Last year someone [not sure which forum] said to always water Persian Shield early in the day, never at night or they'll rot. I don't know if there's a scientific basis for this advice, but I followed it. My three Persian Shield plants are about 5 inches tall now - killed to the ground over winter and regrowing. Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Saphire I bought a Precedent Microfiber sofa from Marshall Field's about 2 years ago. My sister has a Precedent sofa that I love and the fact that it's a divison of Sherrill I figured I could not go wrong. The sofa arrived on a Thursday, I had a party on Sunday. After the party the sofa felt like it was a few years old vs. a few days. It was very cushy. Not what I expected. Then I noticed it started to eat things; my hair, lint, you name it. I figured since it was my 3rd sofa I was stuck with it. About 8 months later I started looking at rugs and club chairs. I mentioned to my new sales associate that my sofa was eating things. She asked me to bring in a cushion, she spoke to her manager and they sent a technican to my house. He said it looked like I got a "bad" batch of furniture and they could replace the cushion. I said NO because then the cushion fabric would be different from the back. They offered me a replace or a refund. I opted for the refund. This time I bought bought velvet. I am not suprised that the store is being attentive, I am sure they have dealt with this before. I guess microfiber can be hit or miss. Good luck.

look at some of the Smartstrand cpts from Mohawk. They are very soft and stain resistant but come in a frieze style so they will look good. Most kid proof type carpets you will find are made from olefins which are scratchy. The softest nylon is Tactesse but its not totally stain proof. you may have to get a carpet remnant then just have it bound. I doubt any area rugs you will find are made from these fibers.

I really trust Zakian in Philadelphia 215-877-8000. They do a great job and pick up in Southern NJ and Princeton for free. As a matter of fact, we just had our family room rug cleaned and repaired. I'm having a senior moment and can't seem to remember where Westfield is located. Is it S NJ?