I'm blaming Pinterest for my

Change of heart!

You may be surprised to hear this but as talented as I may be in designing and decorating the interior of my home, I am equally untalented in the conception, visualization, planning, and execution of my exterior spaces.

Thank goodness I had the presence of mind to go to Pinterest this morning to find some inspiration.

I must confess that I really don't like the way brick looks with our home and had to finally own up to it, which led me to type in the words "pea gravel."

Almost instantly I knew I was headed in the right direction when image after image confirmed in my mind that that was the look I was after.

 

(Want to use slate slabs like this for the thresholds)

I love the way it complements the black and white color scheme of our home bringing out the gray stone on the exterior elevation.

I've always been one to listen to my gut and made an immediate decision to get rid of all the brick, stacked on the side of our house as well as removing the existing brick patio which fortunately is laid in sand!

We are going to stake out a larger flower bed making some needed adjustments with regard to scale and proportion.

The hope and vision is to create a larger, more functional and pleasing layout for our small but cozy yard.

I'll keep you posted... wish us luck!!!

I hope you don't think I'm crazy...

Oh and if anyone local is looking for used brick which came from historical buildings in San Jose and San Francisco... now you know where you can get it!

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SHOP LA DOLFINA

 

SPRING FEVER

I've got it bad!

The weather has been so nice here in the SF Bay Area the last few weeks that it has me longing to get outside and get my yard in shape for my favorite seasons.

  The local nurseries are bursting right now with so many wonderful plants, trees, bulbs, flowers and vegetables which has prompted me to get outside and do some Spring cleaning.

I've been doing the necessary pruning over the past month or so and am now uncovering and cleaning the garden furniture, dusting off the cobwebs, re-staining the fence, re-painting the walkway and just tidying up both the front and backyards.

Hope really springs eternal this time of year with the anticipation of warmer months ahead!

Even in California the weather can be rather unpredictable especially in Spring.

I tend to forget the April showers and pretty fierce winds that come with Springtime in the Bay Area, but it never seems to dampen my enthusiasm for preparing our yard or "outside room" for easy living.

Our house feels so much bigger when we get to use the backyard as another room.

Each year I seem to rearrange things just a bit differently.

This year I had to come up with a new coffee table as the old one gave into the elements and sadly bit the dust. 

I purchased this gorgeous old pot at my favorite salvage yard about a year ago thinking it would be a nice replacement when we needed it and I'm happy to report it worked out perfectly!

I went back to that salvage yard on Sunday to find a glass top and found the perfect one, 42" in diameter with very thick glass for $20!  

I'm thrilled with how it has transformed the seating arrangement making it more open and inviting. 

We are meeting with our gardener this evening to discuss eliminating this useless, ugly, grassy section, and expanding the brick patio to the rose bed and underplanting the roses to make it into a lusher border.

We have been storing 2 piles of used brick on the side of our house for several years so it's high time to put them to use! 

   

I think Spring is my favorite season, what's yours? 

An Auspicious Occasion

This year Easter Sunday happens to fall on March 31, 2013 which happens to be my husband's 53rd birthday or what I'm calling, an auspicious occasion!

 With all those 3's lining up and then landing on Easter, I thought it only fitting to find him a whopper of a birthday present!

So, that's just what I did!

Meet Bob...

We met on craigslist...

At 9 1/2 feet it was hard to keep him a secret, so I gave it to my hubby early.

 

Boy was he surprised...

 

He adores Bob and set about hanging him in his mancave immediately.

I have to admit, I love Bob too!

Oh, and Marty the Bass loves the company.

  
So, what do you think of our newest family member?

    

I Love This Kitchen

It belongs to celebrated chef, Laurent Tourondel, known for his high end string of steakhouses, BLT Steak, and burger joints, LT Burger, in Sag Harbor & NYC.

His Hamptons cottage kitchen is modest in size but casual and inviting with its open shelving, bluestone countertops, and crown jewel - a beachy blue La Cornue range.

He chose shiplap walls, wood floors, and white paint throughout. Quirky accessories were found mostly on eBay, such as the pair of oars and vintage skis which add rustic character.

 

Simple, open, classic, small, cozy and efficient.

Definitely my kind of kitchen!!! 

The Next Best Thing

To Being There!

I try and take lots of photos for those of you who have never been to Alameda Point in hopes that all the goodness I see through my lens will entice you to come out and experience it for yourselves!

 

Yesterday was a gorgeous day which definitely added to the experience!

First up was this outstanding rainbow display of Bakelite!

What a collection this woman has amassed!

I think she could open up a Bakelite Museum with her jaw dropping collection!

I've been having some wrist pain of late and really need to give it a rest so carry on and enjoy the rest of the show!

I hope one day I will have the opportunity to run into you here. 

Unfortunately, yesterday I missed out on meeting Theresa Cheek from Art's The Answer who was in town visiting her daughter and upon arriving at The Point texted me just as my phone died!

 

Maybe if I hadn't taken so many photos...

 

On a final note, don't miss the premier of LA Shrinks on Bravo tonight as our friend and fellow blogger, Kevin from Hollywood Forever, Kevin, and his partner are on it.  I for one can't wait!