The High Point Market

The High Point Furniture show starts later this month running from April 21^st through 26^th. If you are not familiar, this show of shows happens twice per year in High Point, NC, both in the Spring and Fall. The show is where manufacturers show off their newest furniture and accessory creations to retailers from all across the nation. It is a BIG DEAL!

 The home of PatioandYards.com, Troutman, NC  is within easy driving distance of High Point, NC and we always try to attend at least once a year in order to find  new and exciting products to add to our sites. You see, not only are the top of the line manufacturers in attendance, such as Broyhill, Henredon, Lloyd Flanders, etc. and more, but also small manufacturers who maybe attending their 1^st show and they have something new and exciting to show. We have found some real beauties at shows like in the past such as when met Maury and Amy from Philadelphia, who had just brought to market  woven rugs that they found on a trip to Thailand. They weren’t actually rugs that they discovered in Thailand but rather Prayer Mats that the locals were weaving and using in their daily prayers. Maury and Amy figured that theses mats had a special quality and were also very colorful and would be perfect for outdoor use. After some wheeling and dealing,  they convinced and set the local prayer mat manufacturer up with larger looms. That was the beginning of Mad Mats.  They brought 3x5’s, 4x6’s and 6x9’s to the show for the first time and as they say in the business”, It was a good show”  For those of us that discovered their tiny booth, tucked way in the back corner of one of the largest furniture and accessory shows in the world, it was like finding a hidden gem. The excitement of finding a new product, previously not seen by  the buying public, and being one of the 1^st to offer this item…… well a marketers dream, we could not wait for the show to end, to get home and start making Mad Mats available to the world.  

 First Mate Cathy and I went out to dinner one night at the show with Maury and Amy, talked about their Mad Mats, had a great meal and have had a wonderful business relationship ever since. We started carrying Mad Mats in January of 2005 and have literally sold thousands of them.  The Mad Mat designs have grown over the years from just four designs to now over twenty different designs, all in at least three different color choices.   Maury has since passed on but we look forward to seeing our old friend Amy at the High Point Furniture show later this month. Hope she has some new designs for us.

 “LIKE” us and you’ll be the 1^st to know after we come back from the show!

Outdoor Globe Lanterns

Outdoor Lanterns: If your goal is to add light in the most elegant way possible, Outdoor Globe Planter Lanterns are for you! You can choose from electric lanterns, which operate off of standard household bulbs, or flame lanterns, which burn fuel. Many lanterns also come with planter flower pots around the bottom to add a beautiful gardening opportunity. Citronella oil, long known to ward off insects, can be burned in flame lanterns. In addition to a new source of light, you will repel flying pest from your home.

Spring Cleaning

Well Spring has sprung all across the USA, bringing with it the feeling of new beginnings and a fresh start as a large majority of us have jumped into spring cleaning with a passion. Let’s all get our homes and yards ready for outdoor fun, visitors, cookouts, lawn games, etc.  I love this time of year! If you have a pool maybe it’s time to pull the cover off, possibly get that artificial waterfall working again. Also this is the time to clean the bar-b-que grill or smoker out in anticipation of some great outdoor meals with friends and family. And then of course it’s time to clean and inspect your outdoor lawn furniture, tables and chairs. This is where we can help. I am astounded at how many people call us at this time of year and say that when they got their cushions out of the garage or shed they found that either a mouse or a squirrel had used the 

batting and foam for their own unauthorized use and now the cushions and or slings are ruined. Hey, you can’t blame the little creatures they just do what they do.  In addition, perhaps on inspection you find that your cushions were a lot more faded than you remembered. We can help.

 Our sister site, The Patio PVC Shoppe at www.patiopvc.com is the place for replacement cushions, slings and webbing. As a way of saying thanks for reading our blog please use discount code  “BLOG10” to receive a 10% discount on all cushions and sling replacements.

Porches, patios and decks are great gathering places in the warm weather and especially on those beautiful warm spring and summer evenings when the deck is transformed into an outdoor room. One of the newest categories on our www.PatioandYards.com  website, are the new outdoor lamps. 

Add a touch of casual elegance, style and atmosphere and light up your outdoor area with Lamps that are completely weatherproof. Most of the lamps have a two level dimming switch and weatherproof cord & plug, 12 ft. on the floor lamps, and 16 ft. on the table lamps.  Great item!  

And speaking of atmosphere, how about some Garden Glo Illuminated Planters! (You can also use them as beverage coolers also!) Large frost resin planter has 24 color changing LED’S that 

last up to 20,000 hours. Colors change from red, green, blue and whiteand every color in between. You can even pause on your favorite color.

          

 So for this month’s big 15% discount at www.PatioandYards.com  use discount code, “15LAMP”on any of our outdoor lamps, and color changing garden planters .

Now that the weather has warmed, work on Sinbad, our 37’ all wood Egg Harbor, has slowly started to resume.  Now when I say slowly, I mean slowly. Www.patioandyards.com , the new website that we created to fund the refurbishing of our former grand, do I dare call it a ship, is still in search of more customers. We had a total of 514 visitors during the month of March compared to 104 visitors that visited the site in February. That’s an almost 400% increase so Yippie Skippie! We did have a few small sales and  the grand total of profit going into the bank for the restoration of Sinbad for the month of March 2012 was grand total of $122.86 . When compared to last month’s profit of  $19.00 it's an increase of almost 500%!!  Not picturing Sinbad in the water yet, but it is a start. Stay tuned!