Another Redhead ;-)

What is it about redhair and freckles! So cute aren't they. This was a custom order for a little girl's birthday. I sure wish that I could watch her unwrap it.I am staying very busy, but loving it.
Have a great weekend,
Cathy

FLOR modular tiles- a personal review

You see them everywhere... from magazines like dwell to Ikea catalogs, FLOR modular tiles are the in thing for any modern space. I always thought FLOR products were cool looking when I saw them, but I didn't really get interested in them until I saw that FLOR products are green products in accordance with LEED and Build It Green standards; carrying a sign-off from Green Label Plus. With FLOR's use of recycled and renewable materials and their "Return and Recycle Program" FLOR modular carpet tiles are much more than an innovative designer flooring.

To get a closer look and feel for FLOR's products I decided to place an order for some samples of their different carpet tiles ranging from super shaggy, "Shaggy Sheep" to the much more basic, "Fez".




I have to admit I had a lot of fun with the samples... I did everything from spill stuff on them to see how easy they were to clean, to cutting and ripping them to test the durability. I really liked the results I saw, these carpet tiles could really be worth their weight in a multitude of circumstances. Being that you piece together this flooring with multiple tiles, it would be simple to take care of spills by removing the effected tiles, cleaning them, and putting them right back after they dry. Liquid spills will not permeate through the backing of these tiles so you don't have to worry about spreading. The tiles work quite well with vacuums and brooms, but I did have a negative experience with the "Shaggy Sheep" tile. The "Shaggy Sheep" tile has a very long, twisted shag that really sheds under certain conditions. Heavy traffic, strong vacuum suction, and pets do not mix with the "Shaggy Sheep". This tile gets very messy, leaving fibers all over the place to pick up and the tiles themselves are not easy to clean like the others I tested. Besides the shag, the overall experience was very positive.

FLOR has a lot of different choices when it comes to their products. They have all different colors, patterns, textures, and even carpet tiles for different places such as outdoors and commercial settings. FLOR modular carpet tiles are made in the US and have a decent price point in comparison to high-end area rugs and designer carpeting; along with the assurance that the products are certifiably green.

If you're interested in FLOR modular carpet tiles or would like to make a purchase, please check out their website:

http://www.flor.com/service/flor/index.html



Where to buy locally in the Sacramento Valley:

Lumens Light + Living, 2028 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95814- 916.444.5585
http://www.lumens.com/

Some area Lowe's retail stores
http://www.lowes.com/

Or you can buy direct from FLOR and have them shipped...FLOR has programs in place to offset CO2 and fossil fuel and energy usage to minimize environmental impact. Go check it out...

Maybe it is a Waldorf Doll Blog ;-)

Here are my latest.....this one I dyed her hair with orange Koolaid. I haven't done any Koolaid dyeing in a long time. It's still lots of fun!A dress that I made for sale. My serger and I are getting to be great friends. LOL
I hope that everyone is having a great weekend,
Cathy

The Number One Reason I've Had No Time to Blog

Things have been intense lately. I've been traveling almost non-stop. Here are a few highlights from the road:

  • Last visit to Indiana, while we were on a side trip to Amish country for pickles, the police raided our hotel. They brought the drug dogs and everything. Seems one of the locals had rented a hotel room to hang out at the pool and smoke some weed. Someone must have reported the smell. This was big news here, as we're in a very wholesome, family-oriented part of Indiana .
  • Last trip to Jasper, AL, we NARROWLY missed an F-3 tornado, which formed virtually on top of us, then moved on to the next county where it did a lot of damage. I love Jasper, but I am SO not going back there in spring or summer. The Husband has strict instructions he can only work there in fall and winter.
  • On a happy note, the hotel in Jasper now has a Belgian waffle maker. The Queen of Pain now has a few waffles to work off of me when I get home.
  • I made a quick trip home to Faith, where I spent most of an entire day chauffeuring my dad (who is young and perfectly able to drive himself) to various doctor's offices so he could talk to the poor receptionists and nurses about this curious coating on his tongue and throat. Now, most folks will call and make an appointment to see the doctor. Not my daddy. He doesn't like dealing with the automated answering machines that require him to press one to make an appointment, et cetera. He just drops in. To his credit, this has proven to be effective in that these nurses will do ANYTHING to get him to stop showing them his tongue. I can relate, which explains why I was driving him on this fool's errand.
As exciting as all of this is, the number one reason I've had no time to blog is that I've been busy lurking over at Do the Write Thing for Nashville where I've been busy plotting my strategy for scoring some of the goodies.

I had my heart set on the manuscript consultation by none other than Janet Reid. I've had a little ebay experience, so I strategized waiting until the very last minute and placing one bid--but WAY before midnight last night the bidding got too rich for my bank account.

Then, I set my sights on five days at Kari Lynn Dell's ranch in Montana--only to be quickly left in the bidding dust. This one is still open, and a bargain for anyone who has ever wanted to go to Montana. I think the bidding closes at midnight tonight.

I hear that tomorrow Barbara Poelle and Holly Root have a combo meeting at RWA or BEA going on the block. I'm glued to my PC. but I have a sinking feeling this one will go for big bucks as well.

Y'all check it out--there's a lot of great stuff being auctioned for a great cause!

Peace, out...

Susan

Leslie.......come on down!!!

Now, I really don't watch The Price is Right, but I couldn't resist! ;-) Leslie of Fluff and Nonsense is the winner of the jelly roll and Waldorf Doll. I so appreciate everyone that entered. I remember when I had my first giveaway, I think that I had 3 people comment so I made them all winners. I would have everyone win today if that were possible.

Leslie, I will email you later tonight with all the options on the doll.

Take care,
Cathy

Even Babies Like Quilts ;-)

I had to share this precious picture of my niece and her 4 month old baby Maggie. My daughter had all of us for Mother's Day today and it was actually chilly so Annie wrapped Maggie up in one of the quilts that I made for Mary Elizabeth ( daughter). And Maggie got her own Waldorf Doll....a baby size sleeping one. She is starting to grab things...her face says it all!
I hope that everyone had a wonderful day!
Take care,
Cathy

New Dolls....Told You That I Was Addicted!

This is really not turning into a doll blog I promise, but I just had to share the last 3 that I made.I am having a blast.......my son says that it is getting creepy having them all sitting there staring at you, but he is a man so what does he know. LOL

I will pick a winner Monday afternoon for the custom dolls......thank you for all the entries, I am loving reading them and then visiting your blog if you have one.
Have a wonderful day,
Cathy- where it is getting into the 40's tomorrow night.....whoo hoo cooler quilt sleeping weather again!!!


Doll Parts Found!

Brodie said that he feels very badly and will help me look for the doll parts!
Of course, I found them where I thought I would...outside and I will leave the rest to your imagination.
I am really enjoying all the posts, there are a lot of us with dogs and cats that eat things that they shouldn't. LOL
Take care,
Cathy

Body parts are missing........

And I think that this is the culprit! I made 7 dolls in the last 2 weeks, having them right beside meon a table next to the chair I sit in. Never once did Brodie try to get them.Today, I had 2 arms, 2 legs and the tummy section waiting on the table to be stuffed. Well, I can.not.find. them anywhere! Now, this is the sock eating dog who eats everything if we are not careful and believe me after 2 expensive surgeries we are careful. But somehow I do believe that he grabbed them when my back was turned for a second. Little stinker!!! In this picture he is eating a name in one of my giveaways. He no longer gets to pick them!!!

Doll parts will not be recycled......would be way too gross. LOL

Now for my giveaway......I have a Moda "Objects of my Affection" Jelly Roll to give away along with a custom 12" Waldorf Doll. I will choose a name next Monday, and will share the details of the dolls.

Now, who would like to adopt a gorgeous golden retriever???? My husband would kill me....so I am just kidding and I love the old mess myself.

Take care,
Cathy

A Little Boy This Time

I made this 14" boy and named him Thomas after my husband, who also has dark hair and dark eyes. I hope that there is a market for the little boys also.I can now say what the reason was that I was working so hard on making these, was that
Tom( husband) has been gone for 2 long weeks. I don't like announcing that I am by myself, which is probably silly I know. I decided to use the last 2 weeks to work really hard on my etsy shop, so I would start working as soon as I woke up until I went to bed. It made the time goes so much faster and I didn't ever really get lonely. He will be home in a few hours though and I am so glad!!!
Little giveaway on Monday....a jelly roll from Moda.
Have a great Sunday, it is supposed to be 98 degrees here today. Yuck, too hot!
Cathy

Throwing Tires In Your Yard Isn't Just For Hillbillies Anymore!

Now I'm not literally telling you to throw car tires in your yard... I'm talking about rubber mulch made from shredded, recycled car tires for your landscape. Once you've checked out this product you'll never go back to wood mulch again.


What was once stacked as high as an elephant's eye in junk yards and dumps has reinvented itself into all kinds of useful products for the green movement. I love running on tracks that are made from recycled tires and I enjoy crazy art made from them, but recycled rubber tire mulch brings it home for the general homeowner who wants to make a difference.

Recycled rubber tire mulch is a product that provides multiple benefits with very little drawback. Wood mulch has to be constantly replenished through the seasons, and easily gets blown all around or floats away when a good storm comes through. Not the same with rubber mulch... you get a product that that is long lasting and has the density to stay put while still allowing for moisture to permeate through to plant roots. Recycled rubber tire mulch's only negative draw back is it's up front cost. Wood mulch will usually always have a lower price point due to it's lower production cost, but down the road you actually get a better savings when you go with the rubber mulch. All you have to do is estimate how much you would spend replenishing your wood mulch over the years and then do the math! Bite the bullet and spend the money for the recycled rubber tire mulch... you save money in the long run.

Below is a picture of rubber mulch that's been in my front yard for over a year and a half now:


Since installing it in my own yard I've been thoroughly pleased with the results. It's usually recommended that you install a weed barrier under your mulch, but I went ahead and applied it right over the existing soil. So far I have noticed very little weed growth compared to the rock and landscape fabric I had originally. I strongly believe that the density of the recycled rubber tire mulch helps deter weed growth even though it's not an advertised selling point marketed by the manufacturers.

With all of this said, I really do have to recommend that you start throwing "tires" in your yard. You get to save money over time, you get a product that lasts against time and the elements, and most of all... you get to be green and sustainable with your choice to use recycled rubber tire mulch.

Below is a list of Sacramento Valley businesses who sell recycled rubber tire mulch. It can be purchased at Home Depot or Lowe's, but they carry one brand and it's very over priced and not locally produced.


The Brickyard, Sacramento and Vacaville- 916.290.4800 and 707.470.1600,


Resource Building Materials, Rancho Cordova- 916.985.2625,


Rocklin Rock Sand and Gravel, Rocklin- 916.624.7625,
no website...


Foothill Landscape Materials, Shingle Springs- 530.677.4716,