Vintage Bedside Lamps

Hello!

First of all, let me express my regret that I haven't updated in the past two weeks at ALL.  The pace that life rushes past at never ceases to amaze me.  For those of you who do not know, my passion lies in my day job as a high school art teacher.  School starts after Labor Day here in southern Virginia and this year, I find myself teaching five different classes (Introduction to Art, Drawing/Painting 1, Crafts 1, Advanced Crafts, and Sculpture/Ceramics 1) and sponsoring the National Art Honors Society.  Teaching a large course load and facilitating after school community art programs requires a huge time commitment beyond the school day, and I just now am starting to feel like I have a grasp on my schedule.  I am hopeful that as the school year continues I will be able to post weekly, but I am sure that during peak busy times (i.e. finals week), there will be some gaps.  I hope you'll indulge me!

While I have been slowly working away on refining a DIY table project that I hope to share in the near future, I have also been diligently scrolling through updates to my saved searches in eBay.  For a while, I had been looking for a pair of wall mounted bedside lamps, preferably antique ones.  These are surprisingly difficult to find (I suppose because a majority of wall lamps are sconces that connect to the wall's inner electrical wiring?) in general, but especially for a reasonable price. 

However, lo and behold, one day these popped up in my saved search:

Hobnail glass, intact wiring, wall mountable and could plug into an outlet.  They were PERFECT.  And they were $38 (for the PAIR) and a "buy it now" option, which was even better. 

After they arrived, I picked up some cheap mini shades from Lowes (I am normally partial to my local Home Depot- between the two in Norfolk, I find that I get better service there), which has a great lighting section.  Now, these are brightening up our bedroom.  They are perfect for reading before bed (or, as is often my case, grading before bed).  They're also a great vintage decor touch.  I think that small things like lamps are great way to add personality to your home- I have found that that is something easiest to do in the details of a home rather than in the bones of a home.

Dining Room Gallery Wall

In my last post, I mentioned that my husband and I moved during the month of December.  One of the first things I did was to set up a large gallery wall in our dining room.  While I wouldn't consider myself an expert on transitioning from home to home, I am a veteran enough of it to know that the best things I can do once everything is in the new space include:

1. Pouring myself a drink
2. Inviting friends over
3. Setting up one room in its entirety

I know some people see moving as a long checklist that must have everything crossed off of it THAT DAY, but in my experience, that doesn't happen fully.  Additionally, when I make quick decisions about where things should go, I often see a better solution a few days later and wind up changing everything.  I would much rather go through the process slowly and thoroughly, reminding myself that not everything has to be placed perfectly within the first week.

Our dining room was an ideal place to start on this.  Save for the bathroom, it probably has the least furniture to place.  It's also relatively small and has the most wonderful long expanse of a white wall that BEGS to be covered with artwork.  Putting up items I love and artwork of my own went a long way to making this space feel like it was our home, and not a strange new apartment.

 Two of the pieces listed there are lithographs that I made in college, as well as a lithograph made by my friend Alicia.  My goal with this wall space as I continue to expand the gallery wall out is to keep everything NEUTRAL.  Our last apartment was a study in contrasts, with lots of deep navy blue, white, and pops of gold and red.  It was a little much at times and I felt more energized than relaxed around those colors.  With our new space, I want to have a much softer, neutral color palette that feels soothing and sophisticated.

Have you tried putting a gallery wall in your space?