CHINESE TAKE-OUT

I hate to call people out on the carpet so to protect the innocent I won't mention names, but a dear, dear friend of mine (we'll call him "J") once thought it was a good idea to put an antique oriental rug outdoors. While I love creating inviting outdoor living spaces, the only things this rug invited were critters, mold and neighborhood cats who piddled on and scratched the life out of it. When planning outdoor designs, interior furnishings don't always work. Unless, for example, you put boat varnish on a wooden daybed, scotch guard curtains and protect electrical cords with plastic moldings. When it comes to rugs, however, the best tip...purchase an outdoor rug! While you can find a selection at your local home improvement stores most likely they're better fit for a leisure center, I-Hop entry or funeral parlor. For hip, inexpensive choices I log onto www.outdoorrugsonly.com where I found this Chinese-inspired outdoor rug. Deer can pee away because this one won't decay!

TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: 2 days to ship

COST: $75 at www.outdoorrugsonly.com

STRESS LEVEL: Having a beautiful Chinese piece delivered to my house in a box: LOW