CasaSugar

9 Ways to Enjoy Your Home's Outdoor Space This Summer

CasaSugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:00:15 -0700

Tired of the standard barbecue party? Check out my ideas for putting a spin on things and keeping your outdoor gatherings fresh all Summer long!
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10 Ways to Light Up the Night

CasaSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:00:35 -0700

If you're hosting guests or hanging out in your backyard late into the night, you're going to need some illumination. Whether you craft your backyard lighting or buy it, you want to keep your lighting pretty, as well as durable. I've found some lighting choices that provide great ways to add some illumination to your Summer outdoor dining or entertaining experience.
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Do You Have a Fire Pit?

CasaSugar — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:00:02 -0700

I've shown you several fire pits before, and you can find them at many home furnishing and hardware stores. For more of an investment, you can also have one built into your property. Regardless, they're great for entertaining on chilly Spring, Summer, and Fall evenings. Do you have one?

8 Reasons to Tie the Knot at a National Park

CasaSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:00:39 -0700

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the "Organic Act," creating the National Park Service, the new federal bureau in the Department of the Interior protecting the 35 national parks and monuments then managed by the department. Now, the United States' national parks are made up of nearly 400 natural, cultural, and recreational sites across the country, including massive parks like Yellowstone, and historical sites like the Statue of Liberty. Besides showcasing national historic and environmental treasures, many of these parks are also available for wedding ceremonies. Check out my top reasons for getting hitched at a national park.
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Casa Quickie: Ice Your Birdbath

CasaSugar — Thu, 28 May 2009 11:00:21 -0700

One of Danny Seo's great tips in the Casa Interview was to repurpose your bird bath. Danny suggested that you fill your bird bath with ice and use it as a cooling station for beverages. When the party is over, let the ice melt and our feathered friends have a cool drink to enjoy. Want more tips? Check them out here.

What You're Wanting, Revealed: An Outdoor Dining Room For Adrian's Castle

CasaSugar — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:00:54 -0800

For the latest what you're wanting, I asked you how you'd furnish, accessorize, and style an outdoor dining room for Adrian Brody and Spanish girlfriend Elsa Pataky's stone castle-like house in upstate New York. The house is stunning, so I'm sure a basic picnic in the grass would still be glamorous, but AudreyStar really took the challenge and ran with it. So she wins the Sugar swag of her choice as a reward! Not only did she choose colors and materials that created a cohesive space, but she thought about all of the details of what a great outdoor space should have, including everything from lounge seating to festive napkin rings. To see her look, read more.

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Midday Muse: Cue Your Color

CasaSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:00:02 -0700

On beautiful Summer days, it's always convenient to have a furnished outdoor lounge area for entertaining, or just taking an escape of your own. If you have such a space, and you're anything like yours truly, you feel the urge to decorate the space just as you would the interior of your home. But, a part of me feels like the last thing I should be doing during my carefree endless Summer is worrying about coordinating colors and themes, etc. So, my suggestion to y'all is to take a cue from what's already there. I love how the owners of this home decided to coordinate their lounge space with the light-blue color of their home's exterior walls. With a simple blue, purple, and white striped rug, a set of white furniture, and some cool blue napkins, the space looks composed yet effortless.
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Su Casa: A Beach Backyard to Die For

CasaSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 07:00:00 -0700

Su Casa member Scolls1583 recently snapped some photos at a friend's beach house party in Boston, and was so impressed she decided to share! She says that the host basically built his backyard area "from the ground up . . . put in a pool, built a bar, and decorated with great furniture." I'm certainly wowed by this home; it looks like the perfect place to entertain during an endless Summer. Aside from the obvious coveted Summer features (pool and beach), he's set up plenty of comfortable seating for all of his guests, what looks like a firepit or grill (in foreground), a volleyball net (not shown), and a beer pong table. Can anyone say PARTY?! If you're interested in posting pictures of superb pads like this, make sure to join my Su Casa group!

How-To: Be the Hostess With the Eco Mostess

CasaSugar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:00:38 -0700

Want to learn how to make your Summer soirees a little more eco friendly? Elizabeth Rogers, the best-selling author of The Green Book, recently gave me some tips for throwing parties that won't negatively impact the planet. So many times when we're busy organizing a backyard bash or a big dinner party, we forget the impact that all of our disposable cups and plastic party favors can have on the environment. But not to fear! Just because you're keeping the earth in mind doesn't mean that your party has to be any less fun. In fact, it can be even more so - and these tips are even budget friendly! Elizabeth recommends that, "While preparing for your party, stop by a local swap meet or thrift store for fun vintage items you can reuse all summer long."

Want to hear Elizabeth's smart entertaining tips? Then read more.

Instead of running through dozens of plastic cups and paper plates, vintage glass-wear and dishes found at swap meets, will add a unique touch to your dinner party. Using dishes already in existence instead of buying brand new ones or disposable is 100% eco friendly. Plus they can be reused all summer long, saving you upwards of $100 in disposable paper, plastic and Styrofoam products.
Approximately 70 million bottles of water are drunk in America everyday and, because petroleum is used to manufacture these bottles, the impact on the environment is significant. For your party use vintage glass pitchers filled with filtered water. My favorite is PUR because it adds an extra level of filtration, so it has a crisp taste. Your guests will love the vintage feel, and you’ll be saving yourself the cost of buying all those plastic water bottles.
Vintage tablecloths and napkins, found on your swap meet excursion, are a more fashionable way to set your table than paper or plastic throw-away table covers. Antique lace will lend a summery elegance to your party, and after a quick spin through the washing machine it will be ready for your next soiree. Paper napkins and paper towels are two of the reasons paper waste in the US has jumped from 30 million tons to 84 million tons a year since the '60s. So, as well as being more durable, cloth napkins will prevent your party from ending in the trash.
Centerpieces are a sophisticated finishing touch, when decorating for your party. Instead of buying cut flowers that travel in gas-guzzling cooler trucks, and will be wilted and gone before the end of the week, potted plants are a beautiful alternative. Potted orchids require little care and will look stunning in your home after the party has ended. The cost of purchasing several potted plants for your table tends to be less than purchasing bouquets of cut flowers from a florist or the grocery store, plus the flowers will be ready to shine again at your next party.
Light your party with soy candles in Mason jars. You’ll save on electricity, plus soy candles don’t emit carbon or smoke as they burn and purchasing soy candles supports soy farmers. Mason jars, have been used for canning since the 1850’s and these antique glass jars can be purchased for a few dollars at local flee markets. The soft candlelight will lend a charming Midsummer Night’s Eve quality to the evening.

For more excellent tips, as well as to learn more about Elizabeth and The Green Book, check out her website.

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DIY: A Terra-Cotta Fountain

CasaSugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 08:30:51 -0700

It's safe to say that I'm a little obsessed with water features in gardens. Whether it's a koi pond or a granite fountain, I'm all for it. So, when I found this Martha Stewart post on making a backyard fountain out of economical materials, I knew that it would be a hit with Casa readers. You can even make it more eco chic by using gray water for the water in your fountain.

What You'll Need

Three terra-cotta pots that can stack top to bottom, as seen in the photo and diagram, for the inside body of your fountain
Two supporting pots
Foam sealant (even better, use a green foam sealant)
One-inch diameter plastic tubing, a little shorter than the height of your pots (you can trim it after you've built the fountain)
Water pump
A power cord that will connect to the pump
Flow-control valve
Terra-cotta feet for the bottom pot

To find out how to make it, read more.

Collect three display pots and two support pots. They can be as big or small as you like, as long as the tops and bottoms correspond.
Plug the drainage hole of the largest pot with foam sealant. Place the pot on a level surface. Cut a length of 1-inch-diameter flexible plastic tubing that, when inserted into the pump, extends through both support pots and 6 inches above the base of the smallest display pot. Insert the tubing into the pump.
Now, fit the pump into the base pot, running the power cord over the rim, toward a grounded exterior outlet. Turn the larger support pot upside down over the pump, propping it on the terra-cotta feet to allow water to flow underneath. Loop the tubing through the drainage hole, and spray foam sealant around tubing to seal.
Position the second display pot, then loop the tubing through hole. Seal with foam.
Repeat these steps with the remaining support and display pots. Add a flow-control valve a few inches from the end of the tube. Add water until the pots are overflowing; plug the pump into the outlet, and adjust the pressure as needed.
Host a garden party so your friends and neighbors can ooh and ahh over your new fountain!

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