How does “Island Life” sound about now?  I often dream of escaping to the clear blue waters of some remote island in the Caribbean, but unfortunately for me the only “Island” I see much of is my  “kitchen island.”  So, for now I am going to talk about transforming your kitchen island to be that wonderful destination that everyone likes to gather around.

First off, make sure it is the right size for your kitchen.  If it is too small it often becomes non functional.  If it is too big, then the rest of the kitchen becomes non functional.  So, the key is to make sure there is plenty of room to walk around the island on all sides and to also be able to operate all of the surrounding appliances without feeling cramped.

Pick your storage space wisely.  Do you want roll outs in your cabinets, bookshelves for cookbooks, spice drawers, noodle bins, cookie sheet cabinets, or big deep drawers for lots of storage?  Decide on these options and make a plan.

Don’t be afraid of using color on your island.  Some of the popular colors for the year are turquoise, emerald green, red, yellow and white.  Glazing, crackling or distressing also can add that extra element of “Wow.”  Always try and use some fun knobs and pulls on your island that are different than the rest of the kitchen.  This is a great place to add a little “bling” with some rhinestone or glass knobs.

An Island becomes the centerpiece of your home when having family gatherings or parties.  Make sure and make it a focal point by using some of these great ideas!  For some ideas of what all we have done be sure and stop by one of our model homes in Carrington Lakes, Belleau Wood, Valencia or The Ranches

You should finally be safe to plant your summer garden now in Oklahoma.  With the extended cold temperatures, it has taken a little longer to get plants in the ground than in years past.

All of our homes in Belleau Wood, Carrington Lakes, Valencia and the Ranches have perfect backyards to plant a garden in.  Here are some things to consider:

•  Do you have enough sun exposure? Vegetables love the sun. They need at least 6 hours of full sun every day, and preferably 8.
•  Know your soil. Most soil can be enriched with compost and be fine for planting, but some soil needs more help. Vegetables must have good, loamy, well-drained soil. Check with your local nursery or local cooperative extension office about free soil test kits so that you can assess your soil type.
•  Placement is everything. Avoid planting too near a tree, which will steal nutrients and shade the garden. In addition, a garden too close to the house will help to discourage animals from nibbling away your potential harvest.
•  Decide between tilling and a raised bed.  If you have poor soil or a bad back, a raised bed built with non pressure-treated wood offers many benefits.
•  Vegetables need lots of water, at least 1 inch of water a week.
•  You'll need some basic planting tools.  These are the essentials: spade, garden fork, soaking hose, hoe, hand weeder, and wheelbarrow (or bucket) for moving around mulch or soil. It's worth paying a bit extra for quality tools.
•  Study those seed catalogs  and order early.

HAPPY PLANTING!!

Your lawn may look a little sad right now but it certainly doesn't need to stay that way!  Give your grass some attention now and you will see the benefits all summer long.

STEP ONE:  Aerate your soil

Compacted soil is hard for water, air, and roots to penetrate, and that makes it harder on the grass.  You can either go to your local equipment rental store and get a core aerator or call a local lawn company to come and do it for you.

STEP TWO: Mow the old grass low

You need to be sure and mow that old, brown grass low to remove thatch, an accumulation of dead stems and leavess.

Heavy thatch prevents water and nutrients from reaching the roots and promotes disease.

STEP THREE: Stop Weeds

As the temperature begins to reach 70, lawn weeds begin to spout.  Stop them by applying a pre-emergence lawn weed preventer.  Once it is watered in , it forms a barrier atop the soil to keep weeds from sprouting.  Be sure and do this after you aerate.

These are just a few of our tips.  We try to use them for all of our model homes in Carrington Lakes, Valencia, Belleau Wood and The Ranches. What are some of yours?

As we approach the New Year many of you have made some Resolutions. Listed below are the Top 10 Resolutions according to About.com

1. Spend More Time With Family and Friends

2. Fit in Fitness

3. Tame the Bulge

4. Quit Smoking

5. Enjoy Life More

6. Quit Drinking

7. Get out of Debt

8. Learn Something New

9. Help Others

10. Get Organized

As we look at the list there are several items we can help with!  Many people decide to buy a new home to create a better life for themselves and/or their families.  Many pick out floor plans so they can  have the room to Spend More Time With Their Families and Friends.  Several of our homes are open concept and can create that family time we are all looking for.  This will also allow you to Enjoy Life More.

Carrington Lakes and Valencia both offer walking trails and community pools while Belleau Wood and The Ranches give you the quiet acreage living that you are able to walk around the community.  By moving to one of these communities you would be able to Fit In Fitness and hopefully Tame The Bulge.

By buying a new home you might think you would not be able to Get Out of Debt but the truth is there is not a better time to buy a house than right now.  When you choose to purchase a home now instead of waiting in the future when interest rates would rise you are actually saving yourself a lot of money thus getting out of debt quicker!

If you have never built a new home with Landmark than this would certainly take care of Learning Something New.  At Landmark, we make it easy!  Everything is broken down in steps so nothing is overwhelming.  We have a design studio at our office in Norman where you will meet with our Design Studio Staff Person to walk you through the process.

Getting Organized is another easy goal!  Landmark is a custom home builder so we can help you design your home to make it the most organized it can possibly be.

At Landmark we make Helping Others part of our company atmosphere! Every year we have a Thanksmas Party in December as a way to collect toys and canned goods for the Salvation Army.  We also participate in Relay for Life- Moore every year to help raise money and awareness for the American Cancer Society.  Our customers are invited to both of these events!

That only leaves 2 items for you.  Quit Smoking and  Quit Drinking. These may not even be on your list so I think 8 out of 10 of the Top Resolutions being taken care of by purchasing a Landmark Home is pretty good!

Stop by one of our models, visit our website or contact our office to start marking those resolutions off as completed!

Usually right after Thanksgiving, you'll start seeing Christmas lights twinkling on houses and lawns all around your neighborhood.  With the great weather we are expected to have this weekend we are sure this task is on many of your To-Do Lists.  Putting them up can be a pretty big job, especially if you don't really know what you are doing.  Here are some tips we've found helpful:

1. Measure the area you want to decorate. It's the old rule of "Measure Twice buy once!"  You will save a lot of time knowing exactly what you are wanting to cover and make a plan before you go to the store. 
2. Always check your lights before you put them up. This seems like common sense but you would be surprised how many people put all in place before they test them out.
3. Get energy saving lights.  LED lights are 90% more efficient, last longer, and since they give off little heat, you don't have to worry as much about something on your house or lawn catching fire.
4. Don't overload your circuits.  Each year thousands of house fires are caused by Christmas lights that had a short in the wiring or just simply because someone overloaded the circuit.  Check your lights to see how many watts they put out.  Also, try not to plug too many lights in to each other.
5. Use Landscape Net Lighting.  Instead of using regular strand lighting for your bushes or trees, use net lighting and it will save you alot of time, energy and stress.
6. Get design Ideas.  If you're not sure what kind of design you are going to do, take a drive around neighborhoods to come up with some ideas or simply look online.  Start slow at first, and always remember you can add on later. 

Have a great weekend doing those lights!  We would love to see pictures of what you have done.  Post them on our facebook page for all to see. 

Do you plan on going Trick or Treating Tonight?  If so, stop by our Model Home in Carrington Lakes at 4714 Kensal Rise in Norman.  Ben Bruehl, our New Home Consultant, will be there tonight until 9 passing out candy!

Here are a few tips from the CDC that will help make the evening Safe and Healthy for your family!

S- swords, knives & similar costume accessories should be short, soft & flexible

A- avoid trick or treating alone. Walk in groups or with a adult.

F- fasten reflective tape to costumes & bags to help drivers see you.

E- examine all treats for choking hazards & tampering before eating them.

H- hold a flashlight while walking from house to house to help others see you.

A- always test make up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime.

L- look both ways before crossing the street. Use crosswalks when available.

L- lower your risk for eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses.

O- only walk on sidewalks when possible & face the traffic when walking.

W- wear well-fitting masks, costumes & shoes to avoid trips, falls and blocked vision.

E- eat only factory wrapped treats. Avoid homemade treats from strangers.

E- enter homes only if you are with a trusted adult in well-lit houses.

N- never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Wear flame resistant costumes.

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL???

It is that time of the year to watch your favorite teams battle it out.  We have some great theatre/bonus rooms that would be perfect to host all those parties.

1.  Decide before what kind of food you are going to have.  It is OK to have everyone bring their favorite snacks.  In fact, it is even more fun because you will get to try a variety of items.

2. You can always create questions that your guest have to answer and give a prize for the person who has the most correct.  Examples are: Which team will score first?  How will they score?  How many times will the camera's show the cheer/pom during the first half?  How many times the second?

3. Be sure and take advantange of the parks at Valencia and Carrington Lakes during half time.  Take out your own ball and have your own game!

What ideas do you have for hosting your own football party?

Let the Olympic Games Begin!

As summer is winding down and the kid’s are getting ready to go back to school why not host your own Olympic Games? It’s a great way to bring home what has been on TV for the last several weeks.

Here are some ideas we had:

• Have your own Opening Ceremony. Get the kids busy making flags, hats and mascots then parade around to display their creations. If you live in Carrington Lakes or Valencia go to the park and show off your creations to the neighbors!
• Here are just a few games we thought of that won’t cost a lot of money: Paper plane folding and throwing, Basket Ball Toss, Obstacle course, Running races of all sorts, or swimming.
• Closing ceremony: Make sure you have awards of some kind to give to all the winners.

Let us know if you try it. We would love to see the pictures of your event!

When the thermostat outside is over 90 degrees, most garden plants, lawns, flowers, and veggies can tend to shut down. What is a homeowner to do? Here are some tips we have found that help make our yards in Carrington Lakes, Valencia, The Ranches, and Belleau Wood look their best!

• Choose Plants Wisely:  Some plants are more heat tolerant than others!
• Water: Resist the urge to over water or soak your plants until they're soggy.  You should only give your lawn and garden a inch at a time.  If it is hot and dry water more often but do not increase the amount.
• Garden Pests- Spider mites are a problem in hot weather.  Make sure you keep the leaves of your plants wet to discourage them!
• Weeds- No matter how hot is gets, weeds are always a problem!  Sorry, you will need to keep weeding your flower beds and lawn.
• Containers- Remember to keep watering them!  You can always move them to shadier locations as the temperature rises.
• Mulch- Add more mulch if needed.  It is a great product to keep the soil cooler and helps to hold the moisture. Choose well composted mulches in hot weather rather than fresh manure or grass clippings.

After you have worked in the yard don't forget to take care of yourself!  Find a swimming pool and relax.  I can tell you our pools at Valencia and Carrington Lakes continue to be a popular place no matter how hot it gets!

Have you ever walked into someone’s home or business and wondered what were they thinking when they decorated their bookshelves?  A well-decorated shelf is like the perfect icing on the perfect cake.  These are some things we like to consider when decorating our bookshelves:

• Set your shelves at different heights so it doesn’t look too uniform.  Remove a shelf entirely if needed.
• Use several pieces of greenery, but be sure not to overuse the greenery (always try and place the greenery on different shelves.  If you have a bookshelf with corresponding sides then try not to use greenery on both shelves that are at the same level or on a shelf that is above or below the shelf that has greenery already.
• Use family pictures in frames.  5X7 and 8X10 work the best.
• Use books.  I love using old looking leather-bound books the best.  I have found these at garage sales and library sales.  It is a good idea to not put them all on one shelf.  Place them in groups of 3-5 in all different varieties.  Stand them on their ends, lay them down etc.
• Use fabric if you can.  Choose one with a complimenting color to your décor and scrunch it up under some books or a picture.  This adds a perfect pop of color.
• Don’t be afraid to lay things on their sides.  You can do this with metal and wooden candle holders, decorative boxes or chests and baskets. This is what we did at one of our model homes in Carrington Lakes.
•  If you want a warm and cozy feeling then use warm tones when choosing your décor.  If you want a clean look, then use the cool tones with straight edges.  Mixing the two can look nice too, but I would be careful when doing so.