Let There be Light

If you can believe it - this chi-chi lamp has a steel shade and can be purchased at Ikea! Yup - yours for just $49.99. This stylish find is the perfect must-have to put on your fall shopping list!

Summertime

...and the livin' is easy. Outfit your outdoor rooms with these fab finds perfect for entertaining. The nautical rope accent table from Pottery Barn can serve as an accent table or extra seat. Fill a flexible tubtrug from Gardeners.com with ice and beverages. Don't forget lighting - paper lanterns from partylights.com will keep you rockin' into the wee hours!

Garden Style

Whether your outdoor room is acres and acres of grass or just a corner of your patio, make it special with a variety of furnishings and accessories.

Garden inspired furnishings should have an airy quality about them, but should also remain comfortable. Outfit wrought iron chairs with plump cushions and pillows. Mix upholstered pieces in with weathered wicker. A garden bench makes a wonderful banquette in a kitchen or dining room. You can mix found treasures and cast-offs with regular furnishings – a classic garden style formula. No need to re-do gently distressed pieces, just clean them up a bit and let their aged-patina shine through.

Large planting pots and urns can be transformed into accent tables with a simple glass round. Display vintage garden tools with framed seed packets as an interesting wall collage. Architectural elements and garden statuary can stand in as fine art or as a backdrop to other decorative pieces.

Chill Out

Chill out this summer with these fabulous finds... The rattan wrapped carafe and glasses will look cool and stylish in any setting and will update your table when entertaining this summer. Find them at Smith and Hawkin.

This inspires one of my favorite looks for the summer... to get that "Out of Africa" adventurous, elegant, yet casual look mix the rough-hewn, the tactile and the refined together.

You can find a similar canopy at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Add a tribal looking rug, some crisp white linens and some aged silver and you have the beginnings of a beautiful room.

Great Find

Home fragrance has never been more popular. Use it in its many forms to layer sweet smells in with your decor. This decorative Madagascar Diffuser from Z Gallerie has a spicy citrus scent that you'll love all year long.

The Great Outdoors

As the weather gets warmer and days grow longer, I look forward to finally using the other room in my home -my outdoor room. Porches, decks and patios extend and enhance our indoor living spaces and our lives.

What’s needed to create a perfect outdoor atmosphere? Simply use the same things that you use indoors like comfortable seating, a table or two to set down a drink or a good book, and some well chosen accessories. Spruce up your outdoor living spaces this summer and entertain or relax in style.

Overhead structures such as gazebos and pergolas provide just enough coverage from the elements and add character to ordinary decks. Lattice walls can help mask a bad view as well as provide privacy. A trellis or arbor supports hardy climbers and defines spaces. Deep porches beckon you and your guests to linger a little longer. Take advantage of a fenced-in corner of your yard and claim it as a cozy nook - intimate and inviting when you place an old iron daybed or wooden glider there for quiet conversations or tea.


Today’s outdoor furnishings are so lovely that most people often use them indoors as well. Furniture cast-offs are great for outdoor use too. A few scuffs and dents add to the charm. Don’t be afraid to use plump pillows and fabrics outdoors. Simply cover seat cushions with water-resistant fabrics or take them in at night. Fabric remnants can be used as tablecloths. No need to sew up the edges, just tuck ends under and let them puddle on the ground. Lightweight cotton throws and bedsheets can be used as well, and large dishtowels make great napkins.

Accessorize with garden statuary and antique gardening tools. Hang lanterns from fence walls and use lots of hurricanes for candles. Pot plants, herbs and flowers and place them on steps, on tables and in corners. Old shutters hinged together, make a great screen - perfect for adding vertical interest as well as an added surface for climbing plants.

Mix up the formal with the informal when entertaining, whether you’re having tea in the garden, hosting a neighborhood barbecue, or planning a quiet moonlit supper for two. Hang an iron chandelier from a pergola and dress it up with crystal drops. No need to use plastic plates and cups, use the real thing. Mix-matched china with floral patterns looks especially lovely. Dress your table with low sitting flower arrangements so they won’t blow over and string white lights through trees and along banisters for extra sparkle.

The best thing about outdoor rooms is that there’s no need to re-decorate – nature will take care of that for you.

Excellent Speaker

Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing was our speaker this month and what a class he put on for us! If you do nothing else, visit the Action Plan website and sign on for his wonderful newsletter and pick up your copy of The Marketing Plan Start-Up Kit today. Action Plan Marketing Website

The ADE Teleseminar series just keeps getting better and better!