Shopping For Antique Lighting

I have a new computer!!!!!

Isn't it pretty?????

After I calmed down about how different my new Surface Pro 3 computer was, I realized that it wasn't so bad, and it would satisfy my needs after all.

I don't use it the way it is meant to be used.....

I have  a big monitor that I attach it to, and it works great for fabric design.

The solution was to connect my Intuos touch pad to it, and draw on that instead of the glass of the Surface Pro screen.

The main point, is that it is light enough to carry back and forth to Flerida without needing some strapping young dude to sling my carry-on into the overhead bins on the plane.

I want to sling my own stuff, thank you very much.......

I've been going over my files of photographs that have accumulated since I stopped blogging so much.

There's a ton of material, so you guys are going to be seeing things from the summer that I never got around to sharing with the class.

My buddy and bidness partner, Kris, needed to find some sconces for her front porch.

We couldn't find any new ones that we liked, so we went to the Yankee Craftsman in Wayland Massachusetts to hunt for something that would satisfy our very particular tastes.

They have barns of old stuff just waiting for some sucker one with discerning taste to come along and pluck them out of the dust and have them refurbished into a wonderful piece of lighting.

There are buildings all over that are just full of stuff!!!!!

Everywhere you look, more structures with old things!!!!!

We didn't get a chance to see what was behind the doors in the barn below, and we wanted to.....

I mean...

don't you just wonder what they're hiding?????

Well, 

the main barn is just chock full, so I took lots of pictures for you guys to ogle all the dusty dirty treasures.

This is where you can hunt around, and choose something that the restoration geniuses will fix up, clean up, and wire for anyone with a large enough bank account!

 I loved this chandelier, but we gots no more places for no hanging lights, no more.

A virtual cornucopia of glass and crystal chandeliers.

Tons of table lamps.

Check this girl out....

she has no shame!

'Course if I had a bod like that, I'd pose for a lamp statuette too......

Do you think she's sucking in her stomach?????

(OK Betsy, get you mind back on lighting.....)

I found this glass lamp that I fell in love with,

BUT I HAD NO PLACE FOR IT!!!!!

Cleaned up it would be perfect for a dressing table.

They had some wonderful hanging lanterns,

but we didn't need no stinkin' lanterns.....

Then I stumbled upon this wall of cool rings.

They looked like crowns from the side.

(If you had a really really really big head....)

They will all eventually be made into chandeliers.

Soooooo.....

after screwing around for a while, not focusing on what we were supposed to be doing.

Just looking at all the neat stuff....

Kris and I got down to the serious business of finding a pair of old carriage lamps to bracket her front door.

We found this pair, but they were too big.

Then we got distracted by more chandeliers....

I loved this one that's all metal rings.

One of the owners was in the back part of the barn and came out to see if we needed any help. Next thing that happened was that the three of us ended up spending around 1/2 hour chatting about all the cool things that could be made from the various parts that were strewn around the place.

I mean, don't you just want this?????

He's making it into a fabulous hanging light for some university or library or restaurant or something or other, I can't remember, it was this past summer that we were there.

He told us that in the front barn there were a pair of carriage lamps that he thought would be what we wanted, so we agreed to meat him up there.
On the way we got distracted.
They had a couple of miniature horses that required some of my time.

The horse didn't know that it required some of my time, 

so I needed to convince explain it to him.

or her.....

Finally she (or he) deigned to accept some grass from my hands.

Then Kris pulled me away to get back to work
Then Kris and I entered the front barn, where we found this pair of carriage lights that were the perfect style and scale.

They were old and beat up, just like us.

Kris and I discussed with the restorer how we wanted them refurbished, and I must say they did a really nice job.

We had them installed on either side of her front door, and they looked truly handsome.

So that's it for stories about Kris's front porch, until the spring, when we will add the finishing touches.

On that note,

Latah, Gatah