Another Lamp Redo

I'm so excited. I'm going up to Northern Virginia on Wednesday this week to work with a friend of mine. We are going to put some items in some big organized garage sale next weekend. I'm spending some time working on items I want to sell. It might be nice to get some money rather than spend it all the time. Besides, I'm running out of room for lamps!

So, here's what I've been working on today:

The Before:

With Primer:

The After:

Not sure that the shade is perfect, but it will do.

What do you think?

I'll be back tomorrow with a bunch of other items I'll be taking with me north.

How do you like me now?

Remember this?

I picked it up at an estate sale in the 'hood a few weeks ago. It was a gilt and plaster light with thirty + years of grime.

Kinda gross, eh?

Well, look at me now:

Isn't it amazing what a coat of paint will do for you?

I took it down to the basement, took it apart, cleaned it well, rewired it and gave it a new chain. The chain that came with it was more foul than I care to remember. Sticky, dusty, and just down right grimy. Erg. But now, we're fancy, and shiny, and purty!

Problem is, I hate the light it casts! Remember those old police shows where the suspect was interrogated under a bright, harsh light and everything else was dark? Yeah, that is what it reminds me of. So, I need to figure out a way to make a diffuser that can be removed to change the bulb...any suggestions?

More Thrifting

Okay, so that first week was really productive, and the second week, no so much.  Some of that hasn't been my fault though.  I've spent way too much time waiting on other people.  Waiting for the door guys. Waiting for the tire guys.  Waiting for the car inspection guys.

While I was out hitting the thrift stores the other day, I did find a couple of other treasures. What can I say, I was so close, it seemed silly not to stop and look. Famous last words.

So, this is the treasure I'm most excited about.  It's a concrete urn and it's very similar to the one that came with the house on the terrace:

Nice blue sky.  Anyway, there's a second full base pillar up there that is kinda empty and lonely.

So, I thought a coat of white paint, some soil and the lonely planter will finally have a friend.

Then, I also saw these two sofas (crappy Iphone pics):

Each are going for $65.  I like the style of them.  They both need reupholstering which I've not ever really done, but they could be kinda cool for a couple of hundred dollars worth of fabric.  I could end up with a decent couch...  I don't think I'm going to be able to convince P that I have the skills to reupholster one of these.  I dunno....I'm just sick of having a non-functional living room.

And, at a yard sale last weekend, I found this for $10 smackers (World Market sticker on the back said $99).

Ignore the gold rim, that's the coffee table.

So, what do you think, yes or no on the sofas?

Stop me before I lamp again.

I have a serious lamp addiction.  Let's set aside my chair addiction for a moment.  I haven't bought a chair in months a week or two.

Hello, my name is Tamisha and I'm addicted to thrifting lamps.

I was out on the east end yesterday to get tires (ugh, is there a more unpleasant way to spend money??), so I thought I'd run by a few of my favorite thrift shops.  And I found these beauties, and at $7 a pop, how could I resist???

Aren't they gorgeous?  AND they have that detail all the way around and they are heavy.  They are going to need a fabulous pair of shades which will cost me a small fortune as I have great (read: expensive) taste in shades.  I can't decide if they need to stay that creamy yellow or go a celadon green. Or go a really deep, dramatic color with a black shade with a gold liner.

But, as I looked around my mishmash living room (still no couch - damn cat), I noticed something, see if you can see it:

Do you see how many lamps are in this picture????  SEVEN.  If I were all fancy, I would actually have a picture of them numbered, but I'm not, so I'll give you a lamp-by-lamp show:

Flanking the left and right side of the photo of the whole living room are these graceful ginger jar items I found at Fan Thrift.  I hate the tacky Target shades, but have been too lazy to go find better ones.  I love their lines and the modest autumn flowers.

Just to the left of the right-most lamp is this lovely:

The shade is in good shape and it's silk.  It has a black wooden base and has lovely green and blue leaves.  Again, note the graceful shape.

Remember these I picked up at DT2 last month?  I have done nothing more than sit them on the end of the bench.  I still love them.

Again today's treasure:

And this one stainless steel lamp I have way off the left outside the whole living room pic:

Bleh. 

That's a lotta lamp for one room.  I'm thinking if I can find tops, I'll de-lamp the ones I got today and set them on the fireplace mantle.  And homage to chinoiserie.  

Thrifting!

So, after two and a half days of work, I took this afternoon off to play.  See, I've set myself a schedule this summer.  Mondays and Fridays are cleaning days.  Tuesday and Thursdays are house project days and Wednesdays are play days!  Good schedule, right?

I did paint the second coat on  the back porch today, so I didn't play ALL day.  I took the afternoon off and went thirsting with a pal O'mine.  We stayed right in the Fan pretty much.  We hit a couple of swanky antique stores that we had both wanted to check out.  Cabell House Consignment at Belmont and Elwood had some nice stuff.  Pricing was generally good, but some of it was wacky.  I still get a bit weirded out by taking pics inside a store, so I don't have anything to show you.  We also hit the antiques store right next to Acacia Midtown.  They had SUPER cool stuff, very pricy, but really neat, stuff. Ivory folding rulers, old fire hose nozzles, an old German wall map, cool old globes, Jefferson cups, and lots of other unique stuff.  I fell in love with the industrial coat rack, but it was a thousand dollars.  Just a wee bit out of my price range this week.

I did score big at the thrift stores though.  We hit the Clothes Hanger on Cary St that is run by the Junior League.  This is what I picked up there:

Okay, I know that you're thinking is a boring big box light fixture, and you're right.  But imagine it with glass shades that I've made, and perhaps a bit of gilt on it.  It should look better than this monstrosity that still plagues my stairwell:

We also hit Fan Thrift and I picked up the following for a steal:

 A nice mirror that needs a paint job.

The cloche I found today.  The cake stand I made months ago.

Last week, I picked up these winners at an estate sale:

 This is a gilt and plaster hanging lamp that will replace the hideous boob light in the foyer.  I need to redo the shade on the inside as it's pretty icky.  I might paint it, but haven't decided yet.

This is a lovely batik that I found too and I just loved the colors and moody feel.

What have you scored lately?

Thrifting and a Project

Last weekend, I was so looking forward to several big events.  Two big church/school yard sales that I have scored at previously, the Lebanese Food Festival, and as always the farmer's market.

Farmer's market was first and by far the most successful.  I picked up garlic scapes, fresh strawberries, and a few other things.  Then I dragged P to the yard sales.  Complete. Bust.  Ugh.  They were both so awful that I can't say any more about them without reliving the trauma and disappointment.

Determined to get some thrifting in somehow, I made P take me to Fan Thrift, also a bust, and then to DT2 where I hit the jackpot.

First up, these beauties:

A set of old metal TV trays.  My parents and grandparents each had a set of these.

And the other big score of the weekend...this pair of gorgeous lamps (don't say a word, OF COURSE I needed another pair of lamps!):

The shades are trash and I need to check the wiring and tighten them up.  Then I'll have to go find the perfect pair of shades and finials.  And then they will be perfect and will replace the old ginger jar ones I have.  Or maybe these new ones will go up in the guest room and replace those old candlestick ones I hate.  I just don't know yet.  But look at the detail:

It's just so pretty with that delicate crazing.  Very chinoiserie without being too over the top.  Lovely. Even lovelier was they were marked to half off!  Got them for the same as the ginger jar ones.  A true steal.

So, what's the project you ask? And what am I going to do with those TV trays?  Especially since I don't have TV service?  Well, this is what I did with them:

I primed them and spray painted the trays a lovely cobalt color, and the legs went white.  Now, even though we don't have an outdoor dining table, we can still eat in style al fresco!  These can move from front to back easily.

I can't wait to try them out.

What do you think?  Have you found any treasures lately?