Rustic Furniture Pro

It’s hot. And it’s the kind of hot that you start sweating the moment you walk outdoors. I barely bother to do my hair anymore because the moment it gets out into the heat, it is just downright gross. With all of the heat, I have to admit, I am still not ready for fall. I love fall, sure. But I also love summer. Summer is a time for getting outdoors, jumping in the pool and taking early morning strolls to beat the heat.

All of these hot temperatures have me wondering how rustic furniture fits into summer. Some people may mistakenly think that there is no need to buy rustic furniture in 100+ heat. But oh do I have news for them! Summer is the perfect time to add a little rustic to your live. Tis the season to decorate and decorate smart. Check out how to beat the heat with our rustic furniture:

• Our rustic furniture can survive misters. If you live in a supremely hot state, then you actually know what misters are. If you don’t, disregard this bullet point. Misters are the perfect way to beat the heat when you’re outdoors and the temperatures are hovering a smothering 105 degrees. But don’t worry – you won’t have to sit on a towel with our rustic furniture. Teak is naturally water resistant, so you can stay cool without worrying about ruining your outdoor chairs, benches or swings.
• Sing Low, Sweet Chariot. Beat the heat this summer by adding a beautiful swing to your outdoor oasis. Swings are like a natural fan for your home. Grab a friend and take a seat. Swing lots or a swing a little – either way, you’re beating the heat by making your own breeze. But be sure you’re choosing a durable rustic outdoor swing. Our team at Rustic Furniture Pro can guarantee our swings won’t be collapsing on you – so choose wisely, my friends!
• Pool Time! What’s the number one way to beat the summer heat? THE POOL! It’s the best way to enjoy the outdoors without overheating. But what’s a pool worth if you have nowhere to lounge? We suggest that you add poolside loungers to add a little spice to your pool and deck area. And remember – no towel needed! Our rustic furniture is water resistant, so you don’t have to worry about jumping from pool to lounger, from lounger to pool. Water is no problem for these comfortable relaxers.

If you weren’t convinced before, I bet you’re convinced now – rustic furniture isn’t just for spring and fall. Get outdoors and enjoy the heat. Winter will be here before you know it and you will be wishing once again for the lazy days of summer when you can bask in the sun, enjoying it’s rays. Soak it up people, and buy some new pieces for your outdoor spaces. You’ll be glad you did – and once you’ve decorated the outdoors, have a party! Your friends, family and neighbors will be so impressed with your ability to fashionably beat the heat.

There are a variety of home styles to choose from. For those desiring to portray a feel of the Old West, when lawmen, bandits and renegades were common place in our country, think about appointing your home with rustic home furnishings. These can include a variety of different items you can position in your home, each one evoking memories and visions of the open prairie, the Badlands and other Western areas.

Most homes have mirrors. They’re sort of a go-to wall decoration—great for opening up any room. To maintain the ambiance of the Old West, there are several mirrors you can hang in your home from rusticfurniturepro.com that will assist you in your endeavors. These are the Nestling, Split Twig, Cripple Creek and Hill Country mirrors. Made from natural wood, these embody the feel of the environment you want to maintain while performing the utilitarian purpose for which they’re intended.

The Totem Four Race Pole is made of teak and is hand painted; it’s sure to elicit conversation from your friends. Search around the web site & you’ll also find a Freewheel Plant Stand, made with real plow handles, the Pagosa Foot Stool, Teak Boxes of different shapes and a Wine Rack made from recycled teak wood.

Take a few minutes to visit rusticfurniturepro.com. They offer a wide selection of rustic home furnishings that will add character to the rooms in your home.

With Easter only a few days away I thought it would be fun to share a classic Easter delight from our Rustic Furniture Pro family to yours. When it comes to Easter, there are a few foods that are an absolute must have.

First you have the ham with the tasty and slightly crunchy glaze, the centerpiece of the Easter dinner table. Then of course you have to have some sort of potatoes. Whether they are baked, mashed or even some sort of casserole, potatoes are a must. Then you need some sort of veggies, perhaps a green bean casserole and a fresh green salad. Since its spring I like for my Easter salad to have a lot of fresh fruits like strawberries, pineapple, apples, oranges and blueberries. I like to mix up the dressing and offer guests more fruity choices like strawberry dressings. The salad is always so fresh and colorful! And of course we cannot forget the rolls! Well, those are my must haves for Easter and I am looking forward to feasting on everything this weekend.

Easter would not be complete without lots of sugary sweets. You must have lots of Easter eggs filled with all types of candy and jelly beans to act as little Easter eggs in your arrangements and décor. Then do not forget the chocolate bunnies! Another Easter must, as well as robin’s eggs. You also may want to have some Cadbury eggs scattered about for guests to enjoy. And for the main dessert this year, we are having a cross cake to celebrate the Resurrection as well as banana pudding.

There is one more Easter classic that I have yet to mention to all of you rustic furniture lovers out there and that is Deviled Eggs! This Easter make sure that someone has the Deviled Eggs covered for your family and friends.

Every year my sisters and I bring deviled eggs to our family Easter celebration. Last year we decided to take a little creative liberty on the deviled eggs and I am not sure it was very successful. You see we got the ‘great’ idea to die the deviled egg mixture before filling the hardboiled eggs. We had yellow (obviously), pink, orange, blue purple and green deviled egg filling. We filled all of the hard boiled egg halves and put them on a platter with Easter grass. We were all pretty excited about our new take on deviled eggs and could not wait to show the family. Unfortunately, they were not impressed and were actually a little grossed out by our concoction calling them dinosaur eggs instead. This year we have a new idea which I think is much cuter and will be more appetizing than purple deviled eggs.

Rustic Furniture Pro Cute Deviled Eggs

Easter Chick Deviled Eggs Recipe from Rustic Furniture Pro courtesy of Paula Deen

Ingredients

• 7 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• Salt and pepper, for taste
• Paprika, for garnishing

Directions

• Halve the eggs from side to side instead of top to bottom to create the half egg for the chick to sit in. Remove yolks and place in a small bowl.
• Mash yolks with a fork and stir in mayonnaise, pickle relish, and mustard. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
• Fill egg white halves with a melon baller to create the chick’s head popping out of the egg.
• Cut a triangle shape from a carrot for the beak and use to sprinkles for the eyes.
• Garnish with paprika, pickles and pimentos. Store covered in refrigerator.
• Enjoy!

From our Rustic Furniture Pro family to yours, Happy Easter!

Photo courtesy of Bentolunch.net

I have talked about a lot of different types of rustic accessories to use throughout the home and your outdoor living space. There are all types from colorful pillows and throws to candles, wall art and glass vases. The list of accessories is endless and will allow you to add personality and charm to your home. Another big accessory that I think is a must have for homes are plants and flowers. Not only do plants and flowers add color, but they also add life to a room. Just like when you are shopping for the perfect pillow for you space, your choices and variety are endless when it comes to plants and flowers. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

I love plants, but I will admit, I just do not have a green thumb. In fact, typically when I try to grow plants I usually kill them. I will try so hard to care of a plant, and almost inevitably I will kill the poor little guy.

Lately my husband has been giving me flower arrangements. I guess he picked up on the fact that my thumb is far from green. But, yesterday he decided to give me another chance with a new plant.

Accessories Your Rustic Furniture

A long time ago while we were still dating he wanted to add some life to my Rustic Furniture Pro office with a plant. He bought me a Ponytail Palm and mailed it to me while he was busy outside of the country. I instantly fell in love with that Ponytail Palm and I thought my Rustic Furniture Pro office would be the perfect home for my new plant!

I took the plant there and cared for it and sure enough it began to grow. These plants can live for quite a long time and can grow to somewhere around five feet tall. My intentions were to grow this plant up and have it for years to come. Well, one day I was watering my palm and the whole trunk began disintegrating. I mean it completely fell apart right in front of me, and I was devastated.  

Well, yesterday my husband shows up to work with none other than a new plant in a very colorful vase. It is perfect for my office and I love the punch of color the vase provides. The yellow looks great up against the rustic furniture.  I think it is the perfect addition to my desk and my husband made sure that this plant was easy to maintain and did not need direct sunlight. So, here goes to another attempt to raise a plant. I currently am trying to grow two avocado trees at my home. So far, they are two seeds in glasses of water…

So, if you are looking for an easy way to add some color and live to your living space, think about accenting your rustic furniture with some beautiful plants! Wishing you all great success!

Rustic Rocking Chairs for Your Outdoor Living Space

Happy spring to all of you rustic furniture lovers out there! Now that the weather is beautiful we are all spending a lot more time outside. We are working on our flowerbeds. Some of us are tackling a garden for the first time. Others are re-sodding to make our lawns beautiful and green. Whatever we are all doing it probably involves being outside and getting our hands dirty. Once we beautify our front and back yards, it will be time to focus on our outdoor living spaces.

Outdoor living spaces have grown in popularity over there years. People are spending more of their free time outdoors. People are truly investing in their outdoor living spaces. They are becoming another room to the home.

There are several different types of outdoor living spaces that people create to enjoy the great outdoors. They can range from very simple to completely over the top. It all depends on your vision, space size and the good old budget. Some people just want a simple outdoor space where they can sit and enjoy a glass of lemonade or a cold beer. For this type of space consider rocking chairs and a few side tables. If you are creating a fire pit area then consider Adirondack chairs or crescent shaped benches.

If you want to take your outdoor living space to another level, consider an outdoor dining set. You will be able to entertain all spring and summer in your outdoor dining and kitchen area. Rustic Furniture Pro offers a wide variety of dining tables that can be used indoors and outdoors. There are only a few tables that we do not suggest be used outdoors due to long planking. However, our wagon wheel tables, bistro tables and other pieces are a perfect match for the outdoors considering they are all made of reclaimed teak wood. So, enjoy setting up a dining table for all of your family and friends. Suddenly your evening dinners will become more fresh and exciting as you enjoy your meals outdoors. You will also most likely start grilling more now that you are outdoors.

Another fun option is to create an outdoor bar. If you have a pool it is especially nice to create an outdoor living bar space. Depending on the size of your space you can add a bar, barstools, bistro tables and more to create the perfect space for fun.

 So, this spring get creative and enjoy your outdoor living space. You will be amazed at what rearranging a few rustic furniture pieces can do for your outdoor living spaces. Once you have decided on what type of space you want, fill it with handcrafted rustic furniture made to be outdoors. Then add in some fresh greenery, flowers, colorful pillows and cushions to create a warm and inviting space to relax and enjoy!

All of us at Rustic Furniture Pro wish you the best and look forward to seeing what you have been up to with your outdoor living spaces!

Easy Breezy Strawberry Lemonade

I hope you are reading this blog while you are sitting outside enjoying the spring weather. You see, I believe that we should all be spending every second possible outdoors enjoying the beautiful spring weather. Now I know that we also have to take care of work, but seriously spend as much time as you can outside. During your lunch break go for a relaxing walk. When you get home eat dinner outside. Even on your drive home from work, try rolling the windows down for a change. Spring is here and we need to make sure we enjoy it and do not miss out on this amazing weather!

One of my favorite places to enjoy the spring weather is in my outdoor living space in my backyard. I have just created a really fun relaxing atmosphere and added in a few pops of color. This is a great place for me to relax and enjoy a good book, watch my dogs play outside, have a nice dinner with my husband or just hang out with friends. It is definitely where you will find me during the springtime.

As you know I have a lot of rustic furniture in my home and on my patio. I mean I love rustic furniture, so it is all over my home indoors and out. My favorite piece of rustic furniture on my patio is my rocking chair. It is a great place for me to go to and unwind at the end of a long day. It is also a great place to hang out on Saturday morning with my coffee.

So, today I thought it would be fun to give you a fun and easy recipe that you can enjoy with family and friends as you spend time outside with your rustic furniture. In my house there is nothing like a cold glass of lemonade. It is a must have for spring. So, today I wanted to share with you a simple twist of the spring and summer classic drink. I hope you enjoy and are able to spend some great mornings, afternoons and evenings outside with your family and this sweet treat!

Easy Breezy Strawberry Lemonade

Here is your list of ingredients:

• 4 ½ Cups of cold water
• 1 (10 Ounce) package of frozen strawberries, partially thawed
• 1 can of frozen lemonade concentrate

Instructions

• In a large, colorful pitcher mix the lemonade concentrate and water together. Stir well.
• Stir in partially thawed strawberries
• Enjoy with family and friends.

This simple recipe requires very little time and effort but will have a big payoff with your family and loved ones. So, this spring while you are enjoying your rustic furniture outside on your back porch, you can also enjoy a nice cold glass of Easy Breezy Strawberry Lemonade!

This fun recipe is courtesy of Kaboose.

Rustic Furniture Pro's Arabella Chair

The Rustic Furniture Pro team is all about meeting your rustic furniture needs. We will do whatever it takes to help you create the perfect home, ranch, cabin, lakehouse or outdoor living space. So, you can shop with us knowing that we will meet your rustic furniture needs. There are several ways were are here to serve you. Today I am going to focus on four of the ways Rustic Furniture Pro is here to meet your needs.

1. Will you be using your new piece(s) of furniture outdoors?

If you are using your furniture outdoors let one of our Rustic Furniture Pro team members know. If we are aware that your new furniture will be going outdoors we will prepare the furniture and apply a special outdoor polyurethane application to each piece. This application will allow for your finish to last outdoors longer. If you want to maintain the finish your furniture arrives with, then keep up with simple maintenance to maintain the rustic furniture’s color. You can apply more coats of polyurethane as the furniture begins to turn. So, next time you order from Rustic Furniture Pro, let us know if your furniture will be used outdoors. There is no additional charge for this service. We simply want your furniture to be the best it can be!

2. Do you like our custom stain?

Here at Rustic Furniture Pro, we pride ourselves on our custom rich brown stain. It brings out the variety of colors within the reclaimed teak wood and it highlights teak’s wood grain. We care about our stain so much that we take the time and care to stain each piece. Pretty much everyone who buys our rustic furniture is in love with the stain.  However, sometimes customers have a need for a lighter color teak or just simply want bare teak furniture. Whatever your needs are let us know. We are here to help!

3. Do you need customizations?

Sometimes we have customers who fall in love with a particular piece, but may need a few customizations to make it work for their home. For example, we currently have a customer that has fallen in love with a table. However, it is a bit too big for their space, so they have asked us to customize it. So, let us know what we can do to help you get the rustic furniture you want and love!

4. Do you need some custom upholstery? 

One of the other things that Rustic Furniture Pro does for you is upholstery. I have clients who absolutely love the teak furniture but ask if they can get the chair, barstool, bench upholstered. We love upholstery at Rustic Furniture Pro as well. We are ready and able to upholster all different types of pieces within our line. So, feel free to ask us about upholstery options. With our custom upholstery, you can provide us with the materials if you have a specific fabric, leather or hide you want to use, or we can provide leathers and hides. When it comes to upholstery, we work with you to help create the perfect pieces for your home.

At Rustic Furniture Pro we are all about helping you get the rustic furniture you need and want. We hope you enjoy your shopping experience with us!

Rustic Furniture Pro's Aspen Hub Bistro Table

Everybody is getting ready to move their lives outdoors. I know some of you are still getting snow and others of us have moved on into spring weather. Either way, soon all of us will be enjoying the beautiful weather that spring brings us. The flowers are blooming, the trees are budding and new life fills the air. Well, with spring, everyone is moving their lives outdoors, and with good reason!

So, this time of year, without fail, everyone has questions regarding outdoor rustic furniture. People want to know what rustic furniture pieces will do well in their outdoor living spaces. So, today I thought I would talk about tables. Everyone always wants to know which tables we suggest and do not suggest go outside for your outdoor dining experiences.  

So let’s start off with what rustic furniture pieces, specifically tables we suggest you use outside. For all of you rustic furniture lovers out there who are looking to create an entertaining backyard then these next two pieces are for you. If you have an outdoor bar and are wanting to entertain, may I suggest the Aspen Hub Bistro Table or the Windriver Bistro Table. If you have a smaller space and are looking for a quaint table to serve drinks or light snacks than the Aspen Hub Bistro Table is for you. This is also a great table for you and your space or best friend to hangout at after a long day at work. However, if you are looking for a larger bistro table for drinks and even a meal, than the Windriver Bistro Table is for you!  This is an awesome wagon wheel table that is perfect for entertaining family and friends. And then if you have a large enough outdoor living space, why not fill it with quality rustic furniture! You could do an arrangement of both the Aspen Hub Bistro Table and the Windriver Bistro Table. Mix and match these tables and barstools and bar chairs to create a space sure to impress and entertain!

For those of you looking for outdoor dining tables here are some thoughts for you. We recommend our round wagon wheel tables because of the way they are handcrafted. Each of our wood top wagon wheel tables have inlay hand placed in-between each wagon wheel spoke. This provides a wonderful surface for outdoor dining. One of the tables I would suggest is the Bluffdale Table. This is a beautiful rustic furniture piece with scalloped edges. It offers a softer side to the wagon wheel table approach. While not in use you can use the bottom shelf under the table top to house a beautiful plant and add color and texture to your dining setting.

There are two pieces we specifically recommend not using outdoors because of the beautiful long planks used in the construction of the table. These planks do not react well to sitting water and may warp if exposed to water and snow.

So, this year as you rustic furniture lovers decorate your outdoor living spaces, remember these awesome bistro and dining tables that will help bring your space to life!

View of Relaxation

Every once in a while the Rustic Furniture Pro team likes to feature a great vacation spot where you can get away from a while with family and friends. In previous blogs we have featured places like Beaver Creek and Telluride two spots that have a great appreciation for rustic furniture and décor. With spring here I thought I should offer up my next vacation location for all of you.

I think I can speak for most of us why I say that it is so easy to get caught up in the day to day living and with our individual jobs. Lately I have felt like the weeks have just rushed by with a busy work schedule and an even busier personal schedule time feels like it is flying.

It is important for all of us to take some time and get away from the hustle and bustle of each day. We need to step away from our hectic lives in order to get some clarity, relaxation and personal time. Now, for many of us we can’t just pack up and head out somewhere for several weeks. We have commitments, families and work that must be tended too. However, every once in a while you have to step away even if it’s just for a weekend.

So today’s vacation location is pretty simple, it’s the lake. This is a very attainable vacation destination that will allow you to step away and relax for a while. Lakes are all around us and they provide the perfect place to escape too. Whether you have you own personal lake house or you need to rent on, getting away to the lake for the weekend will rejuvenate your spirit and make you more productive.

As rustic furniture lovers, we love to be out in nature as well enjoying the fresh air, the trees and the animals. So, what better place to enjoy Mother Nature than at a quiet smoothing lake house?

So, with spring officially here, take some time to look at your calendar and plan a weekend get-a-way with your family and friends. Grab some drinks, burgers, hotdogs and brownies and head out for a weekend of R&R. This is a very simple way to help everyone have a wonderful weekend of relaxation, laughter and peace.

My husband and I try to escape to the lake several times within the spring and summer with our dogs. It is a way for us to reconnect, relax and enjoy our friends and family. Plus, the dogs love it! I am really not into all the water sports. For me it’s just fun to get way and spend time sitting on the dock enjoying nature and an early morning walk.

All of us at Rustic Furniture Pro want to wish you a happy spring with your family and friends and we hope you make some time to get out to the lake!

Beautiful Bird Pattern Dish Towel

With spring officially here (as of last Sunday) it is time to liven up your home and rustic furniture with some fun bright colors. There are a lot of easy ways to quickly add color to your home indoors and outdoors. For one, you can change out pillows and throws. This is an easy and inexpensive way to instantly brighten you living spaces. Another way is to add in some bright accessories. These accessories do not have to be expensive, but just fun pops of colors to brighten a space. And then, one of my favorite ways to brighten a home is through flowers. With this beautiful weather it is definitely time to plant flowers. You can always get vases with floral arrangements but now that its spring you can also try growing some plants in and outside of your home to add color and life to a space. So, these are all easy (and inexpensive) ways to brighten you home.

If you want to take this a step further here is a fun idea for you. It will take you a bit more time but it is a great way to capture your personality and add color to your wall space.

I love to shop for home accessories. In fact, it is one of my favorite things to do! So, a while back I was just browsing around not really looking for anything in particular and then I stumbled upon it. I beautiful dish towel. Sounds a bit strange, but I saw it and I knew I had to have it. This particular dish towel was around $20 so it’s not something that I would buy to use as it was originally intended. I just can’t see myself spending $20 of a wash rag. So, it was time to get creative and see what I could use it for, especially since it matched my kitchen perfectly.

I decided to frame the dish towel in a large simplistic black frame. I hung the frame up on a wall in my kitchen that is painted a pale soft green. I absolutely love the new look and I am constantly getting compliments on it. People cannot believe it is only a dish towel in the frame. So, if you are looking for a way to bring color, pattern and interested to your home, check out some dish towels the next time you are out and about. You might be surprised by what you find.

Now, I love sitting on my rustic furniture and looking into my kitchen to see my print. You can get a collection of these in all different shapes, sizes and colors and fill your home. When the holidays come around, what better way to decorate the walls? I hope you enjoyed this tip! Maybe now you will look at dish towels differently. If you have your own easy rustic furniture decorating tips, I would love to hear them!