Brass-to-Bronze Lantern Pendant

You remember my Craigslist find last July in which my 12-year-old's cutting and taping skills were put to the test?

Well, good things come to those who wait, and although it is now 2013, we finally installed the brass-turned-bronze light in our sitting room the week after Christmas.

We hesitated on this project for two reasons:

1) My husband no likey working with electricity.

2) The original fixture was not centered in the room...which meant a swag...which meant finding a stud in the ceiling...which meant more work...especially if no stud could be found.

We were able to locate a stud just off center ~ not enough to notice ~ but vital to the forward momentum of this installation.

The Little Miss is usually in the midst of our projects, especially around bedtime.  Funny how that works.  Don't you love her tie-dye shirt with the polka-dot pajama pants?

And while we're looking at silly things, see those green curtains in the background?  They've been hanging there, fabric only, for almost a year now.  No hem, no pressed and stitched edges, no lining.  We spontaneously hung the white sheers just this winter to keep the sun from glaring on our hallway picture gallery mid-morning.  The good news?  Last weekend I FINALLY lined the curtains with flannel to give them some heft, gave them a much needed hem, then pressed and stitched all the edges, even including a pocket up top in case we later decide to hang them on the rod instead of using rings.  I then hung a double rod to better accommodate the sheers and the drapes.  My goodness did it ever feel so good to cross that project off my list.

  

Originally $40, our new lantern fixture was well worth the extra time it took to tape off the glass and paint with Krylon's Oil-Rubbed Bronze.  I've seen similar fixtures advertised for upwards of $200.

I'm not quite ready to cross this room off my list yet, though.  This weekend I plan to repaint the surface of the round turquoise table since I've never been happy with the first paint job.  Little Miss was dying to use a mini roller so we rolled the top together.  So not happy with the texture it left behind. I think I'll leave the legs blue and maybe paint the top white to freshen things up a bit.  We'll see what happens.

I'm off to edit my boys' stories for final drafts and typing, then read aloud time for Little Miss.  Blessings on your weekend ~

Jaimee