Revisionary Life

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Lamp Cannibal

Yes-ladies and gentlemen, I am a lamp cannibal. Those were the words that came to mind as I took three light-fixtures into my living room, with plans to "re-work" them.

Exhibit #1 - a gift from Susan and Nolan.

This lamp is relatively new, and much fancier than my home. It has an interesting base and central components, encased in a metal rope thing with metal tassels. While I won't use the lamp as a whole, I'm scavenging components from it for future use. I'll let you know when I figure out exactly what.

Exhibit #2 - a large 1970s lamp from Julie's garage sale.

Likewise, this lamp would never make the cut "as-is" in my home, but I could definitely see possibilities!

Pretty metal components - I can see them now painted in faux chalk paint...

How about the key? The good thing is that all the pieces are just stacked together and held by the center pole with nuts on the ends. You don't even really need tools to take them apart!

This part is garbage, but all the other parts are usable.

This is a different sort of "lamp." It was the center of a very large leaded glass light fixture. I began taking it apart at Julie's garage sale, and left the big glass dome that covered it with her. I just wanted the sweet brass chandelier thing from the center.

Even though the candle covers were missing or just plain ratty-looking or broken, I love the simplicity of the form.

I'm pretty sure I can find new covers, or fabricate them out of something. Otherwise, this needs nothing but a little screw-tightening and a cord.

After my past couple of weekends moving furniture and mattresses and non-productive labor, I think I need some small-project instant gratification!

I plan to up-cycle these lamps and make something useful and attractive from them.

I'll be sure to photograph and post about the results!

Word for the Day:

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Possibly Linking With
Sunday
http://www.twiggstudios.com/	Sunday Show-off Link Party
http://www.findingsilverpennies.com	Silver Pennies Sundays
Monday
http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/	Masterpiece Monday
http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/	Make it Pretty Monday
http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/	Mod Mix Monday
http://www.maisondepax.com/	Give Me the Goods Monday
Tuesday
http://www.knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com/	Vintage Inspiration Tuesday
http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/	Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
http://cedarhill-ranch.com/	The Scoop
http://www.whitelacecottage.com/	The Scoop
http://farmhouseporch.blogspot.com/	The Scoop
http://www.astrollthrulife.net/	Inspire Me Tuesday
http://cityfarmhouse.com/	Inspiration Exchange Linky Party
Wednesday
http://savvysouthernstyle.net/	Wow Us Wednesday
http://www.timewashed.com/	Blissfully White Wednesday
http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/	What’s it Wednesday
http://lavendergardencottage.blogspot.com	Cottage Style Party
http://www.greenwillowpond.com/	What We Accomplished Wednesday
Thursday
http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/	Thursday Open House Party
http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/	Time Travel Thursday
http://frommyfrontporchtoyours.blogspot.com/	Treasure Hunt Thursday
http://www.jannolson.blogspot.com/	Share Your Cup Thursday

Friday
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/	Feathered Nest Friday
http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/	Frugal Friday
http://www.jenniferrizzo.com/	Fabulously Creative Friday
http://homespunhappenings-tammy.blogspot.com/	Rustic Restorations Weekend
http://www.shakentogetherlife.com/	What’s Shakin’ Link Party
http://www.commonground-do.com	Be Inspired
http://vintageinteriorblogs.blogspot.com/	Weekend
Saturday
http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/	Party Junk
http://too-much-time.com/	Get Schooled Saturday

Monday, September 2, 2013

My Favorite Author

I love to read, and I always have a book going on my bedside table. But, for this post, I wanted to let you know about my very favorite author. AKA - Mom.

As long as I can remember, she has had lots of ideas, and she just goes for them. She's fearless. (I was one of those kids who grew up with a visionary as a parent. I thought all moms were like this!)

She creates something where there was nothing. She has an interesting and varied resume, as you might imagine: Author/Publisher, Producer of Melodramas, Charter Member of one group or another - usually history-related. Event planner, Chamber of Commerce President, wife, mother, grandmother.

Her latest book, "Lonely Graves," was just published in July. It is a collection of three historical murders that made national headlines in the late 19th and early 20th century. They all happened in Texas Panhandle.

This book was a labor of love, and she's gotten rave reviews!

While she's the family "queen of facebook" with her page "Panhandle Tidbits," she's a relatively new blogger. (Mom, you REALLY need to post more often...) I've tried to tell her how amazing blogging can be, how great meeting people like you (at least virtually) can be, and she's still just devoted to facebook. (Mom, you can do BOTH!)

I'm really proud of her, so I wanted to share her accomplishment with you, since you're practically family, too.

If you have a love for Texas history, or if you'd like to check out her blog or her facebook page, don't forget to tell her hello!

Word for the Day:
Exodus 20:12
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Thrifty Finds - Mid August 2013

It's no secret that I'm in the midst of a mess. It might be categorized as a mess of epic proportions...

About a year and a half ago, I decided to completely redo every room in my house. It's not a huge house - 3 bedrooms, 2 living areas, a fairly small kitchen, a nice formal dining room, a couple of small hallways, a utility room, one smallish bath and one 3/4 bath - around 1750 square feet.

I began in the "formal" living room - the one that stays neat most of the time. Then I moved into the "formal" dining room, which gets used anytime there's more than just me dining, even though the table seats ten.

I've dabbled here and there, painting furniture and small things, waiting for my son and his large, sofa-eating dog to find their own place. It happened in mid July. First, we had a garage sale to get rid of stuff none of us wanted.

Next, I moved some of the stuff Hannah wanted into the front bedroom, as a sort of holding room until she gets it, and I get the other rooms put together. One will be a bedroom - maybe mine, maybe a guest room. The other will be an art room and office.

People, I had stuff in the garage, in the den, under the beds in two bedrooms, in a hall closet...and that's just the art room stuff. Presently, it is stacked in the room in a most chaotic manner. I have art supplies for painting, jewelry, collage and assemblage. I have Etsy things - ready to go and future projects. I have odd things like rusty coffee cans, yarn and ephemera. I have sewing supplies and fabric.
And somewhere in all the boxes are my winter wardrobe and shoes.

I have been emptying out furniture so I could move it from room to room. I have been emptying out closets. I have been sorting out more garage sale things for a September sale.

Since I have way too much "stuff" for my 1750 sq. ft. home, I decided going to thrift stores regularly was a bad idea. I can no longer say, "Etsy..."

But a couple of Saturdays ago, I just had to do a little thrift shopping, for old-time's sake.

The lovely metal trophy-like vase above was only .50c at one of my favorite places. See why I couldn't pass it by?

Same for this mercury glass vase - .50c! Ditto for each of the wood pieces below.

I'm collecting a random alphabet for a future grandchild's room. All the letters will be different sizes, fonts, etc.
The bag of fall stuff was a dollar. Each piece would have cost that much at Dollar Tree, and there were 5 in the bag.
Of course, I'll paint them.

The last item I found at the thrift store was a bag of lace for a dollar. There's quite a bit there, wrapped around spools.

So I spent $4 plus tax. And it felt so good!

Since July, I have painted the middle bedroom, but I still need to touch up a bit.

I have moved furniture in, our and around in there at least twice, trying things on for size - literally. It's the smallest of the three bedrooms.

I have painted a green book case white, and begun assembling items for it.

I have gathered items for the walls, but haven't yet hung them since I'm not 100 percent sure about the furniture that will be in the room. I'm living in it, trying my best to make it function well first. THEN I can do more of the "fun" stuff to decorate it and make it cozy.

Somehow, I imagined this process would take a week or two. It's been a month, and I am still in limbo. Thankfully, I have a long weekend this weekend to devote to getting things in order.

I can't wait until I can post a finished room for you to see!

Until then, I might show you vignettes as they begin to happen, and pieces of furniture as it gets done.

Fall is coming, even though we're expecting 100 degree temps here this weekend. I LOVE fall decorating, food, clothing, heck, I can't think of anything I DON'T love about fall!

I DID go to Julie's garage sale, and I spent $13 on stuff there, but I'll show you that another time. Some of it was project stuff...

Confession is good for the soul.