Tag Archives: Landcaspe

Bees!!!

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It was a busy morning here at the Hotel Yorba. First, we are into day two of the fence removal, Part of The Hotel Yorba Landscape Project. Woot! Woot! It is a cedar fence, so we are going to try to save a lot of the wood to reuse in the coop/run project. However part of the wood was infested with carpenter bees but I think we will have enough.

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Hopefully this will be a chicken run soon!

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Lots of ivy was covering the fence.

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The horrible from gate is gone!!

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We are getting estimates to take the huge old oak tree in the backyard. After all the rain we have had and since it has some damage to it, we think it is time to take it done. Not thrilled about the damage doing so will do to our back account but better than it falling on our house.

We also have the AC man here, who is a friend (thank goodness). I noticed the upstairs air stopped working last night and gave him a call. And at 11am here he is! My man and I know nothing about this stuff and luckily Travis told us that it wasn’t a big deal, it could have been but we got him out here in time.

I am feeling a bit better, the meds are helping my tummy but I am still very tired and mind is fuzzy and I have a hard time tracking. Please do not ask me anything to important. Thinking makes my brain hurt.

Go out and enjoy your day!!!

Happy Wednesday Readers!

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Happy Wednesday Readers!

I am feeling a little panicky today. Tomorrow I will be admitted into the hospital for round 3 of chemo and I feel like I have a ton to do. While I did do some laundry yesterday, there is still more. Isn’t there always more? What’s up with that? I vacuumed but of course there is fur all over the floor this morning. Timber is shedding and I can’t seem to keep up. Then there is the packing! Ugh. I hate to pack. I feel like I do when I have to pack to go on a vacation. I am trying not to bring a bunch of stuff that I won’t use (like I do on vacation).

My mom and dad are on their way over here from Alabama. They will be hanging out with The Boy and all the fur children for the next five days.

I met with Molly from WDesign Landscape, Inc., earlier today. We reviewed the plans for the Hotel Yorba Landscape project. She is really excited about the coop/run project. We discussed how we could reuse the wood from the swing set and cedar fence. The fence people will start next Tuesday or Wednesday and the rest of the project will start later next week. I will try to take some pictures. Can’t wait till it is all done!

Not sure how much posting I will do while in the hospital. I will try to take more pictures this time. Take care Readers!!

So I got this diaper box in the mail…

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Yesterday I got a diaper box in the mail that was so heavy, I knew it couldn’t be full of diapers. Plus, who would send me diapers? I looked at the return address and saw it was from NJ and knew it was from my friend Jill G. I have known Jill since I was born. Her mom and my mom have been friends since like the 1st grade and we would see each other every Christmas. Me and The Boy brought the box in the kitchen to open it up. Let me first say, that The Boy is more excited than I am (and I am pretty excited) whenever we get a package in the mail. He can’t wait to rip into them. He thinks that what ever is in them, we all get to share it. The first thing he saw was all retro candies Jill sent. He loved those!

A sample of candies

A sample of candies

Candy cigarettes, got them. Pop Rocks? Got them. Black Jack Gum? Got them. She also sent me three bottles of wine (god knows I need those), two cute t-shirts, hand lotion, bath items, lot of scarves and more. One of the coolest things she sent me were scarf hangers! Who knew they had such a thing!

Scarf Hanger

Scarf Hanger

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I can’t begin to tell you how much these help me out! You should have seen my closet. I had scarves everywhere and now they are all in one place nice and neat. Thank You Jill!!! You Rock!

Bodyguard

This past weekend I planted some daffodil bulbs. My bodyguard came out with me and I took this picture of him. Of course he brought his partner, Piggy.

Timber

Timber

Update
The third landscape company is coming to check out the yard this morning. We got two quotes back and are going back to each company with some changes we would like. We are also having a fence company come out on Friday to give us a quote on a new fence.

People have asked for an interview with Timber. He has agreed and we are working on it! Don’t forget to leave comments on Saturday, Sunday and Monday’s posts. The boy will pick the winners of the Hotel Yorba Key Chains Wednesday morning.

My Hotel Yorba Give Away!

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My Hotel Yorba Give Away!

Room 206

Room 206

Reader’s! My Hotel Yorba and doing its first ever giveaway! Woot! Woot! Over the next three days, three people (total) will have a chance to win their own Hotel Yorba key chain. I know right!?!

Here is what you need to do:

1. Comment on the next three days posts. You can comment as often as you want. Tell me what you like. Don’t like. What you want to see more of on the Blog. Do want to see an interview with Timber or Turbo? You tell me…as many times as you want.

2. I will remind you each day to comment. The contest will end Tuesday night @ midnight. On Wednesday morning, The Boy will randomly choose one person from each day’s comments as the winner. To make it fair and scientific, he will have his eyes closed.

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One of these could be yours!

3. Once the winners are picked, I will announce it on the blog. Now go enter to win!

Look what we got!

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Doesn’t the sign rock? My Man’s Dad, Bob, sent this to us on Thursday. We were all excited when it came but had to wait a day to come up with ideas where to put it. I think The Boy wanted to put it into his room. Uh No. My Man suggested we drill it to the basketball post in the driveway. I pointed out that he hates that basketball post and has wanted to take it down since the day we moved in. Plus that would in tail a drill and who knows if we have one of those. We decided to hang it up in the screened in porch. I think it fits in perfectly.

Bob has sent us almost all of our Hotel Yorba items. We even have beach towels!  I love that he gets it! Thank you again Bob!! You need to come down and visit us soon.

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Hotel Yorba Landscape Project Update

We got our first quote from Green Acres Landscaping, Inc. yesterday. At  first it wasn’t as high as I thought it would be but then I realized it did not in include the new fence, removal of a tree or the chicken coop. So who knows what it will cost. We also have a few questions for them so I am thinking a second meeting is warranted. I am impressed with their turn-around time. We have yet to hear from WDesign Landscape Inc. I am planning on giving her till Monday before I e-mail. That will give her a week and unlike Green Acres Landscaping, Inc., she is planning on sending us a mock-up design. Which we also want from Green Acres Landscaping, Inc! We have one more meeting set up for Tuesday with Dream Scape Designs.

Timber and Pandora

Getting closer

Getting closer

Timber and Pandora’s relationship is slowly moving a long. He whines whenever she comes is the room and she flops down and shows him her belly. They are getting closer and closer when napping or chilling in my office. I know Timber so badly wants to snuggle up close with her but is being a gentleman.

Shout Outs

Amy & Tommy A.- The dinner you made was off the chain! My Boys loved the beef brisket. Even I had some and it was so good. The potatoes and corn salad were wonderful! Thank you for thinking us!

Andy & Dee B.- Tom’s Mom’s Cookies?! Directly from Harbor Springs! I can still remember waking up to the smell of their cookies a few years ago. Love Harbor Springs and love you two more!

In no particular order

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Yesterday, in no particular order.

I finally broke down and bought a new lamp for the family room. We have had the current one since we bought our couch and tables. That was over ten years ago. We need to replace the everything but I thought I would start small and get new lamp. I got it at Lowe’s. Not a big-ticket item but it makes me smile.

Old and Ripped up

Old and Ripped up

Time to GO!

Time to GO!

More my style

More my style

Pretty

Pretty

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That couch needs to go next.

Hotel Yorba Landscape Project

I met with Mark Nichols (and his partner whose card I did not get) with Green Acres Landscaping, Inc, to get a quote on the Hotel Yorba Landscape Project. Both were very nice men and of course both loved Timber. Who doesn’t?

Readers! I have added another element to the landscape project. The Girls need an upgrade. They tell me they want a new bigger house and run. I took the guys up and showed them the area where the swing set is. I want them to take it down, reuse some of the wood and hook up the girls! For My Man to be ok with this, the coop and run needs to look clean, modern and blend into the area. I think they were a bit surprised but Mark says they can handle it. Can’t wait to get their quote in a few days.

New coop area??

New coop area??

You (me) can spend hours looking at chicken coops and runs. Here are a few I found that I liked.

Love the garden on top

Love the garden on top

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So Cool!

So Cool!

I want to be able to go in and hang out!

I want to be able to go in and hang out!

Like the modern look.

Like the modern look.

Hello!

Hello!

I plan to keep the coop and run I have now. I will put it into the new area and will I introduce two new hens they can chill out there till they all get use to each other, while being separate, till they promise not to kill each other! I plan on not having more than four hens at one time.

New Coop? Yes Please!

New Coop? Yes Please!

Yoga

I went to my first Yoga class since chemo started yesterday. It was really nice to get back on the mat…in public. Ok, I know some of you want to know, did I cover my shinning bald head? YES! As if! My friend Gerri lent me the perfect head cover to wear while working out. The class went great. I am still pretty limber! And being able to work on my breathing was perfect. However, right at the end of the class, where you are being super chill and quite and the teacher is going around and putting oil on everyone’s hands, the fire alarm went off. Scared the shit out of me. I think I jumped up a bit. What a way to end the class!

Life Guru

I had a wonderful chat with my gal Judi R. in NYC. Judi and I work for the same financial advisory company and she is my…work Guru? Really, I can’t remember the title the home office gives her (probably some long boring ting)…I am blaming it on chemo brain. I call her my friend first and second my Life Guru, cause she doesn’t just help with my business but my life and how to achieve work/life/balance that is perfect for me. And let me tell you people, it is hard to achieve it. Yesterday’s talked dealt with some “work” discussion but then moved to the My Hotel Yorba and where I want it to go in the future. I was great to have someone to bounce ideas off. Judi knows all about almost everything or if she doesn’t, she knows someone who does. Before the end of our call she had emailed me four links about blogging, education on blogging and conferences on blogging. Plus one of her favorite blogs.  Readers! Blogs are a big ass business let me tell you!

With Judi’s words in my mind, I found a Blog conference here in the ATL in September called the Type-A Parent Conference. I was going to get my dad to come with me but after reviewing his calendar he realized he couldn’t come. I wasn’t going to go by myself but then after talking to Judi, I was like “I can go by myself!”. So, I signed up. This is a three-day event and I am planning on attending half of Friday and part of Saturday. I don’t want to push myself to hard.

Ok Reader’s, I got to go. The Sun is out in the ATL and I am heading out there. Got medication to pick up, ink to by and an office to go to. Get out there and do something great!

 

 

Hotel Yorba Landscape Project

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Earlier this Spring I told you how we got our pool renovated. It was a pretty easy, fast and Bob from AquaVision was very easy to work with. Even when we did have an issue, he was on it quick. The only real issue with the pool is that we can never use it since all it does is rain in the ATL. Total Bummer.

Our next big project is what we call the side yard. It is a mess and is usual Hotel Yorba style, has been for some time. We have been saying we needed to get it fixed but the hassle of meeting with people always got in the way. Well, since I am working from home, I can now meet with people for quotes. I went on a neighborhood social page and asked people for suggested landscapers. Well, one of the landscapers lives in the area and she contacted me. On a Sunday no less (via e-mail).

Need gravel and ground cover

Need gravel and ground cover

One big mud slide waiting to happen

One big mud slide waiting to happen

I met with Molly Welch of WDesigns Landscape yesterday. Points in her favor:

1. She was on time.

2. She liked Timber (he did the tour with us) and is also a cat person.

3. She is a woman who runs who own business.

4. I liked her.

Need more stone, rocks and cleaned up.

Need more stone, rocks and cleaned up.

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We walked around the whole yard, me with my list of different projects I want quotes on and she with her note pad. We then came in and I saw her portfolio of work. She worked a lot of huge houses in Sandy Springs. I have no idea how much this kind of thing costs. I have a meeting with another firm tomorrow and want to meet with a least one more, see their suggestions and get their quotes before we make a decision. I plan to do before, during and after pictures of the project.

Grass won't grow and Timber likes the area too much.

Grass won’t grow and Timber likes the area too much.

All that green stuff is weeds. This area gets no light and grass won’t grow. I had some mint growing to one side of it until the lawn maintenance crew weed wacked it all away. Just so happens I am looking for a new lawn maintenance crew too.

Death trap stairs.

Death trap stairs.

On the left we talked about putting in some blue berry bushes. I learned something new (or was reminded of it), you must have at least two blue berry bushes for them to grow. They are like an old married couple.

Does it need to go?

Does it need to go?

We had this tree looked at a few months ago and they said it was injured a while back and would need to be taken down in a few years. Molly is going to have a company she works with and uses to give us a second option. That thing falls and there goes the guest room. She is also going to give us a quote for a new fence. I think the one we have was built back with the house in 1982. There are a few other areas that need work but I won’t bore you with the pictures….yet.

It has been a busy morning working.

My workmate...so tired.

My workmate…so tired.

Reader’s! It is overcast and grey here in the ATL. Looks like rain. Hope the sun is shinning where you are. And if it isn’t, make you own sun shine!!