There was a lamp
So I have this lamp that I call the "naked lady lamp" (the ladies have varying degrees of exposed breasts) that I used to think was quite tacky but I loved it despite that. She used to live in my grandparents' living room. Actually, there was a pair but one of them went missing. That's a long story but the moral of that one is don't lend things to people for an extended time while you are out of the country, because it seems convenient to both you and to them, and expect to get it all back. There could be a higher moral lesson here, something about not putting too much emotional stock in your possessions, but I'm still learning that one. Let's just say I'm happy to have at least one lady lamp left. In fact, I think I like it more because I have only one; rarity increases worth. That, and somehow it seems less tacky not be part of a pair.
For, like, a decade or so I had the intention of spraying her a glossy bright, uniform white. She had some gold and green accents. I also wanted to get a new lampshade - nothing too curvy or traditional - something streamlined to tone down the so very not modern aesthetic of the thing. Well, I finally painted her last fall and managed to upset a neighbour with the fumes from the paint. I don't know why I mention that; upsetting him is no amazing feat. I hemmed and hawed about whether I wanted to do it white. Maybe neon pink would be awesome or chartreuse. But then how long would that be pleasing? Best to go with classic white. It was ridiculously simple and could have been done more than a WHOLE DECADE earlier.
Since then she has lived shadeless on my desk. You see, I had a shade that I scored for free - a reject from some design show. It was a drum shade and it was sloppily covered in cheap black fabric with satiny hem tape used for a ribbon trim. I removed the fabric and was left with a linty, sticky mess on the styrene so I removed the plastic as well. So now I was left with the two separate rings from the drum shade. I've been trying to source the styrene so I can build the shade again and have only found UK sources thus far. I'm not paying shipping on that. So I gave up.
I also looked for tutorials on how to sew a lined fabric shade but all I came up with were tutorials on how to glue fabric to an existing shade but remember that all I had were two independent rings that could become a shade. I saw a video on how to make a drum shade out of poster board but that seemed like it could be flammable.
Today when I was about to go down the Internet search rabbit hole I got so frustrated with myself; I can figure this out without losing hours to slightly helpful hints online. You can go from one site to the next and think, but is there a better way? and you go around in circles and the next thing you know your day is gone and the million and one projects that you have in mind never get done, am I right? Don't get me wrong, I think it's brilliant that there are all those free tutorial and ideas online but sometimes the Internet comes up short. What happened to tinkering? What happened to attempting to do something, having it fail, and then figuring out a better way from a place of true understanding? And besides, ENOUGH ALREADY! HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE ONE PERSON TO UPDATE A FREAKING LAMP?
So I've just told you this extremely boring story to tell you that I'm going to figure this shit out even though I fear that the result is bound to be monumentally anticlimactic. I'm going to rely on my own wits and ingenuity. I had originally intended to build my shade with some Mylar that I've had kicking around for ages but it's not firm enough. I'm going to see if I can make it work anyway. So take that, Internet.
While I'm updating my tacky lamp have a lovely weekend, all you lovelies out there.
For, like, a decade or so I had the intention of spraying her a glossy bright, uniform white. She had some gold and green accents. I also wanted to get a new lampshade - nothing too curvy or traditional - something streamlined to tone down the so very not modern aesthetic of the thing. Well, I finally painted her last fall and managed to upset a neighbour with the fumes from the paint. I don't know why I mention that; upsetting him is no amazing feat. I hemmed and hawed about whether I wanted to do it white. Maybe neon pink would be awesome or chartreuse. But then how long would that be pleasing? Best to go with classic white. It was ridiculously simple and could have been done more than a WHOLE DECADE earlier.
Since then she has lived shadeless on my desk. You see, I had a shade that I scored for free - a reject from some design show. It was a drum shade and it was sloppily covered in cheap black fabric with satiny hem tape used for a ribbon trim. I removed the fabric and was left with a linty, sticky mess on the styrene so I removed the plastic as well. So now I was left with the two separate rings from the drum shade. I've been trying to source the styrene so I can build the shade again and have only found UK sources thus far. I'm not paying shipping on that. So I gave up.
I also looked for tutorials on how to sew a lined fabric shade but all I came up with were tutorials on how to glue fabric to an existing shade but remember that all I had were two independent rings that could become a shade. I saw a video on how to make a drum shade out of poster board but that seemed like it could be flammable.
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| Naked lady lamp in all her tacky glory: the before picture |
Today when I was about to go down the Internet search rabbit hole I got so frustrated with myself; I can figure this out without losing hours to slightly helpful hints online. You can go from one site to the next and think, but is there a better way? and you go around in circles and the next thing you know your day is gone and the million and one projects that you have in mind never get done, am I right? Don't get me wrong, I think it's brilliant that there are all those free tutorial and ideas online but sometimes the Internet comes up short. What happened to tinkering? What happened to attempting to do something, having it fail, and then figuring out a better way from a place of true understanding? And besides, ENOUGH ALREADY! HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE ONE PERSON TO UPDATE A FREAKING LAMP?
So I've just told you this extremely boring story to tell you that I'm going to figure this shit out even though I fear that the result is bound to be monumentally anticlimactic. I'm going to rely on my own wits and ingenuity. I had originally intended to build my shade with some Mylar that I've had kicking around for ages but it's not firm enough. I'm going to see if I can make it work anyway. So take that, Internet.
While I'm updating my tacky lamp have a lovely weekend, all you lovelies out there.
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