Category Archives: Outdoor Living Spaces

Backyard Fun, Holidays & Gift Ideas, Outdoor Entertaining, Outdoor Living Spaces

Unconventional Wedding Gifts for Royals and the Rest of Us!

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Wedding Bands
Do you have royal wedding fever? Unless you are living under a rock, you know that England’s Prince William married his long time girlfriend Catherine Middleton today. The world was mesmerized by the magical event, focusing on everything from the vows to bridal fashion to the guests’ hats, which were pretty impressive. If you had been able to score an exclusive invite to the prestigious and historic event, what could you possible get a royal couple that has everything? Royalty often receives priceless jewels, shares of stock worth millions, generous donations to their favorite charities, and even a race horse (from the Aga Khan to Elizabeth II on her wedding day in 1947). Choosing a gift for the couple that has everything can be tough, even if they aren’t royals! Below is a list of nontraditional wedding gift ideas any bride and groom on their big day.

  • Charitable Donations: Follow Kate and Williams lead! Ask the couple which causes they support and make a donation in their honor. This gift will be sure to please the couple and help other people and organizations in need. Everyone wins!
  • Museum or Local Attraction Memberships: Does the couple enjoy art and culture? Do they attend concert or plays often? Consider getting them a year long membership to an organization that they will love. Animal lovers might love a year round pass to the local zoo. Theater buffs will certainly enjoy a season of tickets at the local playhouse. Art lovers? The local museum. The options here are limitless. If you know the couple’s hobbies, you can certainly find a membership in their area to fit.
  • Patio Furniture and other outdoor living items: Many guests will bring plates, silverware, and household items. Maybe you should shift gears and look for something for the outside of their home. Patio furniture is something that most couples will enjoy, but might not think about when registering. They will certainly be able to enjoy your gift for many years to come, when cash and gift cards have long been used. Outdoor fireplaces are both luxurious and practical. They are a great addition to any new home. Outdoor grills will give the couple a fun alternative to indoor cooking and will surely get you invited over for future cookouts! Fountains, statues, and water features might also be perfect for your friends or family getting married.
  • Anything Personalized: Anything personalized, including a custom painting from portrait of the couple, monogrammed bath robes, and framed photo collages will show the couple that you avoided the traditional generic gifts. If you pick something especially for them, they will recognize the love and thought that went into choosing a gift for their special day.

Did you receive any unusual or unique wedding gifts on your big day? Have you given a wedding gift that was different, but wonderful?

Wedding Gifts

Outdoor Entertaining, Outdoor Living Spaces

Fire Pits a Popular Trend for 2011

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Fire Pits

Fire pits are expected to be one of the most popular landscape additions this year, according to the 2011 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Residential Trends Survey.  Fire pits are functional and versatile, offering warmth, ambiance, and elegant good looks.  Homeowners who wish to update their outdoor spaces should consider this not-so-obvious option.

Fire pits can be custom-built, but the high cost of custom can be prohibitive for many homeowners.  Instead, a portable fire pit that serves as the focal point for an outdoor seating area offers just as much impact.  Portable fire pits come in a variety of styles and materials, so finding one that suits a particular taste shouldn’t be difficult.  Whether winter or summer, fire pits make an attractive and useful addition to any outdoor living space.

Environmentally Friendly Ideas, Outdoor Living Spaces, Shade Solutions

Add Bright, Beautiful Bursts of Color to Your Outdoor Area

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Outdoor areas are often decorated in the calm, peaceful colors of nature. While these tones and color schemes are peaceful, why not make a bold statement in your outdoor area? Modern outdoor areas can have exciting pops of color and eye-catching patterns to fit your style and flair! Try one or more of these ideas to bring some excitement to your porch, patio, or outdoor room!

  • Cabana Stripe Outdoor Rugs are made of the great polypropylene  material that all Capel outdoor rugs feature, but they come in varying colors of bold stripes. Celery green, navy, red, or black stripes create great contrast and will hold up to everything that Mother Nature has to offer. They are fade, mold, and mildew resistant so the color will stay intense for many years to come!
     

  • Porch swings are a wonderful retreat after hectic, stressful days. You can add vibrant beauty to your easy swinging with Adirondack swings in various eye-catching colors! The swing pictured below is made in the USA and is both durable and environmentally friendly. It is made of 90% recycled materials. No matter which color you choose, from Aruba Blue to Mango, you will know that your swing can stand up to anything. No one would ever accuse THIS swing of being boring!

  • Bright, exciting patio umbrellas are perfect for fun and function. Enjoy your backyard or the beach from sun up to sun down without having to worry about the sun’s harsh rays. There are colors and patterns available to match any and every taste and desire. No more squinting or suffering harsh, aging sun burns. These beautiful umbrellas have got you covered! Exotic colors like the lime green “Parrot”, bright “Sunflower Yellow”, and dreamy “Air Blue” make sure that your umbrella will stand out like no other!

Environmentally Friendly Ideas, Outdoor Living Spaces

Using Nature to Mask the Noises from Nearby Roads

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Solar Water Fountain

When you live within earshot of a busy road or train tracks, relaxing outside on your porch, patio, or deck may not be all that relaxing.  Train whistles, sirens, honking vehicles, and even the steady drone of cars and trucks passing along the road can interrupt your need for silent reverie.

Music played quietly nearby can effectively draw your attention away from the road noises.  When sitting outside, though, what most of us prefer to hear is nature’s own music.  Birds, gentle breezes, flowing water.  One of the most common ways to bring the soothing sounds of nature into your outdoor living spaces is to introduce a solar water fountain.

Water fountains, in general, provide you with the gentle and relaxing sounds of flowing water.  The constant trickling and gurgling of the water mimics the natural sounds of a mountain brook and quite effectively masks the noises that drift over from nearby roads.  Solar water fountains, in particular, make it easy to place the fountain in any sunny spot where you prefer to sit, even when electrical outlets are nowhere near.  Solar water fountains draw their energy from the sun, so no electrical components or wiring are required to make them work.

Water fountains, solar or otherwise, may not be able to completely mask the noise of train whistles and sirens — no outdoor sound device can do this completely.  But, they do reduce significantly the constant whirring and buzzing of passing traffic that too frequently disturbs quiet moments, and they leave you free to enjoy the music of nature in your own backyard.

Outdoor Entertaining, Outdoor Living Spaces

Create Your Own Spring Warm Up with Outdoor Fireplaces

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Outdoor Fireplaces

Waiting for spring to arrive seems especially difficult at this late point in winter.  The longing to spend well-deserved time relaxing and enjoying fresh spring air on the backyard patio or deck makes the wait even more unbearable.  While you can’t make warmer weather come any faster, you can get outside sooner and begin to take advantage of the comforts of your outdoor spaces.  One way to make this happen is with an outdoor fireplace.

Outdoor fireplaces allow homeowners to get outside when the weather is still quite cool.  Many models offer 360 degree heat so that family members and friends can sit on any side of the fireplace and still feel the comfortable warmth.  Outdoor fireplaces burn wood and pressed wood logs, adding that cozy feel of a campfire to patios and decks.  When spring finally does arrive bringing warmer days, the outdoor fireplace comes in handy when cooler night time temperatures still threaten to force you back indoors.

Enjoying the fresh air and your outdoor living spaces is possible even now when the cold seems unlikely to break anytime soon.  Outdoor fireplaces offer one easy solution to the problem of staying adequately warm outdoors, and they can dramatically reduce the cabin fever that intensifies as winter progresses.