The Start of Our Landscaping - The Plan

Like most things these days, my landscaping plans have been just another ball in the air. I have to remind myself that trying to do too many things at once usually means nothing ever ends up fnished, and you're probably not focusing enough on any one thing to have it done to it's fullest.

Now that I've put some business and personal stuff on the back burner, I can refocus on getting the yard started and on it's way to being my little piece of paradise.

I did a sketch of the yard as I'd like to have things laid out. Now might be a good time to consult your neighbours (if they, too, are doing their landscaping) to compare plans and make sure that your yards will compliment each other.

I made an accurate drawing of my yard plan with a trial copy of Smart Draw available online. It took some time to get the dimensions of everything right, but it was worth it so I can have a really  accurate plan moving forward. I could have used a local landscape planner but I wanted to save some $$ (they average $700 - $1,000) and, I'm not gonna lie,  I wanted the satisfaction of having done it on my own; but there is no shame in consulting a pro!

I revisited the plan every few weeks and changed things, tweaked things, added and omitted until I had a plan I was happy with and could work from. The plan is a general layout, and will likely have some items moved around, but it's a great jumping off point.

Now comes the tough part...prioritizing! If you're like me, the budget may not allow you to get the entire yard banged out in one summer. I had to decide what I wanted to do first, what was most important, and what could wait and be done next year, or even the year after that.

Priority #1: Hardscape. I decided that a must was my paved patio. It's a really large piece of the yard. Combined it will be about 700 sq ft. and is definitely the space we'll use most.

Priority #2: Fence. We don't need a fence, our neighours are pretty awesome, but you never know who may end up moving in next door. Good fences make good neighbours! In the end, it'll be easier to install a fence now, before all of the plants have started to mature, rather than later.

Priority #3: Gazebo. Because this is a large piece in the yard (approx. 8' x 8') I wanted to have it in place before I planted sod or worked out the exact dimensions of my perimeter planting beds.

Priority #4: Trees (and shrubs). I selected a variety of trees for our yard. Some are faster growing than others. Some will serve as shade trees, and some will be wind breaks. All, though, will provide privacy (something we are currently lacking) so I wanted to get these plants started as soon as possible. Be sure to make a list of the types of trees/shrubs you'll be using. This will help to avoid impulsive purchases which can not only be expensive, but may end up requiring you to rethink parts of your landscape plan.

That's basically the planning out of the way. We got to work pretty quickly, so I'll be posting progress pics soon!

Delish - Easy Peasy Veal Saltimbocca

I love this recipe! Veal saltimbocca can be fiddly to make, depending on the recipe. This one is so simple...and tastes amazing. Perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Dairy Goodness

1 lb veal cutlets, cut into thin strips (substitute chicken if you aren't a fan of veal)

Salt

Pepper, to taste

1 tbsp butter

2 oz (about 4 slices) prosciutto (I used smoked b/c it's less salty), cut into thin strips

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 cups 35% whipping cream

12 oz linguine or fettuccine

2 cups chopped asparagus

grated zest of 2 lemons

1 tbsp chopped fresh sage (or 1 tsp of dried)

Sprinkle veal with 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt half the butter over med-high heat; brown veal strips, transfer to a bowl.

Add remaining butter to skillet. Add prosciutto and garlic; saute for 1 min. Add wine, scrape up any bits stuck to the pan. Stir in cream; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring often, about 3 mins or until slightly thickened.

In a large pot, cook pasta according to package instructions. Stir in asparagus and cook for 2 mins prior to end of cooking time. Asparagus should be tender-crisp. Drain and return to pot.

Return veal to skillet with any accumulated juices; add lemon zest and sage. Cook, stirring, until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over cooked pasta; toss to coat.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Saturday Somethin' Somethin'

Hello and happy weekend, everyone!

I am so groggy this morning from all the Good Friday dinner goodness I indulged in last night with my in-laws. Appies, pork tenderloin, and all the fixins...plus dessert! I think I may have actually slipped into a food coma afterwards!

This Saturday I share with you my love of the double staircase. Are these not the most dramatic way to welcome folks to your home mansion, or what?! Now, I am not so delusional to believe that I will ever actually have a home to accommodate such a staircase, but a gal can dream.

I am usually a fan of the traditional, so I tend to be drawn to ones with lots of wood and maybe ornate iron railings.

SimplyBrookes

The Foo Dog Ate My Homework

L'Archivista

We've all seen this staircase in the news over the last few years. It used to belong to Candy Spelling, widow of Aaron Spelling. She recently sold her humble family home, Spelling Manor, to 24 year old Petra Ecclestone (daughter of a...wait for it...multi-billionaire) for a measly $85 million. If that isn't enough to make you hate this girl, she spent $millions$ more renovating!

Here is the before and after of Petra's new staircase.

Daily Mail

I also stumbled on a few examples of more contemporary double staircases. Not my style, really, but a funky take on traditional.

Jondes

Mega Builders

New Home Trend

I thought this version was really neat. It's at the Museum of Islamic Art in  the Qatari capital Doha.

Gotta a colossal budget (and house)? Take the double staircase outside!

Luxist

I suppose it's possible to do a double staircase on my budget...

Oh, who am I kidding? THIS is likely more my budget!

And while it's not technically a double staircase (more like a split staircase) I thought I'd throw in the grand staircase from the Titanic, seeing as it's the 100th anniversary of it's sinking. The original and the recreation for the James Cameron's movie).

Thanks for stopping in. I hope you enjoy your Easter!

Saturday Somethin' Somethin'

It's been a while since my SSS feature, but this one's been on the brain lately.

We have a second floor laundry room, which kicks butt, no doubt. But, regardless of all of the thought and planning you put into a house, as time goes by you begin to come up with even more convenient and efficient uses for spaces. In our case it's that we are putting high on our next house's "must have" list, a stackable washer/dryer in the master closet.

Granted, it's an over-the-top sort of upgrade for alot of folks, but it would really suit our lifestyle.

I'm always on the lookout for real life applications of my crazy ideas and did find several where people went ahead with their laundry room/master closet plans and they are awesome! Sometimes, they're stacked, sometimes built into an island, maybe side by side under a rack of hanging clothes...but all are tucked in nicely and don't compromise space.

ComFree

Pinterest

Corbis

HGTV

Houzz

Our Little Remodel 

Realtor.com

Village Paradiso

Pinterest

 

Thanks for stopping in on this beautiful Saturday!

Rethinking Colour

There's been a few changes at the casa as of late, and I wanted to give you a peek.

While it pains me to do so, I am not afraid to admit when I've made a mistake. After all, we can't *always* be right!

When selecting the paint colours for the house, we made a conscious effort to depart from our comfort zone of earthy taupes and warm caramels and tans in favour of light, creamy pastels. At the time we saw the paint go on the walls, we were very happy with our choices. They were right on!

Benjamin Moore - Limesickle

Now? After two years in the house it's just not "us". The light colour in the main areas of the house don't have any warmth or substance, are much too "minty", and are difficult to co-ordinate with decor and furnishings. They don't give off the feeling that we'd like and remind me of The Golden Girls house (yeh, it`s *that* minty). So...it's time to right this wrong!

Enter: GREY! Off I toodled to Home Depot to get this painting party started.

Now, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I did this 100%, completely, totally without Mr.Mel's knowledge, consent or input. In fact, I waited until he was out of town on business before I tackled this little project. Sneaky, right?

I am starting this colour revamp with the dining room. I figure if I do this in stages, it's entirely possible that Mr. Mel (who always has a zillion things on the go) won't actually notice until it's almost all done! Wishful thinking? Perhaps. But worth a shot! I want the feeling of this room to be warm, moody, and (dare I say) dark. Simmer down, peeps, the window is HUGE in here and it gets loads of natural light, so it's gonna be just fine. Here is the dining room before:

Here is the dining room after:

I used Obsidian Glass by CIL in here and it's friggin' awesome! I gotta give props so my friend for using it in her home and inspiring me! I am so glad that I took the plunge and went with a dramatic colour. It's exactly what I wanted, and it's much more "us".

Same drapes, same artwork, same furniture. What a difference paint makes! I love how all of the details, trim, lighting all just pops off the dark grey.

I am now on the hunt for an area rug for this room. I need to break up all of that wood...it's nearly all the same shade! Oopsie.