Let There Be Light!

Finally, a home improvement post! :-) So for the last year and some change my family hasn't had a light in the dinning room. Eating by candlelight is all well and good when you're trying to be romantic, but when you're sitting with a glow between you and your loved ones chomping down on some Checker's it begins to feel a bit silly. The only other option was moving a floor lamp from the second level to the first at dinnertime, and let me tell you, that wasn't too appealing either. Needless to say, we've spent a lot of time eating in the living room these past few months. Well, all that has changed because we now have LIGHT!!!

When we moved in we had this ugly thing:

Not that bad, but it shouldn't have been over the dinner table, and that ugly plug? Nope! Aesthetics aside, the fixture just didn't work because we had no power.

I could have lived with it (for awhile)--if it would have worked. Unfortunately, like so many other things in our house it was completely defunct. So, not only did we have to find a chandelier, we also had to fix the electrical problem--which of course meant, more drywall removal, new lines run, and drywall replacement, because, as you know if you've been following me--nothing is ever easy in my world.

Jesus take the wheel, the car, and the road!

 

Contractors step up in our house like:

Oh Happy Day!



 



*Rolls eyes* Regardless of the setbacks I was just happy that the work was finally getting done. To me, the dinner table is an experience, and should be an important staple for any family. The table fosters conversation. And while we all still ate as a family, the intimacy was interrupted as we had the T.V, laptops,  cellphones, kindles, and other distractions within arms reach.

 

When I imagined lighting for the dinning room I always pictured something sparkly. I absolutely love some of the modern lighting, but being in a historical home I didn't want to deviate too far away from the feel. I figured that sparkly was always in style and I wanted something that would give me the light we had been so badly missing for the pass year.

 

Instead, I steeped into a second hand shop and fell in love with a wrought iron classic. The chandelier that I purchased looked nothing like what I thought I wanted, but even when the cashier uttered the shockingly high price tag it wasn't enough to deter me. I didn't even go into that store for a light! Darn it!

Side Note: I'll save the Cash Money (bling bling) chandelier for my room :)

 

I liked the chandelier because it was vintage and dark. For those who know me, you know that I'm a romantic and the light reminded me of smaller version of something you might find in a old castle. #Swoon! Fun fact: when we visited the Toledo Zoo this summer the reptile house had a chandelier extremely similar--I was over the moon about that.

 

Next came the issue of the chandelier possibly being too heavy.  I'm so clueless yall. I had no idea there were weight requirements (duh!)--I just figured that if something was meant to hang from the ceiling it should hang. It never dawned on me that there are all different types of structures. So now the whole time I'm looking at the electrician like this:
 

Oh please let it work!

Luckily, whatever we needed (technical terms are long forgotten) was already in place so it worked out, finally--something worked out. Ok, so enough talk, here's the light:

 So happy to have my chandelier up and working!!

Close up of the details...

& most importantly, I'm overjoyed that we have our "table time" back :-)

 

At some point I assume having a light in the room will become normal, but for now...

This is how I feel when I hit the switch. :-P

 

And that, my dear friends, is that! Until the next time, XO!