Project Update

My last “design related” post describing our vision for the lower patio area was here http://villacantinas.blogspot.com/2012/03/lower-patio-construction-and.html.    My husband and son have been working on it off and on the past six months or so but lately rather diligently as we have a family reunion coming up and we need the extra space, not to mention a reprieve from the heat!! They do all the hard work…I just come up with the ideas that complicate things! Actually they come up with probably more ideas than I…but theirs are always more practical. 

These are the kinds of things I do that drive THEM crazy….I have already purchased the chairs, the clock, the shutters, and probably many things they think are unimportant!

Here is the clock waiting to be hung.  I love the fact that it is the same green as the trim.

I don’t have a picture of the shutters after I cleaned and oiled them so I won’t post until they are hung.

Here is what the “boys” have accomplished in just a few weeks.  They laid base rock (several truckloads) and laid this concrete wall. The base rock will be covered with “california gold” this weekend.

They designed and built this unique fence.  Here at the lake a fence has to be see through.  Well you know what that means…chain link, etc….ugly! They built this with redwood posts and rebar!

Next our good friend and plasterer extraordinaire John of Favazza Plastering came down and helped us out and wala! It now looks like this

 

 

And this…. after we began planting (with what we could find locally).  Notice the table base in the picture.  Our friend and very talented craftsman Jim built the base for us and we are going to add a zinc top.  I will post a better picture upon completion.

 

 

This weekend or the next couple we (meaning the boys) will be installing the metal for the fountain ala the fabulous design of katie denham that she posted about on her blog here http://katie-d-i-d.blogspot.com/2011/06/remodeling-its-starting-to-look-like.html.  Then we will finish the tabletop, and hang the shutters and clock. I will have a more interesting follow up post to this in the next couple weeks.

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Vivant Fine Cheese

 

Vivant is located in Historic downtown Paso Robles at 840 Eleventh Street.It is one block off the Square right next to the beautiful Hotel Cheval. The owner is Danika Reed, a veteran of the cheese business. She opened Vivant in 2006. She holds a degree in Dairy Science from Cal Poly. She gained  experience as a cheese maker for them, as well as a strong background in sales and marketing with Hilmar (one of the country’s largest cheese producers for private labeling and food service). Between Vivant and Hilmar, she worked in a variety of other positions in the cheese business,before opening her own shop.  Vivant’s first incarnation was as a mobile cheese tasting room. Her target customers were local restaurants. Chef’s could come to the truck and taste her  cheeses, purchasing them on the spot.

Vivant is now the Central Coast's premier cheese tasting room, featuring premium, local and imported handcrafted artisan cheeses paired with the finest Central Coast wine and beer. The shop carries about 150 cheeses both foreign and domestic with a nice selection of local offerings.

 

 

They have a lovely shaded outdoor patio where you enjoy a glass of local wine paired with their cheeses or one of their yummy sandwiches.  Their wine & cheese sampler is a bargain at $12.00.  The staff is friendly and very well informed.

 

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They are open Monday, Wednesday , Thursday & Sunday 11:00 – 5, Tuesday by appointment only, Friday & Saturday 11:00-7:00

If you would like to expand your cheese repoirtoire they have a  bi-monthly cheese club.  The shipments have a different theme each month and include tasting notes, suggested wine pairings and recipes.  For more information on the club go here  http://www.vivantfinecheese.com/vivant-fine-cheese-club-signup.pdf.

 

 

  If you would like more information about their services, offerings, or directions go here http://www.vivantfinecheese.com/

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