Lessons in Lampery

As a self-admitted Lamp Tramp, I tend to pick up interesting or "with potential" lamps that need updated lampshades. However, If you've ever found that perfect, vintage lamp, you also know it can be disheartening to properly fit it with a new shade. Lamps dating back to the 1950s and 60s tend to have very large shades - sizes which nearly require a custom order to duplicate. Of course, you can save some greenbacks by recovering an existing shade. A year or so back, my sister and I recovered the tall, drum shade that came with her antique store-find.



















If you're down with such a DIY project - here's a good tutorial

thanks, Liz

If lamps are sans shades, though, it's up to you to turn that special snag into a showstopper. My recent purchase of a set of brass lamps is taking me to the proverbial drawing board in terms of finding the right, new shade.

I'm not sure what shape or color of shade I'll decide on, but I'll definitely be taking into account a few standard guidelines on getting size and scale of a lampshade correct.
In General:

Lampshade height should be about 3/4 the height of the base.

The bottom of the shade should be wider than the widest part of the base.

Shade width should approximately equal the height from bottom of base to socket

So, armed with my measurements, here's a few options I came up with for my brass lamps

All shades via Shades of Light
lampshade tips via here

Shoppe Local

There's a lot to be said about buying local - from the small business owner trying to make a go of it in this not-too-kind retail environment that tends to favor Big Box discount stores. I've always found individually-owned gift shops offer so much more in terms of unique items, so I was delighted to learn that Lauren Bade was opening her doors in my hometown. My first glimpse of Lauren's clever collection of clothing, jewelry and home accents was at her flagship store in the tourist and shopping mecca of the Texas Hill Country: Fredericksburg.
Here, she's taken a large space in our historic downtown, remodeled half to be the darling shop, while the adjacent half gets a facelift to be a wine tasting room. Perfect!
If you're in this neck of the woods, this is some eye candy you don't want to miss! Beautiful entryway with hardware: You have me at Hello!

Some of that gaga-producing merchandising

Embroidered cotton and silk tunics - Eenie, Meenie, Miney Mo!

Unique jewelry

Frame-worthy papers - too gorgeous to cut!

Precious goodies for the pint-sized among us

And of course, more yummy-ness for grown-ups! If there had been any way for me to lug this tole and beadwork chandy back to Brazil, she'd have gone into Isla's nursery {sigh}

...More lamp lusciousness

Wouldn't a cluster of these reflective votives be beautiful on a tablescape?

...and, the impending Wine Room - can't wait!

Let's just say, her perfectly-selected items and winsome displays left a fine impression. Welcome, Lauren, Victoria is so happy to have you!

Lauren Bade

221 South Main Street

Victoria, TX

361.582.4222

**All photos by alison g. for My Little Happy Place

New Releases: Penguin Classics

Those of you who, like me, count yourselves among the devotees of Penguin's oh-so-designerly Classics collection might be happy to know that you can pre-order the latest releases for a nice discount from Amazon. The offerings include: The Odyssey, Lady Chatterley's Lover, Emma, and Treasure Island (my fave with the palm & parrot design!) *Click on images for links



























Penguin is releasing the titles on March 10, so I imagine the pre-order discount is available 'til then. Trendy as the collection may be, you must admit, their collectible status is likely to endure. Read on!

Based on a Hot Tip...

I just happened to check High-Heeled Foot in the Door late Saturday afternoon to see that Camila had posted a Hot Tip about there being Chinese garden seats on sale for Twenty Bucks (srsly?) at Big Lots.

My sister and I made a mad dash to our local "BL," and sure enough - tucked into a back corner were these... Not the most inspiring color palette, but for such a steal, totally workable. Now...if I could just get free shipping to South America, I'd be set!

For the love of letterpress

Any of you who know me know I'm a sucker for beautiful paper goods - that's especially true of elegant letterpress stationery. So, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a sweet bit 'o info from Ajalon Printing and Design....
Ajalon is a small, family-owned (gotta love that!) letterpress printer that aims to provide quality wedding stationery without charging an arm and a leg!
Right now, they are offering 100 letterpress wedding invitations and enclosure cards for $398. I know there are some busy brides-to-be out there, so let me save you some footwork - one hundred professional custom letterpress invites/enclosures for less than four hundred bucks is an uh-ma-zing deal!
Be sure to check out their site and invite gallery - here's a few of my fave options!

For a casual afternoon affair...
A destination wedding...
Or, more formal affairs...
Good luck chosing!

Hot Tip: Dining Room Red

We had a request for the name of the red paint E&M used in their dining room....It was Glidden Rapture with a Gripper Gray base/primer

If any of you have never experimented with red walls, it is key, key, KEY to use a tinted primer - one that usually has a gray/maroon cast. Doing so will ensure a rich, true red, rather than a deep hot pink!
Hope that info is helpful, and thank you to everyone for their sweet comments on the DD update - I'm sure E&M appreciate the resounding applause!