I'm in. I do come over here occasionally but have yet to post anything. I will start checking in and see what's going on and try to contribute as well. Good idea.
I go running 3 days a week and the gym 3 days a week and I'm home by 8:45 am (west coast) and when I get home the first thing I usually do is check in with my computer. So I will add this site to my check-in list. See ya.

Lavendar, I'm one of those that doesn't understand what is suppose to be the differences between the different areas.

I see OTs all the time in the discussions. What is the gallery used for when so many have pics in the discussions too.

It's funny that after finding this forum, I've learned to look for familiar names (such as yours). It feels like I'm meeting new friends w/o actually meeting them.

We bought a house that needs so many things done, I hardly know where to begin. The decision making feels overwelming. If I'm not in the kitchen forum, I'm on other GW forums figuring out, how best to do something. It's really been great to find such a great resources (while also having fun learning).

Blfenton- Great, I look forward to seeing you 'stop by' in the morning. I'm west coast, too :)

Aloha- You are right, ideally, the pictures should be posted in the Gallery section and off-topic posts (bathrooms, eclectic design, philosophical questions, my 'view out your window' posts, etc.) should be posted on the Conversations section. As people post more things on the Discussion side, the other areas get visited less and less....so people want to 'be seen' and post everything in the Discussion area.

I so agree with you about making friends on the forums. When you see the same people posting, you get a sense of their style and what they like, and a bit of who they area. I thought it would be fun to be able to do more of that, and be able to talk about kitchen or non-kitchen topics. We do that a lot, over in the Cottage Gardens forum, and I've made many friends there. If you have any garden questions, maybe you'll stop by.

So, do you have any pictures of your house? Any new ideas about your kitchen? It would be fun to see where you are, with your project. What forums do you like to visit?

Lavendar, I too love gardening. I put it on the back burner for the last several years but I was just talking with my DH that I want to get back into it again. Our previous home was full of shade and our "new" home had only one tree and a lot of weeds to start with. As you know with gardening, patience brings the rewards. I'm trying to divide and conquer. Your gardens look lovely. It looks like you have some acreage to work with.? Have you lived their long?

We have so many things that we want to do both on the inside and out. Last year we were able to get a handle on the front yard and exterior of the house. We RARELY hire anything out and so a lot of time goes into most projects.
This summer we plan to work on the side (to make it a walking garden) and the backyard is desperately needing a patio installed besides plantings. We're very outdoorsy people, so even as laborious as it may be, it's nice to do the outdoor projects.

We are trying to postpone starting the kitchen until fall. I want to make sure as many decision as I can, are made BEFORE construction starts. We see all the time on GW others that need their answers ASAP. I don't work well that way. I like to have an answer and see if it sits well for awhile. I'm still tweaking things, as I learn from others who have so bravely gone before me.

Two of the pics are with the PO grey color (not good with warm toned brick). My DH runs anytime I say the word roses for landscaping. That huge "bush" was an OVERGROWN rose bush we had to take out. The "nice" picture is after the house was painted with superimposed pics of the "baby" plantings we have installed.

{{gwi:21067}}

{{gwi:21068}}

{{gwi:9597}}

Aloha- Your house is beautiful! I like the new paint color, too. How lovely having so much water, right behind your house. What zone are you in? I would love to think of all the possiblities for climbing plants, with those great deck posts...but with our short zone 4 summers, clematis is my best friend :)

One reason I would love to have a sunroom, is to grow some star jasmine. It's one of my favorites and I grow it here as an annual, but I might try bringing it in for the winter, this year. My mom did that last year and they've done really well.

We do have some acreage and while we've been here a while, I just started gardening a few years ago. I really like it, but it's been a challenge to see what will grow well here and find things the deer won't eat!

Great ideas Lavender!! My kitchen/breakfast room remodel is quickly ballooning in to much much more...and unfortunately costing much much more. That's what happens when you have an older house (around 1923) - there were so many mysteries behind those walls!!! On the bright side I'm ending up with a beautiful vaulted ceiling in my breakfast room (not planned) - on the not-so-bright side we've now expanded to ripping out our powder room, discovered 2 major structural issues, and are now facing replacing all sorts of pipes that we hadn't planned on. It really is very stressful right now. I look forward to coming here to "chat" and not worry that I'm annoying anyone with my posts...

I'm honestly still feeling a little gun-shy about posting questions over on the discussion side. I think I might just wait until the kitchen is actually done and post my "big reveal" and thank all those who actually helped me!!

SQ

We're in zone 5. And yes clematis is my cure all and will likely adorn the deck posts.

I was at the library checking out books for landscaping, kitchen, etc. and came across one I highly recommend...The 150 Best Perennials for Great-Looking, Trouble-Free Gardens. Knowing a lot about hostas, hydrandgas, periwinkle, dead nettle and loads of impatients (annual), I felt overwelmed with selecting sun loving perennials. Though I rarely buy books, I ended up ordering this was as it is definately a keeper for reference.

I'm partial to Morning Glory vine for an annual.

It must be fun this spring seeing your plants come alive. I think that is the most rewarding part of being a gardender. What do you think?

I realize that conversations must be fairly quick back and forth when it's "working". Are you going to set a time up to see if you can get several to participate. I won't be very available until next Thursday (8 days) to participate but hopefully it can get started.

Thanks for trying to get the ball rolling.

Aloha: LOL - I'm in zone 7 and here morning glory is a horrible choking weed. My summer chore when I was a kid, was to cut out and peel back the morning glory out of our families laurel bushes. Fast forward to buying my first house as an adult and I refused to buy any house that had a Laurel bush on the property. My poor DH.

Susie- I'm glad you're ending up with a vaulted ceiling, even if all the surprises haven't been good news...that one definitely is! I was wondering how things were going, since I hadn't seen your posts lately. I hope you'll keep us updated with lots of posts, over here.

Aloha- Thanks for the book recommendation! I need a good book on perennials. They are quickly becoming my favorite type of plant for the garden, since our summers are so short. A few annuals (like stock and alyssum) can go in now, but most of them, not until June 1.

I do enjoy seeing the plants coming back in the spring...especially after a really long winter. It's so cheerful to see the bulbs and perennials popping up...and when the lilacs bloom, it's beautiful! I do like Morning Glory vine, it's such a lovely blue, but it hasn't done well for me, at least not so far. I may try again this year...my mom has had really good luck with them, but we just don't have a long enough season. Thank goodness for the clematis! LOL

Blfenton- That's funny, but I know what you mean. I got so sick of trimming candytuft, in my mom's gardens growing up, I have none in my own garden :)

Hi, lavender, I feel as if we're old friends from Smaller Homes/Old House sites, so I came looking for you, after reading your current threads in discussions.

Thank you for the 'shout-out' about my hood. It was kind, as every post of yours that I've read has been kind and helpful.

Also--keep your chin up! We've done what you are proposing, on a very small budget, 'paying as we go', although that did involve refinancing our home several years ago, for the biggest project, a 30'x12' story-and-a-half addition, with a partially covered concrete porch. In all it's taken 16 years, and I'm not finished yet!

When we bought our house, it had been a rental for 10 years, on the 3-acre remnant of an old dairy farm. Many potential buyers had viewed it and said that it would take too much work. But I had a vision (actually not my vision at first--my parents saw it and convinced me that the property would work for our then-young family). The yard had been neglected, and sadly all the original woodwork and trim had been removed, but the structure was basically sound. As our family grew, we added rooms and made other improvements (new roof and septic system, as needed).

We are DIY'ers, and have an extended family-and-friends network of contractors, woodworkers, excavaters, and painters, so our projects have been made much more affordable than if we'd had to hire out all the work, but you may have the same resources, too.

I just want you to know that I understand your dreams, love your ideas and pictures, and I know it can be done!!

Mama Goose- Thank you so much for the very sweet and kind post. You are a good friend and it means so much to me that you would take the time to do this. I know you've had a rough year and your kindness...well, it's the closest I've come to crying, during this whole thing :)

It does make much more sense to do parts of the project as we can afford it, since we don't want to go into major debt during the renovation. It's not necessary, since we have a house, but we decided that if we don't do something soon, the farmhouse will be too far gone. It's a cute little house and my husband would really like to save it. Before we invested any serious money, though, he wanted me to make sure I could find a layout I liked. It's been a challenge, working within all the existing load bearing walls, etc...but it's been fun, too!

We also have a wonderful network of extended family and friends, who are electricians, drywallers, our contractor, etc. Even a few lawyers, although I tease them that what we really need is a plumber (LOL)

There's something so satisfying about taking on a project and knowing that you made a difference. Your home is amazing and that kitchen...I love it and I know it brings you great joy, for so many reasons.

Thank you again, for the encouragement and support. And, I definitely want to do something cool like your range hood, in my kitchen. Maybe I'll find something I can reuse, in the chicken house or one of the barns! LOL

Hey goofy ;-) LOL

I'm in, not much to say right now. We have the house on the market so I can't start any new projects....

Just maintenance, clean.....

Thought I might take the time to learn some new recipes....

Hi! You are so funny! :)

Good luck on selling the house. I'm hoping to find some new recipes for cooking in the summer (maybe BBQ) without having to turn on the oven. It's cool and rainy right now, but by July/August it will be 95 and sunny most days. Beautiful, but too hot to cook! LOL

hi lavender...

can you fill me in on the gist of what is going on around here?! obviously a "drama" has occurred, but what happened?

i've been gone of few days from the forum.

this is the first time of come over to the "conversations" side.

Hey you guys - go and post your stories on the thread that was just started. Love to know what makes you and your homes special. Well, I know your all special but ... you know what I mean.

Blfenton, I know what you are thinking about the morning glory weed that sometimes called bindweed. That stuff is nasty. The more you try to pull it (I think the weeds go down about 25 feet) the more it grows.

There is a beautiful Morning Glory Vine that is an annual that you have to reseed each year that's often confused with the weed because of the name. They are two completely different plants. One a nightmare, the other heavenly. It typically has blue large flowers, much prettier (IMO) then clemetis - and I like clemetis. I just wish it was a perennials.

Ironcook- I'm glad you made it over to the other side! Nothing much to tell, except that now we have a lot of people, who are having fun sharing stories and getting to know one another. I'd say that was well worth any drama :)

lavender, you are a class act.
I sincerely mean that.

Thank you
Corrie