with children - that's who our market will be when we sell, so I'd rather add a 3/4 bath to our home than to make the one full bath that we have a bigger one, based on practicality alone. And, children or not, I personally wouldn't purchase a home without a bathtub. But that's just me, I'm a girly-girl and I lOVE taking bubble baths. Good luck with your remodel, whatever you do. Don't forget to take before and after pics!