Durable Decor

As the outdoor products selling season gears up, American designer, Creekvine Designs, Pittsburgh, Penna. announces its drop ship and quick ship capabilities to fill in-season order requests. Designer of outdoor furnishings, structures and accessories, Creekvine Designs utilizes its state of the art logistics and inventory planning located in its facilities in the outskirts of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to respond quickly to requests from casual and garden retailers.

"The state of the economy has created a situation in which many retailers can no longer manage large inventories or large warehouse space," said Tim McTighe, owner, Creekvine Designs. "As the majority of our products are manufactured right here in Pennsylvania, we are able to fill orders quickly and take the burden off the retailer." For casual and specialty retailers with limited space or those located in vacation locales, Creekvine Designs is also able to provide drop ship services. "Our warehouse is designed to accommodate orders of mass quantities or one-offs," said McTighe. "We understand that the ability for a consumer to locate the product they want at a retailer and then have it delivered to their door is very attractive."

For spring 2011, Creekvine Designs has further expanded their lines of outdoor dining sets handcrafted from western red cedar. These products are available to retailers for in-season sales as outdoor dining continues to rise in popularity. All of their outdoor dining sets coordinate with their patio seating collections and new storage/buffet units perfect for outdoor entertaining.

For more information on Creekvine Designs and their lines of high quality cedar outdoor furniture and garden structures, visit www.CreekvineDesigns.com, email Contact@CreekvineDesigns.com or call 724-444-5361.

In response to retailer and consumer desire for more designer insight and information, Pride Family Brands announces that it has entered into an association with design expert and media personality, Jamie Sorcher to become the award-winning casual furnishings manufacturers' Resident Lifestyle Expert.

Best known for her television work as the original 'Gizmo Girl' on ESPN's Cold Pizza morning show and numerous appearances on network television, Jamie Sorcher is a seasoned correspondent with more than 15 years experience in print, broadcast, and online media. She also has worked as a contributor to ShopSmart, a sister publication of Consumer Reports, and served as a senior editor of Hachette Filipacchi Media. In that position, Jamie wrote about lifestyle and entertainment for numerous publications including Home and Ty Pennington at Home.

"I am excited to join with Pride Family Brands and its lineup of high quality designer casual furniture and accessories to present information and comment on trends and the casual lifestyle of the Pride retail partners, their customers and the industry as a whole," said Sorcher. "As Resident Lifestyle Expert, I am looking forward to providing expert information to better enable all to make not only educated purchasing decisions; but also to heighten the overall outdoor living enjoyment factor."

For more information about Pride Family Brands and their distinguished lines of casual furniture visit www.pridefamilybrands.com or contact 954-735-9800.

Defying the economic downturn with exponentially growing sales each year, artist and sculptor John T. Unger has become a recognizable force in the exploding world of outdoor decor. "I've shipped over 750 of my large firebowls to forty-nine states and ten countries" said John T. Unger, owner of John T. Unger Studio, "Even as far away as Australia."

“When a homeowner buys my firebowls, I take satisfaction knowing that it's beauty has inspired them to invest in atmospheric artwork that will be passed down for generations..." said Unger, "but firebowls in public places such as a hotel or restaurant allow thousands of people a year to see and enjoy my work. This allows me to share my vision with a far broader audience.”

Unger created his first firebowl design in 1995. After discovering discarded propane tanks at a local scrap yard, Unger's creativity took over and his firebowl design took form. The writer in Unger sees a kind of poetry that emerges from the use of a fuel storage device in the production of an object that will encapsulate fire.

"It's easy to see why fire features are such popular elements in contemporary landscape design. The dance of flames is soothing and exciting, intimate and social, the perfect backdrop for tall tales, quiet reflection or romantic moments," said Unger.

¬¬The recycled naissance of his art is something Unger takes very seriously. "If my job as an artist is to fill the world with 'more things,' I feel it is equally important that I reclaim materials from the waste stream to make space for my work." said Unger. "I also believe strongly in designing for permanence and for functionality. My Firebowls come with a Dynasty Guarantee— a legacy to be passed down to your children and theirs." As Unger continues today to use 100% recycled steel, his hand cut firebowls offer not only an American made option for commercial locations, but an environmentally friendly one as well.

Fourteen firebowl designs are now available from John T. Unger Studio with more on the drawing board for 2012. The most popular, The Great Bowl 'O Fire, is a hand cut flame design that casts intriguing shadows as lively as the fire within. Other designs span a range of decorative motifs from the intricate Fiery Fleur-de-Lis to the minimalistic Big Bowl O' Zen.

The firebowl designs lend themselves to creativity in installation as well. Adorning walls and water features, the combination of earth elements offers a striking image creating additional artistry and visual enjoyment.

The industrial grade, ¼ inch thick steel insures the long outdoor life of each piece as well as low maintenance; a welcome feature for public locations. "I design for permanence," said Unger."Most of my objects will last generations with little or no maintenance." His creations draw from primal metaphor and classical elements of design to insure that they will never go out of style. Each piece in the Unger line is crafted with a center hole for drainage or for up-fitting to accommodate a natural gas connection. Signed or engraved stainless steel plates mark each John T. Unger Studio firebowl as a unique sculptural work made to order.

For more information about John T. Unger Studio and the line of firebowls, visit www.johntunger.com, call 432.296.6696 or follow on twitter@twitter.com/johntunger.

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Pride Family Brands is proud to announce that the independent sales personnel representing the company's lines have achieved 100% membership participation for 2011 in the casual furnishings industry's association, the ICFA  (International Casual Furnishings Association.)  Membership has been achieved by the sixteen sales representative agencies that represent Pride Family Brands' Castelle, Prestige and Summer Winds lines across the fifty states of the United States and throughout North America.

"Our company recognized from the beginning the significance of the ICFA as a body representing the interests of the casual industry as a whole," said Rory Rehmert, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Pride Family Brands and current chairman of the ICFA. "With this complete participation by our representative force, the importance of and benefits from the organization are being realized not only at the manufacturing level; but across our entire sales and dealer network as well."

The International Casual Furnishings Association was established in 2008 as an inclusive trade association for all individual or organizations involved in the casual furnishings industry. The organization's goal was to create a community of professionals dedicated to the success of its membership that includes manufacturers/importers, retailers, designers, sales representative, suppliers and media associate members.

                "ICFA is very pleased to have the strong support of the Pride Family Brands sales representative team and applaud them for their recognition of the value of Association membership," said Joe Logan, Executive Director of the ICFA. "Involvement of our sales representatives in the work of the International Casual Furnishings Association is critical to our success as an industry trade organization. Reps are the key link between our customers and our manufacturers. As an Association, one of our primary objectives is to support our sales representatives and provide them with the tools they need to succeed and grow their sales for the benefit of all.”

For more information about the ICFA , visit www.IFCAnet.org.  For more information about Pride Family Brands and their distinguished lines of casual furniture visit www.pridefamilybrands.com or contact 954-735-9800.

April 5, 2011- As spring begins to blossom, online retailer Fifthroom Markets is helping homeowners create their own Outdoor Fifthroom. An Outdoor Fifthroom is a vacation destination at home in the backyard. Fifthroom Markets has all of the patio furniture and garden structures homeowners need to create enviable outdoor living spaces, or Outdoor Fifthrooms.

The contest requires submitters to upload a current photo of their porch, patio, deck or outdoor space. Then, contestants find the patio furniture or backyard structures they would use to make it over into a beautiful, functional Outdoor Fifthroom. Using the photo caption box to talk about the products they chose and why they chose them, contestants can create a true design scheme and decorating plan to share with their family and friends.

The contest is open to all fans of the Fifthroom Markets fan page, and the contest is receiving submissions until Thursday, April 21. The following day, on Friday, April 22, all approved submissions will open for voting. Anyone can vote for their favorite Outdoor Fifthroom plan, as well as share the contest to encourage others to vote.

The contestant with the most votes on Tuesday, May 3^rd wins a $1,000 gift card to Fifthroom Markets. The first runner up will with a $100 gift card, and the second runner up will win a $50 gift card.

“We wanted to give contestants a chance to really show their design ideas,” said Hazel Jennings, editorial manager at Fifthroom Markets and the coordinator of the photo contest. “We didn’t want to reward someone for simply having the most lavishly decorated patio or even the saddest deck. We also didn’t want to simply give away an outdoor furniture set as the grand prize, for fear that it wouldn’t be exactly what the homeowner wanted.”

“We created this contest to serve the contestants perfectly.” Jennings said, “To help a homeowner purchase the perfect patio furniture that they picked out for their unique Outdoor Fifthroom.”

“Great ideas deserve great rewards,” added Reid Bandremer, marketing director at Fifthroom Markets. “This isn’t just a contest of who deserves it most, but of who can create the most successful Outdoor Fifthroom from what they already have and what we have to offer.”

Contestants can visit the Fifthroom Markets Facebook fan page at http://www.Facebook.com/FifthroomMrkts to enter a shot of their outdoor space as it is today, as well as a list of Fifthroom Markets patio furniture and backyard structures that would make it perfect.

“We hope that everyone has fun exercising their inner designer and shopping for a chance to win a $1,000 gift card,” said Jennings.

As spring begins to blossom, online retailer Fifthroom Markets is helping homeowners create their own Outdoor Fifthroom. An Outdoor Fifthroom is a vacation destination at home in the backyard. Fifthroom Markets has all of the patio furniture and garden structures homeowners need to create enviable outdoor living spaces, or Outdoor Fifthrooms.

The contest requires submitters to upload a current photo of their porch, patio, deck or outdoor space. Then, contestants find the patio furniture or backyard structures they would use to make it over into a beautiful, functional Outdoor Fifthroom. Using the photo caption box to talk about the products they chose and why they chose them, contestants can create a true design scheme and decorating plan to share with their family and friends.

The contest is open to all fans of the Fifthroom Markets fan page, and the contest is receiving submissions until Thursday, April 21. The following day, on Friday, April 22, all approved submissions will open for voting. Anyone can vote for their favorite Outdoor Fifthroom plan, as well as share the contest to encourage others to vote.

The contestant with the most votes on Tuesday, May 3^rd wins a $1,000 gift card to Fifthroom Markets. The first runner up will with a $100 gift card, and the second runner up will win a $50 gift card.

“We wanted to give contestants a chance to really show their design ideas,” said Hazel Jennings, editorial manager at Fifthroom Markets and the coordinator of the photo contest. “We didn’t want to reward someone for simply having the most lavishly decorated patio or even the saddest deck. We also didn’t want to simply give away an outdoor furniture set as the grand prize, for fear that it wouldn’t be exactly what the homeowner wanted.”

“We created this contest to serve the contestants perfectly.” Jennings said, “To help a homeowner purchase the perfect patio furniture that they picked out for their unique Outdoor Fifthroom.”

“Great ideas deserve great rewards,” added Reid Bandremer, marketing director at Fifthroom Markets. “This isn’t just a contest of who deserves it most, but of who can create the most successful Outdoor Fifthroom from what they already have and what we have to offer.”

Contestants can visit the Fifthroom Markets Facebook fan page at http://www.Facebook.com/FifthroomMrkts to enter a shot of their outdoor space as it is today, as well as a list of Fifthroom Markets patio furniture and backyard structures that would make it perfect.

“We hope that everyone has fun exercising their inner designer and shopping for a chance to win a $1,000 gift card,” said Jennings.