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Paula Deen Coming to Rugs Direct

Copyright © 2008  Rugs Direct^®

There is no doubt that the Food Network’s Paula Deen is a super star. In fact, recent polls have indicated that she is one of the 10 most popular and influential women in America. Paula’s Home Cooking and Paula’s Party are routinely two of the network’s highest rated shows, and Deen’s cookbooks are bestsellers throughout the country. In June 2007 Deen won two Daytime Emmy Awards in the category of Outstanding Lifestyle Host and Outstanding Lifestyle Program for Paula's Home Cooking.

Yes, “The Queen of Southern Cooking” has struck a cord with mainstream America, and it seems we just can’t get enough of her.

Recently Deen signed a exclusive agreement with Kaleen Rugs, a leading manufacturer and importer, to create her own signature collections of area rugs. Initially the collections will include:

• Paula’s Porch & Home – a machine-made rugged indoor/outdoor line made of 100% polypropylene
• Paula Deen’s Comfort – a machine-made, space-dyed polypropylene collection
• Paula Deen’s Signature – a hand-tufted collection that will be made in India

The first two collections mark Kaleen’s entry into the machine-made rug market, according to their executive vice president, Joe Barkley.

Fittingly, Rugs Direct will be the exclusive online retailer for Paula Deen’s new line of area rugs. It is anticipated that they will be ready in May 2008. If you would like to be notified when they become available, please sign up for Rugs Direct’s e-mail list by clicking here.

Paula’s Story

(The following autobiography of Paula Deen is taken from her website:)

Hey Y’all! You know, I meet so many wonderful people everywhere I go that are willing to share their life story with me, that I want to share a little bit of my story with all of you. Of course, there’s more in my new memoir – It Ain’t All About the Cookin’ – but, for now, I hope you pull up a chair and visit with me here for a while!

Everyone has a beginning, and mine really starts in my Grandmother Paul’s kitchen. I promise you, she knew everything you ever needed to know about making the perfect Southern meal. Every day I was amazed at all the things she knew and shared with me – cooking techniques, tips, secret recipes, and, most importantly laughter, life lessons, and love! Of course I didn’t know it at the time, but those would be the things that would always pull me through.

Following this carefree and wonderful time in my life, I graduated from high school, and married my high school sweetheart. Like all young people, nobody could tell me anything at the time, and I set out believing I’d be the perfect wife and mom and he’d be the perfect husband and father. Well, needless to say, that’s where things started to turn. First, there was the sudden and heartbreaking death of my beloved father, followed by the loss of my sweet mom just a few short years later – when our mom died my little brother Bubba was only 16, I was 23, and had two little babies of my own to raise. Everything that held me together was gone, and I truly didn’t know where to turn and felt frozen in my tracks. I managed through the next decade or so, but again things took a major turn for the worse when my husband announced one day he had taken a job in Savannah. I was 40 years old and was having such severe panic attacks that I literally could not leave my house, becoming a prisoner in my own home.

But, you know – things happen for a reason, and one day it just dawned on me: I was going to take control of my life and my destiny! So, I decided to do what I do best – taking a lesson straight from Grandmother Paul – and started The Bag Lady. With $200 and the help of my boys, the real adventure began. Of course you can read The Lady & Sons history page, but from the beginning we were blessed with faithful patrons that have become like family to us that allowed us to blossom. Our bag lunch delivery and catering service turned into a full-service restaurant and we went from leasing a place at the Best Western hotel to our very own place downtown.

During that time I’ve had my first cookbook “discovered” and more published, had the honor of receiving the “International Meal of Year” designation by USA Today, of having not one, but two of my own shows on the Food Network, and opened up another restaurant – Uncle Bubba’s Oyster House - with my little brother Bubba. And, guess what? I’ve even been star-struck myself appearing on the Oprah Winfrey show and meeting Oprah herself!

All of my dreams really are coming true. I’ve married my soul mate, Michael Groover – gaining a whole other extending family with Anthony and Michelle in the process, managed to raise two wonderful and successful boys, Jamie and Bobby, and created a wonderful career by doing what I love best. And, the icing on the cake? The birth of my first grandchild, Jack, in 2006.

But, you know what, none of this would have happened if I hadn’t of taken the good with the bad, embraced both the heartache and joy, and taken control of my life when I thought it could not have gotten worse. Most of all, during good times and bad, I’ve had the love and support of family, friends, and you – my fans. From my heart, I always wish you love and best dishes, from my kitchen to yours. And I can’t wait to continue the adventure with you!

Outdoor Rugs are IN

Copyright © 2008  Rugs Direct^®

Spring has finally arrived! Now is the perfect time to transform your patio, porch, deck or gazebo into an attractive space for entertaining or relaxing. And the best way to do this is with a durable, easy-care outdoor area rug.

Here are some tips and suggestions to help make the process of finding the ideal outdoor rug a little easier:

First of all, don’t be confused by the difference between an outdoor area rug and a door mat. The latter is designed primarily as a place for people to wipe their dirty feet before entering the house. A typical door mat sacrifices style for function. It may have the world “Welcome” embedded (or printed) on the front – or perhaps the name of your favorite sports team – but “attractive” is not a word many people would use to describe door mats. They are also typically rather small – on the order of 3’ x 2’ – because they are designed to sit in front of a door and nothing more.

Also, many people still think of outdoor “carpeting” when they think about outdoor rugs. Remember AstroTurf? Fake grass? It’s no longer popular because, quite frankly, it’s awfully ugly. Whatever you do, don’t cover your patio with bright green artificial grass!

An outdoor area rug, on the other hand, is designed to add color and style to outdoor activity areas. As such, you need to pay attention to a number of factors including the colors, patterns and size. So as you begin shopping for an outdoor area rug, what are the major considerations?

Appearance
Size – start by determining if you want a large rug to cover most of your outdoor space, or several smaller ones to define seating or activity areas. Many people make the mistake of buying a rug that is too small and are disappointed when it doesn’t transform the space in the way they intended. Make a simple block diagram and try a number of different combinations until you find an arrangement you like.

Colors – of course this is a matter of personal taste, but keep in mind that an outdoor rug is subjected to dirt and weather in a way most indoor rugs will never experience. Bright colors may fade if exposed to harsh sunlight constantly and there is very little you can do about it. Dirt will show less on earth colors. So if browns, deep reds, oranges and greens fit with your décor, you might give them greater consideration.

Patterns – this is where you choice can truly add to the visual excitement of your outdoor space. Don’t lock yourself into buying a solid color outdoor rug! There are so many beautiful patterns and styles available that you owe it to yourself to explore them all.

Texture – this is closely tied to the fabric and material used to make the rug. Most outdoor rugs don’t have as thick a pile as many indoor-only rugs because this increases the maintenance necessary to keep them looking new. However, you still have many choices, including some fine braided rugs that, in addition to having prominent texture, are also reversible.

Durability
An outdoor rugs is subjected to just about every kind of abuse imaginable. Kids, pets, wind, rain – even wild animals. So it’s important to choose a fabric that is strong, durable and easy to clean. Most outdoor rugs are made of weather-resistant polypropylene, which is also known as olefin. Although this is a petroleum-derived plastic product, many manufacturers are now using 100% recycled materials to make their outdoor rugs. It is woven in the same way as typical indoor rugs and can have the same intricate patterns as the most expensive Oriental rugs. It makes good sense to try and buy an eco-friendly outdoor area rug if at all possible. Polypropylene extracted from discarded milk jugs makes this practical.

One American manufacturer, Colonial Mills (CMI), has begun making a line of braided outdoor rugs that are only available at Rugs Direct. Called the Championship™ collection, they are made from 100% polypropylene and are designed for use on outdoor porches and patios, as well as indoor casual settings. They are unaffected by water, moisture, or mildew and, because they are reversible, they offer twice the life of a single-sided rug.

CMI has developed what they call the C-Lock™ braid-joining system, which offers several features and advantages:

• Incredibly strong Sew Soft-Sew Klear™ stitching thread
• More than two inches per inch
• Extra-tight braids for long wear and joint strength
  
• More yarn ends for stronger bonds and increased durability
  
• Easy maintenance – vacuum regularly with hard-surface attachment
  
• Easy cleaning – spray with hose and hang to dry

One note: CMI strongly recommends the use of a pad underneath their outdoor area rugs to both minimize wear and prevent slippage. Rugs pads designed specifically for outdoor use are now available. Click here for more information.

Price
Compared to hand-knotted Oriental rugs, most outdoor area rugs are an incredible bargain. You can easily find a large, top-quality outdoor rug for well under $300. Most smaller, space-defining outdoor rugs are under $100. The best advice is to shop around and compare. A good place to start is Rugs Direct. Click here.

Gone are the days when you had almost infinite choices for decorating indoors with area rugs but only a few limited ones for outside. In fact, most of the rugs you now see described as “outdoor” are more accurately labeled “indoor/outdoor” because they are attractive enough to use in just about any casual room in the house. In fact, one designer of an outstanding collection of area rugs, Liora Manné, calls her new Spello Collection “EveryWear” rugs. It’s a perfect play on words that describes this new generation of outdoor area rugs perfectly!

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For more information…here are some of the top manufacturers of outdoor area rugs, with links to their collections on the Rugs Direct website:

Couristan – Recife
Colonial Mills – Championship
Trans Ocean – Terrace
Casual For Life – Four Seasons (exclusive to Rugs Direct)
Liora Manné – Spello and Patio
Sphinx – Lanai

Eco-Friendly Area Rugs

Copyright © 2008 Rugs Direct^®

What is an Eco-Friendly area rug?

Area rugs are made from a variety of fibers that are considered to be naturally eco-friendly, which is short for "ecologically friendly." There are three primary criteria to consider when evaluating how environmentally neutral a textile product is:

1. First and most important is the renewability of the product. A renewable resource can be replenished in a relatively short period of time as opposed to centuries or millennia, such as oil or natural gas.
2. Second is the overall ecological footprint of the resource. It's important to consider the amount of land and water necessary to develop the renewable resource - most likely a plant or animal - to full growth.
3. Third is the amount of chemicals or other potentially damaging products necessary to grow or process the material in making it ready for sale.

Another important consideration in determining the extent to which an area rug is eco-friendly is how easy it is to recycle the discarded product and whether or not its fiber content is biodegradable.

Wool is not only one of the best materials from which to make beautiful, durable area rugs but it is one of the most eco-friendly fabrics on the planet. Sheep grow wool continuously. It's important to shear them at least once a year; sometimes twice. Not doing so results in the sheep being extremely uncomfortable during the summer months. When done properly, it causes no pain to the sheep and within six weeks enough new coat has grown in to provide the animal with protection from the elements. Most of the less eco-friendly processes for bleaching and dyeing wool are rapidly being replaced with ones that cause no adverse or long-term effects to the environment.

Bamboo is another excellent source of fibers for eco-friendly area rugs. It is a rapidly-growing, highly renewable grass that has natural antibacterial properties. Bamboo has an incredibly small ecological footprint and its fibers are completely biodegradable.

Other plant-based fabrics from which area rugs are made include jute, sisal, seagrass, coir, cotton and mountain grass. They require very little in the way of pesticides or fertilizers to achieve full, healthy growth. In addition, these plant resources can be replenished quickly and are almost completely biodegradeable.

Two major manufacturers of carpet and area rugs have introduced initiatives aimed at turning a variety of products not normally thought of as "green" into eco-friendly choices for customers. Shaw has launched their Green Edge program that focuses on recycling nylon. The Evergreen Nylon Recycling plant in Augusta, Georgia employs patented technology that takes post-consumer rugs and carpet and breaks them down to their original material – the actual building block for nylon 6. Shaw can then use this “new” material to make carpet and fibers – again and again without any performance degradation or color limitations.

Another area-rug manufacturer, Mowawk, has taken a slightly different approach in creating eco-friendly products. Through their Greenworks program, Mohawk operates the world’s largest integrated plastic bottle recycling facility located in Summerville, Georgia. The U.S. recycles 30 percent of its plastic bottles, and Mohawk purchases 25 percent of these, totaling 215 million pounds each year. And just what do they do with all these plastic bottles?

Mohawk recycles them to make polyethylene terephthalate (PET) carpet and rug fiber. A state-of-the-art process sorts the plastic bottles, chops up the plastic into little chips, vigorously cleans the chips and then melts them into polyester resin. The fiber is cut and shipped to Mohawk manufacturing facilities to make products consisting of 100 percent post-consumer content. But it doesn’t end there. Each part of the plastic bottle is reused. The caps and labels are transformed into other useful products such as plastic carpet cores.

Rugs Direct currently offers more than 4500 area rugs that we have classified as eco-friendly. If you are interested in shopping for one of these renewable or recyclable rugs, please click here.

Southwestern Rugs Require Special Care

Copyright © 2008 Rugs Direct^®

All fine-quality area rugs require a certain amount of care and maintenance. Some more than others. Southwestern or Navajo rugs, because of the special intricate patterns and colors they may feature require a bit more attention than most.

There is a company in Tucson, Arizona that specializes in the cleaning and repair of high-quality southwestern rugs. The Navajo Rug Repair Company has prepared a list of 10 rules your should follow for maintaining your special Native American rug:

1. If your rug is placed on a hard-surface floor, use a high-quality area rug pad. It will not only prolong the life of the rug tremendously, it will also prevent it from slipping and provide a high measure of safety. Do not use a net-style (or waffle) pad, or one made of rubber or jute. The type of pad sold by Rugs Direct goes by the name Miracle Hold.
2. Many southwestern rugs are reversible. If yours is, periodically flip it to even out the distribution of wear and fading.
3. Inspect the rug for insect damage or infestation. If you don't know what the signs are, hire a professional to check the rug for you. At the first sign of anything unusual, treat it for moths and carpet beetles (Dermestidae).
4. Vacuum your rug regularly, but do not use motor-driven rotating brushes.
5. Clean up spill immediately. Never let anything liquid or greasy sit on the rug because it is likely the resulting stain could be permanent.
6. Keep pets away from the rug. Pet urine is just about the worst thing to which you can subject a beautiful southwestern rug. It stains, it stinks and it is impossible to completely remove. Of course it is also highly undesirable to have your pet chew of claw the rug as well.
7. Keep the rug dry. If it does get wet, dry it in as short a time as possible. Use clean towels and dab the liquid - don't rub. If you have a wet-dry vacuum (Shop-Vac), use it to pull as much of the liquid out of the rug as possible.
8. Likewise, don't allow moisture to penetrate the rug. For example, don't place a live plant on the rug because the resulting moisture can lead to mildew or rot. Wet shoes should also go someplace other than on top of your southwestern rug.
9. When the rug gets dirty - and ultimately not matter how careful you are, it will - have it cleaned by a specialist who knows the proper way to care for a Native American rug. Do not have it dry-cleaned, and under no circumstance try to steam-clean or use an automatic cleaner on your beautiful rug.
10. If you notice any tears or fraying on the rug, have it repaired immediately. Again, your best bet is to hire a professional who knows how to minimize the appearance of the damage and prevent it from getting any worse. Contact the Navajo Rug Repair Company via e-mail, by clicking here.

Rugs Direct has over 225 styles of southwestern rugs available on its website, in a variety of sizes and colors. If you would like to browse the selections, please click here.

If you properly maintain your southwestern area rug and give it the care it deserves, it will provide you with many, many years of enjoyment and beauty.

Southwestern Style has Special Appeal

Copyright © 2008 Rugs Direct^®

Through the use of southwestern rugs it is possible to create a unique rustic atmosphere in any room in your home. Of course artwork, furnishings and accessories can enhance the look, but the bold southwestern rug is the decorating anchor that serves to define the rest of the room.

Southwestern rugs often go by other names. It's not uncommon for someone to refer to them simply as western rugs, although technically these are somewhat different. People frequently call southwestern rugs Native American rugs or will even attribute them to a specific tribe such as Navajo or Zapotec. An expert will be able to tell you the subtle differences between the rugs created by the various tribes, but to most of us the generic term southwestern does an adequate job of describing this particular style.

A common characteristic to most southwestern rugs is the combination of brilliant colors with characters symbolizing spiritual or historic aspects of Native American life. The amount of detail in a typical southwestern rug requires an extremely high density of fibers and a top-quality, handmade rug can take upwards of a year to weave. They are works of art like no others!

The designs of southwestern rugs prior to the mid 1800s were very different from what we see today. First of all, they typically weren't rugs, but blankets created to be worn around the shoulders. The fiber of choice was wool from the Churro sheep, which was introduced to the region by the Spanish in the middle 1500s. Designs tended to have  many horizontal lines and were not nearly as intricate as those we think of as Navajo blankets today.

When the southwestern tribes began making blankets - and then rugs - for export to the East Coast and Midwest of America, the styles changed considerably. First of all, the items weren't made to be worn any longer, but truly became both functional and attractive additions to people's floors. With most of the Churro herds gone, the artisans turned to commercially spun wool yarn and machine spun plied cotton. The introduction of synthetic dyes also drastically changed the look of many southwestern style rugs.

During the early part of the twentieth century an interesting transformation happened in the design of traditional southwestern rugs. The traders who were buying rugs in large quantities from the southwestern tribes and selling them to wealthy non-Native-Americans throughout the rest of the country, started injecting their own ideas into the designs. More accurately, they started telling the rug-makers what they thought their customers wanted, and insisted the southwestern weavers modify their designs to match. (Someone once compared this to opening a restaurant in France to serve Italian food to Americans and ending up with a fast-food pizza joint!)

As a result, many southwestern designs started looking a lot more like Oriental or Persian rugs. For instance, very few Native American weavers included a border in their designs. But American purchasers seemed to insist on having one. Also people seemed to want a heavier rug than what the Navajos and other southwestern weavers thought was necessary. Some people actually stopped referring to these new hybrids as southwestern and started calling them "regional rugs" or "tribal." For a short period of time - up until around 1950 - sales of southwestern rugs plummeted.

Modern southwestern rugs have gone back to the basics while continuing to show a great deal of diversity in color and design. They tend to be less regionalized than previously, and now incorporate many popular colors that simply weren't available to the original Native American craftsmen. Southwestern rugs have also made another transition, this time from the floor to the wall. More than ever people are actually hanging a southwestern rug as if it was a tapestry, but the effect on a room's overall decor can be truly stunning.

Rugs Direct has approximately 250 southwestern rug styles available at its website. One of the most popular is the Genesis Arizona made by Oriental Weavers. See it and all the other southwestern patterns by clicking here.

Featured Designer - Lynette Jensen

Copyright © 2008 Rugs Direct^®

Lynette Jensen and her company, Thimbleberries, is recognized as one of the world's leading authorities on quilting, home decorating and sewing. A native of Hutchinson, Minnesota, Jensen founded her company in 1989, and is therefore beginning her 20th year as a designer of unique patterns and fabrics.

Jensen is probably best known in the quilting world where she not only designs popular and appealing fabrics and easy-to-follow quilt patterns, but is also a best-selling author. Most of her enjoyable how-to books are available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon, and you'll be amazed at the range of titles and topics she covers! Although she began her interest in quilting as a collector, she quickly saw the need for a wider variety of fabrics and patterns. She introduced eight innovative projects at the International Quilt Market in Denver, Colorado in 1989, and the rest - as they say - is history.

Jensen helps spread the joy and fun of quilting through her Thimbleberries Quilt Club. Currently there are close to 1000 regional clubs that meet regularly to share ideas, patterns and help. There are now over 50,000 members worldwide, and membership grows steadily as the love of country quilting blossoms.

It was only natural for Jensen to apply her colorful quilt designs to area rugs. She and Thimbleberries partnered with Colonial Mills, Inc. (CMI) to create two braided area-rug collections: Four Seasons and Cottage Comforts. These rugs are incredibly durable, made of 65% polyester and 35% cotton. Also, unlike most area rugs, they are completely reversible. This effectively doubles their life. Their style is referred to as "alternating potpourri" and each collection consists of five different designs, available both in oval and rectangular shapes. A wide range of sizes are available.

We invite you to explore Lynette Jensen's popular braided rug styles by visiting Rugs Direct.

You Should CARE about Carpet Waste

Copyright © 2008 Rugs Direct^®

There are many reasons why wood floors are preferable to wall-to-wall carpeting, and not all of them are aesthetic. Just ask Dr. Philip Landrigan, director of the Center for Children’s Health and the Environment at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. According to Dr. Landrigan, “Wall-to-wall carpets are a sink for dirt, dust mites, molds and pesticide residues. I much prefer smaller, washable rugs of natural fiber.” Rugs can easily be cleaned, which kills house dust mites – those nasty microscopic bugs whose droppings trigger so many asthma and allergy reactions. Plus you can regularly clean the floor underneath.

Interestingly, Dr. Landrigan, just like those of us at Rugs Direct, highly recommends the use of a top-quality non-slip pad underneath your rugs…especially if there are children in the home.

So if you’re building a new home, the choice is easy. Install wood floors throughout the house and decorate with natural-fiber rugs. A real no-brainer!

But what if your home already has wall-to-wall carpeting installed? First, check underneath. It could be hiding some beautiful, natural wood flooring. To get to it, all you need to do is remove and discard the carpeting, right? If only it was that easy!

Although not so much as in the past, some carpeting contains some rather toxic chemicals that are used in the manufacturing process. This is more prevalent in the bindings and glues than the actual fibers with which you come in contact. But the process of removing the carpet can suddenly spew toxic dust into the air, so you need to protect yourself much as if you were removing dangerous insulation. If you’re uncertain how to do this safely, seek professional help.

But the situation gets worse. What do you do with the old carpet? Unfortunately most people send it to a landfill by putting it in the trash. More than FIVE BILLION pounds of carpet ends up there each year. That’s a lot of nylon, polypropylene, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, latex and calcium carbonate that’s never going anywhere. That mountain of carpet is still going to be there thousands of years from now, unless we come up with an alternative.

Well, someone has. In fact, the industry has. It’s called CARE. – the Carpet America Recovery Effort. This non-profit organization was created in 2002 specifically to educate and encourage Americans to recycle used wall-to-wall carpeting. Since then, approximately 745 million pounds of old carpet have been recovered. The goal is to divert 40% of waste carpet by the year 2012. The prediction is that there will be about seven billion pounds of discarded carpet by then. If 40% is recycled, that’s 2.8 billion pounds that doesn’t end up in landfills.

Currently there are 56 Carpet Reclamation Centers through the United States. The organization is actively seeking to add more all the time. To find the location of the one nearest you, please click here.

One issue CARE. faces is that recycling used carpet is expensive. Most people see their old carpeting as trash and getting rid of it should be free. But the process of recycling involves not only picking up the carpeting, but identifying what kind of face fiber was used, break it down into the components used, convert these components into a form that can be used to make new products and transport that material to the manufacturing location. It generally costs between five to 25 cents per pound of old carpet to recycle it. (A square yard typically weighs four to five pounds.)

So what kinds of things can be made from old carpeting? You’d be surprised!

A great deal of construction-industry products can be manufactured from old carpets: composite lumber, both decking and sheets, tile backer board, roofing shingles, railroad ties and cushions. Quite a few automotive parts can be fashioned out of old carpeting. For information on once company that is doing a great deal to create new products from recycled carpeting, please click here.

As an added benefit, many of these products actually last longer than those they replace. This cuts down on the need for new raw materials and the energy necessary to process them. In addition, recovery of the energy content of old carpet, since it is made from crude oil as a raw material, is an important consideration related to future oil dependency. As a simple example, let's assume you have a 20' x 25' room and you recycle the old carpeting instead of discarding it. You will permit the recovery of 73 gallons of oil used to create this carpet and 1.6 million BTUs of energy. You'll also be keeping 747 pounds of non-degradable trash out of a landfill. It will probably cost you about $100 to recycle this room's old carpet, which seems an awfully small price to pay for the enormous benefit!

CARE deserves the full support of the flooring industry, construction and housing concerns, government and all environmentally concerned citizens. To learn more, please visit their website, or you may request further information by clicking here.

Following is a list of CARE’s Board of Directors

Paul Ashman - Environmental Recovery Consolidation Services (ERCS)
Steve Bradfield - Shaw Industries Inc.
Russ DeLozier - Shaw Industries Inc.
Frank Endrenyi - Mohawk Group Inc.
Matthew Ewadinger - North Carolina Recycling
John Glenn - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Bill Gregory - Milliken & Company
Ron Greitzer - L.A. Fiber Company Inc.
Garth Hickle - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Frank Hurd - The Carpet and Rug Institute
Stuart Jones - Interface
Brendan McSheehy, Jr. - Universal Fiber Systems LLC
Robert Peoples, Ph.D. - CARE Executive Director &The Carpet and Rug Institute
Stephen Steele - NYCORE
Fred Williamson - StarNet commercial flooring Cooperative Inc

Featured Designer - Kathy Ireland

Copyright © 2007 Rugs Direct^®

Katherine Marie Ireland is considered by many to be the world's first supermodel. At age 17, this tall (5' 11") "California girl" was discovered by an Elite Modeling talent scout and no sooner did she graduate from high school than she was flying to Europe for major magazine photo shoots. However, it was Kathy's appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated's 1984 Swimsuit Edition that launched her career into the stratosphere.

This was, as they say, only the beginning. She appeared on three additional covers of Sports Illustrated and has been featured in the magazine more than any other model - a total of 13 times. Of course Kathy was a major part of the publication's 25th Anniversary Special in 1989. Many other fashion magazines sought the services of Kathy Ireland and she appeared on the covers of Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Mademoiselle, Shape, Seventeen and Harper's Bazaar, among others. You could even find her face on a box of Cheerios!

Somehow in between photo shoots Kathy managed to find time to appear in several motion pictures and television programs. She has also created several very popular fitness videos and even became a certified fitness instructor in 1994.

In the early 1990s Kathy began her transition from model to mogul. She wanted to help busy moms find products and solutions to help improve their lives. Being a new mom herself, Kathy felt she had a perspective that she could apply to a wide range of consumer products. She also soon discovered that she was going to have to create many of them herself.

Thus was born Kathy Ireland Worldwide (KIWW), of which Kathy Ireland is the chief executive, chief designer and chief product tester. Annual sales currently exceed $1.4 billion and the company's product line is expanding rapidly. Kathy's website, www.kathyireland.com, is a good place to go for ideas and "solutions" related to home, fashion, entertainment and lifestyle.

Kathy is active in a wide range of non-profit organizations and charitable causes. She is an ambassador for the National Women's Cancer Research Alliance and honorary chairperson for the March of Dimes Walk America program.

Kathy Ireland teamed with Shaw Floors to create a comprehensive line of area rugs, marketed under the Kathy Ireland Home brand. There are eight different collections that run the gamut from rich, elegant, traditional styles to brightly colored, whimsical designs. They are among the most popular area rugs available at Rugs Direct and are highly affordable.

These eight collections are:

• Aloha
• Essentials
• First Lady
• Gallery
• Gee's Bend
• Innovations
• Jardin Du Jour
• Young Attitudes

If you would like to explore the exciting styles of area rugs created by Kathy Ireland, please click here to visit Rugs Direct.

The Ultimate Rugophile

Copyright © 2007 Rugs Direct^®

Arthur T. Gregorian loved area rugs. So much so that he dedicated his life to their study and preservation. Considered by many to be the world's greatest collector of rare, inscribed Armenian rugs, Gregorian lived a life worthy of a Hollywood movie. His legacy lives on through his books, films and rug gallery described as "A Little Part of Persia in Newton Lower Falls."

Gregorian was born in 1909 in Rahvah, on the western shore of Lake Urmia in modern-day Iran of Armenian parents. When he was only nine years old, he and his family fled the volatile region with hundreds of thousands of other Armenian refugees to the southwest, ultimately arriving in Basra, Iraq. After finding shelter in a British refugee camp, Gregorian ultimately made his way via India, Italy and France to New England. He found work following high school in a rug shop. His goal was to save up enough money to go to college, and perhaps one day become a doctor.

However, once he met Phebe Ballou, Gregorian's plans changed. In 1934 he took his life savings, some $700, and moved to Wellesley, Massachusetts to be near Miss Ballou and open his own Oriental rug store. The store was so tiny that Gregorian usually visited his potential clients' homes or offices to make his sales, but he was rather successful. By 1940 he had married Phebe and opened a larger store in Newton Lower Falls.

Gregorian's most important legacy has been in the study of area rugs. He is responsible for articles, books, films and more, all dedicated to educating people on these often priceless treasures. Being fluent in Armenian, Turkish and Farsi, he spent months at a time in the rug bazaars of Afghanistan, Armenia, Iraq and Iran exploring and buying rugs. He would document his travels on 16mm film, which he would then use in his lectures. People who were fortunate enough to attend his presentations were often amused by his comments on local languages and culture.

Gregorian is the author of Oriental Rugs and the Stories They Tell, an important work in the study of rugs because of how clear and comprehensive the book is. He divided rugs into three major categories: tribal, village and city rugs. This makes sense because it is often difficult for a novice to tell the difference between a Sarouk, Isfahan or Tabriz rug, but it is much easier to distinguish the characteristics of a rug woven in a village like Bidjar to one that is more highly stylized and created in the city of Qum. (If you're confused by this, read the book. It makes it perfectly clear! It is available from Amazon.com among other places. You should also take a look at Armenag's Story, co-authored with his wife, about Gregorian's childhood travels by ox-cart from his homeland to safety in the West.)

Gregorian said he wrote this book because he discovered many rugs labeled as Turkish or Kazak were in fact Armenian. And because he was extremely proud of his Armenian heritage, Gregorian thought this distinction was important. It is also one of the reasons he spent much of his life collecting and documenting the unique styles of weaving used by Armenian craftsmen. His impressive collection of Armenian Oriental rugs was shown throughout the world and most of it was later donated to the Armenian Library and Museum of America.

Gregorian was also a noted philanthropist and humanitarian. In 1953, while serving as president of Goodwill Industries, he called his friend who owned a local grocery store and asked if he could place a collection receptacle for donations in the store's parking lot. The container was a dumpster painted blue with a rectangular hole cut in the side for shoppers to donate used clothing for the needy. This first Goodwill collection box became such a popular attraction for grocery shoppers that other store soon requested that a collection box be placed in their parking lot as well. The next time you make a donation to Goodwill, be sure to think of Arthur T. Gregorian!

Gregorian passed away in 2003. His gallery in Newton Lower Falls, Massachusetts is operated by his son and grandson and currently features Antique Oriental Rugs of the Silk Route.

How Area Rugs Affect Your Environment

Copyright © 2007 Rugs Direct^®

Guest author: Ron Neal

Over the years, a debate has taken place in the flooring industry over the impact its products have on the environment. In 2003, a group of industry researches and technical specialists met at the University of North Carolina to examine the science with regard to the positive or negative attributes of materials found in products like carpeting, area rugs and linoleum.

The panel looked at hundreds of studies in relation to how carpet and non-carpet materials contribute to environmental quality and whether there's a significant concern with toxic substances and allergens alleged to have commonly been found.

The intention of the researchers was to try and settle years of anecdotal evidence and set an industry standard to help buyers and sellers of flooring products. A good portion of the information reviewed came from the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Health Science Libraries, and other previously published industry experts.

A review of all of the literature led to one major conclusion: materials found in flooring "play a significant role to the quality of life indoors." It contributes to healthy design factors, safety, aesthetics, climate control, ergonomics and physical comfort. When maintained properly, carpeting and area rugs are not at all risks to public health.

While the group's conclusion was great news for the industry and the public, it's still necessary to examine flooring's impact on the whole environment, including the part played by rugs and flooring made from natural materials.

With so many types of area rugs available today, it's hard enough to make a style selection, let alone having to take health and environmental concerns into account. Keeping rugs clean and in good condition will go a long way in alleviating any concerns. Area rugs do have material differences, though. Here's a quick look at natural fiber rugs and other natural flooring:

WOOL RUGS
Water, water everywhere, so keep it away from wool. Water is one of the biggest enemies of wool rugs. Wool, popular in Oriental rugs, has a high moisture regain and is susceptible to microorganism attack. That may sound like the bad plot to a Hollywood horror film or an episode of Fear Factor. Nevertheless, keep something that requires water, like potted plants, off of wool rugs.

Water aside, wool's long, coarse fibers have the ability to maintain indoor air quality and, unlike synthetic fibers, can absorb indoor contaminants. Since discarded carpet accounts for a tremendous amount of waste – 4.7 billion pounds in 2002 according to the EPA – any rug that lasts longer, like a hand-knotted wool rug, is going to get the seal of approval from the Green Party.

JUTE RUGS
Once used primarily as carpet backing, Jute has made it to the big time. As a full-fledged member of the area rug and carpet family, Jute, which ranges from light tans to browns, is one of the finest and softest of natural floor covering materials.

Composed mainly of plant materials, Jute is a rainy season crop that grows best in warm, humid climates like parts of China and India. While it may grow in rainy weather, the Jute rug won't stand up to areas with high moisture levels. Unlike wool, jute is resistant to microorganisms, but the material will in fact deteriorate rapidly when exposed to moisture.

BAMBOO RUGS
Gilligan's Island no longer corners the market on bamboo flooring. You don't need to live in a hut to use this material.

Bamboo, which is also a trend in cutting boards and hardwood floors, has become a popular option for area rugs. And its environmental friendliness is obvious. No trees to cut down, no waste. Bamboo is technically a grass, and moreover a highly renewable resource. Maturing in less than six years, bamboo is harvested over and over from the same plants. Its strength combined with a natural beauty can add a contemporary touch to any living space.

SEAGRASS RUGS
Seagrass is not something you may have thought was illegal. You can't grow it in your backyard, but it does look great in the house. Created from tropical grass mainly imported from China, Seagrass, which only comes in a natural organic green color, is smooth to the touch and extremely durable and stain resistant.

SISAL RUGS
Sisal is another natural fiber that has recently gained popularity among designers. The material is derived from a cactus plant, grown in semi-arid regions liked Brazil and Africa.

Sisal is stronger and more durable than other natural fibers, making its staying power ultra-environment friendly. Water is not Sisal's friend, either. The rug should never be used in the bathroom or other moist areas of the house.

About the author:
Based in Los Angeles, Ron Neal is a free-lance writer, editor and owner of Writemind Media.  With more than 20 years of experience, including six at the Los Angeles Times, Mr. Neal has produced and edited hundreds of articles on a variety of subjects, including flooring, home improvement and area rugs of all kinds, including braided and sisal.

Article Source: Ezine

To shop for area rugs in thousands of styles including ecologically friendly materials, visit the online showroom at Rugs Direct.