"a bunch of people claiming to be "green" chatting away on their computers made of plastics. no, it was the person who complained about the SUV's in the bank drive through while he/she was waiting in the drive through line. Or is it the people who don't realize that trees can be grown as a crop, much like corn, only it takes longer." Funny. Apparently to some people, environmentalism is an all-or-nothing situation. Apparently you either live naked in the woods and eat twigs and berries, or you support wasting as much of everything as possible. FYI, it's not the plastic that goes into computers that's the problem -- it's the power that they consume. And tree farms are major hogs of land and are nearly as poor at supporting diverse ecosystems as conventional farms are. Anyway, as for my worst recent example? I recently received two ram chips and 6 SATA cables (each flexible and perhaps double the size of a piece of linguini along each axis) in a 1'x1.5'x2' box.

Hey, Casey, thanks so much for your thoughts. Especially, one the "waterfall" design. I've always thought of it and described it as sort of a deco style, and what I remember from old radio cabinets. Just before I read your message, I had been researching, and it is also called a reverse fluted or reeded design. But, the waterfall term is what I'd been looking for. Yeah, I bleached it pretty extreme when I first stripped it years ago. I kept trying to get the black out with chlorine bleach (the internet didn't exist back then). It's been covered with with vinyl tablecloths 24/7 since then. That is why I'm thinking of staining it, but I'd like to do it in something with a slight reddish orange tone, MinWax Sedona. Would that be sacreligious? If I put an oil stain on it, I pretty much have to use an oil based varnish for the clear coat, right? BTW, Handymac - the Diamond finish says it uses Interpenetrating Polymer Network (IPN) technology - and it is waterbourne, rather than water based (but it is still waterbased, in my book). I've used it on my wooden handrails, over paint, on a dresser and really like it. Please note that I added more pages of pictures tonight, so people could see the whole table. Thanks again for your comments.

Yes, choux, our Liebherr fridges are the the most energy-efficient fridges on the American market. :) They're also manufactured without mercury, ostensbly. On the yellow Energy Star certificate that came with mine, it's rated so far to the left of 'comparable models' that it's off on its own chart. I made my own countertops with highly-repurposable copper and low-formaldehyde recycled MDF; re-customized someone's cast-off cabinets from the Restore, ditto on the low VOC paints (Benjamin Moore's AURA) and low VOC (Waterlox) refinished original fir floors. Vintage 1949 gas stove. Low-energy, low-water non-gerberator Bosch dishwasher. Wood molding, enamel sink and doors from a local recycled building materials alliance. Light fixtures are vintage ones from eBay. Old appliances donated to Habitat for Humanity. What kills me are the hideous cheap white vinyl windows the previous owner put in, thinking to save energy no doubt. But I'd die to have the original wooden casements to restore, and new wooden ones are far too pricy for me at this stage. Ah well.

Hi Scooby!! The shams and bedskirt are being made. I haven't bought anything else to try yet. I think I am going to go ahead and buy a new thicker curtain rod and get the bamboo shades in place. Then focus on the rest of the bedding, curtains, and paint. Still love that Overstock faux fur blanket but I see today the price is up. I'm not sure I feel confident I could pull off leopard print in my room though, lol. I do think it looks good in the one above. Really LOVE both of those rooms. I think I love the 2nd pic a tad more with the white sheets and the plaid. I have decided I'm going to move one of the hunt prints I had in the LR in this room. Remember this one? I'm thinking either over the bed with maybe some plates or round, old landscape pictures I have or over DH's chest. I think I'm going to mat and reframe the other one larger and keep in the LR as there's just not enough room to stack them right. Old pic, showing the other one.