So last October we went to the same place and took another picture -- this time with the welcome addition of our then 4 month old baby.

But then we were right back with the problem of where to have the print made. Finally, a graphic designer where my husband works suggested Graphik (www.graphikUSA.com) . They do all kinds of signs and photo prints. Everything from our family photo to neon signs to the giant full color pictures that adorned the buildings of downtown SLC during the 2002 Olympics. And we are told that it will NOT fade. (Time will tell.) I was nervous that a company like this that deals in large orders and corporate clients would be expensive, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it would only cost $40.

We picked up our print today and it is beautiful. It is 16x20, printed on canvas and mounted on a hard backing. It would have been half the price that if I had opted out of the canvas.

Thanksgiving weekend 2005 we had a a little family photo session and took a family picture. We used our own camera (digital), but had some trouble finding a place that would print it the 16x20 size that I wanted. Most places only would do prints up to 11x14. Finally we stumbled across a little place called Moab Ink Company. They do full color prints in large sizes, so we paid our $18 and came home happy with our 16x20 print. That is until...

After a few short months, the color on our print started fading out, and it faded a lot. The sky and our skin all turned white, the reds turned to pinks, the oak tree bark looks like an aspen... you get the idea. ( to be continued...)

Almost 2 weeks ago my new stainless steel gas range was delivered. With the beautiful new stove sitting here, the rest of my kitchen looks really shabby, so I am working on sprucing things up a little bit. My cabinets were "custom made" 20 or 30 years ago, which translates to mean that the homeowner couldn't afford to buy actual cabinets, so she had her son "build" cabinets for her. They are strong and solid, but they have a lot of flaws and imperfections. Plus they are old and some parts are worn out.

I don't want to replace my cabinets and counter tops right now because I am hoping that in a few years we will be able to build an addition and expand the whole kitchen, which will mean I have to rip it all out anyway. So I decided to paint the cabinets and tile the counter tops. I know it's a bold move but I went for black paint on the cabinets, figuring I have nothing to lose and hoping the black will hide a lot of the flaws. I haven't chosen the tile yet. I realize that a new dream kitchen like Stu just put in for Helena M is too much to hope for, but I am going to do the best I can with what I've got. *sigh*

My cabinet doors are completely flat, no molding or trim or anything to give it any design. In an effort to bring in some points of interest, on a few of the doors I am adding a panel of wire mesh (specifically 1/4 inch hardware cloth) framed by a simple trim. I am also considering a few panels of sheet metal with some kind of punch design, which brings me to my point. What design should I choose.

Symbols fascinate me. They carry so much meaning within such a minimal construct. What symbol would I chose to accent my kitchen? If I chose something to define myself, what would it be? Religious symbols are interesting to me, but I can't bring myself to degrade something sacred by punching it in tin and mounting it above my garbage disposal, even if its a symbol for a religion other than my own. Catchy little phrases are kind of fun, but I'm not really one to permanently emboss quotes into the decor of my house. I love Celtic design, but I'm not sure how well that translates into a tin punch motif. There are still a LOT of options and some of you will say I am fretting over a trivial thing, but I'm not fretting. It just got me to thinking...

What would you chose?