Soapstone slabs

"Julia"

my not-yet-oiled soapstone slab :-)

I picked out my countertop slabs! -- Soapstone -- from M Teixeira in San Francisco. This particular stone is called "Julia" and has a bit of a greenish tone to it - It will ultimately age to a dark black with lighter greenish veins... a process that can be accelerated by wiping it with mineral oil. It has a matte finish, not shiny - a softer look - which appeals to me :)

The more I learned about soapstone, the more I desired it... it is impervious to all chemicals and even the highest heat won't phase it... (they actually make fireplace inserts and cookware out of soapstone) ... so it will be safe to set a blazing hot roaster onto the counter with no problem. Soapstone likes oil... so grease splatters from the stove will kinda blend in...haha! The first time I touched soapstone I was truly hooked -- it has a soft, smooth feel, not "cold" like some other types of stone. The only drawback is that it is a soft stone, and will scratch... however... the scratches can be sanded out with regular ol' sandpaper... 220-grit. Or, maybe we'll just learn to love the "patina" as others have. "Julia" is supposedly one of the harder varieties of soapstone -- (My sample block of "Julia" took considerably more effort to scruff up than the other varieties I played with....)

YES, I am very excited about my countertops...!!! .....It will be a good month or more before we actually are ready to have them installed. Once the cabinets are set in and level, we can have them measured for the countertops and get the templates made... then... 3 more weeks until they can complete the fabrication of the countertops... so.........maybe June....

Kitchen wall -- then... & now...

HaHa!...

Well, its been awhile since I posted anything related to the remodel... just isn't much happening until the cabinets are ready... I should post some "before" photos, 'cuz I am already forgetting what the old kitchen looked like!

Just this for now... my favorite spot in the former kitchen. I really did love that wallpaper, and the little Greek paintings... haven't figured out where they will fit in the new kitchen. We are losing the window on that wall... (my morning sunshine)...boohoo:( ... but gaining lots more cabinets :))

Rosie the cat is still looking for holes to climb into... she must want me to keep blogging about the remodel, 'cuz she decided to show off when our friends visited the other night... Here she is exploring that (not-so-pretty-now) wall...

video:

=^,,^=

(sorry that one was so crooked -- guess I had the camera turned sideways and didn't realize it...)

Click here to link back to Rosie's first remodelling escapade.

Union Square, San Francisco -- then... & now...

Picture-perfect weather in the city today, just had to share this... the view from my window at work... Nice, isn't it!??!... yep... We love the view from our office, and I love the area around Union Square... Especially love to see it full of tourists, like it was today... People enjoying this wonderful city.

I also get a kick out of the history around here. Here is a photo from 1944 to compare...

(clicking on the photos will enlarge them, if you'd like..)

Here is a close-up of the statue on top of the monument in the center of the square. We call her "Big Alma" (aka Alma DeBretteville Spreckels). The young woman who modeled for this statue had quite a colorful history which you can listen to by clicking here. (Sparkletack website)