Sunday Night Ritual

A Sunday night bath is becoming a bit of a ritual for me.

After all, there's really nothing on TV on Sunday nights, and it's a nice way to wind-down at the end of the weekend, after dinner and walking the dog on a chilly night.



(In case you're wondering, there is a blind that drops down to cover the window!)

One of the things we had the electrician do (as part of some significant re-wiring of the house), was install a dimmer switch in the bathroom, for the purpose of enjoying a nice relaxing bath. I never used to be a bath person, but the clawfoot tub and the dimmer switch makes all the difference!

So, my ritual starts with the dimming of the lights. Then I use empsom salts (supposedly they release toxins) and/or scented bath gel, and sometimes I light some candles too (depending on whether or not I plan to read). I then grab my bath pillow and my latest edition of Canadian House and Home or Style and Home magazine and lay back and relax.

And so with that, I'm off to draw myself a bath!

Sparkle and Light

What do you get when you combine hot water and vinegar, sunshine and a crystal chandelier? Answer: an amazing display of sparkly light.

This weekend I took on the job of cleaning my crystal light fixtures/chandeliers (and my windows).

It's amazing what a difference a little cleaning can make.

Here's my front hall fixture -- all shiney and new.



And here's a shot of the fixture (and popcorn/stippled ceiling) that were here when we bought the house:



Bedroom fixture - before (when we bought the house):



...and the replacement fixture (a second hand find), after this morning's cleaning (view from my bed and from straight-on):



And finally, here's my bathroom fixture (a vintage piece which is a real pain to clean, I might add):




Springtime, sunshine and shimmery crystal/glass -- what could be better?

Let there be light

I can't believe it's been two months since I last posted a message on my blog. How time flies.

In my defence, we've had a lot going on -- finishing off the basement bathroom and basement media room, the kitchen and the office. But before I get to that, since it's a beautiful bright sunny day and because I'm overdue in responding to Terri's recent post on Windlost, I thought I'd cover the topic of lighting.

http://windlost.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-blue-room-in-progress-help-wanted.html

She was considering the purchase of a Hudson Valley Fixture which we purchased last summer and installed in our front hall (albeit in a different finish/colour). We love the way it casts beautiful shadows on the walls. Imagine my surprise when a follow-up post from her about lighting included the chandelier we installed in our dressing room last year!

We have actually replaced all of the lighting in the house --- unfortunately any "vintage" pieces that may have existed at one time had been replaced with 1970s or 1980s brass fixtures in most cases.

Our dining room fixture was our most important/expensive decision. There was much debate about whether it was too big (it is large!). However, given the open feeling of our main floor and the high ceilings, I think it works. The five light option wasn't nearly as dramatic and it would actually have been more expensive than my on-sale nine-lighter.