My Lightbulb Moment

Yes, yes, I am so punny. I know. Try not to be too jealous of me. 

So, during my spring break, I've been reinventing our living room and half bath. (The kitchen is next.) I like the color of the tall lamps that my mother-in-law donated to us awhile ago, but the style of the top no longer fit the decor of our room. Am I going to buy another lamp for $40 or more? NO. 

I got creative.

I thought to myself, "Self, you have a cute lamp shade with no lamp, and you have a lamp that might be able to take a lamp shade. What do you do?" Well, the top of this lamp was screwed on with three screws. I unscrewed them, and it looked like this...

Well, I could not pop the lip thing off of the glass. I then realized that these lamps are put together by screwing together the parts. I unscrewed the top part, and the glass popped off. Then, voila, the lip was a free man...er, lip. 

From there, I had a nekked lamp. I used pliers to widen the top of the lamp shade (it needs to be a shade that comes with the wiring in the middle.) Excuse my lack of technical lamp knowledge. But, you know the lamp shades that have three metal bars connected in the middle with a circle? You put the circle on the lamp and then screw the light bulb in to prevent the shade from moving? You know what I mean? Don't lie. You do. 

Anyway, after the top was off (the glass bowl and the thing I'm calling a lip), I treated it like a normal lamp (minus the "use pliers to expand the size of the metal hole" thing.) I put the shade on, hammered it into place (not TOO hard), and screwed in the light bulb. 

My old light has a new life. 

Isn't she pretty? 

So, before you get rid of something that doesn't "fit" with your style, consider how you can repurpose it. I mean, after all, isn't that what the garage and basement are for? Holding onto things you're waiting to find another purpose for? Yeah, I thought so. (Note: My husband does not think so.)

Short and Striped

So, if I have time, I sometimes put on outfits and just walk around the house in them. I like to give them a mini test run. This is not the test-run outfit; that one bombed. I then thought of this gem in five seconds. Grace under pressure, I tell you. 

So, my dog is not throwing up because she hates the outfit. Maybe she is stalking the leopard print heels? I would, too. 

Anyway, the outfit breaks down like this:

Shirt & skirt: The Limited 

(quite possibly my favorite store; they also give discounts to teachers!)

Heels: Jones New York via Marshalls

Belt: I think it's from NY & Co., but I'm too comfortable to run upstairs and check.

Scarf: A gift from three students :) Sweetest siblings. 

I taught the older brother and sister last year, and I teach their younger sister this year. 

 I love thoughtful and functional gifts. 

(I also love thoughtful and functional teenagers. They're a rarity.)

So, I put on this outfit after I painted our half bath. An hour later, I noticed something funny....

I was wearing the same color scheme that I dressed my half bath in. I tell you that I just love my stripes.

Do you ever notice that your house decor matches the colors/patterns that you wear?