stone shopping!

We kicked off our vacation week with a visit to Best Bark & Stone in Jenison, Michigan. I have to admit I was swayed by their lovely, photo-filled website. And the recommendation of a friend of a family member.

However, there are several great stone places in our area and I can't say I recommend one over the other. We didn't get a chance to do much shopping around since most places close at 5:00 during the week and by early afternoon on Saturday. We will be looking around for somewhere that sells large stones already pre-cut into rectangles for use as steps though. So perhaps at that point I can add to my knowledge of west Michigan stone shopping options.

I was hoping to pick something compatible with our brick. Not necessarily an exact match but with the similar tones and warmth. I think we succeeded. There was another stone, one that will be worth of its own post tomorrow, that I adored but it was a pale yellow that wouldn't have been right.

I especially like the dramatic black mixed in. We bought three really large pieces (being weighed below). They'll be in the center of the patio and the small pieces will be worked around them. We bought extra hoping we'll have enough for stepping stones. That's another project though!