All the house is a stage

It's February. Which means next month is March. Which means the closing on our house is drawing ever closer.

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! :)

In addition to packing up everything and moving and all that jazz, my landlords (aka: my parents) are working on selling the house we're currently living in. We've been keeping it neat and attractive looking, but apparently that wasn't good enough for the real estate agent who's selling the joint. 

Let me explain: yes, it's neat and stylin' for showings, but apparently there are other things we need to address that we never even thought of. Apparently nowadays, most people who are looking at houses don't want to have to do anything to it, and want it to be their dream home as soon as they walk in. So, there can't be any evidence of us in the house (like family photos, magnets on the fridge, books, etc.). 

And, since our dining room light is coming with us to the new house, we need to find something comparable to the other lights in the main living area to replace it (the rest of the lights won't fit in with the new place, so we'll just leave them).

As a reminder, it went from blaaaaaah to awesome thanks to the Crate & Barrel Outlet Store.

We need to find something to replace it that isn't blaaaaaaah. So, here are a few I'm thinking about:

IKEA 365+ BRASA Pendant Light

This is a good, large, basic lamp that can be customized for the space - this one is screaming "SPRAY PAINT ME!" I'm tempted to listen. That metal clanging sound you hear? That's me, shaking spray-paint cans with glee. Ikea 365+ BRASA Pendant Light, $39.99

IKEA Boja Pendant Light Rattan

I really like this one and originally considered it for the space before I fell in love with the one from Crate & Barrel instead. It's a little pricer than the BRASA, but still very reasonable. Ikea Boja Pendant Light Rattan, $59.99.

CB2 Liberty Pendant Light

If price were no object, I'd go for this one in a heartbeat. It's a little dark, but I think it would fit in really well with the space. Too bad I'm a little cash poor at the moment. CB2 Liberty Pendant Lamp, $229.

Pottery Barn Wine Barrel Pendant Light

Yes, this is another expensive one. However, it may be relatively easy to recreate with some wood and a lighting kit. More of an "inspiration" photo than anything. ;) Pottery Barn Wine Barrel Pendant Light, $245.

Any other ideas of relatively inexpensive pendant lights I could put in this space? Thoughts on spray painting/stenciling the BRASA?

Oy with the lighting already.

Anyone ever watch Gilmore Girls? It's one of my all-time favorite TV shows for so many reasons. It's so well written, Stars Hallow is super-cute, the townsfolk are such unique characters, and Lorelai is just so damn hilarious. Like when she spews out one of her many (many, many) one-liners, my favorite of which is "Oy with the poodles already!" And voila! Instant blog post title inspiration, courtesy of Lorelai Gilmore (well, really more Amy Sherman-Palladino, but same kinda thing, right?).

Source: http://oy-with-the-poodles-already.tumblr.com

So anyway, remember last week when I posted about my new super-awesome-happy-time kitchen pendant lamp I snagged at Crate & Barrel Discount Heaven for only $30? Well, on that same trip I also picked up another pendant lamp - not as super-discounted ($90, down from $199), but still a lot more reasonably-priced than it normally is.

I'll post more after photos of the entire room once I clear off the table and make it look less like a dumping ground for groceries that haven't quite made it to the pantry and more like...well, a dining room. Be glad I spared you the mess that's currently on it - we're all recovering from a wicked cold virus that has left us with just enough energy to keep us, the cats, and our child alive and mostly sanitary, which unfortunately meant the house wasn't as...er..."neat" as it normally is.

Quite an upgrade, wouldn't you say?

Maybe I'll even name the new lamp, since, like Lorelai, I have a penchant for naming inanimate objects (like my computer, which I named Fiona because it's an Apple. Get it? FIONA APPLE?! I'm sooooo witty).

Source: http://oy-with-the-poodles-already.tumblr.com