| You have a great patio and the weather is getting | | | | The lovely glow of light |
| warmer. You may be motivated to decorate, | | | | While you don't want to go overboard, enough |
| update, renovate and enjoy your patio just as | | | | lighting to make it safe and comfy at sundown |
| the air begins to hum with life. But as spring turns | | | | can go a long way. You can string white lights or |
| into summer and summer to fall, you may find | | | | have official patio lighting systems installed, |
| you and your family use your outdoor leisure spot | | | | depending on your budget. Another charming |
| less and less. What can you do to make the most | | | | approach is to hang small glass jars or other |
| of your patio? Here are some ideas. | | | | similar decorative transparent glass containers |
| Music from around the world | | | | from overhanging branches. In each place a |
| Now more than ever, you can access music from | | | | long-burning votive. As simple as this sounds, the |
| around the globe as you enjoy an evening in June | | | | result can be quite enchanting. The more candles |
| or September. Get the help from a sound | | | | you light, the more dramatic it will be. |
| technician or a clever nephew to wire your source | | | | Ordered and calm |
| for digital music to outdoor speakers. One way to | | | | If you've ever gone from a messy home to a |
| start on a project like this if you have no idea | | | | very neat one, you probably noticed right away |
| what we're referring to here is go to an | | | | how much calmer you felt in the tidier space. If |
| electronics store, populated by many tech-savvy | | | | your patio has become the catchall space for |
| young men and women who will be only too | | | | bikes, hoses, old planters, toys, garden tools, |
| happy to help you. | | | | potting soil you aren't using, etc., it may be time |
| Sprucing it up | | | | to have a clean up day. Once the space is clean, |
| This one's more obvious: You can replace your | | | | you can keep it that way by enlisting help |
| patio cushions and refinish your patio furniture-or | | | | (perfect chore for kids) or making it part of your |
| replace it. What's not so obvious to those of us | | | | daily ritual to re-situate your favorite outdoor |
| who look at our surroundings every day is how | | | | place to be. |
| badly this is needed. When you see the same | | | | In the eye of the beholder |
| vista over and over again, you begin to | | | | Patios that are visible from the house are much |
| categorize what you see. The details-like flattened | | | | more likely to invite visitors, even more so if the |
| cushions or chipped paint on the wrought iron | | | | path from the house to the patio is a pleasant |
| furniture-go unnoticed. So, as soon as it's warm | | | | and inviting one. So, can you see your patio from |
| enough, go out with a discriminating eye and see | | | | your house or is it out of sight, out of mind? Is it |
| if it's time for a patio overhaul. If so, make sure | | | | easy to get to your patio? Is the path lined with |
| that the new materials used to upgrade are | | | | flower beds or littered with toys? Consider |
| resistant to sun and rain, and all the elements | | | | creating an "invitation to bliss" by creating a |
| Mother Nature throws at them. Sunbrella makes | | | | pleasant view of your patio and a lovely path to |
| patio cushions that won't tolerate mildew or UV | | | | take you there. |
| rays. If it's time to repaint your wrought iron | | | | This should get any patio owner started. Once |
| furniture, make sure you clean it first, use a wire | | | | you have made a few improvements to your |
| brush to remove any rust, then paint it with rust | | | | patio, chances are it will get more use for more |
| resistant paint, using many thin layers as opposed | | | | of the season, and that's a good thing! |
| to one or two thick layers. | | | | |