Montgomery Ward

This is part five of a six-part feature, highlighting our six finalists in the “Ugliest Patio Furniture” contest. See all of our finalists and vote for your favorite!

We asked finalist #4 about the patio furniture (shown at right) and here’s what we learned:

Q: Where did you get your patio furniture from and when?

A: The rusted and white chairs were given to us by friends and family sometime around 1995. The #3 washtub was bought by my father-in-law around 1991 from a flea market. It has been used to water and feed animals and our grandkids played in it during the summer.

Q: What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about your patio furniture?

A: My only favorite thing about our furniture is the memories associated with it. My least favorite thing is: it’s ugly, ugly, ugly!!

Q: Do you have any stories or interesting facts you’d like to share about your patio furniture?

A. My chair on the left has bullet holes in it from my husband practice shooting. My other chairs are rusted and I just painted one chair blue with spray paint a month ago so I won’t get rust on my clothes when I sit on it! My table is a #3 washtub and the footstool is a 5 gallon bucket.

We live in the country and my husband and father-in-law would not have settled for anything new back in the ’90s. This is all that our dear friends and family have ever seen.

Check back tomorrow for the next part in our six-part feature, highlighting our six finalists in the “Ugliest Patio Furniture” contest. See all of our finalists and vote for your favorite!

This is part four of a six-part feature, highlighting our six finalists in the “Ugliest Patio Furniture” contest. See all of our finalists and vote for your favorite!

Finalist #3

We asked finalist #3 about the patio furniture (shown at right) and here’s what we learned:

Q: Where did you get your patio furniture from and when?

A: This patio furniture was bought 15 years ago in Mt. Home, Arizona. I have replaced the strips on it four different times. Now I can no longer find the strips - I have two recliners and two chairs and none are safe to use at this time.

Q: What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about your patio furniture?

A: I have always enjoyed the fact that the furniture was easy to take anywhere, if needed. My least favorite thing about this patio furniture is that it’s no longer safe to use.

Q: Do you have any stories or interesting facts you’d like to share about your patio furniture?

A. It was always available to use anywhere: the beach, at the neighbors’ house, visiting anywhere. Each time I would replace the strips, the set looked brand new. People would think that I got new furniture when I would replace the strips or try a different color.

Check back tomorrow for the next part in our six-part feature, highlighting our six finalists in the “Ugliest Patio Furniture” contest. See all of our finalists and vote for your favorite!

This is part one of a six-part feature, highlighting our six finalists in the “Ugliest Patio Furniture” contest. See all of our finalists and vote for your favorite!

Finalist #1

We asked Finalist #1 about the patio furniture (shown at right) and here’s what we learned about this unique ensemble:

Q: Where did you get your patio furniture from and when?

A: I got the table in June 2006 from the trash and found the pink and red chairs in the trash after a flood in August 2006. The plastic chairs came from my sister-in-law back in 1994-1995, when she left her husband before she moved to Arizona. The blue chair was a gift from my husband on his birthday three years ago and I keep them covered with a tarp.

Q: What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about your patio furniture?

A: My favorite part about this furniture is that they are strong and will not break like the plastic chairs. We just had a wind storm and I had to run and chase the plastic chairs but not the brown table and the pink and red chairs — they stayed in one spot and I didn’t have to run to catch them.

Q: Do you have any stories or interesting facts you’d like to share about your patio furniture?

A. They say someone’s trash is somebody’s treasure!

Check back tomorrow for the next part in our six-part feature, highlighting our six finalists in the “Ugliest Patio Furniture” contest. See all of our finalists and vote for your favorite!

It’s time: you can now vote for your favorite in the Ugliest Patio Furniture Contest! …and don’t forget you can win, too: three lucky voters will also receive a $100 Montgomery Ward Gift Card.

See photos of our six finalists and be sure to check back again soon, as we’ll be sharing stories and telling you more about each of the entries.

Here are the finalists:

finalist #1

finalist #2

finalist #3

finalist #4

finalist #5

finalist #6

You know who you are: your favorite sounds of summer include the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd. The smell of roasted peanuts and hot dogs is the ultimate comfort food. If you count the time between games in hours, not days, you’re a true baseball fan and this is your favorite time of the year.

Can’t get enough of the home team? Here are some of our favorite picks to help you cheer on the team from the comfort of your own home:

• Major League Baseball Woochie Pillow (shown at right)
• Perfect for the ballpark or at home, stay warm on chilly nights with these Major League Baseball Blanket Throws
• Bring some team spirit to your home office with a MLB desk lamp
• Greet your guests in style with a MLB team logo door mat for your front door
• …and more! Find your favorite team in our MLB Team Shop at wards.com

Last chance: contest ends tomorrow!

Send us a photo of your ugly patio furniture for a chance to win up to $1,000 in new outdoor patio furniture and accessories from Montgomery Ward! View complete rules and entry details here.

It’s the middle of summer and, unless you’re lucky and have a summer birthday or anniversary, there’s no gift-giving occasion in sight. Which is really unfortunate because we’re in love with these fun, whimsical diamond accent necklaces.

Perfect for summer, this diamond flip flop (sandal) pendant is definitely one of our favorites. It’s fun, under $100 and unique. We also can’t help but love this retro eyeglass pendant necklace with diamond accent. One last sea-themed pendant to tell you about: this diamond accent starfish pendant.

Know someone who’s stylish and loves a good cosmo (the drink, of course)? She’ll really appreciate the style of this diamond martini pendant.

Need some good luck? Whether you’re starting a new job, getting married or just need an extra boost of luck, it never hurts to take your lucky horseshoe with you every day — this lucky horseshoe pendant necklace may be just the thing you’re looking for. Good luck!

(More diamond pendants also available online at wards.com. …and don’t forget: $100+ orders qualify for deferred billing so you can bling today, pay later!)

Contemporary styles aren’t limited to high dollar downtown lofts with sweeping city views. Whether you’re in the suburbs, city or country, there are simple ways to bring contemporary style into your home.

In the bedroom, it’s easy to start with a simple platform bed for a clean, sophisticated contemporary look. To complete the contemporary effect, keep “stuff” and knick-nacks to a minimum and don’t be afraid to experiment with bold pictures for the wall. We love the bold colors in these Festival Paintings and the simplicity of this Echotone Painting.

Another great way to bring some contemporary flair to your home is with contemporary rugs. A true contemporary rug can be simple, wild (think lion or zebra print rugs) or unique (this post-it rug style is a great example).

Whether you’re decorating your bedroom, family room or even a bar in the basement (we’re secretly pining for this great bar) be sure to follow these three simple guidelines for contemporary decorating:

• keep it simple: remove extra clutter
• embrace neutral colors with a splash of color: stick primarily to beiges, browns, tans, etc. and then add a splash of something bold
• less is more: stick to basics

We always get excited about new products and wanted to share these new arrivals with you. Here are some of our favorites - be sure to check out the entire list of new products online at wards.com:

• double treat ice cream maker: this ice cream machine lets you make two different flavors at the same time. Just add ingredients, put in the freezer and enjoy in a few hours!
• retro bar accessories and appliances: like your martini shaken, not stirred? You’ll love this retro martini shaker (makes a great holiday or birthday gift)! We also love the look of this bright red retro ice maker. Since we’ve got retro appliances on the brain, we couldn’t help but add this nostalgia doughnut maker to the list.
• a smarter chip and dip tray: we think this one is pretty smart, since it can either keep cold dips cold or hot dips hot for long periods of time.
• perfectly pink girls storage collection: we love this collection, including underbed storage bag, over the door shoe organizer, hanging shoe organizer and hanging accessory shelves.
• custom sized (made to measure) roman shades: these 100% silk roman shades can be made to measure (up to 72″ in length) and are cordless for extra safety. Available in nine colors, they’re available in both inside and outside mount.

In honor of the official start of summer tomorrow (Friday, June 20), here are our top 10 essentials for the ultimate summer:

10. Frozen Drink Machines: Whether mixing up margaritas or fruity smoothies, we couldn’t imagine a better way to spend some time in the sun than with a cool beverage in hand.

9. Pool Toys: Inflatable chairs, bumper blasters with water guns, even inflatable ducky baby seats — what else do you need for a day at the pool?

8.  Sturdy Folding Sports Chairs: Summer means sports…and lots of it. Whether you’re watching kids’ soccer, coed softball or just relaxing at the lake, you’re going to want a comfortable chair. These folding chairs are lightweight, come with a bag for carrying and easily fit in the trunk of your car.

7. Patio Furniture: Enjoy dinners outside on the deck and get ready for summer BBQs and entertaining with a patio furniture set. A portable patio set is perfect for small spaces and the folding chairs also make it easy for indoor storage.

6. Ice Cream! Nothing compares to the taste of homemade vanilla ice cream in the summer. It doesn’t matter if you make it yourself or buy it, all that matters is that you get an extra scoop with sprinkles.

5. Keep Cool: Ceiling fans, outdoor fans, dehumidifiers - whatever works for you, be sure it’s working and on-hand when the hot days of summer creep in.

4. Curbside Lemonade Stand: OK, so this one only works if you’re a child (although we’d love to see photos of some grownups with a lemonade stand if you decide to try it out!).

3. An Evening Boat Ride: Whether you have a friend with a yacht (we wish!) or if you rent a row boat to go out and watch the sun set, be sure you enjoy a relaxing evening out on the lake at least once this summer.

2. Read! It doesn’t matter if it’s The Odyssey or the latest issue of People magazine - as long as you read something. Of course poolside or beach reading is our favorite, but even just taking a book out and reading on the front porch, balcony or deck is much more relaxing than an hour of re-runs on TV.

1. Relax in a Hammock: After a long day at work (or after a long day of yard work), relax in a hammock and you’ll feel like you just went on vacation. Close your eyes, listen to the sounds of summer and enjoy…