Here is what I started with....
2 Truck loads of Boulders
6 Truck loads of topsoil
5 Truck loads of Gravel
Here is what it ended up looking like....
Friday, July 15, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Retaining Wall In A Box
Well it's more like two boxes really. I wanted to take a minute and show you the results of two boxes (dump truck loads) of coulumn boulders and a day's hard work. This wall turned out really nice. There was even a drain right in the middle of the wall (rain gutter drain from the house) that I turned into a nice dry river bed. Too bad this wall is in the middle of a field and no one will ever see it.....
Until they read this post of course.....
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
It's Just A Little Dinger
This is a small job we did this week. I say small because it was a half day project.
We call these little jobs our "Dingers".
I am, however, keenly aware that this is the biggest thing this couple will do for probably the next two years. In their eyes it was no "Dinger". That is why we pay just as much attention to this small half day job as we would to one that lasts two weeks. The detail was the same just on a smaller scale. These folks were happy as heck and were amazed how qickly we got it done.
Just Sayin'
Have a great tomorrow!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Now you see it...Now you don't
Sometimes what we do isn't always that pretty.......
I should say that a little tongue and cheek.......
Tearing stuff out to put stuff back in is what we do!
I know it ain't all that beautiful.........
Yet...
Monday, June 6, 2011
Bathroom Suite Complete
My wife wrote this today. You can see this post and many more at...
Jun
06
Do you remember that old Moen Faucet commercial, where the couple goes to a architect with a kitchen sink faucet and tells him to design a house around it?
Well that is kind of what happen here. I have had this beautiful cast iron claw foot tub for about a year now. On Memorial Day, while enjoying the day outside with Monte and the kids decorating our vintage tents. I made a comment to Monte on how great it would be to have a outdoor bathtub set up by our tent.
Instantly, I heard the gears grinding in Monte’s head…
We tossed a couple of ideas back and fourth, then Monte jumped into the skid and broke ground next to our Hirsch-Weis vintage tent.
What happened over the next 5 days it simply stunning. Keep in mind that we did ALL the work ourselves a couple hours in the evening after work and a full days effort yesterday to complete the project.
For those of you who may not know, my husband Monte is a “Hardscape Landscape Contractor”. Which basically means, he is a “Rock Guy”. So, of coarse his vision of the space included a stone floor, boulders and lots of rock. He laid in a beautiful Eagle Mt. Flagstone floor and surrounded it with Woodstone (which is a gorgeous bark replacement stone product).
He built a boulder retaining wall with stone steps, so you actually step down into the space. This was Monte’s vision to make the space more intimate.
Look how pretty that is. This picture is somewhat deceiving. The Flagstone slab in front of the tub is 5 feet across and about 3 feet wide.
Monte installed a vintage farm house door in the entry way. Again, this was purely a vision thing. The space does not have permanent walls, only curtains. So a door was not needed, but it added so much to the overall look and feel.
I had been hanging onto a old farm house sink that I wanted to build a base under to use as a potting bench. Well, I got my base and now it has become a vanity in my new outdoor bathtub suite.
Monte installed a propane burner under my tub, so I can enjoy a relaxing warm bath anytime of the year.
Now that all the chore pieces are in place, it was time to start on the finishing details to make the space intimate, relaxing and private. We live out in the country on 6 beautiful acres. Are neighbors are not in our backyard so to speak, but we do have a road that is about 75 yards away that leads down to the lake. Even with as outdoorsy as I am, I did not want to worry about flashing my neighbors or there company while enjoying my space.
The solution: I made curtains using chocolate brown and tan burlap. I added a contrasting ruffle to the panels. With Monte’s help, I put grommets in all the panels, so I could tie them with pink fabric to the cable Monte installed. This way I can just slide open the panels I want to enjoy the view and still have privacy. See what I meant by the door, not a necessary item, but it adds so much to the space.
I just love how it fits in with all our vintage tents. The two tents in the background our the kids outdoor bedrooms. Tony and Colby share the green 9′ x 11′ and Madison has the cute little 9′ x9′ all to herself.
Now when it comes to the decorating, I had a vision. Adding touches of vintage and a dash of pink to make this space truly inviting to me.
This great little vintage chair is perfect, burlap flower pillow and my signature “K”.
Pink Gerber Daisies, lavender soap and a candle are all must have’s in a space like this. They scream girly-girl and just make me happy.
Look how pretty it is all pulled together. I will be adding some other finishing touches, such as a couple of hanging flower baskets from the poles Monte added across the top, yet another vision of his to make the space cozy. I also will add plants to the lovely vintage planter box by the sink base and tuck in some chicken & hens into the boulder retaining wall.
This is my wonderful husband, Monte.
If you are interested in seeing more of his beautiful work, click on the links below:
Cascading Creations on Facebook
or
Cascading Creations Website
I just want to shout from the roof tops, how much I love my husband. He truly embraces me for all that I am without question.
Thank you honey for creating such a beautiful bathtub suite!
You Totally Rocked It…
There is something so divine about sitting in a bathtub under the stars in all your glory that god gave you, that just speaks serenity.
Ta Ta For Now
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Give Me A Day And I'll Give You A Wall
Thant is what it takes.
This wall was 90 ft long and required 3 dump truck loads of topsoil for back fill.....
Actually it only took us about 6 hours.
And that included the steps on the left.
You too could change the look of your home in less than a day!
Just check out what we had to start with......
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Another Happy Customer
Rian and I just had a house built in Eagle Ridge and had basically a half acre sand box, a sand box on the side of a hill no less. 
…I called Monte shortly after we moved… he walked the sandbox with me, we discussed the ideas Rian and I came up with, and Monte had some as well…I had a clear estimate, which was decidedly more affordable than the other bids we received, that same day. The scope of our project was quite large, and for us was a bit intimidating, as whomever took it on would be building the foundation for what our landscape would permanently become. We felt most comfortable with Monte and his team, so off we went!
Once the weather finally gave us a chance Monte was ready to roll. The transformation was dramatic, and with no greenery on our property the sheer amount of rock was a bit overwhelming. Monte was great about listening to our concerns along the way, changing things that we didn’t quite like, and making adjustments on the fly. Between Monte’s ideas and our ideas during the actual job we probably tweaked a dozen things we originally planned, Monte rolls right through the changes in a professional manner. 
What we were left with was a beautiful foundation for our entire landscape plan. Monte transformed the sloping sandbox into a usable, unique, eye catching outdoor living space that has already garnered us many compliments from the neighborhood. Monte was great to work with, has a tremendous vision for projects, and thoroughly met our hopes and expectations.
Wes Oliver
Regional Development
University Relations
Gonzaga University
Wes Oliver
Regional Development
University Relations
Gonzaga University
Monday, May 30, 2011
Outdoor Living Space
If you have read my blog posts with any regularity you will know that I am always up for a challenge. I have seen many outdoor baths in the past but I have never seen one that is incorporated into a rock retaining wall. I am loving this challenge. We are creating an outdoor living space like no other. This will be a long process due to the fact that I will be taking my time with this one. Truth be told the home owner also washes my clothes....so I had better get this one right!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
We Have A Goal
What is our goal?
Our goal is to get a testimonial on each and every job we do.
I believe this will do......
I hired Monte and Cascading Creations to expand my driveway into a sloped back yard. The project included two sets of stairs, a double-level retaining wall and a significant amount of fill. I knew this was a challenging job but Monte was able to take my vision and turn it into a reality better than I expected!
He responded quickly with a reasonable quote, started the project when promised, worked quickly and listened to my input while using his experience and creativity to build a beautiful addition to my property. I am very happy with my experience working with Monte and will recommend him to friends and family.
Regards,
Dan Morris
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Doing The Right Thing
If you have been in business for any length of time you will encounter an unhappy customer. We recently had such a situation. I will man up and say right now that the customer had every right to be unhappy. I didn't give her project the attention it deserved and did the project while she was out of town. It is this exact situation that can separate the men from the boys per-se. We addressed her concerns within the day and rectified the project to her satisfaction within a couple of days. I have often told you that I will tell it like it is. The good and the bad. It just so happens that this bad has turned into a good due to my reaction to her concerns. Apology accepted and a customer retained. If I do nothing else for the week I will be satisfied with how this one turned out.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
A Rock Guy's Heaven
Have you ever wondered what heaven looks like to a guy that loves to work with Column Rock?
Well....I would have to say.
This would be it!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Matching A Look For Our Customers
We go to the ends of the earth....Well at least Cheney, to find just the right rock.
You see, this cusomer wanted to match the rock that was already around his home, but he needed a retaining wall to build an extra parking place for his extra vehicle.
Here was the problem....
We didn't have any of that type of rock in stock.
So...It was off to the races.
Well, It was off on a rock hunt.
I found some rock that was a great match....But you wouldn't believe where I found it....
It was all over the ranch where I grew up...
The customer loved it and so I set it up.
We harvested rock from the fields and hills were I grew up and made a wall out of um.
Let's just say that this wall has some extra special meaning to me....Those same rocks are what made me love what I do so much and here I was making a wall out of them for a customer.....
I wonder if he will ever understand the significance......
I doubt it, but I always will!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
What To Do With A Couple Of Hours To Kill
Well.....Here is what you do when you have a few hours to kill at a job site.
1. You start with a pile of boulders.
2. You tear out old RR tie retaining wall.
3. You build new retaining wall with previously mentioned boulders.
4. You dress it off with a fresh load of gravel.
5. Strategically place decorative rock in the right spots
Wa-La you have a brand spankin' new driveway with decorative accents.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
A Little Quickie Before And After
Now that I have your attention. Take a look at this small wall we put up today....
Just a little quickie. But I have to say it was a fun one!
Wanna know how much this cost?
Send me an email and I'll tell ya....
Saturday, May 7, 2011
The Mark Project Complete
We finished the Mark project yesterday....
On time and, as always on budget.
We put the finishing touches around the fire pit the 4 sets of steps and the play area.
It was a great experience working with this family.
Jake gave me the creative lisence to do as I wished and transform his back yard into an outdoor living space.
Check out the before picture to see what we had to work with!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Day Four At The Mark Project
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well.....We are almost done. I am very pleased with the progress. One more day and we will have it dialed in and cleaned up. Stay tuned for the complete before and after pictures!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
The Fire Pit: Day Three At The Mark Project
Today was the funnest day yet on the Mark Project.
We got to play with column boulders and pieces of column all day long.
I love it when a home owner gives me the creative license to just let the rock place themselves.
And I Create...
Enjoy the pictures!
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