Thank you everyone! Before finding this place, I never really decorated for any holiday except Christmas. Ya'll have inspired me! Now if I could just find some more hiding places for the new stuff that somehow finds it's way home with me. My husband says that UPS and Fed Ex have their GPS coordinates set by the location of my house. LOL! Jane, I've discovered the trick for the candy. I just tell my family that they can eat all of it that they want and they don't touch it! But if I tell them "hands off" until after the holiday, they're constantly sneaking behind my back taking candy. Luvs, have you looked on ebay for a matching sugar and creamer for your teapot? Robins, I'm hoping to one day get rid of the hoosier. I live in an older home and that side of the kitchen has no cabinets. The house originally belonged to my husband's grandmother and she had her dining table sitting where I have the island. On the wall where I have the hoosier is where she had her china cabinet so that's why no cabinets. I've been not so subtly hinting to my husband that it's way past time to remodel the kitchen and put cabinets all around the room. I think he's ignoring me.

Your vet may not have the unflavored HW preventative in stock. You may want to call ahead to give them time to order it or write you a script to get it online. You shouldn't feel bad at all about not wanting to do the allergy testing. It is really only useful if you are going to put your dog on allergy shots. The tests are not reliable for testing for food allergies (by the labs' own admission), so they would likely only tell you which varieties of trees and grasses your dog is allergic to. I do suggest that you consider a thyroid test though. Hypothyroidism can trigger allergies. Trying to solve allergies without treating an underlying thyroid problem will be like beating your head against the wall. The testing can cost ~ $100, but the treatment is easy, cheap and might just cure his itching, ear problems, and low energy. I disagree with joepyeweed about cutting down on baths to avoid soaps. Baths are a great tool to decrease the amount of pollen on your dogs fur. The best shampoo to use would one provided by your vet that is designed to help with allergy symptoms. You just want to make sure to rinse well and get him well dried afterwards.

SunnyC, you should start a new obsession thread every month. I enjoy reading everyone elses "preoccupation"lol! obsession Compulsive preoccupation with a fixed idea or an unwanted feeling or emotion, often accompanied by symptoms of anxiety. A compulsive, often unreasonable idea or emotion. You asked for a pic of my finished stenciled wall. I did this project at work, not at home. I wanted something a bit over the top in scale. The scroll is almost 3' high though I wish I could have found one about 5'. The walls are 24' so it would have been kinda cool if I brought them up even higher. Didn't want to stencil from an extension ladder though. A broken bone is not in my plans for the future! Anyway, here is a pic. Product has been hastily thrown back in place, so just look at the wall please:) For perspective, the pink is painted to a height of 9'. The stenciling goes around the corner about another 20'. So that project has now led me to the next phase of my obsession which is painting this harlequin pattern on an opposite wall. I'm thinking just a shot of it. Three rows wide and going up about 12'. I found a company that offers diamond shaped stencils in a 4' x 2' size. I could achieve the Harlequin pattern with painters tape, a level and a tape measurer, but that's giving me a headache thinking about it....

flyleft--Sorry! There's another one from the same manufacturer on there now...a round one. I'll link the auction below. It's "buy it now"---but I think the seller has it over-priced a wee bit. My guess is that it will get re-listed at some point. I did pay a wee bit more for that last one than I usually do...the colors were so nice! I have no idea what these things are "worth"...the colors just make me smile. Plate hangers and boxes are both good ideas. Here is a link that might be useful: Round Kareka enameled plate