Brooklyn Limestone

Happy Anniversary House of Fifty

2012-05-16T09:29:00.004-04:00

Warmest anniversary wishes to House of Fifty who is celebrating one lovely year. Have you seen the issue yet? Thanks to Janell for inviting me to share some photos from my days in Delhi.

I know there are a lot of blogger run e-zines out there but House of Fifty is one of the few that still feel personal and approachable and fun! Like reading the scrapbook of a friend. Its not over thought or too full of itself. In fact that appeal is what me stick with certain blogs for so long so its no suprise I'm drawn to any publication with the same vibe.

What do you think of the e-zines? Which is your favorite?

Currently obsessed with: Chalk Lettering

2012-05-15T08:30:00.000-04:00

Not really a new thing but I am completely obsessed with chalkboard walls lately. I would love to have a whole wall in blackboardy goodness (like Kathleen's or Janell's) but aside from a little one I sneaked into the pantry door, I haven't found a good spot for one in my house.

So it will come as no surprise my chalkboard envy is full gear now that I'm obsessed with gorgeous chalkboard lettering. Specifically the work of Dana Tanamachi. Its magical!

I'm tempted to do up a wall in my office for a fun photo backdrop but its really not an ideal spot in terms of light or space.

Any of you have a blackboard wall? Want to add your two cents on if you love it or you are tired of it?

Flea Market Find: Flowering Terrarium

2012-05-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

Im so happy to welcome back the always impressive Matthew Mead for another smart project. This time he is sharing an easy to recreate terrarium that might be the perfect mothers day gift if you just so happen to be stumped this year. As you know, I have a black thumb so it would never occur to me to put flowering plants inside a jar so I thought this was particularily newsworthy to me.

If you like Matthew's simply beautiful classic style, be sure to check out his book-a-zine, Flea Market Finds.

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Making a terrarium is a great way to bring a living design element into your home. But it is twice as nice when you create your own using some favorite flea market finds.

I paired a modern glass vase I found for fifty cents with a vintage glass cheese dome to create a very interesting and special terrarium for my living room console.

The best part about a terrarium is that it is its own mini eco-system and is, for the most part, self-watering. I like to use flowering plants to add unexpected color to this focal point, but a mix of green plants will work just as well.

YOU WILL NEED: Covered glass container, small stones and indoor potting soil, a mix of plants: (we used pansies, primrose, and phlox)

TO MAKE: Layer the bottom of the container with a 1/2 inch of stones.

Top with a couple inches of soil and plant with favorite plants.

You can tend your terrarium with a vintage teaspoon and fork (used to aerate the soil).

Remove the glass top once a week for several hours to let the plants breathe.

At this time, also mist the plants lightly with a mister.

To give as a gift, simply attach a card with the care instructions.

There is a party in my chair and everyone's invited.

2012-05-09T09:05:00.003-04:00

It looks totally out of place at home but I think it's going to add a bit of personality to the shore bedroom. Don't you agree?

For the curious minds, I used Valspar orange spray paint and Premier Prints Zig Zag to transform this flea market find.

Little Room Refreshed: Card Catalog + Display Boxes

2012-05-07T08:30:00.002-04:00

So here we have it. The little room with an updated look. Its quite a difficult room to photograph since its so er, cozy, but I'm so happy to finally be able to use the card catalog now that its in place. Hooray for tiny cubby holes.

I didn't realize it when I laid them down the first time but those FLOR tiles were awesome since I was able to rearrange them to fit with the smaller work table really easily. A normal rug would have had to be changed. So that was a big bonus.

As usual, I'm not quite done. First, my love of empty frames evidently does know bounds because I think I'm going to add a chalkboard inside just for fun. Second issue is I'm not convinced about the photo mobile. Might have to chuck it. Thoughts?

Other than that, I'm really pleased with the update. I'm not usually one for changing up something that works but a gifted card catalog demanded action. It sounds kind of crazy but this room is like my secret garden. Something unexpected with a personality of its own.

What do you think?

If you are new here, go take a look at this rooms before photos here, details on the door turned desk, flor rug, window treatment and diy display boxes.

Come Away with Me Giveaway

2012-05-04T07:55:00.004-04:00

And the winner of the secret sparkly rock from outer space, I mean Marrakech is...

find photos and details of marrakech here

....Tanya of Dans Le Townhouse

Thanks to everyone who entered. Stay tuned for the next souvenir giveaway. I brought a little something back from Taiwan.

Spring Snaps

2012-05-03T09:19:00.000-04:00

Spring is always the most fun time to go out exploring. Here are some snaps of the season.

Rewind to snaps from from spring, summer, fall, christmas and winter.

Follow me on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram for more.

DIY Display Boxes Tutorial

2012-05-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

Ok so this is a really simple DIY. Its sort of painfully obvious how to make a wooden box to most people but if I'm honest, I never even thought about doing this myself until a few weeks ago. I don't know why - its just not something that crossed my mind. Of course once I was set on it, I had to do it right away. Yea, power tools.

I put together the step by step for anyone who wants to give it a go. Aside from the nailing of the boxes, which required another set of hands, the rest of this project can be done easily by even the the most basic handywoman with a miter saw.

I purchased my supplies new but if you happen to have a nice scrap pile in your garage or recently harvested some palletes from the dumpster, this project is just about free.

Mentioned: Elle Decor

2012-05-01T08:44:00.000-04:00

Huge thanks to Elle Decor for including some of my favorite Brooklyn spots in their story on the best bets of the borough.

The article is packed with great suggestions for locals and visitors alike.

Planning your first trip to Brooklyn or want to know more of my favorite spots? Download my free one day tourist guide.

Whats up? Display boxes!

2012-04-30T08:30:00.000-04:00

It took a little more time than I had hoped but these DIY display boxes for my favorite vintage cameras are now hung up in the little room. Hooray! I think they look so much better here than they did crammed on a bookshelf downstairs. The only problem is that now that I have these, I want to make another few empty ones so I have an excuse to keep collecting.

The room needs a few more finishing touches before I can call it done but I'm really happy with this project. At least for now :)

Do you want to know how I made them or is that too obvious?

Steal this Idea: DIY picture ledges

2012-04-27T12:07:00.000-04:00

Its Friday (yippee!) - time for another Steal this Idea* feature - a tiny show of appreciation for a well executed tutorial.

Today's feature falls into the "of course" category straight from Viva Cindy - an easy DIY book ledge that anyone can love. Especially great when you have an usually sized space and can't find something ready made or just have some extra wood laying around.

Starting with this

...she made this.

Check out all the details as well as this nursery's fabulous striped ceiling over at Viva Cindy.

postscript: *When I say steal, I really mean borrow nicely and give proper credit!

**If you have an idea/tutorial you would like me to consider for a feature, email me. I'd love to see!

A little peek...

2012-04-26T08:34:00.001-04:00

Not finished yet but here is a peek at what I'm working on for the little room.

Li ho Taiwan

2012-04-25T08:30:00.001-04:00

In keeping with my strange backlog of travel posts, its about time I shared the trip we took back in February. I haven't been on any other trips since so this will put me all caught up in the category.

When I told people we were going to Taiwan for a holiday, I often got a weird look. And the people that gave us the strangest looks were the few native Taiwanese people I know! Everyone seemed to ask "Why Taiwan?"

Well in a word: Lanterns! Once a year Taiwan holds a large lantern release festival that looked so amazing we had to see it for ourselves.

I admit it's nothing like the calm zen like experience I imagined. Its more like being placed in a foreign country's version of grand central and then figuring out how to get to your train on time. Thankfully we arranged a guide to help us get to the valley and figure out all the details. Although it was nothing like I expected, it was still a magical experience.

The big release is at night but you have to get there way early to grab a spot. Earlier in the day we spent a little time in the small town of Pingxi, which just so happens to sit right on top of the railroad tracks, to paint our wishes on our own lantern and send it skyward. Every so often a train would stop and send all the painters onto the tiny sidewalk. Since there are virtually no western tourists here, we were quite the spectacle as people were taking photos of us as we wrote ours in english.

When it was time for the big release, the anticipation in the crowd was high.

My photos don't really do the experience justice. Maybe a video will help. You definitely need to turn your audio on for this one. You can hear the excitement very clearly as well as our own giggles.

So having crossed the Pingxi Lantern Festival off my life list, what else is there to do in Taiwan? Eat!

The food is delicious and exotic and cheap. Taipei is famous for its night markets that feature stall after stall of little nibbles. If it weren't for the smell of fermented tofu wafting around, its heaven. I had the most amazing fried chicken and freshly made donut at the Shilin night market. Yum!

There are other things Taiwan has to offer like interesting temples, natural wonders, hot springs and fun shopping.

But it was all about the lanterns and the food for us on this trip. We had a great time and would love to return one day.

Changing up the Little Room

2012-04-23T08:30:00.000-04:00

It was one of those weekends. You know the kind - you set out to accomplish a moderately simple project and by Sunday evening you are just staring a big mess with no end in sight. Well, yea, that's how it went.

Remember the card catalog conundrum I shared nearly a year ago? Its been sitting unsolved since that. We finally go around to cutting down the door turned desk in the little room.

Of course this means changing up the gallery wall. I could have just rearranged the photos but I have something a little different in my mind. It required I get a few splinters but I think it will be worth it. Sadly I didn't get to finish it this weekend so that will have to wait for another day. Can't wait to share.

You'll also notice the card catalog itself hasn't been moved in yet. That requires brute strength I don't have. Thankfully my husband and my brother (who doesn't even know he has been nominated for this job yet!) are strong!

Did you finish your weekend projects?

Come Away With Me Giveaway [Marrakech]

2012-04-19T08:30:00.002-04:00

So now that I've shown you how gorgeous Marrakech was, its time for the souvenir giveaway. This is the second prize in the series (last month was bangles from India) in the series so I'm calling a tradition from here on.

Unlike last month's bangles, this souvenir is distinctly less practical. I saw it and had to bring it home with me without any particular rhyme or reason. It looks like a plain old rock on the outside but inside reveals a bit of glittery goodness. I think it would look just lovely on a stack of coffee table books or papers on a desk. I guess I'm a sucky for a surprise sparkly.

find photos and details of marrakech here

Want it? Just leave a comment. It's that easy.

Enter more than once by
-sharing the giveaway on your blog
-tweeting this link
-sharing a post or feature suggestion you'd like to see
-making me laugh

Don't forget to add a separate comment for each so I can tally them up. I'll announce a winner next week.

Upside Down Tomato Garden?

2012-04-18T08:30:00.002-04:00

Continuing my adventures in the backyard, I just hung two of these monstrosities

all in the hopes of some of these.

tomato photo via smitten kitten

Anyone use an upside down tomato planter before? How did it go?

Flea'd: Ready to makeover chair

2012-04-17T08:30:00.004-04:00

I threw out my back (don't I sound like the ultimate old lady) a few weeks ago and I have been on the mend ever since. It's really putting the literal cramp in my DIY projects. Lucky for me, my shopping abilities remain unscathed!

I picked up this chair at Brooklyn Flea from Millie+Corina (which looks quite a lot like this Jonathan Adler $650 bad boy) With the right makeover, I think its going to be perfect in the shore bedroom - finally replacing the kitchen chair currently there.

To work the way I want it, I need to paint and recover the cushion. Despite the apparent hatred for the chevron trend, I still really love the pattern (how uncool of me!) and like how this fabric pairs well with the orange so it might be a winner.

Also digging this honeycomb fabric from Spoonflower but I'm not so crazy about spending $40 for a little bit of it.

Any other fabric suggestions?

Bowl me over. Toilet Planters

2012-04-16T08:30:00.000-04:00

Somehow a new trend has made a big splash* in the decor space without even a whiff* of notice. Old toilets are now this seasons new planting vessel. I got my first introduction when I saw this gracing a neighbors front yard.

Flushed* with disbelief, I googled 'toilet planters' and saw that this really is a thing.

photos via dreamworker32000 / mapawatt / art at home / design salon

I'm a big fan of repurposing old items but I somehow can't get behind* this one.

*Sorry, I couldn't resist the bad puns with this post!

What do you think? Am I being prude or is displaying old bowls crude? Discuss.

Flea Market Finds: All that Glitters

2012-04-13T08:30:00.000-04:00

Im so happy to welcome back the always impressive Matthew Mead for another smart project. This time he is sharing a sparkly take on traditional piece of art. If you like his simply beautifully classic style, be sure to check out his new book-a-zine, Flea Market Finds.

In every family, there are often works of art passed down to some that are coveted by those who do not have the piece hanging in their homes. This was the case with this very beautiful water color painting of clematis plants painted many years ago by a relative. In today's techno savvy world, it is possible to make copies of such pieces so that each family member can have a little piece of that special heirloom.

To do this project, I photographed a portion of the painting and printed it with my everyday color printer. I decided, however, to make the piece my own by updating the colors, adding some interest, and framing it in a simple contemporary cream frame.

You Will Need: art or a photo printed on double-sided matte brochure paper, artistic pastel chalks, make-up applicator, glitter in desired colors, mod podge, small paintbrush, tray or cookie sheet to use as a work surface

To Make:

Photograph and print the subject.

We chose to use a home printer, so the size limit was 8.5 x 11. Use pastel chalks in various colors to highlight and enhance the colors of the print.

Many times, vintage pieces fade from excess exposure to light and a scan or photograph of the piece can dull the look even more.

Apply the pastels with a make-up applicator to restore some vibrancy to the image:

Once you have highlighted the art and added color to the image you can add more dimension with glitter.

Glitter comes in many, many colors today and the bit of sparkle in the light really draws attention to the art work. Begin by gathering your glitter colors, glue, and brush and work on a tray or a cookie sheet:

I used a super fine glitter from the crafts store that came in a pack in a multitude of colors:

Use a small liner brush to outline and highlight the watercolor.

I placed glue along the dark edges of the flowers and leaves and then sprinkled the glue portion with glitter:

Turn paper on edge and tap into tray to remove excess glitter:

You may want to clean the tray after each different color application. Repeat and re-glitter each spot as you embellish the leaves, flowers, foliage and stems.

Hold the finished piece up to the light to see if you have glittered all the highlights to the best effect.

Clean the finished piece with a 1/2 paint brush to remove any excess glitter and place piece in frame:

Do not spoil what you have... {Free Download}

2012-04-11T08:30:00.000-04:00

Time for another mini poster download! Inspired by one of my favorite quotes and now for your downloading pleasure. I know it takes a bit of creative liberty but I couldn't resist working in the oh so subtle reminder of 'Have Hope' into the mix. Who couldn't use a reminder once in a while?

[Download it here.]

This marks the 5th free mini poster in this series. Collect them all!

5 years of April

2012-04-10T08:30:00.000-04:00

It's April - hard to believe how fast time flies. Let's take a trip back to Aprils of years gone by.

All the way back in 2007 when I had approximately 3 very bored readers, April brought a new roof and a hunt for architectural salvage all over New England .

One year later we had finally moved in! Big cat had disappeared for a few days (thankfully he returned to very upset cat parents!), we sent out moving announcements, the backyard got some pretty plants, I wallpapered the back of my built ins and trimed out some store bought shades for the guest room.

One year later in 2009 we took a quick trip to London, mr. limestone surprised me with the mirror I had lusted after on craigslist (that soon became the frame around our bedroom tv), and I shared how much fun I had helping to throw a glam baby shower.

Zooming to 2010 I shared where to find some old school Brooklyn, our amazing trip to Cambodia and Thailand, a laid back baby shower for arrival #2, and a new rug in the box room.

And finally last year we got to be amazed by Australia, create an easy and whimsical window treatment.

Phew. Makes me tired just typing that all out.

If there was ever a reason to start a blog, this is a great one. Being able to look back at what I was doing at a particular point in time is a very special kind of time capscule.

Do you have your own methods of taking a trip back in time? I'd love to hear about them.

Anatomy of a Cat Photoshoot

2012-04-09T08:30:00.002-04:00

Sometimes (usually while Im on my way to work, crammed into a subway car with the unwashed masses, on my way to a job I barely tolerate) I daydream of having another profession. Aside from full time blogger or martha stewart like mogul, I sometimes wonder if I would enjoy being a photographer. La - de - da.

Then I try to complete a simple task like taking one decent shot of my own cat wearing this adorable preppy tie. After much trying, I walk away defeated.

Reality strikes again. Happy Monday!

Steal this Idea: DIY Modern Art

2012-04-06T08:29:00.003-04:00

Its Friday (yippee!) - time for another Steal this Idea* feature - a tiny show of appreciation for a well executed tutorial.

You already know I'm a big fan of making your own art to grace your walls (see my passport art, dictionary art, photo gallery wall and free mini poster downloads) . So of course I loved this modern art piece that Tanya of Dans le Townhouse created for her home. Its ridiculously simple yet gorgeous and easy and cheap - how often do those factors coincide?

Starting with a blank canvas...

...she created a beautiful modern piece of artwork for her home.

I love her version in black but I think this would look pretty amazing with gold on a gray base too.

Thanks again to Tanya for sharing! Check out all the details as well as other great projects on her blog, Dans le Townhouse.

postscript: *When I say steal, I really mean borrow nicely and give proper credit!

**If you have an idea/tutorial you would like me to consider for a feature, email me. I'd love to see!

Flea Market Finds: Made in the Shade

2012-04-05T08:39:00.006-04:00

Im so happy to welcome back the always impressive Matthew Mead for another smart project. This time he is sharing a how-to of turning some found treasures into a custom lamp in a few easy steps. If you like his simply beautifully classic style, be sure to check out his new book-a-zine, Flea Market Finds.

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Lamps are special to me; they are a three-dimensional focal point in a room. They draw the eye up and have a stylish presence in both shape and texture. Lamps are a standout in a room and in design, and something that is so personal to me. I often like to create a lamp out of a found object. The flea market recently yielded two mercury glass bottles (which I think were thermal liners for something). I am always drawn to mercury glass because of its beauty and reflective quality and I thought the bottle shape would be perfect for a desktop lamp.

I purchased the mercury bottle for $9, which is an amazing steal. At the same market, I found a base for my lamp (a wooden platform often used to show off a ginger jar) and painted it black:

I like to make sure my lamps are attractive and “finished” looking, and this base was just the perfect final touch. I then looked for a graphic floral pattern to make a shade and for some appropriate gift wrap at a card store. Wall paper or even fabric would work just as well.

TO ELECTRIFY YOU WILL NEED: SOCKET, CORD SET, RUBBER STOPPER, WASHERS, VASE CAP

You can find these at a lamp supply store or puchase them online here.

For this project, I required a threaded rod, socket set, cord set rubber stopper and vase cap to adapt the top of the bottle to a stationary setting for the finished socket. The cord comes off the socket itself, so there was no need to drill a hole in the bottle.

Several washers screw onto the threaded rod after the stopper to hold the entire apparatus in place.

Once together as a unit, the rubber stopper socket set fits snugly into the bottle hole and the vase cap hides the unattractive stopper.

Next I used liquid nails (epoxy would work, too) to attach the base to the bottom of the lamp. Let dry according to the manufacturer's directions.

The base is a sturdy and stunning looking lamp base.

Next I turned my attention to the shade. I measured my lamp to decide on a size and style of shade and drew an arc on craft paper to create a template.

I traced the template onto my paper and cut out the shade. It is really a very easy process.

Next, I used a product called a pressure-sensitive styrene, which is basically a vellum-like material with a sticky surface on one side. I peeled the paper from the styrene, laid my gift wrapping paper arc on it, and then cut out the arc once again. The styrene provides body to the gift wrap and creates a durable lampshade.

FOR LAMP SHADE YOU WILL NEED: PENCIL, SCISSORS, QUIK GLUE, ARC, WIRE RINGS (TOP AND BOTTOM, GIFT WRAP, BULL DOG CLIPS

To create the finished shade, I simply attached the arc to the lamp shade rings (which were provided with my arc and style shade). Clip the arc to the rings using bull dog clips.

Attach clips to both top and bottom so that you have a complete looking shade. With a pencil, mark the seam of the shade along the vertical line of where the paper meets.

Remove the bull dog clips and place glue along the underside of the pencil mark.

Place seam end of paper just at pencil line, and smooth to adhere the seam.

Let dry 10 minutes. You are now ready to glue in the top and bottom rings. Place glue on the ring and place just inside of shade.

Wipe excess glue away if necessary and hold rings in place with several bull dog clips. Glue both top and bottom rings and let dry for 30 minutes or more.

To trim the shade you may use paper tape, ribbon, seam binding or vintage trim. I chose to make trim from the same gift wrap paper we used for the shade itself.

Cut long strips of paper about 2 ¾ inches wide to make a paper tape. Use glue to adhere tape to top and bottom of shade. Place paper tape on the edge of the shade in a manner where half the tape will horizontally trim the shade and the other portion with be glued and folded over under the edge of the shade.

Let dry thoroughly and attach to light bulb via a bulb adapter.

The final lamp is a crisp and updated lamp and shade that works well with colorful desk accessories, and will look as equally charming lit at night as it does in the daytime.

***

Thanks again to Matthew for sharing. For lots more check out Matthews blog and his great new book-a-zine, Flea Market Finds.

Salam Marrakech

2012-04-04T08:30:00.000-04:00

As usual, I'm way behind in my trip recaps but Im finally sitting down to share our short trip to Marrakech, Morocco.

After a bit of flight hiccup, we arrived a day late and a bit exhuasted. We stayed in a Riad - a small traditional Moroccan palace outfitted for guests - that seemed perfect and charming at first look. Sadly I can't recommend it after suffering through a number of issues including multiple nights without hot water, being overcharged after the fact, etc. That said, I would definitely recommend staying at a riad to get the full experience- just a more reputable one.

Marrakech is incredibly beguiling with its winding streets and covered alleys that make the city almost maze like. You can't walk a few feet without meeting the city's unoffcial welcoming committee - an army of stray cats that mew you to submission. That was a-okay with me.

To say Marrakech is atmospheric would be an understatement.

On our first full day we took a tour outside the city to ride around on ATVs. It was fun - although I wished there was more 'touring' and less 'riding around aimlessly'.

The rest of our trip we spent wandering around the city. I did have a guidebook but I have to say it wasn't that useful as finding exact locations is nearly impossible. In fact, having no clue of where were going only added to the fun of exploring this city. Its compact enough to make exploring by foot a breeze and there is no shortage of things to keep you interested every few feet.

Despite not having much luck in finding most of the restaurants that were recommended to us, we seemed to have great food nearly everywhere. It was simply a matter of following the crowd - if a lot of people were eating in one particular spot, we got in line and were rewarded.

The best part of Marrakech for me was the shopping. Or I should say browsing and admiring - I certainly looked more than I purchased. There is so much to see! Unlike other locales when its sometimes hard to distinguish what is made locally versus what is imported for tourists, that isn't an issue here. Just walk the back alleys behind some of the shops and you'll see the items being made right in front of your eyes.

This shop was my favorite. Those amazing tile floors made me want to move in! There was also a beautiful light fixture I had eyed over and over during the trip but ultimately decided not to buy because I was worried about damaging it on the way home. I don't know what I was thinking - it would have been perfect in my hallway. Drats!

Another favorite spot was the dyers market.

We celebrated New Years Eve there with some overpriced champagne and obligatory uncomfortableness around a belly dancer before saying good bye for now. I really enjoyed Marrakech and am still kicking myself for not bringing home that light fixture. Oh well, I guess I have a reason to go back now.

postscript: I got a few emails about safety here so I figured I'd answer here. I visited Marrakech in the company of my husband, brother and sister in law. We spent nearly all of our time together and while we were in a group, I was never concernced for my safety. When my sister in law and I were walking ahead alone, there were a few instances of local boys and young men shouting something unkind to us - it was mostly phrases I couldn't understand but included the most hilarious moment in the trip when a boy about 12 years old walked right into us and utters ' WOW! BIG BOOBS!". We never felt threatened or in danger, but that was a bit uncomfortable. The only time I felt any reason for concern was went I briefly walked alone to the drug store. It was down a street I had walked numerous times before on this trip without incident. For whatever reason, nearly everyone I walked by seemed to turn their gaze and bore into me the entire time. That felt somewhat menacing although I doubt I was in any danger. If the whole trip had been like that, I would have hated it. So long story short (too late!), I think its a great place to visit but I would probably NOT recommend a visit alone as a woman. At the very least, bring your girlfriends and you'll have stories to take home with you.