Beauty that's not just skin deep
There are rugs and then there are rugs.
Emma Gardner, for example, designs handmade rugs.
She has donated her new rug, the 6-by-9-foot "Chinese River," to a raffle for RugMark. The rug is valued at $2,700.
Interior Design magazine said the rug "infuses Asian pop with the ancient richness and delicacy of a Ming carving."
RugMark works to end child labor in the carpet industry and give educational opportunities to children in India, Nepal and Pakistan.
The deadline to buy raffle tickets is Wednesday. Tickets start at $25 each and are less expensive the more you buy.
To purchase tickets or to find a list of importers and retailers who sell RugMark certified rugs, visit www.rugmark.org
Give me Bears and brawn, not beauty
There are rooms in the house where you don't want high fashion.
No, you want to celebrate something big and brawny like the Chicago Bears.
This might be in your home theater, the basement, a boy's bedroom, a bar area or a dorm room.
TrafficMASTER Team Tiles help create the perfect Bears den. These 18-by-18-inch carpet tiles install with adhesive stripes.
And purists note: These are true team colors. You might never have noticed, but Bears orange is different from the orange of the Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals.
Baseball and college teams can be honored as well.
Forty-five square feet costs $180 at Home Depot stores or www.homedepot.com
Information is at www.tmflooring.com.
Here are gifts not seen at the mall
The One of a Kind Show and Sale will open Thursday and run through Dec. 9.
The Merchandise Mart in Chicago hosts 450 artists, artisans and designers with paintings, photography, sculpture, furniture, ceramics, glass and more.
Meeting the artists is a bonus for shoppers.
Admissions on opening day will benefit Children's Memorial Hospital.
Hours are noon to 9 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 9
Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for seniors and students. Children under 12 are free. Discounted tickets may be bought online at www.oneofakindshow.com
Call (800) 677-6278.