I don't really know that the Beauty and Fashion Forum is the place to get info on Halloween costumes. You might try asking at The Kitchen Table Forum where everything is discussed. Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen Table Forum.

Thanks, Jeanne! The character is actually female (she is called the Usherette) but I changed it so a guy like me could have fun :). I'm a mediocre singer I guess and I would sing the song that she sings if I got asked ;) . A top hat is a neat idea! I was thinking more of the kind a bellhop wore but I think a top hat would look better! Silver gloves....hmm. You might be on to something! "Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still, but he told us where we stand..." Does this ring any bells (no pun intended) for anyone? (Hint: this character only appears in the musical, not the movie version). This is the song she sings in the musical. Brad AKA Moonwolf

hills Hi, it's not about your English (mine isn't that great either:)!), just a timing - your post dropped down since there were many others at the same time, and ppl didn't notice it. The ingredients you mentioned are all pretty good. I never used pumice, zeolith, basalt chips - but they have been mentioned and are being used. I think that any of them would be a good addition to the gritty mix. Just try to keep all the particles similar in size. I use what I can find easily: perlite, grit (I use chicken grit) and turface, mixed in equal amounts (more or less-I don't measure anymore). Bark is one organic ingredient to be added to the gritty mix. I am not using it now since I have hard time to find it small enough. It is a chore to break large pieces... My comments on your plants: the large plant looks good, despite what I think, is peaty potting soil. Peaty mixes don't drain well, often become either too saturated or too dry, and may also attract some pests, especially indoors. Re-potting into well draining mix gives succulents good drainage and air circulation around the root ball. Jades are quite tolerant and your watering must have been good. It has a nice color too, was it outdoors during the summer? The small plant seems to be in same mix, and I think it is potted too deeply. It also looks quite good to me. The size of the pot is fine, but I would put it into gritty and plant it higher. Many use fertilizers with 3-1-2 ratio of NPK. I use MiracleGro 24-8-16. Dyna-Gro Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 is recommended (I can't find it in Canada...) Where are the plants going to spend winter? They should get as much light as possible. I have to use supplemental lights, otherwise they get very etiolated. Last 2 winters they spent in basement, under lights, little cooler temps (no more than 50*F) and they were not fertilized at all - I don't want to 'encourage' growth if there isn't sufficient light and get them etiolated even more. Rina

Cedar is a very good choice for rot protection, the heartwood in particular is the best part of this wood. It also looks beautiful if you are looking for a natural wood look. The downside to cedar is the softness and ability to scratch. It is not a good choice if you have dogs. It also requires sealer every 2 years or so. Ipe is a very good choice because of its hardwood nature and rot resistance. It has a very tight grain structure making it one of the hardest natural woods used for decks. One drawback is, it doesn't have that natural wood look. Here is a picture of our railings on a small cedar deck. This is our trade show booth. Andrew