writersblock there are other countertops, just not on that wall. if something cathes on fire we will put it on the sink which is on a perpendicular wall. or just behind us on the counter. here's a picture http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2711/4481744257_5dc0aa5567.jpg the range will go where the colourful cutting boards are. we've thought about layout a lot but if you have other suggestions, I'd love them. Keep in mind the wall on the left goes into the living room and has a 'window' through to the dining room, making the whole left side there a peninsula. we have a second floor so venting that way isn't an option. We are not going to get a downdraft. It's what we have now and does not work for us. Behind where we want to put the range is another unit. the only external wall in the kitchen is the one with the glass blocks. the blocks are the only natural light we have in there, not willing to block that in any way.

Hair color "holds" for various lengths of time, depending on the color (red is notorious for fading), the amount of sunlight to which you expose your hair, & the kind of shampoo you use. If you can find a shampoo that does not have any ingredient that starts with "sodium" or "aluminum", your color will last longer. Baby shampoo will work, & Dollar Tree has a brand that'll work. If your color has reddish tints in it, even though the box says it isn't necessary to cover it while it's processing, put a plastic cap over it; red oxidizes when exposed to the air, & if you don't cover it, your color will actually start to fade before you even wash it.

We just got our tile! We were also skeptical of ordering from Tile.Expert, but the online reviews and local pricing quotes on tile we really liked convinced us to give them a try. We've been planning far enough ahead on our remodel that a 9-week lead time was workable, and we were excited to have our small but heavy (1,377lbs!) pallet of tile delivered this week; with the freight driver noting that the tile was really well packed compared to some he's seen. The boxes were each tightly strapped to ensure no rattling or movement, then wrapped with a very strong, very thick shrink wrap that kept everything solidly in place, and then all that was strapped down further for it's trip from Italy to the PNW. We unpacked all of it the last two days to find there was not one single broken tile in the shipment, and it was exactly as we'd ordered, at a price well under what we could have gotten locally (we had local tile shop quote on the exact same material, with our designers discount, and it was still significantly higher). We'll try to post some pics once it's all installed in a couple of months:) but wanted to share our experience and recommend the tile.expert folks in the meantime!

I use it and, after trying numerous other products, it's my favorite. I color my hair but don't really use it for roots as much as I use it to camouflage the areas where my hair has thinned. It works! I have dark brown hair and use the Blonde powder which is more than dark enough for me. I tried the brunette but it made my scalp look dirty, it is good for a root touch-up though. I have never had it rub off on my pillowcase or run down my face when I've been caught in the rain. I will say that if you scratch your head, you will get it under your nails. A little root lifting spray and finger drying along with Great Hair Day to fill in obvious white scalp and I think my hair looks great. It's weird how it actually makes your hair look fuller. I've been using it since it was sold it at Bed Bath and Beyond for $10, even at 3x the price it's worth it because a very little goes a long way.