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Fashion, Food & Fun

Made in the Shade - Outdoor Furniture for Summer

You might live in a box, but that doesn't mean you can't think outside of it.  Memorial Day weekend is here and summer weather has set in.  That means it's time to fix up your back porch, deck or yard.  With these tips on outside decor you'll be living large in no time.

The Good Word - Do things right for long enough and people will talk!  Pawleys Island Hammocks have been making hammocks for over 120 years now. The use of the first rope hammock is attributed to Captain Joshua Ward in 1889.  A South Carolina riverboat captain, made a hammock out of cotton rope as an alternative to his grass-filled mattress.  Refinements to the traditional hammock designs of his day have remained key features of the now famous Pawleys Island hammock available at the Original Hammock Shop in Pawleys Island, SC and distributed to other shops around the country. 

The Pawleys Island community has been the center of the hammock making industry since 1938. It takes one weaver 3 hours and 1,200 feet of cotton rope to complete a single hammock.  All made in the USA!  Click Here to purchase your Pawleys Island Hammock.

Seconds, Please - For years there's been a divide between manufactured first-world luxury items and handmade third-world crafts, but NYC's industrial designer Stephen Burks believes that the future of design lies within that diminishing void.  Inspired by improvised seating in the developing world, Dala is Stephen Burks first collaboration with woven outdoor furniture manufacturer Dedon. In addition to the innovative use of an expanded aluminum structure, each Dala lounge chair, stool, ottoman and table is woven with a 75 percent recycled polyethylene and Tetra-Pak extruded Dedon fiber.

The Dala Outdoor Furniture Collection by Dedon is now available at Rodolfo Gonzales Interior Design in North Hills. Website, Phone: 919-573-4010  

Design Within Your Reach - Serena & Lily have designed their Monaco Collection from ground up to satisfy a craving for the ultimate outdoor furniture.  The look says living room, but the materials are sustainable rattan and woven plastics that will withstand summers of backyard barbecues with style.  These and their hand-crafted, weather-resistant unfinished teak Butterfly chair can be a great combination of comfortable outdoor furnishing that's easy to move and arrange.  The all-weather fabric resists staining and fading, mold and mildew with a number of patterns to choose from.  Order online on their Website.  Easy shipping available. 

Now you can celebrate Summer with your perfect outdoor space.  Fun in the sun never felt so cool! 

To Bee or Not to Bee

Chill Out - Southern Comfort by the Scoop or Pint

If there were a class called "How to Be Cool," Gelato and Frozen Custard could write the syllabus.  Ice cream and frozen yogurt may do in a pinch, but by Memorial Day we're ready to graduate to something intense and decadent ... like real gelato and frozen custard.  Luckily, these spoonfuls of sugar are readily available and boast seasonal, Southern Comfort flavors like peach, strawberries & champagne, peppermint stick, and raspberry, blackberry, & blueberry.  Of course chocolate and vanilla never go out of season.  Whether it is by the spoon, the cup, or the pint, the following local establishments have distinguished themselves as the best for quality, taste, and freshness.  Now is the time to become a frozen apprentice.

Stay cool my friend(s)!

Two Lots for Sale

Core Results - Personal Training is teaching people from all over the Raleigh, Cary andTriangle area how to meet their fitness goals. From kettlebells to TRX, everything is top of the line and brand new at the private Core Results studio. Call and make your first appointment for a Complimentary Session!

Core Results: 1330 St. Mary's Street, Suite A00, Raleigh, 27605, Phone: (919) 946-1737, Email:info@coreresults.net, Website. 

Kenna Custom Painting is available to tackle your residential painting needs.  With their great crews that perform very professional jobs on residential homes, you won't believe how quiet and unobtrusive they are.  So if you have that "itch" to freshen up your home, interior or exterior before springtime, contact them now.  Call 919-855-0082 or Email: kennapaint@bellsouth.net.  Website.

Join My Blog Simply-Refined: We are an Interior Design team that can inspire and help you with your designs and decorating needs.  We have been designing and decorating homes for over 20 years.  Please call for a consultation. We can serve with a whole design package, or just consulting only...no job is too small.    

Call Zaytoun Interiors if you're finally ready to decorate or re-decorate your home or office.  What's your style?  If you're not sure, we can help you tap into your inner self and find what makes you want to come home again.  Website, Email, Phone: 305-793-8510. 

Art Week at North Hills is June 1-8 and Carnival at the Commons Friday, June 8 where there will be live music, LED performances, and fire dancing.  Also, if interested in photography, enter the Midtown Photography Competition.  For more info visit Website.  

Did You Know?  For every $100 spent at a locally-owned business, $68 stays in the local economy compared to only $43 if spent at a national chain. Please support our local businesses!  This is what the Beltline Buzz is all about.