Interrupting this trip recap to pose a question.

For those sick of hearing about Alaska, I just have one more post to do on it and then you won't have to hear about it again. But in the meantime, I had a thought, so I figured I'd throw it out there:

What do you want to read about on Brooklyn Limestone?

As you know, the blog started out as purely renovation but its evolved over time. Now its more about Mrs. Limestone (and no, I don't usually speak about myself in the third person but cut me some slack here!).

Renovation is over but the decor and design is a project that I'll continue to talk endlessly about with a smattering of entertaining and travel posts thrown in. I hope its been interesting to read along the way. Being a rather dull person, its hard to decide what is blog worthy and what is not. I could use a little help.

Summer is here which means I will likely be spending more time OUT of the house. And while I do have a couple of good projects I think you will really enjoy, I'd love a little help coming up with more. (Not to mention I'm curious about what you're thinking.) Something about the house you'd like to see that I haven't shared already? Something you think I should try or do in here? Whatever you have on your mind, I'd like to know.

And just very randomly I want to share that I think I'm the only person in the country who is thinking about Halloween right now. But I am. I know, I know - its forever away but that doesn't stop the wheels from turning!

Alaska Trip Recap Cont'd

I still haven't managed to finish uploading my photos for the trip so this is part two of what will be a three parter.


Our next stop was Skagway which is a more traditional frontier looking town.


We didn't schedule an excursion here for whatever reason. The big attraction here is the "white pass" railroad but sitting on a train for a few hours didn't appeal to us so we just walked around town. The main drag is very touristy and polished but go just one block one or another and you get to see a glimpse of what life in a remote town is like.

This photo was taken outside of the local supermarket right before the three dogs (there is one sitting on the roof) scared the hell out of me by growling and snarling at me. I made a hasty trot far away. Inside the market, a sign read that milk would be arriving next Tuesday!!! Another flyer posted on the bulletin board alerted residents that the pediatrician was coming in 3 weeks. Clearly, I'm not made for frontier living!!

Back in tourist town, there were many more examples of stunning taxidermy. I know its not very pc but I'm loving it anyway.

This guy was in the middle of a jewelry store.



One of the highlights of the day was taking a tour of the Red Onion Saloon former brothel.

For only $5, these tour guides really take their work seriously and told some pretty amusing stories about the history of the building. Maybe I'm just a sucker for old structures but I definitely recommend it if you have 20 minutes.


We didn't do too much else here but walk around aimlessly. Soon enough it was time to sail off to the next port, Sitka, AK. It was around now that I start to kick myself for not bring a telephoto lens! Not sure what I was thinking but I'm a moron. Also, I have a large forehead. See exhibit a


Anywho - our excursion is Sitka was a wildlife cruise around the area. Another fabulous weather day and we got to see lots of whales, eagles and sea otters.

If I had brought my telephoto lens I could have shown you all sorts of great close up shots of a cute otter bellies and eagles nest. Instead I have loads of photos of tiny dots that looked way cooler in person. You'll have to take my word for it.

Whale Tail!

Eagles!


The town is quite pretty too.




So that was Skagway and Sitka. Only one more port to go, Whittier/Anchorage... (continued here)

Like my photos? You can buy select prints starting at just $6! Click here to browse.

Alaska Trip Recap

I hope you don't mind but I'm going to do a stream of consciousness sort of recap. If you're like me, all you care about is the photos anyway! But if you have any questions, just shout and I'll be happy to answer them.

The deets: 7 day Northbound Alaska Cruise departing from Vancouver on May 13. Ports visited: Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Sitka and Whittier/Anchorage.

Obligatory airplane window shot


We didn't get to do very much in Vancouver - it was raining and time was tight so I didn't take many photos there. We just putzed around until it was time to depart. Getting on the ship feels sort of like cattle to the slaughter...one mindless, snaking line after another until we are finally allowed on.


The first of many sea planes take offs I was to see that week. I stitched this one together for a sequence shot.


We got a balcony room which I would definitely recommend. We would have missed so much without it. Anyway...it wasn't long before we were off to open waters.


Some gambling but no winning took place.



Our first stop was in Ketchikan.

Weather was overcast all day which threatened to put a damper on things but thankfully the rain waited until we left for the evening. I really liked the taxidermy shop. If they weren't so expensive, there would be a large stuffed bear coming home with me!


We just so happened to be traveling with a large contingent of the World Beard & Moustache World Championship participants. Who knew, right? I got lucky and got three of the most creative moustache guys to stop for a photo with me.


Overall, a nice day under gray skies.


And then we were off to Juneau and woke up to gorgeous weather. We got so lucky and the weather stayed warm and clear for the rest of the week. Yipeee!


These photos really don't do the views justice. Pretty much everywhere we looked from this day on was just jaw droppingly beautiful.




In the morning we took a float plane tour of the ice fields




And then that afternoon we took a helicopter to actually walk around on a glacier. That was definitely the highlight of the trip. Totally amazing!










We finished our day off by strolling the streets and having some yummy king crab!




Before we knew it, the day was over and it was time to get back on the ship. Off to Skagway we went... (continued here)

Like my photos? You can buy select prints starting at just $6! Click here to browse.

I'm back!

I'm back!! If you were wondering where I've been hiding, the photo below should spell it out. I have a million chores to do today that will keep me from doing a proper blog post but I'll do a trip recap for anyone interested just as soon as I can. Alaska is truly an amazing place.





Once again, thank you to my guest bloggers who took great care of this place while I was gone.





In the meantime, check out the frame is painted!



Its currently propped up up on my bedroom mantle. I have to sort out the tv mount but I can't wait to hang it!


It would to ready to hang now if an overly optimistic husband didn't think we were going to buy a ginormous television for the bedroom and proceeded to mount a huge thing on the wall to attach it well before a television was purchased. But I digress...

And before anyone says it - yes, I have a television in my bedroom. (Gasps from proper people everywhere!) I love watching television right before bed. I don't care what the experts say...its a must for any relaxing room I'm in. Is anyone else in the axis of evil bedroom television watchers out there?

Guest Post: Jeannine's Sparkly yet Serene Bath!

Didn't you love Kathleen's kitchen transformation? I did! You would think this house porn thing would get old for me after so many years buried in it but it just doesn't quit! Hell, at least its one guilty pleasure that is completely free of calories!

I think you've had enough kitchens for now so its time to turn to the other wet room in the house, the bathroom. Jeannine (can you believe it, she doesn't have a blog? collective boos are heard around the blogsphere!) shared her bathroom remodel with me. Of course I love it but I'm sort of biased as she and I made some of the same choices.

Damn, I can certainly go on and on even when I'm not here! Take it away Jeannine...


My announcement was met with disingenuous enthusiasm. I was moving to Virginia and I was moving into new construction.

I, and all my friends, happened to live in pre-war buildings in Boston. New construction was for the suburbs; people who commuted to work on the Mass Pike. My new construction condo in Charlottesville, however, was smack in the middle of downtown, halfway between the University of Virginia and the pedestrian-only shopping district called the Downtown Mall.

I left my Boston apartment’s 14 food ceilings, picture frame moldings, and radiators for 900 square feet of beige. The only things in my new home that weren’t beige were the appliances (builder’s grade stainless steel) and the countertops (gray, solid surface). For the last two years, I’ve been trying to make my condo look less like the other 200+ in my complex.

I stumbled upon Mrs. Limestone’s blog when I was trying to find pictures of the paint I wanted to use in my bathroom, so that seems like a good room to share for a “before and after” post on her blog.

Here’s the dreary, sadly beige before:


Notice that the tile stops below the showerhead so the builder would save $4.72 on tile. In addition to that shortcut, the builder opted not to put anything waterproof behind those tiles. Had the grout or caulk failed, the plain drywall behind the tile would have been a mess! The flooring was linoleum sheeting and the fixtures were all builder grade.

I decided that I wanted a classic bathroom that was reminiscent of the old bathrooms I had back in New England, but also wanted some contemporary touches. Resale was a concern, as was over improvement. When I fell in love with some Thasos basket weave, I realized that using tile that cost $50 per square foot was the best use of my budget and was a bit over the top for a modest condo in a college town.

After seeing a kitchen with marble subway tile, I became fixated on having it. I wound up finding a great deal online and buying all the tile from a seller on ebay. I got carrera subway, basket weave, baseboard, and chair rail for the same cost that it would have cost me to get just the subway and basket weave from the local tile shop.

Being a self described lighting nerd, I was tempted to go over the top on a chandelier, but would up getting one that was appropriate for the small room on eBay. I splurged a little bit on the vanity light, which is from Bellacor. I conquered my fear of electrical work and installed both (okay, my boyfriend helped by holding them up).

Accessorizing this room began my love/hate relationship with Restoration Hardware. The mirror, towel ring, wastebasket, and countertop accessories are from RH’s Dillon line. Oddly, certain Dillon items are sold online only and other Dillon items are sold in stores only. So, the finishing touches had me going back and forth between the store and home to track everything down. Also, when I got the mirror hung, I realized that the finish was flaking off, so I called for a replacement. The operator told me that the entire line was discontinued and they had six mirrors left. Of course, the entire line is still in the catalog and on the website.
Behold the finished product:

The finishing touches required a couple DIY projects. I had seen some beautiful candle sleeves online, but between their cost ($20+ per pair) and the fact that the local store that carried them was only open from 9-5 (who has such limited hours these days?). I bought some pretty paper at the Caspari boutique (for some reason, Charlottesville has the only one), then cut it down to strips that could wrap around the cheap, plastic candle sleeves that were already on the chandelier in the bathroom. A quick swab with a glue stick and the candle sleeves were done! In less than five minutes at my craft table (my coffee table with a magazine on top for protection), I think I did a pretty good job!