perk up that patio!

Now that it's full-blown summer out (and a toasty 95 degrees today), you need to think patio!  Toss that old patio furniture that's dull and outdated and replace it with something that suits your personality.  There are so many great patio furniture sets out there nowadays, and you can pretty much find any style that you're looking for.  A couple of questions to ask yourself prior to purchase:  will we be dining on the patio?  how many guests do we usually accommodate?  will there be entertaining?  will we use the patio for lounging?  The answers to these questions will determine the material of the furniture (wicker, metal, teak, etc.), the quality of the fabric (the more use, the more durable the fabric should be), the color and pattern of the fabric (the darker and more patterned the fabric, the less stains show! - think children), the number of pieces (how many guests to accommodate), and the types of pieces (more dining pieces vs. more lounging pieces).  Crate & Barrel has some super-stylish sets that come in all types of styles (traditonal, modern, etc.).  Oh, and some are also on sale, which is another perk.  And if you're patient, you can most likely get the best deals at the end of summer.....