I'm starting a kitchen remodel and am looking for an over-the-range microwave to go with my new 24" range. The only one I've been able to find that's less than the 30" wide standard is a 22" LG model. It comes in "silver" but not in actual stainless steel. Does anyone know of any others in a 24" wide or smaller size?

Anyone know of a good store to buy yarn? I live in Silver Spring, very close to the DC border, and I am just so over driving way out to go to Michael's where the selection is just ok. I'd love to support a local or independent retailer.

hi shawn i have a small range (24in) but my microwave above it is full sized. it doesn't look weird that they arent both small. just craft ur upper cabinets to fit a standard size microwave and your lower cabinets to fit ur floor appliances.

Knit and Stitch in Bethesda. www.knitandstitch.com

kgenesius, there is a shop in Kensington called Inez's Stitchery that has a lot of stuff. it's not cool and edgy and the sales people are total hit or miss (they're not keen on just offering advice unless you're buying a pattern there). *but* they have some good yard and decent prices. lots of needles/accessories too.

i buy a lot of my yarn online really. at fuzzymabel.com and yarn.com. i'm only an intermediate knitter, so i'm taking any wild chances, but the prices are good.

So is anyone here actually renting their place for inauguration? I know lots of people have talked about it, but a listing is very different from an actual rental! I still don't know what I could reasonably get per night for my little row house in capitol hill.

Thoughts?

Search Craigslist.org under apt rentals for inauguration items...seems to be quite a few so far and prices vary greatly

My brother and I are neighbors, so we decided to try to rent out one of our apartments and stay at the other. We just posted the ad last night, so we'll see how it goes.

Thanks Donald, Craigslist was the first place I looked, but as you say, prices vary greatly and I don't know what people are actually getting for there places which is why I came here.

katedet please keep us posted!

sorry, their not "there"

I am renting my house (out in Brookland) to the parents of a friend of a friend. Since we are a mile from the metro and grocery and since they are somewhat "friends", I rented to them for $700 a night. Otherwise, I would have gone higher.

CMU,
I share your caution about what the actual received rents will be for inauguration versus the spectacular craigslist asking prices. I have friends who listed a 3 bedroom house for $2100/day and lowered it by $300 each week and are now at $1500 with no deal (4-day minimum mount pleasant). My suspicion is that prices paid vary widely even for neighboring apartments.

Anyone have any suggestions for delivered, dried, split (to less than 8 inch diam), and cut (to less than 14") firewood for a wood stove?

(please don't say craigslist - I've bought two loads and neither have been very good - wet, enormous hardwood logs that burn poorly.)

Easyenough,

Please keep us (me) posted on the firewood search.

I was asking about firewood and everyone either told me craigslist or referred me to "all those guys in pick-up trucks that drive around selling wood". Well, the craigslist people all seemed sketchy and were requiring a large minimum order and "those guys in trucks" seem to only drive around if I'm not at home.

I've been resorting to bundles from Fragers, which is not the most economical option, but they burn well. I probably won't bother with home delivery this year as my current housemate believes that fires are only for "special occasions", and I'm feeling too frugal to buy wood that she won't pay for but will enjoy!

I suppose if I can rent the house for thousands of dollars for inaug. weekend, then I could kick the housemate out and have as many fires as I want...

Does anyone a good place to get just a mat board cut for a picture?

I am not very familiar with framing options and I just need a mat board cut to go around a poster that is an odd size. Any information about a good place or how much this would run me would be good. Thanks.

OMG AT! You fixed your pagination so I can go back more than 5 pages at a time! Woot!

dominiquealis - Framers' Workroom is a terrific frameshop in Tenleytown with reasonable prices and do-it-yourself-with-help options (an artist friend recommended it to me a few years ago when I was looking):

http://framersworkroomdc.com

dominquealis: if you have a car (or a buddy who does) and are up for a trip to the Va. burbs, Total Framing in Fairfax City is my go-to place for mat-cutting as well as full-framing projects (when I can't do them myself). Total Framing has the lowest prices I've found, and when I've gone for just a mat, they have always been able to do it while I wait. (just for kicks, the area around Total Framing has a Trader Joe's, BB&Beyond, Ross, Ulta beauty supplies, Shopper's Food, Marshalls, ACMoore craft store, a large wine store, among others. Another 10 or so minutes away is a Wegman's grocery. as long as you're in the burbs, might as well shop it up!)

My partner works in DC, and about one weekend a month I go there, instead of having him schlep to NYC, so weekend before last, we went to the Logan Circle Holiday House Tour and it was such fun. I'm kind of surprised that I don't see it on the site here. At least for next year, you might want to put it on your radar screen. Or, maybe for this year, you could get some photos from it to share here, even it's just after-the-fact. It was very interesting. There were several very interesting spaces on it.

Another yarn place - knit happens in old town.

@ dominiquealis -- plaza artist material; 1990 K Street, NW (metro accessible)

For yarn: Stitch DC in Georgetown and on 8th Street SE.

Thank you everybody for your suggestions! I actually decided to go to Micheal's because of convenience (easy parking) and price.

We have the LG microwave in silver with all other appliances in stainless and it fits in just fine, the other appliances don't make fun of it or anything like that.

dominiquealis--if you ever want a variety of yarns, in addition to the places all the other people mentioned, there's a cool one in Alexandria too--on Washington St. I don't knit, but went there w/ a friend, and it was very nice.

As for framing, I know you're in Silver Spring and there are probably great places up there (Could Michaels do it), but there's a good framing shop that has a do it yourself component on 8th St SE (near EAstern mkt metro) called Frame of Mine. They could probably just cut a mat, or even just allow you to use their equipment. Another place is probably Utrecht on 13th St NW.

CJL, I ordered the LG. Are you happy with its performance as well as appearance?

Bray & Scarf told me that the LG has been discontinued and that there is no longer an over-range microwave on the market less than 30", so I ordered it right away from Rainbow (I'm assuming it is old stock).