Thursday, March 11, 2010

lampshades, large and small


The king finally took matters into his own hands and brought home these lovely shades for the the lamp just off the kitchen. It has warmed the room up nicely. One day, perhaps we'll actually inhabit that room in some meaningful way!

It just hasn't happened yet.

I think it started with its name. I have read [by someone who unfortunately never gives footnote references] that Einstein said the most important thing anyone could do is to name something. I have not named this place. Mea culpa. I refused to call it a "nook". I hate that word. I hate it at least when fancifully applied to rooms as in "breakfast nook". Unfortunately, I never came up with an alternate name so by default it became the noddanook as in "It's not a nook!"

Whether or not Einstein ever opined on the importance of naming things, when you don't have a name for a place, it's hard to say something like "Let's dine in the __________."

And that's a shame, because it's a lovely spot. It's a lovely spot with an inviting table, which invites stuff to be placed on it as you walk in. On any given day - in addition to the standard issue candles and plants - it accumulates the mail, gloves, sweaters, hats, scarves, recycling, party-ware, boxes. . . . anything that comes in or goes out seems to spend a bit of time first on the table in the whatever-you-want-to-call-it-(except-a-nook!) room. There's nothing on it now, but that's only because we have houseguests. I cleaned it off yesterday, and found exactly what I listed above. Come growing season, you'll also find trowels, garden gloves, herb snips, seeds, pots, and garden notes and catalogues.

Anyway, the king was convinced that the reason we don't use it was because the light is too bright without shades. The only problem was that I really wanted these other shades [click on link to see], but couldn't see my way clear to paying - wait for it - $90 each. Wow! I think they went up! They were something like $68. . . . Well that settles it, then! $90?!!! This is a wee chandelier shade we're talking about, here, and I'd need six of them! That's just ridiculous. No more secret pinings for those MacKenzie Child's Courtly Checks checkered shades. Although I might improvise a small checkered border. . . .

The king was right - shades really warm the room up. We still need a name for this room, however. Any suggestions? Do I have to run a contest to get help, here? Probably. Contests seem to bring people out of the woodwork. But that's another conundrum. For now, I'll just ask. Any names?

4 comments:

joyful said...

Well, they used to be called Keeping Rooms....but I presume you wanted something more original? I HATE the term Morning Room...seems so hoity toity. And please tell me that he did NOT pay $90 ea. for those! I coulda done better!

queenie said...

I never knew what a 'keeping' room was. . . it sounds almost as hoity-toity as a 'morning room'! Maybe we'll just call it the Settle. . . . giggle; as in "Let's go sit in the Settle!"

Maybe not.

And no! I draw the line on shades at that price! At shades half that price! At shades . . . well, you get the idea.

queenie said...

Ah - I have fixed the indefinite reference that caused several people to doubt my financial sanity.

joyful said...

Great.....I re-read the blog; and now realize you were talking about the McK/Child thingys. Golly, looks like we/you could have made those yourself with a little cardstock and a big pot of black ink! I really like the new ones; they warm up the room. And as for keeping room.....it's not hoity toity at all; it's where you used to go to keep warm!