Outdoor Furniture, Patio Furniture and more!

Okay.  Halloween is over.  The ghosts have gone back to their graveyards, the vampires have returned to their coffins, the witches have left town on their brooms, and the Great Pumpkin has, once again, left Linus Van Pelt alone and freezing in his oh-so-sincere pumpkin patch, wondering where he went wrong. 

Now comes the scariest part of the year – the holidays.  Yep.  We’re facing two full months of Christmas commercials (I saw my first one before Halloween) and decorations.  In fact, the malls are already fully decked out, and Thanksgiving is still three weeks away!  Worse yet, many houses will be ready for Christmas by the middle of the month.  That’s a shame, too, because fall decorations are gorgeous; so, even though the Halloween stuff has to go, leave the cornstalks, haystacks, and strings of orange lights on your gazebos, fences, trellises, arbors, and pergolas, until after Thanksgiving.

When it comes to getting gifts, however, there are times when it makes sense to shop early.  Usually, these are cases in which you want to get someone something extra-special, which has to be ordered in advance, like, say, one of our stunning cedar chests.  That will definitely make a spectacular gift; but if you want to be sure to have it there for Christmas, now would be a good time to order, as it takes four to six weeks for delivery.  Of course, it will be well worth the wait.   

At CedarStore.com, in our ‘Home Accents’ section, we have the most magnificent selection of cedar, oak, and cherry chests, along with some dazzling steamer trunks, which can be finished in several lustrous shades of stain, and double coated with lacquer.  Available in all styles and price ranges, they will not only be among the most outstanding gifts you could ever give, but they will surely be the most cherished and enduring as well.   

Besides our cedar chests, we also offer breath-taking jewelry boxes, jewelry chests, armoires, toy chests, and silverware boxes, many of which ship in two weeks or less, and all of which will be shipped free.            

So, you can either throw yourself into the fray to get an ordinary present, or sit leisurely at your computer and choose an extraordinary gift that’s bound to become a treasured heirloom.  Hmm – it sounds like the case for a cedar chest is open and shut.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: cedar chest, cedar chests, cherry chest, hope chest, oak chest

It seems as though Christmas comes earlier every year.  It’s not just because retail stores start pushing it in August, either; after all, everyone knows that they have always been one solstice or equinox ahead of the earth’s rotation.

I think it’s because the rest of the world is starting to go along with the idea.  Just look at their outdoor décor; not only do some people not even wait until after Thanksgiving to deck their homes out for Christmas anymore, but even Halloween gets at least a month’s head-start.  I’ve been seeing scarecrows in porch chairs, pumpkin-headed creatures on loveseats, ghosts hanging from arbors, and spider webs on trellises, practically since the school year began (and, no, I’m not hallucinating)!

Decorating issues aside, there are those who have always gotten a jump on the rest of us when it comes to holiday shopping.  This is an entirely different matter, as these people are not fanatics; they’re just very annoying to certain individuals who traditionally don’t start until, say, Christmas Eve (I only know this because I have a “friend” who does it).        

Furthermore, it can be a good idea, especially if you’re ordering something that has to be shipped, and may take awhile to arrive.  In fact, it can be a really smart move, because, in this hectic, hurried world, where more people every year simply pass out gift cards (which, in many cases, they pick up at grocery and drug stores), getting someone an actual present – and one that has to be shipped, no less – is a great way to show that you cared enough to shop for something specifically for that person.

If this sounds like a good thing, in theory, but you really don’t have a lot of time to shop, you’ll be glad to know that you can get some spectacular gifts right here at CedarStore.com.  I’m not talking about knick-knacks, either; I mean gorgeous cedar chests, oak chests, cherry chests, steamer trunks, jewelry boxes, silverware boxes, and armoires, available with many different staining options.

No matter which one you choose, you’ll be giving a gift that can be opened again and again, for years to come.  That definitely beats a piece of plastic!

Yours Outdoors (or, in this case, indoors!)

Kathy

Tags: cedar chest, cedar chests, chest, chests, hope chest, hope chests

Every day, we’re faced with tons of choices.  Whether we’re shopping for cars, outdoor furniture, financial services, potting soil, or ice cream (or the toppings that we put on it), we’re offered enough options to give us intense headaches (before we even eat the ice cream!).

It’s funny, though, that with all of these selections, and the fortunes that advertisers spend to make us aware of them, we frequently choose the safe and comfortable favorites that we’ve always known and loved.  Even more interesting is that some of the most prized, sought after, and fought over materials on the planet have held their status for centuries, without a bit of advertising; and not one of them is manmade.      

For example, gold crowns the precious metals.  Among gemstones, the diamond sparkles.  When it comes to food, a certain kind of meat seems to always be what’s for dinner.  In clothing, people may cotton to one particular fabric over the rest; and, in the world of wood, indeed, it seems that cedar supersedes.    

There are so many things that wouldn’t be the same without cedar.  For instance, although storage chests can be made of many kinds of wood, a cedar chest is the most treasured.  Western Red Cedar has always been one of the most popular woods for making porch furniture, picnic tables, and arbors, because of its many desirable properties. 

For one thing, its extreme durability has made it a favorite among architects and woodworkers since ancient times, as evidenced by its presence in structures that are thousands of years old, including the Pyramids (yes, THE Pyramids).  Native Americans used Western Red Cedar to build canoes and totems – many of which are still standing today.  So, I guess it’s no mystery why many of our grandmothers still have the same, comfortable old porch swings and rocking chairs that they had when we were kids – or even before we were born. 

Another thing that makes cedar so attractive to builders is that it’s very easy to work with, giving itself up to saw, nail, and plane.  It produces generous, lightweight lengths of lumber with a fine, porous, tight, straight grain of unvarying texture, which gives it dimensional stability, so it will lie flat, and resist warping, twisting, and checking. 

Cedar also possesses an innate ability to resist decay, a defense system provided by its naturally occurring supply of thujic acid; and it has one of the most well-known and loved fragrances found in nature.  More than simply pleasing to the senses, this aroma can repel moths and other insects, as well as overtake unwelcome odors, which is why so many closets, storage units, and shoe racks are made from cedar.       

There’s no doubt that cedar has legions of admirers all over the world; but its most enthusiastic fan base is right here at CedarStore.com.  Of course, I’m sure that you’ve guessed that by now!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: cedar, cedar chests, Outdoor Furniture