Does this sound idyllic, but unattainable? Take a look at our Workplace Wellness story this month to see why it’s so important to make time for play and pick up some wisdom on how to engineer balance, mindfulness, flexibility, organization and creativity into your life. This digital version of our print story has expanded content, including a reading list that will inspire and motivate you.

Andrew Eylander – tile setter, mud man extraordinaire and tool inventor – is profiled by Contributing Writer Amanda Mourelatos in our Member Spotlight feature. Learn about how NTCA Five-Star Contractor Director Amber Fox influenced Eylander to join NTCA and how to learn more about mud and tools through his Instagram page, website and YouTube channel.

Mourelatos also authored the Training and Education story about the annual Construction Education Foundation of Georgia’s CareerExpo and SkillsUSA competition. Several dedicated NTCA members and industry sponsors support this opportunity to introduce young people to the tile trade, and evaluate their skills in a competition. Hollow floors…that’s often a troubling sound. What does it mean? CTEF’s Scott Carothers explores the possible causes for this situation, and how to avoid it.

Visit our New Products section in print or at TileLetter.com to see a teeny tiny sampling of the vast quantity of new products that were on display at the recent Coverings Expo in Orlando, Fla. Maybe they will inspire you to attend the show next year in Atlanta, April 22-25.

And speaking of Coverings, NTCA Five-Star Contractor Cox Tile of San Antonio, Tex., won the NTCA Five-Star Project of the Year Artisan Grand Prize this year for its exceptional work on its Starlit Turkish Spa project. The care, precision and dedication that went into building a custom bench in this steam room, to wrangling 400 fiber optic strands in the ceiling that poked through the ceiling tile grout joints to create a starry-sky effect was nothing short of monumental and spectacular. See the project unfold in our Case Study section.

In our feature story, Custom Building Products reviews some past high-profile projects with an eye to its solid reputation, built by stellar products, top-notch technical support and innovation.

I hope TileLetter makes some enjoyable and educational reading for you this June – on the beach, in your shop or on the jobsite.

God bless, Lesley lesley@tile-assn.com