New news about the tour

The cold weather has brought gardeners like myself indoors temporarily.  The chill today has kept me away from my plants and focused on the tour.

The Birmingham News will be running a feature on the tour in late April.  They will feature photos of the Hain home and will discuss aspects of the tour.  I will keep you posted when the article will be featured in the "Spaces" section of the newspaper.   Many thanks to Jack and Charm Hain for allowing the Birmingham News to photo their home prior to tour day.

Many of you have noticed the Home Tour signs popping up all over the neighborhood.  This week Garden Club members will be out in force cleaning up the triangles of our neighborhood.  I can honestly say the triangles in that are along the walk on May 1st just need some raking and mulch.   I am sure that all of their hard work will make Hollywood look even more amazing.

Infomedia is working on updating the website.  Currently, when you head to our website you will just see our poster.  In the next few days tabs will be set up so you will be able to access basic information about the homes and how to obtain more information or tickets.

Tickets are on sale TODAY!!!

Tickets for the Historic Hollywood Home Tour 2011 were distributed to Holly Oak Garden Club members today.  Ticket outlets including Hunter Cleaners, Harmony Landing, Urban Cookhouse and Sweet Peas will receive their ticket this weekend.  We have lots of tickets with hopes that many of you have kept May 1 open to stroll the Hollywood Homes.

The tickets are $15 and will be $17 the day of the tour.  Save $2 and support your neighbors.

Just a reminder the tour is Sunday, May 1, 2011 from 1pm-4pm.

Spring of new beginnings

Spring is awakening all over Birmingham.  Many yards have tulips bursting towards the sun and trees full of blooms.  It's really an incredible time of the year.  Yards are getting primed for more consistent warm days and homes have windows open to let in the fresh Spring air.   This makes Spring the perfect time to clean indoors and out.

This week the designer home will get a good scrubbing.  Deena Holifield has been cleaning homes for years.  She will get down and dirty to make way for painters and designers.  I know she will do an unbelievable job because she has been helping me with my home for 2 years.  She is reliable, flexible and can clean like no other.

The first week of April will bring great change to the interior and exterior of the Designer Home.  Paradise Painting will be painting all the rooms per the designers selections.  I can tell you the colors are all neutrals, but that's all I will share.  The colors can work in any household new or old.  Rafael of Paradise Painting is almost finished painting the interior of my home.  His work is incredible and first rate.  My home has a completely new feel.  I am sure the same transformation will happen at the Design Home.

Mike McGrady of McGrady Landscape will be pruning, raking, mowing and creating a clean canvas for the Design Home's redesign.  Mike has been in business for decades and has been helping the Taylors (owners of 102 Hollywood) with their homes for 2 years.  His employees are conscientious of the customer's yard as well as the neighbors yards.  Mike is very knowledgeable and has many solutions to frequently occurring yard problems.

If you are looking for any of these services please feel free to post a comment on the blog and I will give you their information.  I cannot thank them enough for helping with the tour.

History and how to be a part

In past postings I wrote about how great I believe the Hollywood neighborhood is because of the people who live here, but there is a lot of history that lives here as well.  In 1926 Hollywood was a town and not a neighborhood.  It was a town for only 2 years before it annexed into Homewood.  Many of the original homes were either Spanish Revival style or English Tudor.  Even though you can find both styles on either side of Hollywood Boulevard, the north side is often referred to as the "Spanish side" and the south side of Hollywood Boulevard as the "English side".  Homes on both sides were built starting in the mid 1920's.  Over the years the area has taken on many styles of homes, but it's the original homes that gives this neighborhood its identity.  

Three of the four homes on the tour are on the south side of Hollywood Boulevard.  However, all homes are within walking distance.  On the day of the tour, I would recommend parking at Shades Cahaba Elementary and walk from house to house. 

Two of the homes on the tour have historical landmarks and one is in the process of receiving the landmark recognition.  To receive a historical landmark the homeowner or a previous homeowner has submitted an application along with details of the home to the Jefferson County Historical Commission. The house then receives a name based on the owners that lived in the home longest.   The Commission then presents the homeowner with a sign for the home indicating that it is historical.

If you live in Hollywood and interested in researching your home, check out the application at www.jeffersonhistorical.org/marker.html

Then take your parcel number to the archives department at the downtown library.  You will find old photos (prints available for purchase) and all the information you will need.  Your parcel number may be found on any of your tax assessment cards.  It is important to have markers for all the homes that qualify in this neighborhood. 

Landscaper takes on yard at 102 Hollywood

I have shared the interior designers and artists of the home, but what about the curb appeal? Who are the person or persons that will be reworking the landscape to give 102 Hollywood a facelift (so to speak)? That responsibility goes to Cater Design and Landscape.  Cater will add the color and texture to the side garden and backyard with vibrant plant material and containers.  The landscape tends to be an afterthought for most homes, but it can really make an every day home look amazing.  I love to garden so I will have my notebook ready to see if Cater Design can teach this old gardener some new tricks.

Please remember to support all the participants and sponsors of the tour.  Without them all the wonderful things that we do for our community and this tour would not be possible.

In the upcoming days and weeks I will step away from the show house and share more information about other aspects of the tour and the neighborhood.  Get ready for Hollywood overload!

Banners are in

Everyday I am amazed and thankful for the generosity of local companies. If it were not for their contributions I do not know how the tour would be possible.  I can never thank them enough and my hopes is that by writing about them in this blog, you will support them. 

Yesterday I received the banners along with some lawn signs for the upcoming tour compliments of Birmingham Budweiser.  Monty Todd of Birmingham Budweiser has donated banners that will be posted in April in Homewood and Mountain Brook.  The banners in Homewood will be hung near the library on Oxmoor and at the corner of the Piggly Wiggly.  The Mountain Brook banner will be at Memorial Triangle in Crestline not far from the main post office. 

If you are of drinking age and you drink beer please drink Budweiser or a Budweiser product.  If you don't, may I suggest Boylan's orange or grape soda.  My personal favorite is the Mountain Valley Sparkling Water.  Please show your support and thanks for this generous donation.