linoleum!

Had class earlier this week, which featured a guest speaker from Forbo Flooring. They make flooring (really? yes.), the super durable kind. They're responsible for like 65% of the linoleum produced in North America, 85% worldwide. Anyway, I learned some pretty interesting stuff about linoleum--they call it marmoleum, I think there's some kind of trademark issue there, whatever--which I will now share. It's that interesting. Linoleum was invented in 1860. I shit you not. The guy who came up with it was knighted for his contribution to the British Empire. That's so hot. Yes, I am still infatuated with Georgian England.

Linoleum was really popular for a long time, then started to be replaced with vinyl floorings in the 50s. But vinyl is awful! It's all off-gassing petrochemicals and rapid manufacturing. The green movement is spawning a renewed interest in linoleum, and companies like Forbo saw it coming and have a bazillion new styles and colors ready. Unlike vinyl, linoleum is made of all natural ingredients. You start with linseed oil and resin, heat and mix those together with wood flour, cork flour and limestone. It turns into a gelatinous, rubbery blob that has to cure for a few weeks before being pressed and rolled into sheets that are adhered to a burlap backing. Then it cures some more. The pigments are the only "chemical"ish ingredients, everything else is renewable (well, maybe the limestone isn't) and compost-able. It's durable (the rep showed us a piece from Radio City Music Hall's stage--it looked brand new but was really old), antimicrobial and relatively cheap. Seriously, you can put this in your kitchen and barely do any maintenance and it'll still look good sixty years from now. I want to marry it. It looks amazing in the house I'm building for myself in my mind, and I'm using the money I've saved by not using terrazzo to put in CaesarStone counter tops. Which are produced in an environmentally conscious manner, though they have to be shipped from a kibbutz in Israel. Maybe I can still work terrazzo into an imaginary bathroom or something.

always, carolyn

catching up

oh my goodness, i am a huge neglecter of my blog. i'm surprised blogger hasn't busted in child protective services style and rescued this poor wretch from my unfit care. wow, did i just compare a blog to a child? for shame.

well, since i lasted wrote words on this page a substantial portion of southern california burnt up (again), and i had myself a birthday. i am now old enough to equivocate when asked my age. i hope to be quite good at it, but i will need some practice first.

john got me three (three!) orchids for the occasion. i'm trying very hard to be a good mommy to them. the ghosts of orchids past still haunt me. i had one a few years back, and stupidly put it on the sill of a eastern-facing window. turns out orchids don't like direct sunlight. it also shared space with an extremely bored house cat, who liked to knock it over and eat it. my second try fared better. it flowered for a while, and even started to produce a little clone. then it died. i think i forgot to water it for like, two months. oops. well, i'm armed with awareness now. i've read a lot of information and polled my mother (the successful owner of about a dozen orchids). let's all cross our fingers and toes and send positive energy towards my orchids.

i'm six weeks into another quarter of interior design classes. i'm taking surface materials, lighting design, and a second computer aided design course. but i'm tired of being in class rooms. i think i need to get a job (boo), make some money and feel relevant and all that. i THINK i can muster the energy/desire/determination, but job interviews terrify me. i'm getting depressed just contemplating it.

i'm cutting myself off, happy halloween and all that.

always, carolyn