Black pagoda is also a possibility. I have one and the leaves are very dark green, almost black, and the calyx is also almost black. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.logees.com/images/T5003-2-Small.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.logees.com/Aeschynanthus-radicans-Lipstick-plant/productinfo/T5003-2/&h=300&w=300&sz=43&tbnid=ZYgmgyANc7kRvM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=90&prev=/search%3Fq%3DAeschynanthus%2Bradicans%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=Aeschynanthus+radicans&docid=uzLWtJnZNfnApM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=cu8vT_uHMojbgQfZ94T0Dw&ved=0CEYQ9QEwAg&dur=654 Here is a link that might be useful: Black pagoda

Avon Twig - pinkish brown looks totally natural on any skin tone. "Looks natural except better." My favorite for everyday running around. Clinique lipsticks are are rather sheer so there is a broader range of colors that can work for a natural look. For long lasting lipcolor in a natural tone, that you do not have to keep reapplying: Revlon Colorstay - Fawn is natural looking but has undertones of orange in the brown, and Flesh has undertones of pink. I change then seaonally depending whether or not I am tan. Burt's Bees has a line of lipstick that all look pretty much natural, depending on how heavy you apply them. They only have a choice of like eight colors and are designed to go with any skin tone. For some reason I cannot find them anywhere anymore in the stores.

Thanks so much everyone! I'm reading this instead of doing my statistics midterm...so maybe that's a thanks? Instead of a thanks! Ha ha! Anyway, this year's budget is about $2k which could stretch to cover new stairs or new railings but wouldn't extend to porching out the roofline unless I learn some carpentry skills really quick. I completely 100% agree that adding a porch over the front door would be amazing. I live in a rainy climate and it is so much more welcoming that way. I totally dream of a front porch so maybe I should look into making it happen. circuspeanut and GreenDesigns, thanks so much for your photoshops. I do love the longer hat! I think I may have made a mistake by making it so high contrast ... maybe a darker beige would be better than charcoal. I have an idea involving doing the porch and the hat in one color on vinyl shake, and leaving the bottom and the side the beige. Let me think on it...but don't let me photoshop it tonight! My midterm is due at midnight. Although I like colored trim, there is no way I would paint cheap vinyl trim, thereby removing its only bonus (low maintenance) but maybe I can go shopping and see if there are multi-colored trims available? I kind of like the look of a white trim with just a little black square around it. Very tailored. I'm mixed on the barn boards. I like the look of them online but am unsure if they fit with the decided charmlessness of my builder-grade beige vinyl -- I love them on houses with shakes! Replacing and reframing the front door is probably out of the budget. Unless I could get one the same width but with skinny sidelights on either side... Ok - what if the darker brown parts were coordinating vinyl shakes? Man I wish my roof were more peaked. This post was edited by robotropolis on Sat, Mar 9, 13 at 21:51

Welcome to the kitchen forum! About posting pictures -- have you seen the instructions in the "ReadMe" thread (link below)? The key is to understand that there is no photo hosting capability on this site; you can't "attach" photos the way you could in an email. You need a website like photobucket (or, my favorite, Google's picasa) where you can upload and store your photos. Then you can add in links to them in the messages you post here. About your countertop question: how much light is there in the kitchen? Are there multiple windows? If not, I'd be careful about going really dark with the counters... but that is a personal preference. It's not as if there are rules about how to make these choices. If only there were -- then it wouldn't be so hard to decide! Are you sticking with laminate for the counters, or considering other materials? Here is a link that might be useful: Read Me for GardenWeb kitchen forum