I have a grow light bulb in a floor lamp with an adjustable arm. It's over several plants and I'm never quit sure how long to leave it on or exactly where to point it. Right now I have it pointed at the white wall above and behind the plants figuring the light will will reflect and disseminate indirectly onto the plants. I leave it on only a few hours because they also get a very small amount of indirect, low light from and; window across the room and the fluorescent lights in the next room. I do wonder if the temperature is part of my problem with her and also my ivies, perhaps. Water could also be associated, I have heard that tap water left sitting at room temp awhile before watering clears the chemicals. I store my water in closed milk cartons a good while before use. I dunno if that makes any difference or not. ~ken_adrian... You said, "grow lights should be 2 to 4 inches"... What did you mean by that? 2-4 inch bulbs? 2-4 inches over plant? That is not the permanent position. I didn't post my zone because all my plants are indoor, but I live in VA. Thanks everyone for the advice and welcomes. I will check out that site, Carol23.

Hi, I quote your original post: "We took the energy and time to level the ceiling, put up new drywall etc... We then sealed it with an oil based sealer/primer. Waited a few days, then proceeded to paint on a laytex ceiling paint. " You directly state you used an oil based sealer primer. Show us a picture of the labels on the cans. There must be some product incompatibility going on. Rough texture shouldn't appear out of nowhere. When there's a problem I always suspect that the first coats were not allowed to dry fully, esp. if the primer was oil. If it is uncured it will cause mischief with the finish coat, esp. flat latex. Putting more coats on top to affect a remedy actually makes it worse. I'd let it dry a good long time and see what happens. Another thought: you absolutely never put oil primer over new plaster- the caustic components turn the oil in the paint to soap and it peels right off. If the drywall job involved a large quantity of setting-type joint compound, the house is unheated, and the work was finished immediately before painting, then that's a possibility; the moisture still inside the not-fully-cured Durabond is reacting with the oil primer. Casey

My thanks to all of you who posted comments, both good and bad. I can't begin to tell you how feedback about my florals opened my eyes, so I was able to change things for my next set of photos. I'd never think that removable "props" would turn someone off. I also have to say that you're taking it well and seem to appreciate the feedback. Those of us selling can now see our house through strangers eyes and what a potential buyer might think when seeing our house online. How the photos look will dictate whether they take the time to actually walk our houses. The last time our house was for sale we did not get any feedback, so I'm very thankful for this forum and hope that the feedback you got helps you. I noticed that the wallpaper in my home got some of the most frequent and critical remarks and it's left me wondering about something. Is wallpaper no longer in vogue in new or remodeled homes or is it that my particular wallpaper is not to the liking of most of you? I've walked a lot of new communities with model homes and can say that here they are still using wallpaper but not in all of the rooms. You might pick the nicest rooms to keep the wallpaper. I love the foyer wallpaper but not with the door color and not with the flooring. You might think to leave some of it up and paint other walls, using it as an accent. Back entrance wallpaper - I would take it down. Half bath - I like the wallpaper but not with the light fixture. Study - I've seen similar paper used in homes I've walked. Utility - dislike the walls - would sheet rock & paint 1st floor master - would paint 1st floor master bath - I like the paper but not for a room like this. I would paint and think about putting up beadboard 2nd floor master - while I like the top paper, I think it would look better painted. The wood on the door is much too dark. I'd also think about putting up a scarf on the windows, then opening the blinds for the photo. While I like pink, others do not :( Second floor vanity/dressing area - this paper you could get away with leaving. Bath 2, second floor - I would try to lighten this room up or leave the picture out. Living Room - I would paint this I also realize that the paneled family room is dated but my thoughts on that is to either paint the paneling a neutral color or rip off the paneling, put up sheetrock and then paint. I also want to install engineered wood flooring in that room and perhaps extend it in to the foyer where, I admit, the tile color is also dated. Another area of critical comments was due to my home having so much carpeting. Has carpeting also gone out of style or do I just have too many rooms with carpet? We just did this in the master bedroom. I would sheet rock. The carpet wouldn't bother me here. I'm one of the weird ones that actually likes carpet, especially for my bad back. Walking on wood floors kills me. BTW, the Saint Bernard that appeared in at least one photo and brought about a comment or two that some people wouldn't even consider buying a home where a dog had been passed away on June 10 much to my hurt. I'm in the process of cleaning up all traces of his presence here. That is, everywhere but in my heart! Very sorry for your loss. After 22 years, I still miss our German Shepherd.

I just cooked chicken breasts to take to our church to be made into pounds and pounds of chicken salad for our Christmas fundraiser. Here's the method I used...it worked perfectly. How To Cook Moist & Tender Chicken Breasts Every Time What You Need Ingredients 1 to 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, of similar size Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil, unsalted butter, or combination of both Equipment Heavy Mason jar or wide drinking glass Wide (10-inch) sauté pan with lid Tongs or spatula Instructions Flatten the chicken breasts: Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness with the bottom of a wide jar or glass. You can also (carefully!) use the handle of a heavy chef's knife. Season the chicken breasts: Lightly salt and pepper the chicken breasts. Prepare the pan: Heat the sauté pan over medium-high heat. When it is quite hot, add the olive oil (or butter, if using). Swirl the pan so it is lightly covered with the olive oil. Cook the chicken breasts for 1 minute without moving: Turn the heat to medium. Add the chicken breasts. Cook for just about 1 minute to help them get a little golden on one side (you are not actually searing or browning them). Flip the chicken breasts: Then flip each chicken breast over. Turn the heat down to low: Turn the heat to low. Cover the pan and cook on low for 10 minutes. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Set a timer for 10 minutes, and walk away. Do not lift the lid; do not peek. Turn off the heat and let sit for an additional 10 minutes: After 10 minutes have elapsed, turn off the heat. (If you have an electric stove, remove the pan from the heat.) Reset the timer for 10 minutes and leave the chicken breasts in the pan. Again, do not lift the lid; do not peek. Remove lid and take temperature: After the 10 minutes are up, take the lid off, and your chicken is done. Make sure there is no pink in the middle of the chicken breasts. If you want to be absolutely sure it is cooked, you can use an instant-read thermometer to check (the chicken should be at least 165°F). Slice and eat. Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator. Here is a link that might be useful: How to cook moist, tender chicken breasts every time