Lampshade Love

Finally, the lampshade is finished and tucked back into its little corner.  I feel like I've been covered in loose threads and bits of hardened hot glue for a month although it's only been a week.  It turned out exactly as I'd envisioned it, which is always so gratifying.  

I couldn't find the lavender plaid fabric I thought I'd saved, but the touch of pink floral suits me better anyway and its crocheted trim at the top complements the ball trim along the bottom.  

I like the way the shade looks in every light--

--and I love all its many colors and patterns.  Love, love, love.  ♥

This makes me so happy.  :)

And it makes reading in bed that much more of a favorite thing. 

Bliss!  ♥

The Lampshade Yesterday and Today

The lamp should be finished sometime tomorrow, I'm thinking.  'Two more tiers of ruffles at the top, and then back into place on the lamp-base it goes.  I have a piece of lavender/white plaid left from an old dress that I'm planning for the next ring, and at the very top, a Kelly green gingham.  

I realized the other day that I wanted a jolt of yellow on the shade and decided just to Sharpie-marker a section of green floral fabric. 

It worked and turned out almost chartreuse, a definite jolt of color on an already-colorful shade.  I have long loved pink roses against yellow backgrounds, so this has turned out to be my favorite tier so far. 

To tie that pop of yellow in with the rest of the lampshade, I dyed my white pom pom/ball trim gold by soaking it in Turmeric water for a minute.   

A minute in the spice-bath was long enough to do the trick, and I let the trim dry while I attached more ruffles.

Ah, ball trim!  It makes me happy.  ♥

'So dear. 

'Two tiers left to go, then, which is grand since all the fabric-pleating and hot-gluing have reached the stage of feeling quite tedious.  Once it's done, it's done, though, and this has already become one of my favorite re-dos and favorite items in the apartment.  ♥ 

Tomorrow!  A finished reading lamp! 

Thursday's Project

What I thought was going to be a fast-moving task yesterday turned into an all-evening project I'm now aiming to finish this Sunday.  The button-covered lampshade I'd loved for so long--

 --has annoyed me lately every time I've looked at it, and before I'd even realized that yesterday was Lampshade Re-Do Day, I found myself pulling it up from its base and peeling off the first of what soon seemed like five hundred buttons. 

All but the top ring of buttons is gone.  The bottom four tiers of ruffled fabric pieces are almost all in place now.  Pink roses fabric, green gingham fabric, and I-don't-know-yet-what-other fabric will make the top few ruffles.  And maybe ball-trim around the bottom.  Ideally, by Sunday night, a finished lampshade will again be atop the base of my reading lamp, the layers of fabric softening the light more than buttons-on-white-canvas ever could and the rainbow of colors and patterns cozy-ing-up its corner of my bedroom. 

Ah!  Anything patchwork-ish!  ♥

~Life is full of beauty. Notice it. ~ Ashley Smith

♥

~I implore you to see the universe as a warm and supportive one because you'll look for evidence to support this view. When you anticipate that the universe is friendly, you see friendly people.~ Wayne Dyer

In no particular order, here are a few of the many hearts that have graced my path this past year that hadn't made it onto the blog before.  

And now feeling like Cliff Clavin showing the "Cheers" crew his potato that looked like Richard Nixon, I sign off.  :)

Another Puff-Quilt Sky, and a Sandwich Shop Kindness

Tonight's sunset was another glorious puff-quilt of a sky, and I watched it for awhile, blissed-out and grateful.  Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, headache-be-gone-and-let's-focus-on-the-good-things. 

An item from today's page in the Book of Good Things, then:  Thursday afternoon, I stopped at a sandwich shop to treat myself to lunch, and when I attempted to pay, the counter-clerk told me the computer system was down and he couldn't process my debit card payment.  I simultaneously thought something charming and articulate along the lines of "GAHHHHHHHHHHHH!  THIS STUPID! WEEK!" and apologetically told him that I didn't have any cash on me at the moment, and he immediately told me not to worry and just to stop back in to pay him whenever I could.  I protested--He could hold the sandwich until I came back with the cash, I offered--but no, he meant it, and with a smile, he handed me my sandwich and kindly wished me a good day.  So trusting!  And in a city!  Here's hoping he didn't lose too much in profits before he could process card-payments again.  When I returned with the money yesterday morning, he smiled again as he thanked me and didn't seem at all surprised to see me.  Here is someone who has some good karma on the way, I'm thinking, and someone who still has an incredible amount of faith in the goodness of people.  I so needed that kindness this wearying week--He has no idea.  :)  I will choose to remember his act of kindness, tonight's sunset, yesterday's bouquet of pink roses, and all Stuffed's time at my side this week.  And with that, I'll turn the page.  ♥

September Begins

A bundle of roses to brighten my own day today  ♥