affordable find: prism chandelier

the last affordable find i posted was almost half the price of it's expensive twin. the price difference between these two isn't as dramatic, but HEY--$45 is $45, right? i can think of a lot of things at target that i could get for $45! i am sure you can too...

oldham chandelier
$495

large prism chandelier
$450


happy shopping!

an ebay fairytale

(warning: this post is written in third person. i only warn you because i am still bothered by a speech karl malone (an NBA player for the utah jazz) gave over 14 years ago in which he referred to himself in third person the entire time...)

once upon a time there was a designer who loved pretty things. (yep. that would be me.) often, these pretty things were very, very expensive.

sadly, this designer was on a very tight budget. 

however, with some patience, and a knack for finding a bargain, she usually found something pretty for her castle that was also within her budget.

because this designer loved to find high-end items at a fraction of the cost, she often shopped on ebay. one morning, she noticed a lovely chandelier for sale. 

this one to be exact (but without the shades):

but instead of the usual $1000 price tag, the bidding on this beauty was starting at just $100.

"oh!" she exclaimed, "i had my eye on a different chandelier for my dining room, but this one is VERY lovely, and if i can get it for a decent price, i will be very happy indeed!"

the days passed, and she watched the auction with interest. she knew that if she REALLY wanted it, she might have to spend a few hundred dollars, but since the item was located in the kingdom where this designer lived, she could save the shipping fee if she drove and picked it up! plus, she had since grown very fond of this chandelier, and knew it would look perfect in her dining room.

the time for the auction to end was coming to a close...the designer watched with intensity on her magical tablet. (ha! you know you all feel that way about your iphones/ipads at times! admit it!)

with only 15 minutes to go, our heroine was still the high bidder, and the beautiful chandelier was still just over $100...

only 9 minutes to go, and her bid was still the highest!

4 minutes to go, and all is well!

oh no! someone else is trying to snag our designers amazing chandelier with just a few seconds left. evil ebay bandits!
(SO typical.)

oh, HARK!!
what is THIS? has our heroine won the auction??
and for only $211.50?
tis so! all is well! 
(she can be sneaky when it comes to online auctions, that designer...with a little help from auctionsniper.com)

as soon as the designer was able to, she rushed to the nearby warehouse to pick up her beautiful and affordable prize! 

she placed it in her chariot and rode off into the sunset towards her castle.

she unpacked it and oohed and aahed at how pretty and perfect it was!

(and how cheap!)

soon, arrangements were made for the hideous temporary light to be removed, and the new and amazing chandelier to be hung in its place....

and here is the lovely chandelier, hanging proudly in the content and happy designers home:

oh, and just in case you were wondering... the designer lived happily ever after. 

(at least i believe she will!)

so, what do you think? do you believe in fairy tales?
have you ever scored an incredible deal on ebay?
do you think i should write a post on how to shop on ebay for designer goods?
let me know!

recovering chandelier shades

i have been working on a few 

projects for 

the pink + navy nursery.

here is one i thought y'all 

might enjoy 

tackling in your home!

i chose a fun print and contrasting trim, but this

technique could work equally well with a simple, 

textured fabric with a matching trim for a dining room.

we ordered a very affordable chandelier, 

and it came with these plain, white pleated shades.

*yawn*

the first step was to remove the binding on the top

and bottom of the shade.

next, i made a template onto wrapping paper

by rolling the shade and tracing as i went.

then, i cut out the template, and traced it

onto my fabric.

(recognize that wrapping paper?)

then, i cut out the fabric,

and sprayed the back with spray adhesive.

next, i placed the fabric on the shade and

trimmed of the excess.

i also used a fabric glue on the seams

for more durability.

(ps--try not to get marker on your shade as

you trace you template--oopsie!)

next, i used my glue gun to attach

bias tape to the top and bottom of the shade.

and then i attached the pom fringe on the bottom.

and here is the finished shade!

i love the way they turned out.

here is a peek at the 

shades on the chandelier.

the  room should be finished in the next week.

stay tuned for the pictures!
i'm linking to:
the inspired room
remodeliaholic
poppies at play
fireflies and jellybeans