Made in the U.S.A. – Green Rugs

When I needed new rugs for the bathroom, I looked around at Wal-Mart for something a little more versatile, something that wouldn’t scream “this crazy lady is using a bathroom rug by the front door”. And I needed them to be machine washable. Our home has carpet only in the bedrooms so, we have several rugs around the house (under my computer chair, in front of the doors, by the wood stove, etc. ) and I like them to be of the same type so they can be used interchangeably.

After finding these at Wal-Mart about a year ago, I bought four and have been very happy with them. Recently I decided to buy a few more but our local Wal-Mart no longer carried them. So whenever I was in a different W-M, I would go to the housewares department and see if they had them.

(Now you’re probably thinking that this crazy lady was going from W-M to W-M just looking for rugs, but I wasn’t. However, when we need things when we’re traveling, that’s where we go. )

We went to Tulsa to see my mother for Mother’s Day. When we needed to get some snacks and stretch our legs, we stopped at a Wal-Mart in one of the little towns off I-35 and eureka! I found them. These newer ones are a little larger and a slightly deeper green but in the same tone, so they’re still okay to intersperse. And instead of $6.00 each, they are $9.00.

If green scatter rugs are something you’re in the market for, check these out. They’re stocked with the runners and larger rugs and not in the bathroom towels/rugs area.

These fit the bill:

1. Although no one will mistake them for Neiman-Marcus closeouts, they look just fine to me.
2. The price is right.
3. When the dog is naughty or we track in mud, I just throw them in the washing machine, then hang them up to dry. Occasionally if I need one quickly, I’ll toss them into the dryer with a dryer sheet for static; but I imagine they’ll last longer if I don’t do that too often.
4. They’re made in the U.S.A. – which really puts them at the top of my list.

Altered Box

This is a box that I made for my sister. I’m just a tad late. February 14, 2009 to be exact. That was when my sister (Fran), our friend (Abby) and I did a Valentine box exchange.

Altered box lid.

Glitter just seems to make everything better. I highlighted parts of the box lid with with silver Stickles (another great Made in the U.S.A. product) but it doesn’t show in the photos.

The box I started for her didn’t turn out well, so I just put it aside. I actually did give her the contents at that time – just not the box.

It has a hinged lid and is fastened with velcro.  It’s a little confusing figuring out how to open it, so I stamped the instructions to Lift Here by the handle (just above the lettering and not visible in the photograph above).

Inside the lid.

Of course, I didn’t make the box itself; I just altered one.

The paper is Graphic45 and made in the U.S.A. I purchased it from a really great shop in Skiatook, Oklahoma called Sparks Fly Studio. It’s a wonderful place that’s hard to pigeonhole. They have lots of supplies for whatever kind of paper projects you prefer: scrapbooking, card making, altered books, altered boxes, etc. But it’s more than just that, which I guess is why it’s called a studio. Among the classes they offer is one in calligraphy, which I’d like to take.

When (hopefully not if) I can retrieve photos from the balky laptop, I’ll post the ones I took the day Fran and I shopped there.

It’s a real jewel.