shades and sizes

a question i often get is "how do i know if the shade will look right on my lamp?" or "what size shade should i buy?" sometimes you will not have your lamp when shade shopping and you can't rely on your eye to tell you if it looks right.

a few years ago, i bought a wonderful book by nadine redfield. in this book, she states that "the visible part of the lamp should be at least two inches greater in height than the height of the lampshade." this is a pretty good rule of thumb to go by. however, as with any decorating item, if you love it, buy it and you will find a home for it.

bathroom and beauty

about 2 years ago, i finally caved and agreed to move our family to the suburbs. but i had one stipulation... that our new house would have a "suburban bathroom" as i call them. you know, the kind of bathroom with a soaker tub and separate shower, the one with a large window with light streaming in, the one with the enormous walk-in closet. well folks, i ended up with the disaster shown above. my inherited bathroom is reminiscent of a bad hotel room. it contains one section with a large vanity and drawers which leads into a tiny, tiny room housing a shower, toilet and sink. tell me when a home owner could ever have said "yes, that's it, it's absolutely beautiful, exactly what i wanted." it just makes me shake my head.

which leads me to this day of beauty. the bathroom has been gutted, the middle wall has been knocked down and this beautiful tile has been laid.
bear with me, it's not in all it's glory yet. it needs another pass with a wet sponge to clear away the grout haze, but i love it. the tile is very retro with it's hexagons, but so modern with it's dark graphite color. and best of all, the price tag was very budget friendly. when the entire renovation is over, i know i will shout "yes, that's it, it's absolutely beautiful, exactly what i wanted."

treasury and me

i received word today that one of my crystal lamps is showcased in an etsy treasury. the treasury feature is a great way to pull together various artist's work. you can create one with similar listings, colors, themes, whatever floats your boat. i really need to dive into this, although i fear i will never stop pulling them together. to view my lamp or any other work by the amazing artists featured, go here. now i just need one of the treasuries i am included in to be featured on the etsy homepage, that would really make my day!

25 things and me

the "25 thing list" has been going around facebook these days. i usually never do these things, i delete any chain emails i receive, in fact i don't even read them before i delete. however, i thought this was kind of fun, expect i am taking it to the blogging world. here goes...

1. i don't drink coffee. never have, never will.
2. my first name, tiffin, came from my parent's obsession with glass. tiffin is a town in ohio which made tiffin glass.
3. i love anything apple makes and never touch a pc unless i have to.
4. i am apple tech support for most of my friends.
5. i am the youngest of three, the baby some may say!
6. i grew up in pittsburgh.
7. i met my husband on the millennium new year's. party like it's 1999!
8. i watch far too much television.
9. i love power tools and am hands on in any house renovation.
10. if i had enough money for the first property, i would love to flip houses for a living.
11. a golf cart is my main mode of transportation 8 months out of the year. seriously, i live in a golf community where there are more golf cart paths than roads. i drive it to school to get my kids, the bank, the grocery store, you name it.
12. i wish cross-stitch would come back into fashion.
13. i think martha stewart has a direct link into my brain. every time i start a new project, the next month, it is showcased in her magazine.
14. i am mildly obsessed with recycling.
15. i love eating on outdoor patios. thankfully atlanta has a ton of restaurants with them.
16. i have a gym membership although i hate to exercise.
17. i taught swimming for over 7 years.
18. i took german from 5th grade through my second year of college. can i speak it now? nein.
19. i am trying to cure my obsession with www.perezhilton.com
20. which has led to my facebook/blog obsession.
21. beer is always my drink of choice. i am the girl drinking a beer while all of her friends have a glass of wine.
22. i love reading. pat conroy is my favorite author. i wish he would write more.
23. i am deathly allergic to cats among other things and have gotten allergy shots once a week for 2 years now.
24. i am very clumsy. i have broken 2 bones and at least 10 of my toes/fingers in my lifetime. or maybe i just need more calcium.
25. i have a very supportive family and couldn't do any of this without them.

art and watercolor

today, i bought my kids these amazing crayola washable watercolors and i am not giving them back! i am telling you, they are the coolest things. there is a small white pad that you wet and place back into the tray, you then wipe the tip on the brush on the pad and then dip the brush into a small hole exposing each color. there is absolutely no mess and no spilled water. the only thing i added for my adult use is that i had a small cup. the brush tip needed to be a bit more wet to blend the colors.

i think i am going to write to crayola and tell them that they need to market this to adults with a few more colors. it is the perfect tool to slip into a back pack when you are traveling and want to get quick sketches. i am absolutely hooked.

please excuse my less than mediocre painting, i am more than a bit rusty!