Several months ago, my cousin (second-cousin, half-cousin, something like that) lost her grandma. I didn't know this woman, but she was the wife of my mom's half-brother. Yes, it's kind of confusing, but grandpa had been married before he met my grandma. Anyway, we learned that her family was having an estate sale at the house, because they didn't have a need for some of her furniture and so on. I wondered if there would be anything in the house that might remind me of my own grandpa, or of my mom's brother. And so we went.
I do love old objects that feel like they've seen a lot of history. I have an old round wall-mirror from my great grandma's house, it hangs above my dresser. And I recently baked some pies for the holidays, and I always like the feel of my grandma's rolling pin when I'm making a pie crust. The wood is so smooth and well-worn. It's one of my very favorite things.
Anyway, at the estate sale, we found quite a collection of antique lamps. Several beautiful desk and floor lamps in Tiffany-style, which I could only wish I had a place for, and then this little beaded antique lamp that I fell in love with.
Strangely enough, just before finding this, a photographer friend of mine had posted some beautiful detailed photos of a similar lamp, and some lighting effects she had used. I knew I had to have this lamp.
And after playing with my camera, and the sunlight coming in through a window one afternoon, thinking of my relatives who had looked at this the same way, I know that I'm happy to have kept this little piece of history in the family.
(as always, click photos to enlarge them)
