The outdoor living experts at Trex suggest the following tips:

Maximize your space. Think about your deck in terms of different activities – and dedicate separate areas for relaxing, grilling, dining and socializing. Consider creating a simple seating nook or an elegant outdoor bar. Structures like trellises, or even tall potted plants, can help establish settings for cozy conversations between guests – while a pergola may offer much-needed relief from the summer sun.

“When you take a situation where you can entertain and move it outside, it immediately feels special,” says Tyler Florence, culinary artist and one of the faces of Trex’s new Engineered Artistry campaign. “First and foremost, think about how your space interacts with the environment and use that as inspiration to create a deck that suits your personal interests and preferences.”

Create a “full service” outdoor kitchen. If you’re planning to spend most weekends entertaining on your deck or patio, consider adding an exterior kitchen to your home. Incorporate elements like a grilling station, cooking range, sink, compact refrigerator – or even a built-in rotisserie or pizza oven. You’ll be able to prepare and serve food while outside conversing with guests – rather than being stuck inside behind the stove. Just remember to build your outdoor kitchen in an area protected from the elements and make sure that its style – whether modern stainless steel or rustic country – complements the look of your home’s exterior.

Choose low-maintenance materials. Spills, splashes and other mishaps are inevitable when entertaining outdoors. If you want to spend more time enjoying – rather than maintaining – your deck, choose materials that need only a soap and water cleaning to retain their enduring good looks.

“Because I have so much going on, I try to keep things as simple as possible and avoid situations that require an enormous amount of upkeep,” says Florence. “If you’re going to make the investment in a gorgeous outdoor living space, use decking and railing that will look amazing for decades to come.”

High-performance, wood-alternative decking like Trex resists fading, staining, scratching and mold growth thanks to an exclusive protective shell and high-traffic formulation – even after several summers of dropping grill tools, spilling barbecue sauce and moving around heavy outdoor furniture. And while these materials offer the natural look of wood, you never need to worry about sanding, staining or painting.

Design with distinction. Select a style and color scheme for your deck that best complements your home’s exterior and reflects the natural environment. Today’s wood-alternative decking offers high-definition wood grain patterns and rich, saturated colors inspired by the outdoors – with a vibrancy that remains unchanged for years. When combined with a modular railing system that provides similar high performance and long-lasting beauty, composite decking offers endless mix-and-match options for incredible design flexibility to suit the style of any home.

“Go online and experiment with different resources and tools to figure out how your outdoor living elements can be integrated,” says Florence. “With Trex, for instance, the ideas are endless because you have so many more opportunities to create a really luxurious space.”

Don’t forget the finishing touches. Customize your outdoor living space to make family and friends feel truly welcome. Add ambience for evening cookouts with dimmable LED deck lighting, and create an inviting lounge area with comfortable, durable furnishings – or even outdoor speakers. You can choose to truly “deck out” a space with luxuries ranging from flat screen televisions to stone fire pits, but if the budget is tight, adding vibrant pillows or tropical flowers and plants serves as a quick and colorful pick-me-up.

For more inspiration to create an amazing outdoor entertaining space – or for favorite outdoor living recipes from Tyler Florence – visit http://www.trex.com.

The main function of a firepit it to contain fire and prevent it from spreading. You need to be able to control it to minimize its danger and therefore enjoy all its wonderful benefits.

• A firepit can be as simple as a whole dug in the ground. When you clear away brush and add some rocks around it you have a  very basic firepit, the “campfire”.  
• When you enclose the fire and add a chimney, you have an “outdoor fireplace”. Some outdoor fireplaces enclose the fire with bricks, metal or stone but it can also be surrounded by mesh or wire to be able to see the fire from all sides while still controlling the fire.  
• A “Bonfire pit” is the more dramatic cousin…they are many times used for celebration or ceremony. Bonfires at times can be very large such as the Burning Man event in Black Rock Nevada or small enough to fit in  your backyard.
• Other terms describe the style of the firepit.  A table with a firepit built-in is a firetable, smaller table top firepits are firepots.  The list goes on and on, the common denominator is they all contain the fire within the vessel.

So what makes a firepit a firepit? Simply enough it’s a fire and a vessel to contain it!

Have a wonderful day!

Tami K

http://www.myfirepitstore.com

As much as I love living in a city, sometimes I miss being able to have a nice big yard or outdoor space. We do, however have an teeny tiny little lawn and front stoop that is perfect for a few simple outdoor accessories. A chair and pillow to relax and soak in the sun is a must. We’ve also been collecting apartment friendly garden accessories and have started a little urban garden of our own.

chair, crate and barrel / pillow, west elm / seeds, clyde oak / pot, terrain / garden stakes, LEIF

At Southern Living, our outdoor spaces are no place to slack on your decorating. All of the same design rules apply — color, pattern, style, and cozy seating. Check out two of our favorite patio furniture collections that will have your porches ship-shape for summer entertaining.

Photo by: Zoë Gowen

If your main concern is comfort, check out this swanky, white Nandina outdoor sectional designed by North Carolina-based, Lee Industries. Yes! It is really designed for life outside. Slipcovered in Sunbrella fabric, the sofa’s cushion are specially made in Italy to stand up to rain and temperature change.

Photo Courtesy of Summer Classics

If the quintessential Southern porch is more your look, consider a timeless wicker set like the Classic Wicker Collection pictured above by Alabama-based Summer Classics. It’s available in two finishes and you can choose from a nearly endless selection of upholstery fabrics.

Decks are a wonderful addition to any home, creating outdoor rooms and adding to the value of your home.  But which do you choose, a traditional wooden deck or a composite deck?  This is a debate that rages in the green contracting world and no one answer has floated to the surface.  In the end it’s a very personal decision and one worth taking ample time to decide on.

These are some great sites to visit to help you with your decision:

Tree Hugger

Trex Decking

Dr. Jim Bowyer

CaliBamboo

Ipe Decking

After taking my Mom to the clinic, I went to physio… even though I can’t do any of my strengthening exercises because my wrist is still messed up. I showed it to them, and they were not happy. They said I should have went to hospital and had it x-rayed; they weren’t convinced at first that it wasn’t broken! One of the people said that because of the steroids, she was worried about my bone strength – she’s heard of people who are on steroids for a long period of time, that have broken their wrist in their sleep.
Any way, after playing around with it, they said that it’s exactly what I said it was – it’s a tear in the triangular fibrocartilage – and it takes like 6 weeks to heal and is supposed to be immobilized for the majority of the first 2 weeks. It’ cracks and clicks if I move it at all, and if I push on the outside of my wrist, I can actually click the joint back into place – they didn’t think that was a good sign. My Mom did the same thing to her wrist last summer (worse than I did actually – after some research, she probably totally tore the cartilage, mine seems to be just a partial tear), so I’ve been using a better quality splint that she dug out of the closet for me. It’s a pain in the ass, because it’s my right hand… I just explained to them, that with all the other medical stuff I have going on, if I went up the the ER every time something hurt that bad, they’d need to get me a permanent parking spot. Screw that. Put it in a splint, and take something for the pain, and back to everyday shit..

The next day, I found out one of my friends was in town for the day. We went for lunch and caught up for a bit. We stopped in at our old high school to see some of our old favourite teachers, but most of them have transferred or retired, which was kind of disappointing. It was really great to chat with her.. we just reminisced about being younger, when stupid shit mattered a lot more, but things were simpler at the same time. We both have a lot going on, and a lot of new responsibilities, but we both sort of agreed that neither of us would change anything…

And Friday I went for my routine blood work, which didn’t go that great, even though I’m on a higher dose of steroids. The first needle stick collapsed the vein.. even after moving it around, the nurse said she was only hitting scar tissue, so she thinks we need to give that site a rest…. but there’s not many other places to draw blood from! My left arm is shot, because of the one patch that blisters and ulcerates when ever it feels like it, and the right arm is over used (it’s been about a year of using the same spot)… so she tried drawing from my right forearm. At first, it didn’t hurt much, but then because the needle was in so long (they had to use a butterfly needle, similar to how the place and IV – it was in there at least a good few minutes, because the blood just trickled out…) she sort of irritated a nerve. Half way through, my hand just started burning – it felt so hot, like it was on fire! Even after, it was all tingly and hot, and my whole arm hurt like a bitch!! The nurse told me to go home and put ice on it, because it started swelling and turning red almost right away. By the time we got home, it was all puffy, and there was a big lump.
Between the torn cartilage in my wrist, and the bruises and clots up my arm now, I’m supposed to basically just ice the whole thing. It might be easier to just fill a pale with cold water and dunk it, instead of making an ice-pack sandwich.

This weekend was still just as busy. Even though we didn’t have running around to do for appointments and stuff, my Mom wanted to fix up our patio. We basically live out there all summer – our whole family loves the outdoors. We cook on the barbeque, lie around on the couch (yes, we have a futon on our deck, and we are not hillbillies), chill and listen to music.. it’s great! It’s my favourite part of summer…
But our old curtains were faded and thin, and we wanted to install something a little more permanent. In the winter, we put plastic around the outside of our deck to keep the snow and the cold wind out, so the curtains have to be hung on the inside. My mom bought the fabric for 40% off (of only $6.00 a metre!), and I helped her sew the edges. She measured everything out, and we already had all of the hardware left over from other projects. It took a few hours, and quite a bit of hard work, but it was so worth it – it looks way better than we even expected it to!

Now we’re thinking we might get this couch from a friend of ours. It looks sort of old-fashioned, almost like a chesterfield. I just want it, so I can say to people that we have a chesterfield on our porch. It’s a little odd to have an outdoor living room, but I’d be totally fine if I didn’t leave it for the rest of the summer.

Besides that, we did a bit of gardening, and other stuff outside. It was a nice weekend over all. While Mom was watering, I rescued/ kidnapped 5 snails trying to leave our garden. They were int he grass, and I wanted to keep them, so I just scooped them up and brought them back. They should be thankful that I didn’t get the nail polish out and paint them.

Oh, and finally, my grades were posted for my psychology classes. I got a 90% in BOTH classes! I just about freaked! I guessed one of them should be about that, but I didn’t think the other would be that high! So, here’s my official transcript:

The average at the bottom is my cumulative average – so including all of my marks throughout university. I brought it up from 81.2% at the beginning of the year to 84.7% (up 3.5%). But, my overall average for this year is 90%! I’m pretty impressed… but I am glad it’s over for this year.

We have more running around to do this afternoon, but I’m going to try to post a little more this week. I want to write a little about the state of my orchid – it has no more flowers, and I don’t really know what’s happening with it at the moment… and then just to share my regular ramblings and musings.

“In life’s winter, you find your invincible summer” – Unknown.

Cooking is replacing grilling.  Grilling has always been just throwing a few things on a grate and hoping they don’t all turn out charcoal black.

Cooking is having all the right things at your disposal and being able to control the temperatures in your grill.  This is important.  Controlling the temperatures within your grill?  Is it possible to do beef, chicken, fish and veggies all at one time?

Yours doesn’t work that well?  Need a Side Burner or a Power Burner for Crabs and Corn?

Check out the Twin Eagles Grills on our website:   www.amjlandscaping.com , click Services then Outdoor Kitchens

We are also looking for your favorite recipes that involve cooking outdoors.   We would like to put together a local flavors cookbook on our website.  Submit your entries to marketing@amjlandscaping.com or on our Facebook page.

I must admit I was very sceptical about purchasing home decor items and accent items even furniture from anywhere other than Pottery Barn and like department stores. I saw my friends getting the same items I had paid $60 or more for less than $10.  I thought well it can’t be quality decor for those prices, so I took a shot in the dark and order one of my now favorite wall art pieces during a weekly sale event called  the 3 day super sale. I paid $7.99 plus ofcorse shipping, 3 weeks later when it arrived not only was I shocked to see all the fine details the pictures just never could have shown but it was much larger than I ever expected. A few weeks later glancing online at Pottery Barn I saw the exact same piece only it was for $320. I was amazed and hooked! I now look forward each Friday to see what this weeks 3 day super sale items will be NOTHING IS EVER OVER $10! I spent that in gas just to get to Pottery Barn. Not to mention the flash sales! Just snagged a few 6 piece sets of 1,200 thread count sheet sets WITH A 5 year wear warranty For less than $40. Any questions I ever have I go straight to Angel Battles Facebook page & I am hear to tell you I get a response if not right then within no time, talk about great customer services, I feel as if I am being catered to by a personal shopper! If something she thinks I may like comes out or goes on sale she’s there to help. In such a sweet endearing friendly way, not all pushy like in uh we wont say that places name! It’s a must check out! There’s a little bit for everyone. I am in the process of ordering a few pieces each week to complete my shabby chic collection as well as my country cottage …. it is to die for. I have held you long enough go check it out now!!! Only downside to the entire angelbattles.athome.com site is there are only a limited quantities to the 3 day super sales each weekend and sometimes they sell out of an item in a day or less! Here’s my tip … if you think you might want it add it to your cart then at checkout you can always take it off if you have a change of heart!!! But shhh don’t tell everyone the secret!

Happy “athome” shopping!

http://angelbattles.athome.com/browse/3-day-sale.html

Screen Porch by Archadeck of Charlotte with outdoor fireplace and pergola

Archadeck of Charlotte designed and built this gazebo style screen porch with Cabot Stain

How would I go about choosing the appropriate paint and/or stain color for my screen porch? We have 25 years experience at Archadeck of Charlotte designing and building screen porches and covered patios.

The first thing we look at is the existing trim color of the home. Is this a color you are going to stay with? If so, it makes sense to paint the porch columns the same color and the house trim to make it appear as if the porch came with the house and was not an after thought!

Secondly, what look are you going for in your outdoor living space? Do you prefer a more rustic porch? Are you looking to have a soothing or uplifting ceiling? Dark stains are quite in vogue today and give a deep and rich feeling to the room.

Finally, think about maintenance considerations. Generally speaking, stain is going to be lower maintenance than paint and does not show dirt as readily! To get great color ideas for your screen porch, go to http://www.charlotte.archadeck.com

I think any perfect patio, balcony, or porch has to have a comfortable seating area. It’s important to add fluffy cushions and cozy pillows for some comfort AND decoration. I’m a fan of bright, bold colors, or keeping colors simple and soft. Florals, strips, chevron, and other designs can all be mixed together if you’ve got a great color palette going. On a budget? Get creative with seating! Anything can be made soft with the right cushions – use boxes, carts, cement blocks, etc.

Lighting is something I love to play around with. I have this obsession with lanterns and string lights. The idea of hanging different types of lanterns from a tree branch above your patio area is amazing to me and super easy! Or just use them on your patio floor and tables. Try mixing and matching different styles and colors for a cool eclectic look.

Small, two chair tables are adorable in my book, especially for a girl who’s going to be living on her own. Make your perfect table for two even more charming by adding color to it. Dress it up with colorful pillows or even paint it yourself. For outdoor entertainment, buy some fun dinnerware, and a pitcher for some fresh sangria with your friends.

Lastly, outdoor entertainment becomes so much more enjoyable with fresh blooms and lots of plants to create a lush and soothing environment. I can’t get enough of summer palms and bright bold flowers inside charming planters. Dress up your outdoor area with lots of greens, especially if you’re a city girl!

____________________

Doses of Outdoor living Inspiration

photos via Pinterest

View Last Blog | Inspired Workspace

Whether your front door could use a new coat of paint or the trim around the  windows ,your front entry is the ideal place to add color.   Consider using a front door color that contrasts the rest of your home: brown, red, yellow and so on.

If your front porch railings are looking worn out, opt for new ones, or if you like your current railings and stairs, decorate with spring hanging flower baskets or paint with a fresh coat of paint to bring freshness to the space.

Similarly to the interiors of your home, lighting fixtures can make your front entry look amazing at night, as well as keep your guest safe. Some suggestions for outdoor lighting would be potlights, single pendant lighting above the front door, or wall sconces that flank the sides of the door. Depending on how much space you have, plants will help your front entry look alive.  Consider adding plants in decorative urns along walkways, along stairs and in decorative pots at your front door.

For those of you, who have patio furniture at your front entrance, revive your furniture with brightly colored seat cushions to bring color and decor to your front entry.

What do you do to bring spring inspiration to your front entry?

According to the Merriam dictionary online,the definition of fire pit (with the space) is a pit filled wholly or partial with incandescent lava. Which would suggest this is not the correct usage for a backyard home fire pit. A guess a case could be made that hot wood embers could represent lava and therefore could loosely be a fire pit with incandescent lava.

Also, according to Dictionary.com the spelling is firepit – with the definition as a pit dug into the ground or made from stones, masonry, etc, for keeping a fire used for cooking or warmth. That further supports the fact that firepit is the more literal reference for a backyard firepit.

Now that I have that finally off my brain…today the words are basically used interchangeably, our site included. (Although now that I have researched it and know the difference I may change it in the future.) For now just know that FIRE PIT AND FIREPIT refer to a vessel of some sort to contain fire for cooking or warmth. Unless you have a Lava pit somewhere, then by all means be sure to use the correct term “FIRE PIT”.

Have a wonderful day!

In a bucket of water  pour some glass solution or you can  use sunlight dish soap, or even vinegar.

I have this great tool, which helps to clean my windows.

I usually soak  the windows first, some suggest not to do that, but I find no difference. I than  use my nifty tool and soak that into the solution and wipe all over the windows . Switch sides and  have a paper towel handy to wipe access off  the rubber.

There you have it shining windows. If you  find your windows do streak, it’s not from the solution, it’s from the buildup on your windows.

Here is a solution you can try.

 Combine 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup of white distilled vinegar, and up to 1/2 teaspoon of liquid soap or detergent in a spray bottle

Via~Tumblr

Happy Tuesday my friends!  ~M~

Easy Shade for A Quick Cool Down

Cooling Off

If your pups are anything like mine, putting a halt on play time stinks!  I came up with a play area that I can set up either under a large beach umbrella or a shade tent. I create my own shade with a lightweight UV blanket designed for babies that has stretchy ties on the four corners which I tie between either 2 beach chairs or from the back of one chair to a tree. I put things like cold water, food and some Kong toys filled with peanut butter to ensure once they get a sniff they will stay under the shade for a longer period of time making cool down time still fun.  I also check for signs of sunburn or any kind of overheating.

Sunscreen for Pets

At first I had no idea this stuff existed, but when my poor little Japanese Chin burned his little ears I went searching for pet friendly sunscreens.  I was shocked to see so many great products were out there that help pets stay safe from harsh UV rays.  I found a brand called Epi-Pet and it works great, I simply rub some on his ears, nose, belly, forehead and any areas that will be in direct sunlight. I make sure it’s all absorbed before I let him run off just to make sure he won’t lick it off.

I take additional steps as well, since I live in an area where the sun can be harsh I never take my dogs out between 10am-3pm,  I find that they enjoy the morning or early evening weather better and are less prone to wearing out or getting overheated.  I also try not to trim their hair too short, shaving them makes it easier to get sunburns and it causes them to itch. When I do take them out I make sure that all areas are covered with a non-toxic sunscreen and I have my sunshade, treats and water in hand. Once I find a good area I usually set up and allow them to see everything laid out, this way, when I call them back they will come running without much fuss.  My dogs love the outdoors so finding ways to let them play while still proving adequate shade, sun protection and overall safety is a good feeling!

Do you have a great idea for protecting your pet from the sun? We would love to hear your stories, tell us about it!

Sarah Shade (Guest Blogger)

Sarah Shade is a long time writer that brings tips, education, and the latest trends in all things heath, fitness, technology & green living. She lives in Sterling and is mommy to Mikey and Foxy the BEST dogs on the face of the earth!

That’s right. The most important place to start in creating a beautiful, functional space indoors or out is with you and your family.

Ask and you shall find: The key is to ask yourself and your family, what do you plan on doing out there? Sit and relax? Create a quiet space to read? Sip wine? Hit the hot tub? Enjoy a fire with friends when the temperatures fall?

Once you’ve got these answers, these steps will help you turn your deck into place you enjoy instead of a sight you’d rather avoid.

Clean up: Now, while the weather bounces from winter to summer and back, is the time to clean up the area. Wipe down furniture, get plants for empty pots and get ready to enjoy the space.

Take an inventory: Consider what you use and what you no longer need. Can you give something a new coat of paint or is it time for a trip to the curb?

Define the space: Now that you know what you want to do outside, plan accordingly by creating a space for everything you do out there. Hang out with friends? Create a conversational area. Dining outside? Create a dining space, you might even want to build in coolers if you entertain a great deal. If the area is large, use an outdoor rug to define a smaller space within a larger deck, with a spot set aside for dining outside, another area for relaxing with a beverage. Forgot to get an outdoor rug last fall when they were on sale? Inexpensive rugs can still be found or you can put this on your to-buy list for later in the season.

Seating: Create places to relax in all these areas, including seating by the hot tub, around the table and near any other spots your guests are likely to congregate.

Keep building: No need to buy everything in one year. Now that you’ve got a plan, you can buy items as you go along. If you buy the big-ticket items in neutral colors, you can always pull them together with fresh, coordinated pillows or other items.

Comfort counts: Whether you are planning on sipping wine or reading a book, end tables allow guests and yourself to relax by providing a place to perch a beverage or a good read. Pillows give the space pops of color and a comfortable place to sit back. Outdoor curtain panels can create an oasis in a busy world. Plants bring a refreshing splash of color to a deck and can also be used to soften corners or provide privacy.

What is your favorite thing to add to your outside space to make functional as well as beautiful?