You may remember my sharing that after the Christmas decorations came down I began a top to bottom cleaning of the whole house with the kitchen being first on my list.  When I'm in this mode I hit the floor running as early as possible, throwing on my sweatpants, sweatshirt, putting my hair in a ponytail and of course there is no time for makeup...I've got to get it done!

New Dining Room Centerpiece

Do you have a favorite flower?

The rose, magnolia, gardenia, peony, and hydrangea would be at the top of my list, but I don't think I could pick just one.

I enjoy bringing fresh flowers in from the garden to use in arrangements.  It's also nice having flowers that don't need to be watered and changed out every few days.  

Here's an Update

Do you use rugs on your hardwood flooring?
If so, chances are you use rug pads underneath them.

Antique Rugs in the Great Room ~ How to Protect Them

There is nothing more exciting than an auction!

There are so many great things to see and you can usually snatch them up at a great price.

I love roosters, always have and probably always will.
So when the auctioneer announced two antique rooster hooked rugs were coming up, I bid and won.

One was large, one a little smaller,

so the smaller one is in front of the fireplace...

And the larger in the middle of the room...

The background is black, though it looks a little blue in this picture...

I'm not sure if they are antique rugs as the auctioneer stated, or if they are hand-hooked, either way I love the warmth they add to the room.

There is something special about needlepoint pieces and when I find them at good prices some come home with me, like this ottoman.

Other handmade pieces can be found throughout our home, like these that are framed and hanging,

pillows on chairs,

this framed piece on a stand that's kept on the fireplace mantle.

I've always used rug pads underneath my rugs.

A good rug pad will protect your rugs and wood floors, both of which are an investment worth taking care of, and I thought I was taking good care of ours.
I was using the type of rug pad found at most home stores and over time these pads were leaving a grid pattern etched on our wood floors.

Here's what the wood floors look like underneath the rug pads I was using...

You can see the old pad,

the grid pattern etched in the floor finish,

and how my spray floor cleaner quickly defines these etched areas...

Is it because of a chemical reaction with the wood sealer?  I'm not sure.

But it's there, doesn't wash off, and that's not good.

Since we installed new wood flooring in the great room
I was concerned about putting these rugs on the same type of rug pad, so it was perfect timing when Will at Rug Pad USA contacted me asking if I would give their rug pads a try.

They sent me their ECO Cushion to go under these rugs and I am hoping that these rug pads don't cause any patterns in the sealer.

This is what the ECO Cushion looks like underneath the rugs...

Rug Pad USA is an American company.

Their products are Eco-friendly and made in the USA by American workers...I think that's great!

This company promises their products will prolong the life of your rug,
prevent your rug from scratching or marring the floor below,
keep the corners from sliding or bunching,
they have a 20 year warranty,
and FREE shipping too!

If you have invested in wood floors and nice rugs that you want to protect give them a try.
Save 15% with code PR15OFF at Rug Pad USA.

*The rug pad was provided by Rug Pad USA, thoughts and opinions are mine based on my experience.  I've only had them a short time so I will give an update if there are any changes.

There's been an update to this post and you can view it HERE.


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FALL IN THE GARDEN~I'LL BE WARM!

Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter

there are always chores to be done in the garden.

When my father-in-law passed away, many years ago,

I became the recipient of his straw yard hats and his flannel shirt-jacket.
It thrilled me to pieces because the straw hats were wonderful for keeping the sun at bay and the flannel shirt-jacket, though VERY big on me, sure did keep me warm when working outside in the cooler months. 

Years have passed, and the straw hats have long worn out and been thrown away, and the flannel shirt-jacket is a getting a little ragged, so I was happy to learn about the Duluth Trading Company at the Haven conference this year and THRILLED when they asked if I'd be interested in reviewing a piece of their flannel.  Well, that was a great big YES!!!

This is what I chose and I LOVE it!

I chose the Women's Flapjack Shirt Jac which is a lot like the one I had BUT so much BETTER!

It is not like grandpa's shirt jacket because it's made for a woman, so it fits ME perfectly!
Grandpa's jacket and my new one...

It has pretty colors, fuzzy soft cotton flannel on the outside, and nylon quilted taffeta inside.
It also has hidden underarm gussets, a bi-swing back for restriction-free reaching and side snap tabs at the waistline!  See...

Those are great features, but they thought of EVERYTHING!  It even has an inside pocket with velcro closure for carrying my cell phone.  No longer do I have to worry about it falling out of my pocket when I'm working out in the garden...yippee!

The Womans Flapjack Flannel Shirt Jac is almost too nice to wear out in the garden, so mine will get lots of use in the cooler months as a light jacket and also to keep me warm while out in the garden.
As always, all opinions are honest and my own...I truly am thrilled with this jacket!

Oh my, Missy-Mae can't believe I headed out in the yard without her...

You know, this company has so much to offer for both men and women, and with Christmas right around the corner you may just find that special something for your special someone!  Go check them out, they have everything from outer wear, under thingies, gloves, shoes, knives, wallets, and the list goes on and on!  

Oh yeah, Ellie-Mae says hi!

Blessings,

Cindy

Hope you'll come join us for AMAZE ME MONDAY!