The Jury's Still Out!

So after returning from a lovely short visit in Gainesville and helping Jen work on the decorations for the auction, I ran out to see about lamps and shades once again. I am happy with my final answer in the kitchen but still don't think this is what I want in the dining room.

It is hard to see in this picture, but there are a thin black bands running around the top and bottom of this shade. And the finial is black, so it balances the black of the base. And, I have a buffet lamp on the other side of this room with a similar shade. Also, because this is a fairly large lamp on a narrow area, I felt it needed the somewhat oval shape shade so it fit more evenly against the wall. All those positives being said, I am still not sold. I think it "reads" as too formal. I will live with it a day or two and see if it grows on me. Does anyone else obsess this much over minor details like this - or is this not a minor detail?

On the other hand, I like this lamp here - although I definitely need to corral those wires now that they are visible behind this little stool used as a riser. This is the same shade I used for the lamp on the baker's rack.

Since my kitchen is now neutral, we are going with wood tones for any decor that is not seasonal or holiday.

Hence the new pizza paddle. I bought it at a gourmet kitchen shop thinking it would be functional as well as decorative - except that it was a natural wood tone and it just didn't "pop". I immediately stained it walnut. Now it "pops" but I'm not sure it is any longer functional - don't want to poison us with walnut stain - ha ha.
I am going to get a pretty metal hook on which to hang this but am waiting to make any more holes in the newly patched walls until I see if we are indeed going to be changing out our kitchen counters. If we are, we are going to raise this desk area level with the counters so that we have more usable space. The desk idea was cute when I planned it on the last reconfiguration but I honestly don't think I EVER sat there so there really was never a need for it to be low! Oh well, live and learn.
 

And, as true to form, I milked one more birthday celebration out of my family - this time with daughter #2 and family. We started the day with a lovely lunch at BJ's and then a beautiful, quiet evening at their home - with more eating involved. I think I am now finally officially one year older!

Just picked up a rusty horse shoe at HL today. Have an idea for a small St. Pat's palette art project but it will have to wait until after we have finished the decorating for the charity auction. Stay tuned.