The Meyer Lemon Project | Grove at Cambridge Townhomes, Surrey

It's no secret . .

I am obsessed with the Meyer Lemons I've been growing 

at the Grove at Cambridge, our new townhomes in Surrey.

2 Meyer Lemon trees are growing 

on the front step of Show Home #10.

I have seen the tiny lemons grow 

and now can proudly say the tree is blooming once again!

Our summer has been exceptional here on the West Coast

and the lemons are loving our sunny, dry weather.

The two Lemon trees that flank the door step of Home # 10 

are surrounded with a ring of Rosemary 

at the base of each tree - 

a perfect culinary pairing!

Stay Tuned  - up Next . .

How to transform your basic closet at

the Grove at Cambridge for under $200 

- no power tools required -

The following is a recipe taken from William Sonoma

using both lemon juice and fresh rosemary . . 

Enjoy!

Best wishes, Noelle

This simple main-course chicken is also ideal for sandwiches, salads and pastas. If you're cooking for a crowd, just increase the marinade by half and roast an additional chicken. The chicken can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated until serving. To vary the marinade, you can substitute fresh tarragon and Dijon mustard for the rosemary and thyme.

Ingredients:

• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp. finely chopped lemon zest
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus sprigs
    for garnish
• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme, plus sprigs
    for garnish
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1⁄8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 chicken, about 3 1⁄2 lb., quartered
• 1 cup water

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, soy sauce, chopped rosemary, chopped thyme, garlic, shallot and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk until well blended. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Add the chicken and turn to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.

Preheat an oven to 425°F.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Place the chicken on a rack in a large roasting pan. Pour the water into the pan. Roast, basting occasionally with the reserved marinade up until the last 10 minutes of cooking, until the chicken is golden brown and the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced, 45 to 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, away from the bone, should register 170°F.

Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and garnish with the rosemary and thyme sprigs. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.

Serves 4.

It's all about the bathrooms! | Grove at Cambridge Townhomes, Surrey

As any real estate agent will tell you, kitchens and bathrooms sell homes. Why? They're the most used rooms in the home. The bathroom in particular is where you start and end each day. They're also the most expensive areas of the home in terms of construction and where you get the biggest bang for your buck in terms of renovation value.  As architect Steve Straughan says "kitchens and baths are the areas where you can tell if money has been well spent or not." We'd like to think that the money has been well spent at The Grove at Cambridge, our new townhomes in Surrey. Our new homeowners agree. The current trend in the industry is one bathroom shared by the master bedroom and other bedrooms in an effort to conserve floor space for a bigger closet in the master. Lucky for our homeowners, we know that if you need more space for your clothes, you can simply buy a wardrobe from IKEA, refinish a vintage armoire that you found at the flea market, or simply throw out the stuff you no longer wear. We believe it's easier to rethink your storage needs than it is to add another bathroom. That's why at The Grove at Cambridge each and every home features a private ensuite in addition to a main bathroom upstairs.  And it's not just having an ensuite that's important.  It gets even better... Kohler bath fixtures and white porcelain sinks add a spa-like sense of luxury and the polished finish means the fixtures are easy to clean, look great and can withstand the rigors of your daily bathroom routine. As GrayRose designer Noelle says, "how can you skimp on items you use everyday!" The ensuite vanity includes 2 drawers and 2 cupboards giving you a place to store.  And an open shelf that provides a space to display your fabulous towels.  A thoughtful combination of wall sconces and pot lights cater to your bathroom lighting needs.  The twin sconces bathe you in a warm glow as you get ready - a little something called cross illumination that provides shadow free lighting for those important tasks like applying make up and shaving. Like the mirror in Show Home #1 reads, "hello gorgeous!" Let's not forget the wall to wall accent shelf below the mirror that keeps your treasures safe  and your counter tidy. A great bathroom makes it easy to start each day with a smile, and crawl into bed happy too   It's where your "happily ever after" is born. Like our homeowner Michelle mentioned the other day, "it's like living in a luxury hotel!"   Yes, thanks to Noelle's attention to quality and detail, it IS possible to enjoy that kind of bliss at home. Thankfully, the bathrooms are so beautiful you may just find yourself singing a happy working song when you channel your inner-Cinderella to keep them clean... why not turn down the bed and put a chocolate on your pillow while you're at it.  You deserve to be pampered. ~ Heidi ~

I scream, you scream, The Grove gets ice cream! | Grove at Cambridge Townhomes, Surrey

Our first visit from the ice cream man at The Grove at Cambridge, our new townhomes in Surrey...and not a moment too soon!  We ran out of ice cream for my impromptu home-made chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches!

You know you're officially a "neighbourhood" when you make the ice cream truck circuit!

Thank you ice cream man!

And yes, that adorable dog is none other than Dulce, our Grove mascot that's featured on the front and back of our Town Home brochures...

See you soon.  

You'll want to bring a handful of change...the ice cream man is bound to come back again soon!

~ Heidi ~

Move in TODAY! / The Grove at Cambridge, New Townhomes, Surrey

New Room Coming Soon . .

Things rarely stay the same for more than a few days around The Grove at Cambridge, our new townhomes in Surrey. It's no surprise really with Noelle at the creative helm of the project!  Like her Pinterest pages, Noelle has a ton of fabulous projects and ideas she wants to try.  Her current project in the bedroom of Show Home 2 is not only a true test of her talent, but of her patience as well.

Her latest Pinterest inspiration...

in answer to the question in your head...

How it started...

and how it finished...

And because everyone deserves a beautiful space to ponder their Pinterest pages, Noelle created a fabulous crafting nook in the closet...

The garbage can is wrong.  It wasn't a waste at all.  Definitely well worth Noelle's efforts!

NOELLE'S DIY TIP - Be sure to prime your chalkboard (or any surface you've painted with chalkboard paint) before you use it the first time.  It'll eliminate those "ghost images"!  Simply use the side of a piece of chalk to cover the entire surface.  Wipe with a chalkboard brush and you're good to go!

CANTERA KYLE'S TIP - Our Project Management Team, Cantera, packed up their tool-belts and hammers this week since construction is officially over at The Grove.  Sweet young Kyle couldn't help but share this fabulous tip with Noelle when he saw she was stressing about a chalkboard mistake that was putting the project at risk... 

What's the best thing to clean a chalkboard that doesn't leave streaks? 

Yep, Coca-Cola!  Seems it's a good ol' fashioned trick they use at the bars.  

Works like a charm. Thanks Kyle!

Good thing Noelle's designing the bedroom beside this dream room as a Man Cave.  

We'll need a bottle opener for that Cola!

Take a peek...

best use of closet space ever!

See you soon!

~ Heidi ~

OH! We're ready for our close up . .| Grove at Cambridge Townhomes, Surrey

Oh what an exciting way to spend a Monday afternoon at The Grove at Cambridge, our new townhomes in Surrey!

We have the tremendous honour of being chosen by The Vancouver Sun Homes Editor, Barbara Gunn, for their New Project Profile in the July 13th edition of The Sun. When it seems like a new development is popping up on every corner, in every neighbourhood in the Lower Mainland, it's an honour we don't take lightly.  The pillow in the Clubhouse says it best, "OH!"

 Journalist Claudia Kwan joined us at The Grove last week to interview the family and to enjoy a tour of the Show Homes and our community.  I only wish I had thought to snap a photo of Claudia's visit.  At the time I think we were all too excited to think straight let alone capture the moment on film.  It's not every day that you're interviewed for an article in the newspaper.  

Oh Claudia, thank you for putting everyone at ease with your relaxed style and gentle nature.  You can tell that you love what you do and that you're passionate about your work as a writer. We anxiously await the first glimpse of Saturday's paper to read your latest work!

& the fun didn't stop there!

Sun photographer, Mark R. van Manen, joined us at The Grove this past Monday to capture the magic on film to accompany Claudia's words. We knew he was coming to shoot photos of the Show Homes and the beautiful grove of trees that make us The Grove. We even knew he would be shooting a few pictures of the family. What we didn't realize was that it would feel like our own 15 minutes of fame Hollywood-style photo shoot!

Watching the photo shoot was surreal.  Mark clearly had a vision and the family had a great time turning that vision into a photo reality - the picture that's worth 1,000 words.  I couldn't resist snapping a few photos and videos myself - granted my Blackberry is no match for Mark's $7,000 camera!  WOW!

It was one of those pivotal "I remember when..." moments I know I'll look back on some day.

Some day when everyone knows the name GrayRose.

Some day when the first thing that comes to mind when people see the GrayRose logo is...

"OH! I LOVE what they do! 

They're that developer family that builds communities, not just

 Dazzling Town Homes!"

~ Heidi ~