Loving Outdoor Living - 2016

LOVING

2016 EDITION

Outdoor Living

A complimentary outdoor lifestyle publication from the fine franchises at

Outdoor Living BrandsÂŽ

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

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Today, on this rainy Saturday morning, there is no doubt that Summer is just around the corner.

The rich vibrant shade of moist green on our lawn and bushes outside our bedroom window is like nothing I have ever seen before. It’s so vibrant and different with the deepest rich shade of green that Crayola® or Pantone® may want to designate it as the next color of the year.

And throughout our yard are bountiful patches of my favorite purple and white perennial ground covers that we took small patches of from a previous Carolina residence two years ago, never thinking it would make itself so at home throughout our new backyard.

So, as we finally bid farewell to the golden pollen dust that announced the arrival of the growing season, it seems fitting to be surrounded by such beautiful, colorful examples how the advent of Summer is truly an outdoor living renaissance.

All of us at Loving Outdoor Living wish you a wonderful Summertime with three bountiful glorious seasons to follow. Be safe, well and happy.

Larry Spada Editor

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Build it. Light it. Protect it. Preserve it.

Grow it.

As you are most likely a valued client of one or more of our brands, we would like to extend our sincerest thanks for the trust you have put in us.

If you are new to our brand family, welcome, and thanks for visiting. As we continue to grow our global footprint among all of our outdoor lifestyle enhancement brands, please share us as a new career option for those who may be looking for a new business opportunity to achieve their personal and professional goals.

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Design Steve Nguyen Content Country Living Emma Court Ilyee R Glink Magnolia The Orchard Boutique Contributing Photography Michael Crissinger Allison Fowler

CONTENTS A Look at America's Best-Designed Homes... and Outdoor Spaces

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Staying Ahead of the Growing Zika Virus Threat

App Happiness for your Outdoor Grill

Top Trends for Outdoor Living This Year

Top Trends in New Swimwear Collections

Inspiring Ways to Update Your Porch

Save Yourself a Trip to the Nursery

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A LOOK AT AMERICA’S BEST-DESIGNED HOMES...

AND OUTDOOR SPACES

Independence Pass Residence ASPEN, COLORADO

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This year the American Institute of Architects selected homes that exemplify outstanding American home design and function. An overview of the selection process is courtesy of Ilyce Gink from CBS Money Watch.

Louisiana-based architect Kevin Harris and four other jurors selected by the AIA spent months combing through entries to find the best of the best.

The awards honor work in four categories: One/Two Family Custom Housing, One/Two Family Production Housing, Multifamily Housing and Special Housing.

When making their decisions, the jurors looked at not only the designs of the homes themselves, but how the homes met their occupants' needs and how they fit into their environment.

"The context was really emphasized -- in single-family and multifamily homes -- looking at how it was part of a bigger environment," Harris said.

Many of the submitted single-family homes, for example, were built in stunning natural settings: in mountain passes, on beaches or in forests where the architects created designs that brought the beauty of the setting into the home.

Some common trends among the top entries were an "awareness of energy consumption" and the use of locally sourced materials, Harris said.

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Hog Pen Creek Retreat AUSTIN, TEXAS

Designed by Lake|Flato Architects, Hog Pen Creek Retreat was honored in the One/Two Family Custom Housing category. It's located where Hog Pen Creek meets Lake Austin and was designed to evoke "the playfulness of summer on the lake," according to the architects.

Island Residence, HONOLULU, HAWAII

Designed by the now iconic Apple Store architectural firm of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, the owners wanted this oceanside home to reflect their Japanese heritage and the culture of the Hawaiian Islands "without being imitative or contrived," the architects wrote. The home uses outdoor spaces and large swaths of glass to bring elements of the outside environment -- like lush tropical foliage -- into the home.

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Newberg Residence, NEWBERG, OREGON

This home and guest house were designed "so the owners can connect with the wild creatures that come to the water" at the pond, according to Cutler Anderson Architects. They've even given a name -- Herman -- to the Great Blue Heron they often see. The home is actually built as a bridge across the north end of the pond and is accessed by crossing another small bridge. The guest house is connected by a covered outdoor walkway.

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Whitetail Woods Regional Park Camper Cabins FARMINGTON, MINNESOTA

This cluster of three cabins in the forest of the Whitetail Woods Regional Park was designed by HGA and honored in the Specialized Housing category. Each can accommodate up to four campers in 227 square feet of living space with an 80-square-foot deck. The cabins, which are built into the side of a hill, give the effect of being in a private treehouse, Harris said. "They're completely private and completely open (to nature) at the same time."

Ilyce R. Glink is an award-winning, nationally syndicated columnist, best-selling book author, and radio talk show host who also hosts "Expert Real Estate Tips," an Internet video show. She owns ThinkGlink.com as well as Think Glink Media, a privately held company that provides consulting, content and video services to companies and non-profit organizations.

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of the growing Zika virus threat 12

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What’s the best way to eliminate mosquitoes?

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Powerful electromagnetic waves that propel mosquitoes out of your home? A bracelet that envelopes you in a bug-protection barrier? A vitamin B patch that creates an invisible shield straight from your skin?” Asks Emma Court, Health Care Reporter, from MarketWatch.

These products promise protection at a time of heightened concern about the mosquito-borne Zika virus, even explicitly referring to the virus in their online marketing. Too bad their claims are just that, said Joseph Conlon, technical adviser for the American Mosquito Control Association.

“Before it was a matter of laughable irony, but it could be a matter of life and death now, if you’re using things that just don’t work,” Conlon said.

There has always been a market for mosquitofighting scams, he said, especially since these products imply that, unlike insect repellents, they don’t need reapplication or vigilance about total-body protection.

Even more so with the Zika virus, tied to birth defects in children and paralysis, reaching epidemic proportions in Central and Latin American countries in recent months. Concern has spiked in the U.S., too, with the disease apparently poised to spread—though the scale is unclear—with the arrival of warmer months.

For the most current information on the Zika virus, go to

ZikaNewsSource.com

Last year, the agency charged the makers of “Mosquito Shield Bands”—whose wristbands contained mint oil that allegedly made a fivefoot bug barrier—were marketing in a deceptive manner, without “competent and reliable scientific evidence” to prove their claims.

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The bottom line?

All of those supposed mosquito-fighting potions and devices are pure snake oil and folly. But there are 7 ways you can really make a difference by following this regimen recommended by Mosquito Squad®, America’s number one mosquito eliminator.

1 Tip over items in your yard to reduce standing water. The elimination of standing water decreases a mosquito’s breeding ground. Check your property and tip over drainage catch basins, bird baths, hoses, toys and tire swings, water bottles or beverage cans. The smallest amount of water is a great place for a female mosquito to lay her 300 eggs.

2 Toss grass clippings, leaves, firewood and piles of mulch that are yard trash. By keeping a yard clean, you can remove a major breeding area for mosquitoes. Check your yard, underneath decks, in gutters and along rooflines for accumulation of dead leaves, piles of fallen branches, or excess mulch. This is a great place for breeding insects.

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Turn over yard items that could hold water. Look for dog bowls, plant saucers, empty pots, sand boxes, plastic toys, or even garbage bins that are not being used. These items tend to fill with rain water and offer a great spot for breeding. Turn them over when not in use.

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4 REMOVE

If tarps aren’t taut, they'll hold water. Problem items cited most

by Mosquito Squad technicians include tarps over boats, wood piles, grills, fire places, and even sports equipment bags. The smallest amount of water (about the size of a bottle cap) is all a mosquito needs to breed.

Despite taking all precautions in your own home, talking with neighbors is a key component to mosquito control. Townhomes and homes with little space between lots mean that mosquitoes can breed at a neighbor’s home, and affect your property.

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Take care of home maintenance needs that can contribute to standing water. Areas where water pools, such as near faucets, water spouts, leaking irrigation systems, clogged gutters, all of these places offer a breeding haven for mosquitoes.

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Mosquito Squad’s treatments eliminate 85-90% of the mosquitoes on your property and reduce the need for using DEET containing bug spray on your body. Take back your backyard and kick those pesky bugs to the curb!

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App happiness for your outdoor grill 8

How many times have you heard “Yeah, there’s an app for that?” Well, when it comes to outdoor kitchens and grilling recipes, there are many great ones to choose from.

Here are some of our favorites.

The Pit Pal BBQ

The Pit Pal is an all-inclusive BBQ app for your mobile device built with the end goal of being able to help produce more consistent BBQ for backyard cooks, caterers and restaurateurs.

The Pit Pal BBQ app delivers a better cooking result through the use of historical tracking of cooks taking into account common BBQ variables such as the temperature and duration of the cook, or the sauce/rub combination, or even the type of wood used or the weather at the time of the cook. This feedback allows the pit master to look back at previous cooks and continue to cook and tweak variables until the perfect combination is hit. And then have the data to replicate that combination at any time.

This is a technique that teams on the BBQ competition circuit have been using for years only with a pen & paper or manual spreadsheets. The intent of The Pit Pal is to take this technique, leverage technology to improve on it, and help people with a passion for BBQ produce great food.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL GET • Easy to use interface for entering your cook and food details.

• Ability to add detailed notes to your cook stored in a cook archive.

• Quick notes for one-click entry of common events such as mopping, adding coal, adding wood, saucing, foiling, etc. (just tap the image on the cook screen)

• View your smoker and food temperatures real time direct from your mobile device.

• Ability to track history for multiple foods during a cook.

• Save photos to cooks and attach automatically to cook history for easy reference.

• Temperature notifications letting you know if your temps have exceeded a threshold.

• Track and graph your temperatures to see exactly what is happening on your cook.

• Cook and food notifications for time & temperature.

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Weber® Grills

This free app includes enhanced features and functionality making it the ultimate grilling companion. It’s loaded with hundreds of original recipes and how-to’s to up your grilling game. This hot new app even includes a built-in grill timer that works with Apple Watch, so now knowing when to turn your steak won’t mean having to put your beer down.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL GET Recipes: With more than 250+ original recipes, you’ll never suffer from an empty grill. Each recipe includes full-color photos, grocery lists, reviews and the ability to save to your favorites, keep notes on the recipe and share with others.

And best of all, a new recipe is added to the app each Friday to constantly give you new grilling inspiration.

Grocery Lists: Tap the shopping bag icon and all the ingredients you need will be added to your Grocery List, even for multiple recipes. How great is that?

Timer: Once you’ve determined your cooking times, keep everything running on perfect schedule. The timer lets you set multiple timers so that different foods come off at just the right time. And with Apple Watch functionality, you don’t even need to look at your phone.

Products: Ready for an upgrade?

Browse, get detailed specs and read reviews on Weber’s newest and bestselling grills, including gas, charcoal, portable and electric grills, as well as smokers and accessories.

Grill Guides: When it comes to cooking times, you’ll never have to wing it again.

Grill guides give you cooking times and direct or indirect instruction or almost anything you can put on the grill—meat or veggie alike.

Blog: Keep up on the conversation.

Read the Weber blog right in the app and get inspired by what is going on at the grill and Weber.

Sharing: Spread the grilling love.

Share any recipe or Grocery List via text or email.

Search: Find whatever you’re looking for using the new app-wide search functionality.

Grill Skills: Learn essential grilling techniques for mastering favorites such as steak, ribs, salmon and turkey with short instructional videos. From proper grill setup, knife skills, food prep, and expert grilling tips you’ll take your grill skills to the next level.

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The Photo Cookbook Barbecue Grilling

This Photo Cookbook is intended for all grilling enthusiasts. It presents classics like "Porterhouse Steak with Garbanzo-Bean Salad," "Glazed Spareribs with Apple-Tomato Ketchup" or "Chicken Wings," but also more unusual dishes such as "Veal Rib Roast with Potato Gratin," "Whole Young Chicken with Anchovy-Basil Sauce" and "Cedar-Plank Salmon with Fennel-Orange Salad."

The app contains a varied range of 72 recipes, divided into four chapters: "Meat," "Poultry," "Fish & Seafood,“ and "Vegetables and Cheese." The overview page of each chapter scrolls vertically, so you can effortlessly see which recipe you want to prepare.

Besides grilling over direct heat, some of the recipes use grilling over indirect heat with the lid closed. This can be done with a kettle grill, for example.

The app is like a private, in-home grilling course, taught by an experienced grill master who explains the methods to you. Gorgeous photos, displayed to best advantage in high resolution on your iPad, illustrate each step.

Each recipe begins with a picture showing all the ingredients you'll use.

So, you can check at a glance whether you have all the ingredients on hand for the dish.

The brief preparation instructions are clearly written and easy to understand. Together with the illustrations, they help beginners and grilling aficionados to keep track of the action without missing a detail.

Each recipe is topped off with a picture of the completed dish, served in its optimal fashion.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE • 72 grill recipes are enhanced with more than 600 high-resolution photos that make the most of the Retina display.

• All recipes are shown in professional step-by step photos.

• A search function makes it easy to locate dishes based on ingredients or recipes.

• Ingredient lists can be e-mailed.

• Mark your favorite recipes as favorites. Simply tap the lower-right corner of a recipe on the overview page.

• You can add your own notes to recipes, too.

• Consumer information about the ingredients is readily available. Simply tap on the ingredient.

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GrillTime

GrillTime is a timer and grilling guide that makes barbecuing easier and less stressful. Select your meat, thickness, and level of doneness and then GrillTime automatically recommends the perfect grilling time and temperature. No need to hang around the grill, GrillTime notifies you when it’s time to flip and when it’s finished.

Grilling times, temperatures, and instructions are automatically calculated based on the size and desired doneness of your food.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL GET Multi-Timer: Easily manage multiple items on your grill with simultaneous timers.

With a swipe and a tap, you can quickly start, stop, and add extra time.

Flip Reminder: GrillTime runs in the background and notifies you when it's time to flip or remove your food from the grill.

Custom Timers: Create customized timers and tailor to your own recipes.

Apple Watch: Leave your phone in your pocket and use your Apple Watch to controls timers, view instructions, and get flip reminders.

International Units: Display times and temperatures in either Metric or Imperial units.

Choose from recommended grilling times for: • Steak • Hamburger • Pork • Fish • Sausage • Hot Dogs • Lamb • Turkey • Veggies • Fruit

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Summer Party Cooking Recipes

A collection of crowd-pleasing recipes for all your summer entertaining needs.

These recipes all look great, and don't require any special culinary skills.

Summer party food needs to be easy and delicious, and these recipes are certainly both.

Want to throw a summer party that creates just the right fun and friendly atmosphere, and leaves your guests complimenting you about the tasty food you've cooked?

You'll find plenty of reasons to have a summer party. And if the weather's good, why not spring or fall parties too! Whether it's a back yard barbeque or a more formal party, these great recipes will help put guests in the right mood. With Summer Party Cooking Recipes you will find recipes your family and friends are sure to love.

YOU'LL FIND GREAT SUMMER COOKING RECIPES LIKE • Asian Beef Kebabs • Beef and Veggie Kebabs Over Fettuccine • Beef Fillets with Stilton-Portobello Sauce • Beef Sirloin Kabobs with Roasted Red Pepper Dipping • Beer-Marinated Flank Steak Bourbon Flank Steak Calypso Steak • Cajun-Style Rib-Eye Steak • Curried Beef Kebabs • Fajita Kebabs • Greek-Style Beef Kebabs • Grilled Asian-Style Flank Steak Grilled Moroccan Spiced Steak • Hawaiian Kebabs • Mayan BBQ Kebabs • Mediterranean Beef Kebabs • Moroccan Beef with Honey-Spice Couscous • Peppercorn Beef Kebabs Santa Fe Grilled Beef Steaks & Corn • Southern Italian Beef Steak & Pasta for Two • Spicy Orange Beef Kebabs • Spicy Portuguese Beef Steak Kebabs • Steak & Tomato-Basil Pasta

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Grilling

Grilling has done the leg work for you and put together some of the best tasting, easiest to prepare, grilling recipes anywhere. Whether you are looking for Appetizers, Starters, Sides, Beef, Lamb, Burgers, Hot Dogs, Chicken, Pork, Ribs, Rubs and Seafood this app has it all! This app provides you with over 200 delicious, easy to prepare, grilling recipes. Just spark up your grill and they will take care of the rest.

Browse or create grilling recipes and enjoy these other features: • Find grilling recipes based on your desires.

• Clean color photographs for every recipe.

• Add recipes to your favorite list for easy reference.

• Add ingredients, name your recipe, and even take a picture and upload it.

HERE’S A SAMPLE Whisky Grilled Baby Back Ribs If mouthwatering ribs are what you crave this recipe will do the trick. Combines rack of ribs, red chile pepper, molasses, worcestershire, a hint of whisky and more.

Grilled Citrus Tuna Let your tastes buds sink into this seafood recipe. Tuna is one of those simple pleasures in life. Now you can enjoy it.

Grilled Rib Eye Steaks with Six Spice Rub What’s better steak smothered with two kinds of pepper, paprika, coriander with a hint of ginger.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Texas Rub This recipe has just the right rub! Combines brown sugar, garlic powder, chili powder with a hint of pepper. No one does it bigger & better then Texas!

Grilled Asian Ginger Pork Chops Super simple! Just the right blend of orange juice, soy sauce, ginger root, and of course delicious pork chops.

Kansas City Barbecued Chicken Warning this tastes so good, it should be bad for you.

Chicken, barbecue sauce, wood chips (yes wood chips!)

You’ll friends will swear you ordered in.

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Barbecues & Grilling

Grill-It! Grilling & BBQ Recipes

This app has lots of BBQ recipes which give full preparation details step by step. Recipes include: Sauces & Condiments recipes, potato recipes, ham recipes, mince recipes, pork recipes, recipes for, special occasions and more.

With Grill-It! you can browse and search all your grilling recipes on the go! New grilling recipes will automatically download into Grill-It! This means that for a single low price you have access to our constantly growing number of grilling recipes.

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TOP TRENDS FOR OUTDOOR LIVING THIS YEAR

No matter the season or the region, outdoor living is hot! In fact, industry analysts predict that this year the market will top $5.7 billion. To help homeowners make the most of their outdoor living spaces in the coming year, Trex Company, a leader in high-performance, low-maintenance outdoor living products, teamed up with design experts Paul Lafrance and Kate Campbell of HGTV’s “Decked Out” series to compile its annual Outdoor Living Forecast. Following are six trends these “Trexperts” predict will be influencing the look, feel and function of outdoor spaces.

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“Add personality and color with plants, flowers, artwork and whimsical accessories, just as you would inside,”

Outdoor

“Rooms”

A growing trend over the past few years, the movement toward “bringing the indoors out” will reach new heights as homeowners infuse their outdoor spaces with all the comforts and conveniences of the indoors.

“The trend used to be toward bringing the outdoors in, but many people today are doing the opposite – bringing traditionally ‘indoor’ comforts out to the deck, porch or patio,” says Lafrance, who designs and builds several decks each year, both for HGTV and through his Toronto-based company Paul Lafrance Designs. “Thanks to advances in all-weather materials, furnishings and accessories, you can outfit an outdoor living space in much the same way that you would any room in the home.”

Create a 'comfort zone'

Campbell agrees, citing increased demand for deck features including integrated benches with upholstered cushions, privacy walls and accents like ornamental post caps and railings with decorative balusters similar to those found inside the home.

“One of my favorite things to do with an outdoor space is to create a ‘comfort zone,’ such as a hammock area or a conversation nook with builtin lounges – somewhere cozy with lots of pillows where you can curl up with a good book, or a good friend,” she comments. “I also am a fan of defining different functional spaces outdoors.

Weather-proof draperies are a great way to inject color and pattern and create distinct spaces. Another option is adding a pergola. Trex just introduced some fantastic pergola kits that are right on trend for this season.”

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Railings

that Rule Another outdoor element that’s being influenced by indoor styling is deck railings.

No surprise, really, since that’s the most visible aspect of a deck. When it comes to selecting the best railing for your outdoor space, Lafrance recommends using one of the “Three C’s” – coordinate, contrast or change it up.

“You can never go wrong by selecting railing in the same shade as your decking,” Lafrance suggests, “but, if you’re having trouble making a perfect match, I recommend taking a 180 degree approach and going with a contrasting color – such as black or white. Both are classic options that complement virtually any outdoor setting.

For design-savvy homeowners looking for something distinctive, let the creative juices flow and go for a completely customized look that reflects your personal taste.”

...the most visible aspect of a deck.

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To make the selection process even easier, Trex recently introduced a set of curated railing looks that pair beautifully with the brand’s most popular decking colors, offering a variety of choices that reflect regional, architectural and personal preferences.

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Cooking

with Class ...far beyond a backyard barbecue.

While outdoor cooking once meant a basic grill and a bag of charcoal, Americans have taken backyard cooking and dining to a whole new level. As outdoor living season resumes, expect this trend to continue with BBQs and grills that maximize space but can handle more than your average steaks, hot dogs and burgers. Think whole turkeys, pizza and smoked meats.

Similarly, outdoor kitchens will get increasingly functional and more elaborate with cooking islands, pizza ovens, refrigerators – and, yes, even the kitchen sink.

“The whole concept of outdoor cooking has grown far beyond a backyard barbecue,” emphasizes Lafrance.

“Homeowners are hungry for fully-appointed kitchens with features like integrated trash bins, ice chests and cabinetry that add convenience and luxury. They also help to keep an outdoor space organized and reduce all those pesky trips back and forth into the house.”

Warming

Features

“The right lighting can take any outdoor space from invisible to inviting,”

One of the hottest trends – literally – for this year is the incorporation of warming features into outdoor spaces. From candles and tiki torches to fireplaces and lighting, products that lend physical and ambient warmth will be in high demand.

“Fire features not only add ambiance to an outdoor space but also provide heat and light that allows you to use your deck later into the evening and into the year,” says Campbell. “Fire pits and fireplaces also provide great focal points and natural gathering spots for conversation and, of course, s’mores!”

Campbell also predicts an increase in the use of outdoor lighting – especially when it’s integrated in new and innovative ways to accent outdoor features. Spot lights highlighting a feature wall or tread lights incorporated into a bar top are both popular options.

“The right lighting can take any outdoor space from invisible to inviting,” she explains. “Adding dimmable LED lighting to railing and stairs not only adds atmosphere but also enhances safety and security – and extends the time you can spend enjoying your outdoor living space.”

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Leisure time for many Americans is a luxury. This trend will continue to drive demand for low-maintenance materials this year – especially outdoors.

Leisure without Labor

“Who wants an outdoor space that they have to spend more time maintaining than enjoying?” asks Lafrance.

“For me, composite decking is a no brainer. It delivers all the beauty and aesthetics of wood but without the back-breaking and time-consuming upkeep.”

Unlike wood, composite decking, such as Trex, resists fading, staining, scratching and mold – and won’t rot, warp, crack or splinter. No sanding, staining or painting is required, and food and drink spills wash off easily with just soap and water.

Additionally, Trex decking is made from 95 percent recycled material making it an environmentally friendly choice for eco-conscious consumers.

High-tech

Decks

Another traditionally indoor convenience that’s quickly making its way outdoors is automation.

Today’s homeowners want to enjoy their time outside while also watching the game or listening to a favorite playlist – in high-definition and perfectly balanced surround sound, of course.

“Home automation is huge right now, so it’s only natural that this trend should migrate outdoors,” comments Campbell. “From lighting and music controlled from a smart phone to motorized rear-projection screens synced to outdoor LED televisions, homeowners are now able to bring their entire entertainment systems outdoors.”

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THE TOP TRENDS IN NEW SWIMWEAR COLLECTIONS Miami Swimweek is always the hottest show in town, and this year was no exception. Here’s the latest on swimwear designs.

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Last year, The Orchid Boutique reported on this cute retro style creeping up here and there, but it had not yet reached its trend peak. Well, this year, it is going to be everywhere in swimwear. Designer brands like Bettinis have this look down to a tee. And he greatest part about this trend? Just throw on a pair of high-waisted shorts or a skirt with a denim jacket and you’ve just transitioned from beach to bar in a snap.

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Whether you are a “bohemian” girl from southern California or you just like the way those girls dress, you can totally get away with this look. This year is going to be all about a new look we like to call “surfer chic.” Some of our favorites include looks from the Maaji collection and the Vitamin A collection, since they’ve masterfully combined active wear and swimwear into one multi-faceted, multifunctioning collection.

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CROCHET CRAZY & MACRAMÉ MAD The more intricate the design, the more time it takes to create amazing unique swimwear designs. Of course, the more intricate the design, the more we love it! This year, Acacia’s Swimwear won the The Orchid Boutique over with their elaborated collection wherein lots of pieces have some form of crochet worked into the design. What’s more, the Bettinis collection is nailing the crochet craze, bringing us the made-famous-last-year Betty Crochet Halter in a myriad of beautiful colors.

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CAGED & STRAPPY This trend was just coming onto the scene last year and throughout the season, it became more and more prevalent. Well, now this sexy, strappy train is leaving the fashion station, and trust us, you’re going to want to be riding along. The best part about the caged look is that it lets little bits of your bikini bod play peek-a-boo with the sunshine, resulting in coverage where you need it‌ and possibly some pretty nice tan lines.

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SPORTY SPICE SWIMWEAR Who could have predicted that it would be totally acceptable (and considered super high fashion) to walk out onto the beach wearing the swimsuit equivalent of a sports bra. But, thanks to the emergence of this sexy sporty look, you can be simultaneously cute and comfy on the beach. Even high profile designer brand Indah Swimwear is mixing a simple sporty top with some skimpy high fashion bottoms for a subtle sporty-chic look.

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NEUTRALS, NUDES, AND EARTH TONES/////////////////////////////////////////////////////// There will always be designers that will be the go-to for bright colors, bold prints, and embellishments. For example, Mar de Rosas’ collection will be made up of all embroidered and embellished pieces. But many of the brands showing their new collections at Swimweek were boasting the trendy use of neutral shades like mauve, beige, eggshell, and all variations of nude.

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RESORT WEAR AND APPAREL Brands that have perfected their swim style to a science are now rolling out the red carpet for amazing and complex apparel designs. For instance, the Mikoh Swimwear has an amazing balance of surf-ready high fashion suits as well as intricately-sewn mesh and neoprene tunics.

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t ’ on D e t t he forg een. cr s n su The Orchid Boutique, located in Miami, Florida, cherry-picks an elite group of designer swimwear look from swimwear stylists who decide carefully what brands to add to their selection. Visit them online at TheOrchidBoutique.com.

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INSPIRING WAYS TO UPDATE YOUR PORCH « « « « «

Country Living brings us these creative ideas for making your porch a destination. Enjoy.

PATRIOTIC PORCH

Flags are a yearly tradition during the summer on this Long Island home's porch. "I hang them a different way each year," says the homeowner, who traded with a neighbor to get the trestle table on the porch. Courtesy of Keith Scott Morton.

BLUE CEILING

Superstitious Southerners often painted under porch ceilings “haint” blue, soft blue-green, to ward off evil spirits called haints. Still, even if you’re not afraid of ghosts, a fresh coat of blue paint is a great way to add visual interest. For a classic soft blue hue, try Benjamin Moore’s Clear Skies or Sherwin-Williams Sea Salt. Or, go bolder: “I prefer a rich navy like Benjamin Moore’s Deep Royal – a striking contrast to light siding or brick,” says Portland, Oregon designer Caitlin Wilson. Courtesy of Benjamin Moore.

SOUTH CAROLINA RETREAT

"We eat every meal out here," say the owners of the screened-in side porch in this rustic South Carolina getaway. They found the bee skep in an Atlanta garden store. Courtesy of Alec Hemer.

CLASSIC LOG HOME PORCH

String lights from Target twinkle over the front porch of this Ohio lake house, and Pottery Barn wicker furniture surrounds an antique folding table, where the family plays cards. Courtesy of Max Kim-Bee.

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WARM & WELCOMING

Brown tones provide a striking contrast against the greenery on this wraparound porch. Pressure-treated Southern Pine tongue-and-groove flooring offers a traditional choice for porch floors.

Courtesy of Country Living.

LOW COST LUXE

The fireplace in this Georgia log cabin was covered in inexpensive porcelain tile. The brass chandelier finishes the space with a little sparkle.

Courtesy of Sarah Dorio.

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DOW N-HOME ARK ANSAS PORCH

The wicker patio set was a hand-me-down from a friend of the owner of this Arkansas home. Another pal sewed the love seat's cushion and pillow from fabric the owner scored at Jo-Ann. Courtesy of Mark Lohman.

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SAVE YOURSELF A TRIP TO THE NURSERY. Planting your own seedlings is a fun project,

and one that kids will love.

Here’s JOANNA GAINES’

take on the process from Magnolia.

A seedling is essentially a plant that is grown from a seed rather than a cutting. There is something a little extra rewarding about growing your plants yourself directly from the seed. So I thought I’d give you a head start this season by teaching you how to grow your own!

“Your seed packet will be very important, so don’t throw it out.

The packet will tell you how deep into the soil to plant, how much water and light it needs, and what time of year is best to plant them outside. This is how you’ll be able to guesstimate when it’s ready to be transplanted outside. Remember, every seed is different, but most thrive in a warm, sunny environment— making a windowsill the best spot for your seedlings to sprout.

We suggest using your spray bottle rather than pouring water directly over the top.”

“When transplanting the seedlings, you want to make sure there is no danger of an outdoor frost after you’ve transplanted, so be careful not to transplant too early. So, again, follow the guide on your packet, or do some quick research into the seeds you’re planting to establish your timeline.

JOANNA GAINES

-Designer & Co-Host of Fixer Upper

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“When it’s time to transplant, you can plant your seedling, shell and all, directly into your soil. The eggshell will serve as a fertilizer eventually. If you’d rather, you can also crack the shell around it and plant the seedling’s roots directly into the soil.

LovingOutdoorLiving.com

Here's everything you'll need: 1 Eggs | Empty egg shells, rinsed 2 Recycled egg carton 3 Seed starting potting mix 4 Seeds of your choice 5 Spray bottle or mister 6 Wide, sharp needle

Steps for planting 1. Save your eggshells until you have half a dozen-or-so shells saved.

When planning to save these for this project, crack them open in the top third using a sharp knife or the corner of your countertop.

Empty the shell completely and rinse thoroughly. Set aside and allow to dry.

2. OPTIONAL | When you've saved enough shells to begin, briefly sink them into boiling water to ensure there are no eggs left on the inside. It'll "foam up" if you missed some. This protects against the possibility for salmonella.

3. Set each egg shell up in your carton.

4. Cafefully poke a hole in the bottom of each shell with your needle.

This will allow water to drain out and ensures your seeding's roots don't drown. If your needle is too small, gently chip away at the hole to make it larger. Hole should be apporximately a quarter of a centimeter in diameter.

5. Fill your dry shells with moist seed starting potting mix. If your soil is dry, use your spray bottle to mist it as you pour it in.

6. Plant seeds accordingly to directions on the seed packets to know how deep into the soil to add them.

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