We have been looking at several options over the last year or two for plant stakes. We used to mark all the stakes by hand but that rapidly became just too much. As an interum measure last year we went to a moveable type stamp from Trodant called a Typomatic. The only problem with it was finding ink that was both waterproof and would bond to the plastic stakes. It allowed text only in one color but did an exceptable job. Over the winter we looked at several new options that would give us more flexability (I would love to get one of those TPX thermal printers but they cost an arm and a leg). We found two options that looked good - laser printable plastic stakes and waterproof vinyl labels. The printable stakes (from Gardenware.com) looked pretty good but require a laser printer which we currently did not have. Instead we opted to get the waterproof vinyl labels from Onlinelabels.com that were ink jet compatable (they also carry laser labels) #OL25WJ. These are 1 3/4" long and 1/2" high so they fit well on the plastic stakes. We have had them on the plants in the greenhouse now for a little over a month and they seem to be holding up well - the tech guy I talked to there said they should hold up for two years in wet conditions so time will tell. I am using Avery Labelpro software that came with an old printer but they have templates for Word and other programs available free on the site. There are 80 labels per page and cost us $60 for 100 sheets (8000 labels works out to about 3/4 cents per label). The laser labels are slightly cheaper. I am using a HP 750 series printer and they feed and print just fine. The only problem we had at first was the ink wanted to smudge - we overcame this by changing the print settings to draft quality (the imulsion on the stakes soak up the ink and the higher setting were putting too much ink on for it. You still have to peel and stick but it's a whale of a lot easier than doing markes with a pen. Our first big plant sale of the season is a week from this Saturday so that will be the acid test. Hope this helps. Tom Here is a link that might be useful: vinyl labels

I was planning a Groundhog Day breakfast for Tuesday morning. I'll get some pics. It will be simple and not elaborate foodwise since I am working that day. I may have to "borrow" your sign idea. Very cute table. I wish I have a picture of the little gopher creatures that keep invading our neighborhood! I do have a picture of DH standing in front of a sign at the Prairie Dog Town sign in Lubbock last week. He was less than thrilled that I wanted him to see this. I grew up there and we were in town for a funeral. It was his first trip to the flat land and it was cold that morning. Not a single prairie dog stuck his or her head out! When I was little we used to visit and there were hundreds of them. I guess it was too cold. There were lots of mounds though. DH said they were too closely related to the yard gophers that he keeps running off to the neighbors.

Just wanted to post a tree update! Thanks to you kind folks, we ponied up the money & ordered "Bowling's Last Stand." I was in love the second I took it out of the (Christmas tree shaped-cute!) box! It weighed a ton, the whole thing was made of iron or some similarly heavy-type metal. I triumphantly told DH, "The Tree Erection (ha, ha) Day will be better this year, this stand will MAKE Christmas merry!" And by George, it did! We put the tree up Saturday, and DH remarked how well-engineered the stand was. We chose a 12 ft stunner, and Dh and Ds were able to successfully get the tree in the stand, straight!! Dh said that stand was so sturdy we didn't even need the wood/wire tie thing he rigged up last year to bolt it to the balustrade! I told him my mental state required it, but it sure is nice not worrying everytime we leave the house that we will return home to Treemagenddon. :) So thank you for the wonderful suggestions, kind GW friends! Here is our lovely:

What I see...................: ) A lovely home with lovely views!! Fresh paint and flooring. Completely DEVOTED to children, play - a living room and family room somewhat inconsiderate of adult comfort. For dining, OR gathering in general. I will ask. How do you use the "living" room with the lovely view to the front garden? Children do not remain so forever. Their toys, do not remain forever. This it seems can not be your "FAMILY" room space with a television ..... These, your own words: "We love our family room and where it's located, off the kitchen... I can vision our dining table there when guests are coming which I can fold down after in a form of side table, for example. Another solution for large dining table is our living room.. but walking back and forth with dishes is not ideal :)." I agree, the living room is not ideal as dining. Especially with kids. ........ But you must pick a poison. You need comfortable, welcoming gathering aside from a feeding zone, and you do not have it. See below.......( pics following text ) I won't ask what you are using the living room for. Seems to be just a rug and a chair. It's a waste. You don't want a formal dining, It just got left as a vacuous we don't need it? That said? And since you are bound and determined to not use family room as dining? You move that tv..... you attractively cover that window in the family room with a nice shade. That can be a top down, bottom up. You set that tv, now mounted on a wall......on top of a closed cabinet, which will give you some storage for kids junk. YOU TUCK THAT DINING table and chairs to the former tv wall. You seat five and if you need six? You pull it away from that wall and when done? Back it goes. Meaning this just below.......1/4 inch to one foot scale, and feet and inches do not lie. It's nothing more than your own provided dimensions. and NOT this below OR..............you give us the dimensions/drawing accurately and I will show you how to make the living room an attractive and comfy family room space, with tv and storage, and you turn that family room space into really!!!! comfortable dining. You're stuck on one aspect of a home. A kitchen ISLAND. And you will remain so, unless you use all the space you've been afforded. What's happening below?? A rug? with a chair a mile away? : ) No one argues children must play. ......the rest of life matters as well.