I've tried it in the past and it wasn't a success on whatever plant(s) i tried.( Lost in the mist of time). Have severe reservations against using Coco-nut stuff on Phals though it works fine mixed with Bark as a potting mix with Cattleyas. There is the old standby Tree-fern, though i read recently that some Bulbos do not like it. Other possibles. Slice up that green stuff florists use and tack it on a mount. I've used that in the past and it seemed OK. Paper Bark. Make a quick trip to Florida and peel off some paperbark from the trees that have gone feral there. Just kidding! What about weathered hardwood palings? Or on the outside of basket pots? I've got a Miltonia that is growing fine and the roots are entering the potting material.

Hi I am looking for several patterns as well I have 3 grandsons I need to make Boy dolls for , so I need any male doll patterns from fibre craft also i would like the mermaid, bridalgrrom bridesmaid and bridal gown ones umm I think there is one call rainbow girl i would love to have, I need toothfairy , fairy goodmother,Oh christmas Angel and easter parade.. I have several patterns I would share if anybody needs them . email me at Finding_My_Family@hotmail.com

Hi Manbike and other experts, I just bought an Elite full top-grain, aniline plus leather sofa that is made in their California plant. They use tempered steel sinuous springs for both the back and seating suspension. From their site... Depending on the design of an individual style, our frames are made of responsibly forested Pacific Northwest alder hardwood or of Forest Stewardship Council (FCS) certified hardwood plywood. The hardwood plywood frames we produce also meet the strict standards of the California Air Resources Board (CARB). We create the frames in our own mill and reinforce our fames to ensure proper tailoring of the selected covering. And, while others may not use corner blocks at all, we use many in each sofa to enhance its strength. I do not have it yet. Most of the better sofas like HM are out of my price range. I sort of got warn down on my research and took the plunge. I did read a few bad reviews but apparently they have a cheaper side line sold at Macys and a few other stores that is made in China. I'm a bit nervous as I did not try it out in person. Also, if plywood is bad what do they mean by hardwood plywood? Does that mean crap? The choices are so limited around me so I ordered from a dealer I have used in the past. Do you know anything about Elite quality? I have read that not all sinuous springs are bad and that some can be very good. I should add that I did write the factory and ask if my sofas had any China on it, they wrote back and said no, it is made in the California plant. Now granted in the world of furniture I am not making a huge investment. It is however a big investment to me in my world. I bought a four seat Aero sofa and a three seat Aero sofa, both in the top grain leather for a total of $4800. IâÂÂm just hoping that IâÂÂm getting a good mid to mid high quality and not over paying for a poor quality. Trying to get the best bang for your buck in a mid to mid high range is incredibly hard. Not everyone can spring for a HM. With H&M you know what you are getting. Not so much with other brands these days, even brands that formally had a good reputation. This post was edited by jterrilynn on Thu, Mar 13, 14 at 10:14

Check the weights/density of the carpets as well as the fiber length to determine if there is a difference. Mohawk sells Smartstrand under the Karastan name as well and it is all the same carpet from that aspect. You could very well be correct in that the store clerk may have some incentive to sell one vs. the other, but I can't say for sure. Another thing to check is whether one is the new Smartstrand Ultra or Smartstrand Silk and the other the "older" Smartstrand. There's a thread on GW Flooring forum about the new Smartstrand that will give you all the details--link below. Apart from that, I would price out the one that matches up with HD's names at HD and see if there is any difference with your local guy. If there is a significant difference (lower price @ HD), I would see if the local guy is willing to come down on his price to get the business for the exact same carpet. The local guy will typically have a better install record (you get the luck of the draw with HD & Lowe's), so if he can come down within what you think is a reasonable price, I would go with him. Make sure the padding & install specs all match up so you're comparing apples to apples vs. apples to oranges. A little extra $ is worth the peace of mind IMO. As for vacuums, we have the Dyson Ball and love it. When we first moved in to the house, our Dyson was still at the apartment an hour away that we were in temporarily (we were in the clean up phase before final checkout inspection). We borrowed Mom's new Electrolux. It did a great job, but it was hard to push & pull across the carpet because it was so plush. I couldn't find any way to adjust the height, so I just strong-armed it for the little while I had it and made a mental note not to buy Electrolux in the future. I worried about how the Dyson would do, but those worries turned out to be unfounded. My Dyson was pricey (even on sale the price of 2-3 regular vacs), but it has outlasted all the other vacs I have bought in the past so IMO it was worth it! Hope this helps! Here is a link that might be useful: Smartstrand Changes