"The personality of a house is indefinable, but there never lived a lady of great cultivation and charm whose home, whether a palace, a farm-cottage or a tiny apartment, did not reflect the charm of its owner." Etiquette. 1922.

Recently I was struck with a sudden feeling that the interior of my apartment needs a little update. I blame it on my fellow future Lady of Leisah, Sloan, and her recent lamp recovering project. She just loves to fill her blog with cute decorating ideas with no regard for how it will affect others. I suppose that's neither here nor there. At any rate, yours truly felt compelled to give her modest little living room a face lift for spring. Last weekend I rearranged the furniture and dragged poor Colonel Brandon all the way into Atlanta for a Saturday trip to Ikea (y'all, if you must go to Ikea, do not go on a Saturday). The result is a lovely new place for my growing collection of photographs that had begun to cover every table top surface in my apartment.

I am terrible at hanging pictures, y'all, because I do not like to measure. This time, though, I measured twice and was so careful to line everything up just right. The pictures are spaced perfectly and they all hang at nice right angles from each other, but wouldn't you know that once I stand back to look at it, it seems the whole display slants?!? How in the world does that happen? Maybe I'm cursed. Maybe I'm just imagining it. Maybe my apartment is crooked. Ugh. Now I just need to fill a couple of frames and find something to go in the corner behind the chairs. I'm thinking either floor lamp or hanging lamp, but would 3 lamps in a small room be overkill?

Speaking of lamps, I also decided that it was time to do something about this lampshade:

I tried my hand at lampshade decorating a few years ago by adding beading and braiding to this. Don't judge me. I wanted to change it up by covering a new lampshade, but I was having a hard time finding the right shade shape...shaped shade? And I didn't really want to spend any money on a something that I could potentially destroy. Solution?

A neighbor left these out by the dumpster one day with a sign reading, "Free antique lamps. Still work!" Who cares about the lamps? That shade was perfect!!! And free!!! Long story short, the end result is this:

Friends, not only do I think I might now be addicted to lampshade covering, but I've begun toying with the idea of updating other pieces of furniture. Like the Dr. Frankenstein of home decorating, I want to go to dumpsters, yard sales, and thrift stores to find furniture and decor to give life to. Lack of money, space, and skill be darned! What kind of monster has been unleashed?!?

I need the Braves to start so that I have something else to occupy my mind.

Fondest regards,

The Lady

P.S. I'm really proud of the Hoop Dawgs for making it to the dance. I would have loved to see them win, but I'm really happy that they were even in it and that they didn't get embarrassed like some folks in East Tennessee that we won't mention by name because talking bad about people...especially when they are down...is as tacky as that shade of orange said folks wear.