Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Musical Lamps

Remember that "fun" school game staple of musical chairs.  A game designed to selectively weed out child by child till only one remains?  Well today I played the grown up version - musical lamps (please note that no lamps were injured in this game although one has gotten hurt feelings over its impending fate!).
A thrift trip produced this on Monday:
Lovely vintage Italian alabaster lamp.  Working - check.  Needs harp - have one hanging in the basement stash (doesn't everyone have a stash of lamp parts in their basement?).  Needs shade - well I did buy two shades last Friday at Ballard when trying to outfit the super cool tripod lamp that my husband transformed for me.  Surely I'll get home and the shade will look bad.  Oh hello, I was so wrong on that score.
This is the thought process my brain goes through as I stand in the aisle like a somewhat delusional crazy lady.  Thoughts continue with, "I'll just sell it.  Someone will buy the base.  I have to rescue it."  On and on it goes until I finally put the thing in the cart and continue on my psycho way.
Once home the harp fit and the shade was awesome.  Well we need another lamp like...I need more junque.  Thus begins the dance and our game of musical lamps commences.
We start with my current bedside lamp:
Pretty marble base vintage glass lamp with thrifted shade.  Take this lamp and move it to my daughter's room which has:

A less cool vintage glass lamp with thrifted shade.  We've been meaning to raid our stash of lamp parts and make this one better but, well, you know the drill.  And yes, that is a plastic Hello Kitty teacup alarm clock.  Not vintage so not very cute.  She's almost 7 - we have to give her some say!!!!  Nor did I ever really like the shade but she LOVED the beads and this is real life where we have to acknowledge that not everything is perfectly "sculpted" for the optimum vignette.
So this lamp is now headed for the parts bin or the junque to sell stash and my bedroom lamp looks like this:
Thus concludes our game of musical lamps.  For now.  Possibly only for today in the event that I find another one at the thrift tomorrow.
Am I the only one who plays musical lamps, chairs, furniture?!!!!

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10 comments:

Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces said...

You've put together a great lamp! I love alabaster and the shade is wonderful!

Lynn at Cottage and Creek said...

What a great post! I LOVE lamps! And I have a slew of them! Though now that I live in a smaller house with an awkward attic, they're not so easy to play around with. Your new lamp is wonderful! I think finding shades is the hard part anymore. Though I did get a really nice big one at the Salvation Army a couple of weeks ago for $.59. It wasn't marked and when the girl behind the corner said, "um... how about $.59?", I almost laughed out loud. When I walked out, I felt like I was stealing. Just this morning I dug in my "lamp parts" box (yes, I have an old boot box full of harps and finials!) and put the shade on a tall creamy white vintage lamp I bought at the thrift store months ago. It's been sitting in my bedroom shadeless for some time. So, your post really made me chuckle today. Thanks for sharing and know you have a kindred spirit :)
Lynn at Cottage and Creek

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Love the shade! Oh yes I play musical whatever when I find something at the thrift. Gosh doesn't everyone?? Hugs, Linda

outjunking said...

Alabaster envy, love the lamp. Yes I too have that parts section in my basement. I move everything around in my house my family makes fun of me. Shame on them!
Have a great week,
Lisa

Bonnie said...

You can never have too many lamps. Great find.

Jane said...

That's the fun of having all sorts of great junk in our homes....all the pieces and parts we need to change things out. Love the lamp!!
Jane

Blessed Serendipity said...

Yes I have lamp parts in my basement too. Love the lamp with it's new shade - perfect!

xo,
Danielle

Pam Kessler said...

I love the alabaster lamp. I'm constantly moving lamps and shades around. My problem is that I never find the perfect combo.

Pam @ Frippery said...

I do the same. I lay awake at night because I realize where something will work better than it's present position and try to think of what I might have to replace it once I move it. A sickness, but one many of us obviously share. Love the lamps.

very merry vintage style said...

Love that first one. Thanks for linking up to the Share the Love Wednesday link party at Very Merry Vintage Style!
Mary