Vintage Table Lamps Reborn

One accessory item that is sometimes hard to find is the table lamp.  Whether old or new it is the one piece that I find finishes a room design.  Of course there are other embellishments that are needed in a room design, however adding that one unique item adds charm and warmth through the lamp base design and the lighting itself.
Redesigning a table lamp by using some paint and changing the lamp shade may be all it takes to give an old outdated lamp a new life.  Here are just a few finds that have been redesigned and given a new home to shine.

"I Dream of Jeannie" lamp base with a new burlap texture shade adds new life to a bedroom setting

A new white lamp shade brightens up the vintage base of this blue lamp find.

Antique crystal lamp with added new glass beaded shade

Delicate as this antique crystal lamp is, it provides much light to a small dark kitchen counter top corner or can be used as a desk lamp.

Vintage Murano Glass lamp base with new black lamp shade.

This Murano glass lamp is perfect for the vintage style living room or bedroom.  An added new black lamp shade freshens up the look.

Discarded lamps that some consider to be throwaways are treasures to others.  With a creative eye, these pieces can be touched up with some paint on the base if needed and if the right size, shape and color shade can be added to the lamp it is well worth the picking.

Glass Houses

Can you live in a glass house?

http://homes.yahoo.com/blogs/spaces/young-couple-quit-jobs-build-glass-house-500-204553074.html

Creative living spaces are always interesting to read about.  Imagine how living spaces differ depending on personalities and occurrences which move us to create a space that we want to spend our time and live in.  Your space should be a reflection of you.  I've always had a passion for old windows and above, Nick Olson and Lilah Horwitz  take their passion to building a glass house out of old windows for $500! 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_House

American architect Philip Johnson's famous Glass House constructed in 1949 in New Canaan, Connecticut was were Johnson made his home. A renowned architect who founded the Department of Architecture and Design at the MOMA was famous for designing The Seagram's Building in NYC as well as many other key glass towers in Dallas, Atlanta and throughout the nation.  Johnson lived in his Glass House until he died in 2005.  He was 98.

Could you sleep in a glass bedroom?  I'm not so sure but I love the fact that the sun can shine right into your room and that experiencing all  weather elements that Mother Nature creates.  Possibly the most beautiful place to watch fall's changing leaves and a beautiful snow storm.  Maybe like living in a slide show of beautiful photographs constantly changing.

From the most ultra modern glass structures created by famous architects to the do-it-yourself hands-on homeowner and creator of  unique glass houses,  confirms that beautiful living structures are definitely in the eye of the beholder.

Could you live in a glass house?

Pumpkin Patch Party!

There are so many interesting and creative pumpkins out there this year.  Some so unique that I wanted to share some of my favorite sightings. I hope you enjoy the viewing.

cabbage urn and mums with pumpkins and gourds

candy corn pumpkin

white and gold leaf

gray and white dotted and chevron

mini pumpkin and mum  place setting

white and leafy 

pretty pink party pumpkins

shades of pink and white

pumpkin floral vase

Mother Nature's naturally colored pumpkin

initialized pumpkin

signature message pumpkins

pure and simple pumpkin in white

white and glittery pumpkin

scary black jack-o-lantern

Creative pumpkin decorating can be a fun activity for all ages young and old.  Enjoy your festive pumpkin carving no matter what age you are. Please feel free to post some of your own pumpkin decorating ideas here.  I would love to see more.

Fall Foliage in New Hampshire's Lake Winnipesaukee Region

A last minute road trip to the lakes region this past weekend lead me on a back road excursion taking the path less traveled and not the usual highway route.  I was on a mission to test my Sherwin Williams ColorSnap app again.  Trying to find the  most beautiful turned leaf tree that I could full of vibrancy and saturation before Mother Nature's harsh change of  season takes it all away.  What I found was most trees had already tuned a deeper shade. Had I missed my opportunity to stop and smell the roses this season?  Here is what I was fortunate enough to find.

In some areas such as Alton Bay, Roycroft Bronze Green SW1668 was now prominent in  landscapes sitting on open water as was SW1755 Brevity Brown, SW3041 Palm Leaf and Eminent Bronze SW2098.

In more secluded back roads of Alton I found that vibrancy was more spectacular. Adventure Orange SW6655, Roycroft Copper Red SW2839 and Saguaro SW6419 were paint choices Sherwin Williams ColorSnap suggested from the photo I had taken above.

Taking off the beaten path roadways to get my fall color fix had proven to be a successful journey. Taking some time to enjoy color on my on personal time was my mission.  I hope you enjoy some of my captured moments of the last days of fall 2014.

Foods To Help You Sleep Through the Night

Have a little problem sleeping at night?  No matter what time I seem to go to bed I never sleep more than 4 - 5 hours a night.  I thought going to bed earlier would allow for catching up on missed sleep, that theory never worked for me.  I am beginning to think that I am a true insomniac.

Last night I was starving before I went to bed, probably because I didn't eat dinner.  I knew there was homemade chicken pot pie in the frig, but it just wasn't calling me since I had it for lunch.  The banana and granny smith apple that sat on the counter looked so delicious that I ate both.

A little after 9:30 as the eyes and brain where shutting down at the lap top, I went to bed.  Without getting up during the night or waking once, I opened my eyes at 5:30 this morning.  Yes, it was a total of  8 hours of undisturbed  sleep.

I remember hearing that bananas make you sleepy.  I got on my phone and searched the topic.  Sure enough an article from ABC news caught my eye The Foods That Will Help You Sleep http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=4373991 . The article states that starchy foods contain cabs that can raise serotonin and should be eaten 4 hours before sleep.  Foods such as bananas, apples slices with peanut butter, cereals and potatoes will all help obtain a good nights sleep.

Some foods suggested to stay away from were spicy foods, sweets and even decaf coffee still has some caffeine so beware and have a cup of herbal tea.  Also suggested candlelight.  Yes candlelight will make you drowsy.

I will definitely have an apple and banana snack again tonight.

DIY Salvage Window Coffee Table

With our first DIY make your own coffee table out of an old salvage window class taking place last night brought a few minor glitches.  As the students arrived they were very excited to make a piece of furniture from an old window.  As the class got underway, the hands-on level got a bit intense.

The use of manual hand tools and fasteners was getting a bit tricky for some and for others, they couldn't wait to get their hands on the power drill.

Preparing for the class took a bit more time than actually assembly the table.  Searching for the appropriate old windows was a task in itself.  Looking for the best salvageable window from days gone by took many trips up the coast and inland to central New Hampshire.  Also seeking out the correct hardware to make this DIY creation stand on four legs was also a task.  Thanks to Jamie my mechanical guru, behind the scene, always guiding the way, and best fan ever, the final product was a success.

Glitches that popped up during the class:

• Make sure your old window doesn't just look pretty from the outside.  Examine the window to make sure there is no rotten wood in the interior of the wooden frame caused by water seepage over time.
• Examine the caulking around the glass panes.  It might look fine to the eye, however the pressure from using the hammer to nail in fasteners may jolt and loosen the panes old caulking.

   

All in all the class was a huge success and a lot of fun DIY fun was had by all.

Dressing a fall dinner table

Spending more time indoors and beginning the fall nesting phase sparks creativity in our homes especially when it's time to entertain.  Whether dinner with neighbors or planning a larger gathering, it's always fun to creative with the dinner table.

For fall try some of these easy table decorating ideas using resources that surround your garden, woods and gatherings from yard clean up.

Tree trunk slice chargers

Squash app servers

Fallen leaf place setting name tags

Acorn filled candle holder wrapped with twine

Gourd flower vase

Simple wood bowl filled with pine cones

Decorating the fall dinner table doesn't have to break the bank. So many natural resources are all around us to be collected and admired during the season.