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Don't you wish you were lounging here...

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Gathering a group of friends together for dinner, drinks or plain laughter in the home is one of my favorite things in the world. Great stories and hysterical recollections usually surface and new memories are made.      While the sultry nights begin to cool into more bearable temperatures, (Eighty degrees for the low would be acceptable), I look forward to evenings outside. More cookouts with groups of friends, girls night sipping salty margaritas and, of course, laid back Sundays with my boyfriend and pets on the deck.
        There is something magical about evenings outdoors watching the sun set and the stars twinkle in the sky. OK, that line sounded like a cheesy one-liner straight out of a paperback romance novel but being outside at home is just simply comforting.  Consider your outdoor space an additional room to your home. Whether several acres of land or a small porch connect to your house, you should make a portion of your setting in the great outdoors a room for gathering outside of the house.
         While lawn furniture is on its way out of season in the retail world, we’re lucky enough in Tennessee to be able to take advantage of lounging on the patio or porch well into October.  With three full months of weather ahead working in our favor, why not take advantage of retail’s dilemma? Home furniture stores are moving out the lounge chairs and patio tables at a discounted speed to make way for new autumn picks and Christmas décor. Yes, I said Christmas.
        Now is absolutely the time to buy the perfect wooden patio table, chairs and fabulous green and yellow striped cushions you’ve been eyeing since March but couldn’t justify splurging on. Pottery Barn is running an outdoor living sale with popular pieces up to 60 percent off right now. Restoration Hardware’s website is worth browsing for comparable savings.    With discounts soaring, why not create a space aside from the typical table and chairs? Create a sitting area similar to your living room with rattan furniture, plush cushions and benches complete with a coffee table in the middle. My idea of the ultimate back-yard living room is pictured here with the wrap-around add-on wooden chairs softened with khaki cushions in the Chesapeake Collection on sale now on Potterybarn.com.
       The Santa Barbara beach-inspired collection pictured from Restoration Hardware at in the top left  hand corner takes a simplistic yet lavishly comfortable approach to outdoor living. Light wood and sage cushions have me dreaming of the beach.  What about a more unique piece for the entertaining area? Ever considered a patio bar? Not only will you enjoy serving Coronas in the heat, when it’s time for hot chocolate by the outdoor patio fire pit this fall, it’s going to be extremely convenient to have a drink station on hand complete with fixings for s’mores.
Quite possibly one of my favorite ways to create a setting on the lawn or on your porch is with lighting. Lighting can create a mood that is impossible to resist.  Do you remember when you were a child and the trees in the South became ablaze with the soft glow of fireflies? Re-create this image with small neutral dimly-lit lanterns strung across low-lying branches trees close to your sitting area. With citronella candles’ aroma filling the air and keeping the mosquitoes away, you have created a relaxing room outside to dine under or lie for months to come.
        Another way to create either a dramatic or calm lighting ensemble outdoors is with oversized beach lanterns and hurricane jars. Again, use citronella candles in these light fixtures and choose from decorating with them on tables, placing them on the ground, or even opt to hang smaller beach lanterns from the trees.
If you are truly going to create an outdoor space that exemplifies your personal style and comfort, you may want to consider speaking with a design consultant. Inside Out in Brentwood off of Church Street is going to be a good place to start if you are here in the Nashville area. With a knowledgeable staff and very favorable pieces for porches, patios, and the poolside area, Inside Out is the perfect place to get started on your end-of-summer outdoor get-away.
      If you currently have the same old furniture that you’ve had for the past five years or more, it’s most likely time to replace it. Unless you are protecting your pieces during the colder months by covering or storing them away each year (which I would highly suggest doing in the future) most likely, wear and tear have taken their toll.   There are plenty of stores still completely stocked with the finds you need, Why not start fresh this year when the time to buy is right? Your additional room to the house doesn’t need to cost tens of thousands of dollars to add on. It just so happens, it’s already there- right outside your door.
With careful planning and a good eye for a bargain, your room can be complete to enjoy far beyond this summer.

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Sundresses, frozen yogurt, laziness are my staples of summer

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Isn’t it ironic that the days are at their hottest and sunlight continues to linger past eight o’clock assuring us that summer is still in full swing, yet children are getting ready to return to school already? I remember when Labor Day was the standard for No. 2 pencils, Crayola Crayons, and snazzy new outfits to make their fall debut.  My school days are long past and I don’t have children, so for me it definitely still feels like summer. I plan to lavish in my white clothing, continue to barbecue until I can’t stand another hamburger, and enjoy fresh produce as long as I can…or at least until Labor Day. There are so many things I love about the summer season. Though I may only have another month or so to enjoy them, I plan to overindulge while I can. I wanted to share some of my summer favorites with you and see what we have in common.

A tomato snob? Yes!- Call me a tomato snob, but the cardboard reddish-yellow tomatoes you pick up in the grocery in March are no comparison to a fresh, plump bright red tomato right out of the garden in the heart of summer.  I love fresh produce. An array of berries, peaches and cream corn on the cob and my personal favorite – juicy strawberries are a staples of summer; and what better place to find fresh produce than a roadside stand or a local farmer’s market. Road side stands and farmers' markets are a nice vacation from the cold produce aisle at the super market and truly exemplify the sweetness of summer.

Take me out to the ball game- Even though Nashville doesn't have a Major League Baseball team in Nashville, I still look forward to my first hot dog of the year at a Sounds game each summer. There’s something about the bright lights, the sound of a bat cracking a home run, and the random guy who’s been over served waving his foam finger in the crowd.  What is it about a ball game that consumes children and adults alike? You can experience it too by heading to a game. You have until Aug. 29 – the last home game -- to find out!
Sundress love- Hands down, the thing that beckons me to the thoughts of summer while there are still flurries on the ground are sun dresses. I’ve always been a girly-girl and there isn’t anything more relaxing and pretty feeling than a summer breeze over my shoulders when I’m wearing a pretty floral dress. If it were up to me I would wear a dress every day and run through a field full of daisies. Unfortunately I live and work outside of the daisy field but I do know where to find cute dresses. I love this  top-pictured strapless dress from J Crew. It’s perfect for a summer soirée and it’s a great transitional piece paired with a navy cardigan for the fall.

Move over cupcakes, it's yogurt time- I’m officially coining this decade “Explosion of the Frozen Yogurt Chains.” Can I get a Trade Mark on that? While cupcakes were the growing gourmet trend over the past few years, it appears that “build your own yogurt concoction chains” are sweeping the South now. I’m not complaining. Five years ago I had the choice of 31 flavors. Now I have the choice of multiple flavors and 75 toppings! The perfect summer night for me is chocolate-banana swirls with chopped nuts and rainbow sprinkles. Now that there is a Sweet CeCe’s coming right into the middle of Brentwood, the whole family can enjoy the perfect night! Too bad we have to wait until October to enjoy the location.

No matter what you’re wearing or eating during the month of August, just remember it’s not here for much longer, so even if the kids are in school, take advantage of the firefly summer nights and the sunny summer afternoons.  I’ve always thought the Country time Lemonade commercials sum up what summer is supposed to be -- relaxing, carefree fun.  So dive in and revisit your youth; the lazy, hazy days of summer. I’m going to!

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