Of lamps, shades and pretty things.

Is it my imagination or have I been enjoying more restful slumber in my boudoir of sweet dreams?? It truly is the most delightful room. Me thinks one day, I just might spend all day in there. All day to lounge in bed and perhaps, knit, read, nap, stitch, drink tea and think nothing but frivolous thoughts. All day to just be. All day to  escape the world and it's tedious toings and froings. I know, I know, 'tis a shallow gal that I am. =)

"Cute teapot", I hear you say. I know......isn't it just the most darling thing. I fell in love with it at first sight. The strange thing is, would you believe there isn't a single  red design teacup in my humble abode. Unbelievable!! I will have to remedy this li'l dilemma, and fast!

But I digress. The point of this post is to wax lyrical about another new pretty. With a 'need' for a new lamp for the boudoir, and whilst out and about last week, I happened upon a pretty which would fit perfectly in the boudoir. Of course it came home with me. I have been looking for a lamp with a botanical theme for a while and when my beady li'l eyes spotted this pretty I knew it would be perfect.

The base of the new lamp has trailing vines and flowers and sweet birdies resting amongst the blossoms. The shade which is a cream one is perfectly acceptable....BUT......I thought a li'l machine sketching incorporating a vine or two trailing around the top of the shade,  overspilling with flowers with perhaps a bird nesting  among the flowers, could look rather winsome. Nothing too busy just a little vine or two.

The sweet birdie and flowers camouflage perfectly with my flower-filled feature wall.

Well.....I thought a li'l machine sketching would be spiffy but after a ridiculous amount of time dreaming up something that was half acceptable and then sketching flower after flower, vine after vine, with the odd birdie, I decided the lamp base can happily exist with the cream shade for a little while longer. Ordinarily, machine sketching is the most relaxing and fun thing for me but after beginning to stitch the design, both the design and the colours I chose, didn't sing a melodious song at all! Obviously my mojo is visiting elsewhere! How dare it!! So for now I will forget about gussying up the shade for a while and maybe think upon it another day. Or maybe....just maybe I will leave it!! What!! Did I say leave the cream shade au naturel!! Oh my goodness....what is happening to me!! Have I come down with some unidentifiable malady of the mind?? Have I gone stark raving mad.........!! Hope oh hope this affliction disappears sooner than soon!!

Maybe I'll find a little inspiration knitting my pretty, cabled woolly.

Yes indeedy, I have picked up my jumper yet again, and started to clickety clack away. Summer is fading down here so a little knitting is the order of my day. Mind you......not that knitting this woolly is terribly relaxing. There is much too much cranial gymnastics involved with the knitting of this pretty, but my fingers (and mind) have finally slipped into a rhythm where believe it or not I haven't unravelled any mistakes, at least not in the last day or two!!

Speaking of Summer fading into a bittersweet memory, I must say our Hydrangeas are changing into the palest of hues. The deep blues are turning into pale blues and greens. They truly are beautiful. For four months now the Hydrangeas have not disappointed.

The Summer garden, though it is beginning to evanesce to a beautifully, muted autumnal state there are still some flowers that will not give credence to the thought of slipping away. The Dahlias are still showing off their vivacious and flashy faces and the Cosmos......well.....they just do what they always do.......delight with their bright happiness.

"You looking at me!!!!" Upon getting a little too close with my camera to this fine fellow, he "put up his dukes" and proceeded to come at me. I am supposing he didn't take too kindly to me or my camera.

Upon closing......here's a thought, perhaps if some Shakespearean character could fill the boudoir with mellifluous strands of soft music........maybe......just maybe my mojo would return!! =D

Until the next time, may you have a joyous week, with a sprinkling of a li'l floralicious delight.

When is a lamp shade not a shade??

Why......when it's a hat, of course! And not a run of the mill, plebeian kinda hat. Not the kind that stands (or perhaps sits) row after row, unnoticed in all it's prosaicness in a lighting store. But...the kind that oozes chic'ness', the kind that effuses elegance and fun!

Hat? I hear you ask. Yes....not a shade......but a hat! For a very long time now, this gorgeous lamp base, which my husband gifted me years and years ago, has clamored for a rather voguish fashion statement. It has worn a few hats over the years but now the time has come to set it apart from the humdrum of the lighting world. Not that my beautiful lamp base could ever be considered humdrum!!

Isn't it a beauty?? Daffodils, Irises, violets, tulips; winding their way around with butterflies flitting here and there. Now can you see why a  tiresome shade just would not do. Indeed, a bewitching and alluring milliner's concoction is the order of the day. And.....even if I do say so  myself doesn't it look perfect  with my botanical inspired hallway as a backdrop.

Oh, I have searched high and low in search of  something swank, but to no avail. Believe it or not, I found the perfect hat right here at home. In another life it sat serenely and unadorned on a lamp stand. So I stripped it to its au natural state and began to metamorphose it into an elegant concoction. Who would've thought that I would have a bevy of shades hats waiting to be tarted up. I know, I know, 'tis hard to believe!!

I did consider fashioning another hat from my dowry of embroidered pretties; and it's no secret that I am obsessed love these gorgeous embroideries, evoking nostalgia....BUT.....as this lamp will sit next to a curtain that I fashioned from embroidered doilies and tablecloths, I wanted to set my beautiful lamp apart. I desired it to make a statement. Sitting next to my embroidered curtain could be deemed as over kill.......even for me!!

I chose a beautiful Kokka fabric that I purchased a li'l while ago, that would be perfect!! Now, I admit I am benumbed with grief that I didn't take photos of the fabric, nor indeed of the process of making the shade, because to tell you the truth I was inspired and didn't give it a thought, until after I had finished my li'l concoction. I was monomaniacal with the task at hand! I only had a small window of time to finish and sometimes, photo taking and the detailing of each step for this blogging caper thwarts the creative process!! I picked up that creative baton and skedaddled like the wind, to the finishing line, without heed or thought of boring enlightening you with step by step happy snaps!! Sorry...but I'm guessing there are other luminaries (more proficient than li'l ole me) who can cast a li'l light on 'How To Make A Lampshade'.

But, don't worry, there are oodles and oodles of  'after' shots. Actually, so many that you probably won't ever speak to me again!!

One side.......pretty blossoms trailing up to the heavens.

The other side.......bluebirds sitting ever so prettily in amongst the flora, with butterflies

I am in love with the shape of this hat. It is rather reminiscent of something Audrey Hepburn might have worn. Think Eliza Doolittle at Royal Ascot....think Sabrina......or indeed of Audrey as Fred Astaire's muse in Funny Face!! Hat after hat of designer inspired concoctions that defy the imagination! Can't you, in your mind's eye, picture this li'l Cecil Beaton-esque number atop Audrey's head as she yells out to Dover to move his bloomin........ummmm....derriere!! I have seen a lot more outre at the Melbourne Cup Carnival!!

  

Can one ever have too many flowers, with a bird or two in the bush and  a flutter of butterflies?? Me thinks most definitely not!!

Oh dear I have just had a li'l thought, perhaps this rather lovely hat would look perfect gracing my curvaceous wire mannequin (actually it's not mine...I pinched it from my daughter...but I won't tell her if you won't). When she left our humble li'l ole abode to walk along the road of matrimonial bliss with her dearly beloved, she left it here.......so......of course, now it's mine!!

Speaking of Cecil Beaton, Audrey Hepburn and all things fashion, lookity look at this li'l number. Me thinks that I will have to employ our friendly sparky to transform my lovely mannequin into a lamp. Of course, he will think that I am a li'l potty, perhaps even a li'l muddly, but that's okay; anything to bring a little culture, a little savior-faire to his rather mundane day! I mean really, this li'l electrical conversion certainly beats extricating electrocuted and fried, itty bitty meeces from the back of one's stove and repairing the electrics before one's house burns down.....don't you think!!

Daaaaahlings......it's vintage!! Yes indeedy another quirky lamp (albeit with an understated 'hat'...but for this lamp....'tis perfect). This vintage lamp spends it's days (and nights) in my boudoir. Also have a bo peep at the luxurious butterfly vintage top. Again, my daughters.....but she was throwing this li'l number out (now I am hyperventilating)........ so of course I ripped it out of her hands. Some day, if I can stand to cut it up, I will do something with this. Perhaps a butterfly on an hexagon beauty?? But for now, it makes for a perfect prop.

Mmmmmm......oodles of possibilities!! I must say this tickles my fancy!!

But......for now, the final resting place for my beautiful lamp adorned with it's oh so elegant hat. I love the unexpected scale of the over sized lamp sitting atop this cupboard. I have probably broken every rule and design element relating to scale and proportion and 'busyness' in 'The Designer's Bible', but frankly ma dears......I don't give a damn!!

Oooh-la-la!! I do love it. Every time I pirouette along my botanical, inspired hallway, this beauty puts a smile on my face!!