Monthly Archive for June, 2010

Into the Pool! – by Eduardo Xol

Published on June 29, 2010 in HAYNEEDLE and PATIO & GARDEN. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Into the Pool!

The summer holiday season is officially underway, and the 4th is right around the corner.  To celebrate the season, I continue to host dinners in my garden on a regular basis.  While my guests are sitting in my garden,  they seem to forget that I live right in the middle of Hollywood, just a few blocks from the famous Melrose Place.  The best compliment I get is when friends say they feel like they’re “somewhere else” or “on vacation”.  That’s what a backyard should feel like!

Nothing feels more like summer than going to pool parties or parties by the beach, which is why my next webisode focuses on poolside living.  We shot the webisode at the beautiful home of a friend of mine, a successful director and producer, and the fortunate owner of a picture-perfect pool in the Hollywood Hills. Here I am with my cameraman, Nick Oberlander, scoping out a shot of the pool from the second level of the house.

It was a spectacular day to shoot webisode #4, and I was forced to get into the pool!  I say that sarcastically, of course!

We’ve recently completed the rest of the webisodes for our summer series- with a total of four more to be released, so be on the lookout.  The response from all of you via e-mail has been amazing!

Speaking of which… many of you have asked questions about the pavers used in the last webisode “Utilizing an Uncommon Space,” so I wanted to respond to some of the most common questions here:

  • The space I finished is approximately 96 square feet.
  • The pea gravel was already there, but had it not been, I would have purchased 4-5 bags at a cost of approximately $5 per bag.
  • I used 81 pavers at approximately $1 per paver.
  • Approximate total cost was $150.

Note:  Depending on the soil/surface underneath, a layer of sand may be needed before laying the pavers and gravel.

This is an easy, economical way to create a patio, and anyone can do it themselves.  It also looks great and is a steady surface for furniture and appliances.  If you haven’t already seen the webisode, check it out!

I hope you are all enjoying your summer. Stay cool!

Salud!

Eduardo

All-American Summer

Published on June 25, 2010 in HAYNEEDLE, HOMEACCESSORIES, PATIO & GARDEN and SPORTS & GAMES. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

I won’t say variety is exclusively American, but Americans may be the best at embracing it. The dill-covered salmon curing in my refrigerator is what brings this to mind. Our melting pot of cultures makes for a stew rich with traditions, and one of them- a Swedish Midsummer celebration- is what’s dominated my household this week. But like any week in this fair country, it could be any of 10,000 other things worthy of celebration.

Speaking of celebrations, you’re invited to save up to 50% at Hayneedle’s July 4th Sale!

I can hardly wait to watch the fun unfold in my backyard tomorrow. American barbecue alongside the undeniably Swedish lutefisk. Bocce and ladder golf while waiting for my turn in the next game of kubb. Kids caroming in and out of the bouncehouse. What better way to work off all that pickled fish and make room for strawberries and cream? Or, if my guests prefer something more definitively American, they can always hold out for fire pit s’mores.

Whatever you’re celebrating, be it a wedding or the World Cup, a cookout or the College World Series, these June weekends are loaded with options. Heck, if you’re looking for a reason to get together tonight, just remind your friends that today is Log Cabin Day. For real. It’s Log Cabin Day.

For the fest of the season, or just the happy hour of the day, Hayneedle has all the essentials you need to entertain. From grills to canopies, from conversation sets to outdoor lighting, it’s all here. And in every one of these categories you’ll find an abundance of options, along with a powerful filtering system that lets you narrow your choices based on what you want. That’s true variety, and that’s how we know you’ll find what you love and love what you find.

Making the Best of Awkward Spaces – by Eduardo Xol

Published on June 18, 2010 in HAYNEEDLE and PATIO & GARDEN. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

We are well into Summer!  Here in California, we’re experiencing a bit of “June Gloom”, as they call it when the fog rolls inland during the morning hours.  Generally this keeps the temperature really nice once the fog burns off.  As I speak to my friends around the country though, I can tell it’s already really warming up everywhere else.

I recently completed shooting my third webisode, “Hayneedle Your Home with Eduardo Xol”.  For this webisode I focused on awkward and uncommon spaces.  I have one of these spaces- a long, narrow one right outside my dining room- so I thought it would be a perfect place to practice my philosophy.  Notice the concrete pavers I set into the gravel to create the “room”. Once I did that, I placed the Sandstone Akro Hose Pot/Planter next to the water faucet.  This would dictate where everything else would go.

Next you can see me shooting the “10 Second Tip” as we get ready to place all of the furniture.  You can’t tell by this picture , but there were a LOT of people filling that small space to shoot the webisode.  To see the video and get more information on the great products I used to transform it into a functional space, click here.

I’ve also been preparing for future webisodes, including one I will shoot in my sister’s backyard, since I’m already giving her a bit of a makeover.  Many of you might know that my sister was diagnosed with lupus several years ago.  It’s a very mysterious condition.  An important element in maintaining the symptoms at bay is relaxation.  On Extreme Makeover Home Edition, I help people in need all of the time all over the country, so when I’m home, I really do my best to help my own family out when I can.  My sister is a busy, young mom who works as a teacher, so I want to give her a space where she can relax and find personal health and balance.  Here’s a picture of the space I have to work with. Stay tuned for this webisode to see the makeover!

Speaking of personal health and balance…I’m doing my best to do the same as I manage a very busy summer schedule.  If I’m not committed to attend a public event, I tend to my plants and garden almost every day before dinner.   It really does keep me in check!

On the nights I have an event, and there seems to be many these days, I have to get myself cleaned up.

The next webisode coming up will be about poolside living.  I hope everyone continues to enjoy the summer!

Hayneedle Pets

Published on June 17, 2010 in HAYNEEDLE and PETS & ANIMALS. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , .

Hi, I’m Lisa. I’m a member of the PPC Search Marketing team for the Outdoor and Pets & Animals sites at Hayneedle. I was recently invited to be a contributing writer for the Hayneedle Blog and to tweet for our @hayneedlepets account on Twitter.com. As an animal lover, I am so excited about the opportunity to contribute and share the experiences I’ve had as a pet owner, volunteer dog walker, and my time spent working as a CSC at a local vet.

My past experience with animals has helped grow my interest in animal welfare and admiration for the bond between pets and their people. My goals are to research and share pet related tips, topics, product reviews and specials I hope you’ll find interesting and fun.

As a company, Hayneedle prides itself on dedication to specific niche sites. As we all know, Pets & Animals require more than dedication. The products on these sites are much more than just items for your home, they are items for your pets; your furry, feathered or scaly family members. We understand you want the best for them and we devote time and resources to not only finding unique and quality products, but also to providing interesting and helpful pet related content and tips.

Hope you enjoy!

Lisa E

I welcome your feedback. Just click into this post to leave comments, questions or suggestions.
Follow me on Twitter! @hayneedlepets

Angie’s Electric Bike Test Ride

Published on June 15, 2010 in HAYNEEDLE and SPORTS & GAMES. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , .

Hayneedle-what does that even mean?

To me it means fun, variety, and something more exciting than other stores you’d  find online or down the street.  As a company, we offer products that are not always mainstream- products that are fun and completely different.

This brings me to one of Hayneedle’s newest stores, ElectricBikeSuperstore.com.  This site recently launched, and I had the pleasure of riding the Liberty Black 26 Inch Classic Electric Bike.  Not going to lie, at first I was a nervous, but was convinced by coworkers that I’d love the bike in no time… turns out they were right!

Now, my poor husband gets to hear me come up with all the reasons on why I now need this bike. It rides just like your standard bike, but is just more fun and effortless! If I could let you take a demo ride I totally would, but since we don’t have a physical store, you can settle for watching me ask Steve Page- an avid road biker and Buyer for ElectricBikeSuperstore- a few questions about the bike and take my first spin.

With a little luck, I survived with no wipeouts despite attempting to ride in high heels.