Life in a small town - it doesn't get much cozier than this.

Woo Hoo! Pajamas and Breakfast all day!

Mukilteo Coffee Roasters invites you to the Cafe in the Woods New Years Day from 9-3. Wear your pajamas and maybe win a prize!!!

Arriving in a bunny slipper car would be the ultimate.
Photo of pink bunny slippers is from the Tesla Motors blog.

Hidden in plain sight - Nortwest Hub mentioned The Highlands and we missed it!

Usually we're on top of anything that's being said about The Highlands, but way back in August Northwest Hub mentioned us in an article about green building on a budget, More Green For Less Green, but we just learned about it.

The house mentioned in the article - the 99K house - was used as the basis for the design of the Live/Work Studios that will be built on the commons.
The Highlands version is slightly different from the one that won the competition. The deck was moved to the end overlooking the commons and the buyer has the option of opening the lower level as a garage or studio.

Here's what the commons looks like now. The grassy area is approximately the location of the central paved area known as the Piazza.

Another holiday syndrome - PHW

The folks at Inhabitat have identified another holiday related syndrome - Post Holiday Waste, the condition we fall into when trying to decide what to do with the mountain of wrapping and packaging we're left with after the gift tsunami.

At my house this could also be called Post Holiday Waist. The two are often related, as we seem to give each other an awful lot of food and candy gifts.

Either way, here are some tips for dealing with the leftover paper, tree, unwanted gifts or items being replaced.

Combined Sewer Overflow Angst - There'll be none of that at The Highlands

This ... Or this?

Sometimes we have a choice. (storm drain photo from Sightline Daily)

While not very appealing to read, this article about the issues the city of Seattle is dealing with regarding storm water graphically illustrates one of the main reasons The Highlands was developed using Low Impact Development methods.

The same amount of rain falls on the ground at The Highlands as any other property in the Langley area. But in this neighborhood that water soaks into the ground, either naturally due to large areas of native forest, or by way of the rain gardens that receive run off from the roofs of the homes.

Last May The City of Langley passed a storm water plan. The retrofits to city systems are going to be expensive. Because The Highlands was originally built using methods that effectively deal with storm water on site, the city won't have to include the neighborhood in the project.

Here's a video of a newly installed rain garden at one of the cottages in Snowberry Close.

Native Plants, they grow on you

Native plants are the backbone of landscape at The Highlands. The towering heritage firs and cedars that provide the backdrop for the neighborhood are protected by a tree preservation plan.

The understory of fern, salal, Oregon grape and evergreen huckleberry preserves wildlife corridors.

Even our model homes are decorated with wildflowers whenever possible.

The annual Whidbey Conservation District plant sale makes it easy and affordable to landscape with natives.

The Whidbey Island Conservation District is taking pre-orders now through January 30 on a beautiful assortment of Western Washington native plants. The plants are one to two years old, average in height from 8” to 36” and are bare root. Some varieties are sold as plugs or in 3.5” pots. Most plants are sold in bundles of five, and are priced very reasonably.

To receive a complete plant list and order form, contact WICD by phone, 360-678-4708, or email, sandy@whidbeycd.org. You may also download a list and order form by going to the WICD web site: www.whidbeycd.org and follow the Plant Sale link under WICD Programs.

Pick up for all confirmed orders will occur on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at Greenbank Farm, just in time for pre-spring planting!

Order soon as stock is limited.

Breaking frozen ground for two new cottages

Today the ground thawed just enough for workers to pound in the stakes that define the layout of the Finch and Goldfinch cottages.

What kind of Islomaniac are you?

"Islomania is a rare affliction of spirit. There are people who find islands somehow irresistible. The mere knowledge that they are in a little world surrounded by sea fills them with an indescribable intoxication."
Lawrence Durrell

Every visitor to Whidbey Island suffers at some point before, during or after their sojourn here, from islomania. Some with better immunity get only a slight case lasting a few hours, or perhaps as long as a weekend, and recover upon return to the mainland. A few lucky (or poor) souls recover from the inebriation, often after quite a long residence, and suddenly leave Whidbey, running pell-mell for ferries or bridges wanting never again to see "the rock." Others discover they have the larger, chronic form of the disease, love all islands equally, wantonly and forever, and adjust their lives so as to visit as many as possible, either in person, or through the pages of magazines. Then there are the terminal cases, those who set foot on Whidbey once and find they cannot leave. Unable to stop themselves they build houses, cementing lifelong, and in many cases generations long, ties to this forty mile strip of glacial till.

It's good to be at The Highlands

No event needed to make being at The Highlands special -

walk the wooded trails,

Langley Forest Trail

tour a model home and see the work of local artists,

The Model Cottage

sit on a porch rail overlooking the courtyard and listen to the birds,

The Erin cottages of Snowberry Close

do a little dance!

Manikins caper at the Villa

Join in at 1080 Village Loop, Langley WA.

SICBA Home Tour

This year's Skagit and Island County Builder's Association home tour took place Sept. 11 through 13th. The beautiful weather brought a lot of weekend visitors enjoying a road trip that covers three islands (Whidbey, Camano and Fidalgo) as well as the Skagit County mainland.

Tour attendees gather in the hall to ooh and
ahh over Osprey's woodwork.

The afternoon sun lights the home in the tones
of a Maxfield Parrish painting.

Everyone loves this house and this house loves the camera.

Flattery we love

Jordan Snyder of Entertain with Jordan wrote about The Highlands in general, and Osprey House in particular, on her inspiring blog.

The Highlands is on Facebook- become a fan!

Find us on Facebook

The Highlands at Langley is now on Facebook. Be a fan and get quick updates of what's happening at the Highlands and around the island, as well as interesting tidbits about green building and sustainability.

Grand Opening

Saturday March 21st 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Celebrate the first day of spring with a trip to Langley and The Highlands, where the focus is on Low Impact Development, green building and smaller homes – the perfect solutions for today.

11:00 AM Enjoy local food
Scones and coffee from Langley’s own Village Bakery

Tour a BuiltGreenTM “Erin” model cottage and “The Villa”
View completed cottages and the Villa and see the plans for the Live/Work Studios to be constructed on The Commons.

12:30 – 2:30 PM More local treats
3 Sisters beef hors d’oeuvres by Chef Jess

Visit with conservation and gardening experts
Bring your questions

1:00 – 2:30 Meet award-winning architect Ross Chapin
Hear about his coming book “Pocket Neighborhoods: Creating Small Scale Community in a Large Scale World” (Taunton Press, 2010)

Drawings for great prizes
Home Energy Audit
Edible Landscape Consultation
Share of a Whidbey CSA
Dinner for two at The Inn at Langley

Learn about a special financing opportunity
Unbeatable rates for Highlands buyers

Highlands Art Show
For the month of March, works by local artists are displayed throughout the model home in the first Highlands Art Show. The show has been popular with artists and viewers alike, setting a pattern for future shows and an ongoing partnership between The Highlands and the Whidbey art community.










Participating artists
Tim Leonard – Metal sculpture
Susan O'Brien – Oil paintings on canvas and glass
Elaine Michaelides – Blown glass vases
Dimitri Michaelides – Blown glass sculpture
Sharon Warwick – Ceramics
Natalie Olsen – Weaving and fiber arts
Patrick Brennan – Abstract oils
Earl Olsen – Photography
Yvonne Palka (Highlands resident) – Sumi-e paintings