Antique Parlor Lamp

So , the other day I posted a couple of teaser pictures of something new that Erik and I purchased to dress up Le Beau Paon's dining room.  Click HERE for that post.

We have it hung up now, so I can show you all what exactly it is..........

My apologies for the blurry photos. My camera is getting pretty ancient and I've been having issues with it lately. I think I'll have to start shopping for a new one soon.

As you can see, it's a very fancy hanging lamp! An antique hanging lamp!  Now, I realize that this hanging lamp is actually what is called a parlor lamp; obviously it would have hung in a parlor or sitting room or maybe even an entry hallway, but I just loved it so much and it's RED and all I could do was picture it hanging in my dining room, so that's where it is.

Our dining room isn't actually very large, so I didn't think it would look too small for the space and would look nice as a central light fixture.

The lamp had been wired for electricity at some point, but it began life as an oil lamp. This milk glass resevoir for the oil is usually referred to as the "font". At the top of the lamp there is a pulley-looking wheel with chain wrapped all around it for lowering the lamp so that the oil could have been re-filled. I haven't figured out how to work the mechanism yet, and the chain is a little rusty, so I'm reluctant to mess with it too much; I don't want to break anything!

The previous chandelier in this room was quite large and extremely heavy. It was not an antique or even vintage and I really hated it with a passion. When we took it down, I was astonished by it's weight. There was also a ceiling medallion around the fixture, which is why in the above photos you can see some old crusty adhesive on the ceiling where the medallion was. I will be replacing the old medallion with a new one because the old one had a very small opening that the new light fixture doesn't fit in.  We also found that the big, heavy chandelier was so heavy it had actually bent the metal bracket it was hanging from.

I'm sure some folks that are purists and are restoring their historic homes 'period-authentic' or 'museum-quality' are probably cringing that I'm using a parlor lamp in the dining room, but I guess I'm just not caring at this point. Maybe someday I'll come across a really big, elegant antique chandelier for this room and I'll move this parlor lamp elsewhere, but I'm really loving it here, and that's what matters to me!

My dining room table is still dressed in it's summery pinks, yellows and peaches.

Soon I'll be changing out the dining room decor to be more "autumnal".

Thanks for stopping by!

I'll be linking up with Colorado Lady for Vintage Thingie Thursday

and even though I'm cheating and this isn't a real tablescape, I'll be joining Tablescape Thursday hosted by Susan at Between Naps on the Porch!

Vintage Apothecary Bottles

Yesterday I came across three vintage apothecary bottles and I just had to buy them. I could just picture them in my kitchen with fun, old-fashioned looking labels.

The smaller bottle, made with the greenish glass, actually had a date scratched into the glass; 12-14-1939. The other two I have really no idea of their age. I made the labels using clip art I got from The Graphics Fairy.  Instead of apothecary labels, I picked out colorful fancy ones. For one of them I used a label for vanilla extract and I tied an old-fashioned key trinket on it just for fun.

This label is in French and appears to be some kind of prepared tonic or syrup for "chronic maladies" of the chest for children, I believe. My French is terrible, but I think that's what it says.

This one is for balsamic vinegar for the "toilette". I just printed these on heavy paper and used double-sided tape to stick them on the bottles. I thought I would also print other labels, maybe with a more medicinal or  even a Halloween motif and stick them on the other side of each of the bottles and then I can just turn them around to whichever side I want to face out when I want a change.

                          For now, they add a nice touch to the vignette on top of my kitchen cabinets!

Thanks for stopping by!

Around the House & Sneak Peek

Just the other day I posted about some new finds that I recently purchased at a new store near where I live, click HERE for that post.

Of course, I was busy finding "homes" for my new goodies. Usually when I buy something I already have an idea of what I want it for or where to put it. I also keep a list of things that I would like to find, so when I go browsing at stores and shops I take my list with me and I have it as a reference. It also helps me to 'keep on track' and not impulse-buy!  (Which I admit, is a problem!)

The vintage pillowcases are already on the bed.

It seems just like yesterday that I brought out the "summer bedding", and here it's almost September already. Where has the summer gone??

   The sweet crocheted butterfly doily seemed best displayed here, on the back of my parlour sofa.

Of course, the curly wicker chair I already showed in it's new "home"; the front porch.

I also mentioned another item in that post that was "expensive" and for the dining room that we were considering buying. We did actually decide to buy it!! Here's a teaser picture of it.............

and here...........

Hopefully soon I will able to show more of it, once it's been put up!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday Favorites: Redux of Christmas Tablescape

It may seem really awful of me to remind everyone that Christmas is now only four months away....but I really enjoyed making this Christmas table for Tablescape Thursday last December.
I'll be linking up with Chari at Happy To Design for Sunday Favorites.

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Wednesday, December 29, 2010Tablescape Thursday: Christmas Dinner for Six


It's been awhile since I put together a tablescape for Tablescape Thursday and I was very excited to have some time to do one for this week. I didn't get a chance to do one for Halloween because I was so busy preparing for our costume party, but I was determined to do one for Christmas, even if I had to do it after the holidays.













This table is sort of a re-creation of a table I did many years ago at my mother's house for Christmas Eve dinner. I used plaid ribbon to "gift-wrap" the table itself.










A beautiful poinsettia plant, a hostess gift from my mother, forms the centerpiece of the table. I placed the plant in a silver wine bucket and decorated it with red berries. It is probably too tall to have on the table during an acutal meal, but it is easily removable.






An elegant holiday dinner calls for my formal china, the good crystal and formal silver plate flatware.





Taking a look at the cover, I have placed the cup and saucer to the upper left, with the bread plate at upper center. Just below it, a crystal salt dip for each guest.



Dark red damask napkins have been folded into a simple, yet elegant fold called the Chloe, and placed to the left, under the forks. Vintage linen hemstitch place mats have also been used. I have used several layers of linens on the table. A festive red tablecloth that was a $5 find at Goodwill, is underneath a vintage crocheted tablecloth. Over the top of those, a white table runner with a red embroidered monogram down the center.









A water goblet with matching wine glass, each with a platinum edge, are placed to the right of the cover. These are made by Mikasa and are called Jamestown Platinum. The platinum edge on the crystal matches the platinum edging on my formal china.




Small ball ornament place card holders are on each bread plate, with a name card.




















Santa salt and pepper shakers with snow globe bellies.


















A be-ribboned candy cane as a sweet after-dinner favor.

















Formal china: Noritake, "Knottinghill" ,1996

Crystal goblets and wine: Mikasa, "Jamestown Platinum", 1996

Silver flatware: "Baroque" by Godinger. Nieman-Marcus, 2010



Tablecloth/linens: red damask napkins, Boston Store, 1997.

red tablecloth, Goodwill. Crocheted tablecloth, vintage.



Monogram hotel linen table runner, Pottery Barn, 2007.

linen hemstitch place mats, vintage.

Individual salt dips: vintage, antique store purchase, 2010



Silver wine bucket: Unmarked, pattern and maker unknown.