Wow!! Thanks all so much for the responses!! My back is truly broken!! I actually have been dreaming about having a garden for years. I lived in spaces where only a fire escape or deck was available for planting, so I set my mind to do this and I just forged ahead. The greenhouse was a pre-fab from Gardener's Supply, although i don't know if they still offer them. It took my husband and two of my friends about 4 hours to put it up. I had a general idea of what I wanted with the yard. I had a rough sketch, I then found a Sierra Landscaping program for $9.99 at Target one Autumn. I spent that winter playing around with it. It was really cool! My husband built the deck, but I did all the rest pretty much by myself. He isn't into yard work, but does the grocery shopping-which I could do without!! It works out great! We need to trim some mature oaks (my neighbor's) to let a bit more sun in. I love the semi-shade, but I love heirloom tomatoes too. I have 10 kinds tucked into the areas that receive the most sun. My climber is clematis-on a too small trellis.I wired the top down so it would grow back towards itself. I also have morning glories on a trellis planter on my deck. It acts as a screen between yards. I have Rose of Sharon and a Lilac on that side fence also. Alot of the shrubs are from neighbors. The offered some seedlings that had volunteered in their yard. The sod is a new addition. Although a lawn is the last thing I want to tend to, I thought it would be a nice area for a hammock.The watering was a nightmare, until I ran soaker hoses on timers throughout the yard. What a blessing!! It's a real time-saver. I work as a pastry chef and the summers are so busy, I am really pressed for time. Thanks again! I really appreciate all the kudos! I'll try and post more as the season progresses. Jo

I'm very sorry I did not answer the questions from the last few years... I've been out of reno mode for a while :) It's probably too late, but here are the replies: @walkin_yesindeed - the vanity finish has held up just fine. However, it's not the original paint. We sanded and re-painted with new Ben Moore bathroom paint. No issues with dampness (we do run the fan for every shower, though.) @kirkhall - I have NOT been happy with the touted un-stainable-ness of the epoxy grout on the floor. I mean, it's better than regular grout, but it didn't stay white no matter how much I cleaned it. It looks fine, since the tile is multi-toned, but it's definitely not still white. The shower grout, however, has held up extremely well. @SparklingWater - I don't recall the demo being terribly difficult, but that may be because I knew what to expect from other parts of the house. It was tile over a dense cement. @MrsD - I think the grout color is standard white. @MayaEoff - Our tub is the standard 30" size.

Roseabby - must have been posting at the same time! The pic of my hallway is really misleading I think. The canvas is actually centered on the wall. To me at least, the picture makes the wall look waaaaay bigger than it actually is and the canvas look smaller than it actually is. When you walk into the hall from the vestibule your eye actually takes in the entire back wall including the door to the kitchen which is between the canvas and the nook. Tina - in a small house it is important to me that everything have a purpose or be used on a regular basis IN ADDITION to being pleasing on my eye. I have to have somethng decent to look at amongst the explosion of kids toys and dirty socks in the downstairs! Just as My3dogs shows in her place - form and function don't always have to be sacriifced for beauties sake. In all of those cubbies hold mini books that my children look at on a daily basis, Thank You notes so that there is no excuse to not write one, paint chips that I obsessively pick up, fabric samples for when I learn to sew and old books that have been handed down to us that just give me a warm feeling when I look at them and think of all of the other hands that have held and read them.

I bought the countertop towards the end of dec.... and yes, it was solid. We actually used the part we cut off to make 3 cutting boards. Ended up being Christmas presents. ;-) This is the one I bought : http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40057853/#/40057853 I'm pretty sure it was the beech one, but I can't find the paper now. DH used google sketch up to draw out what I gave him in graph paper - I need to wait till he's home to see if I can find that info... pretty much I used things like the drawings in this thread, http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg1009290030834.html , and also just measured our own chairs to see what was comfortable. As I said, we planned and planned and planned. And then when we actually started ripping the wall out and putting in the 2x4's etc, everything was a readjustment. Let's just say, dh and I realized we weren't always understanding one another as I tried to explain my vision to him. (but it all worked out in the end ;-P )