8 is Great!
Happy Birthday Matthew!
What a wonderful day.
Tracy (a.k.a. Mom)
P.S. Sorry for switching gears here ... watch for the
unveiling of the patio project next week.
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unveiling of the patio project next week.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
PLANNING
Outdoor living most certainly is where it's at. For many years, Mike and I had nothing but grass in our back yard. A product of new home construction and a limited budget for projects. Picnic table on grass (mud) progressed to a 4x4 block pad to hold picnic table progressed to ... oh, did I mention we hung out in our front yard all the time! Yes, barbecues were held in the driveway ... nice.
But finally we progressed to an outdoor living project.
I searched out landscape architects and landscape contractors. Architects seemed expensive & contractors also wanted to include all plantings (Mike & I are incapable of a lot but we can paint & plant). After a semi-exhaustive search on the Internet, I found a company that did mainly hardscape work and also design work. Bingo.
My first consult with them took place during a torrential downpour. Kind of hard when your focus is outside. But within the first five minutes I knew we were on the same page and they would be able to provide exactly what we were looking for:
* two separate areas: a place for eating & a place for sitting
* area for grill & serving table for parties
* more MODERN design (he kind of chuckled)
* muddy grey color (he raised an eyebrow on this one)
Here is what they offered and what ultimately upped our budget:
* design service
* cool walls & built in planter
* fire pit
* lights
The next step was for them to present a design and a cost. When we met to see the design, they also spray painted an outline in the backyard which gave us scale and perspective. Love it. The design sketch is below. Stay tuned for photos of the finished product.
Tracy
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But finally we progressed to an outdoor living project.
I searched out landscape architects and landscape contractors. Architects seemed expensive & contractors also wanted to include all plantings (Mike & I are incapable of a lot but we can paint & plant). After a semi-exhaustive search on the Internet, I found a company that did mainly hardscape work and also design work. Bingo.
My first consult with them took place during a torrential downpour. Kind of hard when your focus is outside. But within the first five minutes I knew we were on the same page and they would be able to provide exactly what we were looking for:
* two separate areas: a place for eating & a place for sitting
* area for grill & serving table for parties
* more MODERN design (he kind of chuckled)
* muddy grey color (he raised an eyebrow on this one)
Here is what they offered and what ultimately upped our budget:
* design service
* cool walls & built in planter
* fire pit
* lights
The next step was for them to present a design and a cost. When we met to see the design, they also spray painted an outline in the backyard which gave us scale and perspective. Love it. The design sketch is below. Stay tuned for photos of the finished product.
Tracy
Monday, June 27, 2011
Room with a View {Part I}
Summer. Officially time to head outdoors..beaches, pools, lakes, even backyards beckon us. Therein lies the promise of sun-filled memories. Memories made outside the walls of our homes, in our "rooms" with the best views. All of this got me thinking -->
1. A few years ago, a shelter magazine featured the home of a news anchor. On Sunday mornings, the woman and her husband set up folding chairs in their driveway and enjoyed coffee and The New York Times. Needless to say, the article focused on the extensive renovation of their home. The backyard was transformed into a breathtaking outdoor space. No more folding chairs.
2. Lately, my mailbox has been jammed full with catalogs featuring outdoor spaces on a grand scale..backyard fireplaces complete with sofas, chairs, and rugs. Sparkling pools flanked by chaise lounges and boxwoods potted in zinc planters. Teak dining sets set with china overlooking vineyards at sunset. The bar has been raised high, to say the least. What happened to the wooden picnic tables & adirondack chairs of the past?
3. Secret gardens. Like anything in life, to do something small means you have to do it well. There is no room for error. Every precious inch must be perfect. This is why I love a "secret garden"..diminutive, tucked away, outdoor spaces in cities. Often, when walking by, one barely catches a glimpse of the magic inside. Sometimes it is a cobbled, moss-covered path, twinkling lights, or a garden filled with overgrown plantings. A tiny piece of heaven.
tb
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1. A few years ago, a shelter magazine featured the home of a news anchor. On Sunday mornings, the woman and her husband set up folding chairs in their driveway and enjoyed coffee and The New York Times. Needless to say, the article focused on the extensive renovation of their home. The backyard was transformed into a breathtaking outdoor space. No more folding chairs.
2. Lately, my mailbox has been jammed full with catalogs featuring outdoor spaces on a grand scale..backyard fireplaces complete with sofas, chairs, and rugs. Sparkling pools flanked by chaise lounges and boxwoods potted in zinc planters. Teak dining sets set with china overlooking vineyards at sunset. The bar has been raised high, to say the least. What happened to the wooden picnic tables & adirondack chairs of the past?
3. Secret gardens. Like anything in life, to do something small means you have to do it well. There is no room for error. Every precious inch must be perfect. This is why I love a "secret garden"..diminutive, tucked away, outdoor spaces in cities. Often, when walking by, one barely catches a glimpse of the magic inside. Sometimes it is a cobbled, moss-covered path, twinkling lights, or a garden filled with overgrown plantings. A tiny piece of heaven.
tb
photo spied in "at home" magazine
Sunday, June 26, 2011
A Room with a View
With the start of summer upon us, it makes perfect sense to venture outdoors. Sitting under the blue skies and sunshine seems like the best place to experience whatever summer has to offer. This got me&t to thinking: What makes an outdoor space sublime? Why are some spaces better than others? How can one improve upon what already exists? And so on. Tune in all week to find out.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Photo Friday No. 30
Looking Forward to Cars 2 in
New Jersey
Happy Birthday Sister from your Sister in
Pennsylvania
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
KENNY
As previously mentioned, Mike and I are becoming concert goers. That's right. Last year ... Counting Crows and Lady Antebellum. This year so far ... Shawn Colvin and on Saturday night we saw Kenny Chesney. You don't have to be a country music fan to love his concerts. They rock.
Tailgaiting all day (not really for us but for most). Everyone wears cowboy hats. Most are the cheap straw version that are worn year after year and are falling apart. I saw my same cowboy hat from Target over and over. And this year because the Zac Brown Band played we saw a bunch of young ladies wearing ski caps just like Zac does. It is a hoot.
And much to my surprise, Mike bought an outfit for the concert. Really? The man who rarely goes shopping and doesn't pay much attention to fashion. He chose a good plaid shirt and wore his farmer baseball cap. Not bad.
Next up ... Taylor Swift. Can't wait.
Tracy
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Tailgaiting all day (not really for us but for most). Everyone wears cowboy hats. Most are the cheap straw version that are worn year after year and are falling apart. I saw my same cowboy hat from Target over and over. And this year because the Zac Brown Band played we saw a bunch of young ladies wearing ski caps just like Zac does. It is a hoot.
And much to my surprise, Mike bought an outfit for the concert. Really? The man who rarely goes shopping and doesn't pay much attention to fashion. He chose a good plaid shirt and wore his farmer baseball cap. Not bad.
Next up ... Taylor Swift. Can't wait.
Tracy
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
The System
I realize being "uber organized" is part of my genes. Ask poor Ed, there is no denying it. I look at areas that need some order as my personal challenges. This year, much of my focus was on my closets. Needless to say, the closet goal has been accomplished and I feel at peace each time I peer behind a closet door.
What could possibly be next you may wonder?? Well ~ with summer officially starting today, {yippee!!} I pretty much go to the pool and/or beach each and every day. {except when it rains} With four kids in tow, you know all to well the amount of stuff that is required. My enormous, madras beach bag is the receptacle for everything from swim goggles and sunscreen to band aids and cell phones. True.
Finally, it dawned on me ~ an organized beach bag will make life easier for everyone, especially yours truly. So this is what I did --> I went to the drugstore (any will do!) and purchased four, clear cosmetic bags in a variety of sizes. Next, I gave each bag a purpose..one for sunscreen, another for goggles & swim caps, one for my phone & keys, and another for the misc. supplies. Mission accomplished!!! A perfect example of "a place for everything and everything in it's place", even at the pool.
Over the weekend, I gave my "system" a test drive. Honestly, I felt peaceful each time I went into my beach bag in search of something for someone. And, of course, I was so proud of my "system", I couldn't stop showing it off to my friends. {you know who you are!} There you have it. Easy, breezy, you can do it yourself.
Tricia
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What could possibly be next you may wonder?? Well ~ with summer officially starting today, {yippee!!} I pretty much go to the pool and/or beach each and every day. {except when it rains} With four kids in tow, you know all to well the amount of stuff that is required. My enormous, madras beach bag is the receptacle for everything from swim goggles and sunscreen to band aids and cell phones. True.
Finally, it dawned on me ~ an organized beach bag will make life easier for everyone, especially yours truly. So this is what I did --> I went to the drugstore (any will do!) and purchased four, clear cosmetic bags in a variety of sizes. Next, I gave each bag a purpose..one for sunscreen, another for goggles & swim caps, one for my phone & keys, and another for the misc. supplies. Mission accomplished!!! A perfect example of "a place for everything and everything in it's place", even at the pool.
Over the weekend, I gave my "system" a test drive. Honestly, I felt peaceful each time I went into my beach bag in search of something for someone. And, of course, I was so proud of my "system", I couldn't stop showing it off to my friends. {you know who you are!} There you have it. Easy, breezy, you can do it yourself.
Tricia
