no accounting for taste's Profile

I like the idea of warm metals in the kitchen, but mixing them with cool feels off - that first photo looks like someone accidentally installed the wrong backsplash.

I refinished a table with Citristrip and was very happy with it, though I've heard of soy gel strippers as well. Good luck!

I have a DCM in my bedroom and it is absolutely a clutter magnet. But then again, so am I.

Come on, Ramsey Lewis Trio? No one? Both 'Sound of Christmas' and 'More Sounds of Christmas' are great, low-key cocktail party records.

Emily - yes! I love Weiser Farms' produce; their potatoes and carrots are always in my kitchen. I've also been meaning to get one of those bins. And as someone who doesn't eat meat, eggs, or dairy, I was thankful to see a couple of you mention plants (well, and fungi)!

sandanista, I searched for years too. I found some in antique stores, but they were too pricey and not the right shape. I found this one at a flea market for $100 or so after a long search ... I guess it takes a lot of patience and luck!

Since I rarely entertain anymore, I've never thought about it. I have an inherited set of vintage Fiesta dishes that I love, but they definitely feel everyday and it would just feel sort of awkward to use them at a dinner party, sort of like serving food in my pajamas. When I photograph food for my blog, I prefer to use the ivory set unless another color would complement the food better.

If I entertained regularly, I probably would get a set of off-white plain dishes.

I do a media fast every weekend. Actually, I don't have television or internet at my house, so it's not that difficult. It gives me time to read, take a walk, cook, clean up, and spend time with friends.

Kuri, you make some good points. I probably wouldn't feed cats a vegan diet, I don't eat soy-based products, and I do buy all my produce at local farmers' markets, but there are some beans and grains I buy that I know aren't grown locally.

However, I think most people who eat meat will (knowingly or unknowingly, if they ever go out to eat or eat with friends or family) consume meat that has been raised far away in factory farms. And I'm pretty sure that animals raised for food, not people and pets becoming vegetarian and drowning themselves in tofu, have radically increased demand for soybeans, as well as corn and even small ocean fish, the harvesting of all of which has destroyed plenty of natural habitats.

The bottom line is that it's doable and healthy for people, and sometimes pets, to live without animal products, and personally, I couldn't really think of a good reason not to. My dogs certainly don't care; they go crazy for lentils and now I'm actually paying attention to what nutrients they're getting when I make their meals.

I am vegan and healthy. My dogs are vegan and healthy. It's easier for me intellectually to just opt out of the whole meat/fish/dairy thing than to try to justify this use or that, and trying to make compromises by not feeding your pets meat and/or fish feels to me like ignoring the larger issue. There's no widespread, environmentally sound way to eat animal products regularly in our culture.