Contest winners enjoy an Indian summer outdoors

Two Daily Herald readers have been enjoying new outdoor spaces during our wonderfully warm autumn thanks to the Daily Herald's recent "Get Your Summer On" outdoor makeover package.

Lori Palmer of Bartlett was the winner of the grand prize, valued at $8,700, while Lauren Metz of Volo was the winner of the $5,375 second prize.

Palmer, a real estate agent, and her retired husband, Dan, had dedicated their 593-square-foot deck to children for most of the 24 years they have lived in their house. But she mentioned in her entry letter that they are now ready for a grown-up space and she wasn't sure where to begin. Palmer was looking for direction and the contest sponsors were happy to give her that assistance.

The Palmers won a Weber on Wheels catered party ($2,500 value), an outdoor furniture package from Steinhafels furniture store in Vernon Hills ($2,000 value), a Littman Bros. Lighting (Schaumburg) landscape lighting package ($2,000 value), a fire bowl from Northwest Metalcraft in Arlington Heights ($2,000 value), a $100 gift card from Lurvey's Garden Center in Des Plaines and a $100 gift card for the party from Binny's Beverage Depot.

"We are very happy. We went to Steinhafels and bought a plush chair with ottoman and a matching sofa in woven rattan. Both are gliders and they have cheerful orange waterproof cushions," Palmer said. "The salesperson was really helpful and excited and we got really high-quality furniture."

The Palmer's deck now features a new conversation area arranged around the fire bowl they got from Northwest Metalcraft.

"It is very cool. You just pour the fuel into the middle of it and then use a lighter. There is no odor and it is very simple and clean. In addition, it is super heavy, so it isn't going anywhere when the wind whips up," Palmer said. "And when we have friends over and light it, everyone is mesmerized."

The Palmers are still looking forward to redeeming their lighting package from Littman Bros. The hope it will allow them to install new low voltage mood lighting on and around their deck, replacing an old lighting system that Dan installed years ago.

"We are still mulling over exactly what we want to do. I think that we will wait until spring to get that done since the weather is about to turn cold," Palmer explained.

In September, the Palmers took advantage of one aspect of their prize package when they invited about 30 neighbors and family members over to a catered Weber party in their refurbished yard. They

used the Binny's gift certificate to buy the wine and beer.

"The Weber people were very professional and friendly and the food was incredible," she recalled. "We had such a good time. There were appetizers, grilled shrimp, chicken, flank steak, salads, homemade chips and even dessert. They also provided all the plates and silverware. It was a really nice way to throw a party."

Metz, the second-prize winner, is equally thrilled with her bountiful winnings.

Lauren is a social worker with Advocate Healthcare and her husband is a chief fire controlman at Great Lakes Naval Center. They have two young children.

In her entry letter, Metz said: "We would love help with our backyard. As the wife of a military spouse, I don't have a lot of free time and our yard is a bit of a challenge. We have a hill in our backyard which makes it difficult to figure out the best way to set it up, as a result there is nothing back there. It's a blank slate!"

The Metzes had been setting money aside to address the challenge of their backyard, but knew they would only be able to save enough to install a patio or buy furniture. They wouldn't be able to do both at the same time.

So she was thrilled when the Daily Herald prize committee chose them to receive a $2,000 gift certificate for outdoor furniture from Steinhafels, a fire bowl from Northwest Metalcraft ($2,000 value), a $1,200 Toro lawn mower, a $100 gift card from Lurvey's Garden Center in Des Plaines and a $75 Binny's Beverage Depot gift card.

"We have a full backyard now and it is very exciting!" Metz said. "We took the money we had saved and had a large stamped concrete patio built. And we went to Steinhafels and picked out a glass dining table with six chairs with beige woven seats. We also got a large burgundy umbrella that sits just off the patio and shades the table. In addition, we got two overstuffed, dark brown wicker chairs with tan cushions, a matching ottoman and a small side table. So we have a dining area and a seating area."

They put the fire bowl in the center of the seating area and have already christened it by making s'mores with their children. In addition, Metz's husband is enjoying the state-of-the-art Toro lawn mower they won. It is huge and powerful and does the lawn in no time, Metz said.

"We still can't believe that we won all of this and the extended summer we have had this fall has allowed us to enjoy all of it even longer than we could have expected," she added.