LAMPS!

I headed down to Home Goods at Blakeney to look for a new powder room mirror. Unfortunately, they didn't have one to suit me. More unfortunately, they did have a lotta lamps on sale.

Yeah, I had to buy them.

I have to confess that Home Goods always makes me a little nervous. It's always crowded and cramped. Usually, I just don't want to fight for the stuff.

Ya'll, these lamps made a fighter outta me.

Aren't they great??? They flank the sofa in the living room. They add just a bit of sparkle.

I have been looking for living room lamps for years. Really, YEARS. And then, when I'm not looking for them, there they are and at an unbeatable price.

Here's a close up of the crystal base. I have a thing for crystal lamps. Very 1930's French, which is sort of my guiding design principal here at Chateau Bee Charmer.

I also snapped up this little one for the desk in my room. The other one, from Target, rattled when you walked by and that just bugged me. This one is gorgeous and perfect, and frankly, didn't cost much more than the old Target one. I LOVE a good deal and it makes me love the lamps even more.

This trip was also a good reminder to me to be open to all possibilities when shopping for one's home, because I found something at a place where I generally don't enjoy shopping.

It also struck me again that your home shouldn't be like a Candace Olsen makeover, with everything new and beautiful but with very little - or no - personal meaning. Anyone can throw a lot of money at a room and make something that is objectively beautiful. However, most people don't have the money to spend in such a way and as beautiful as the room might be, it's a little soulless. Your home isn't hatched, you have to build it a bit at a time and often that means waiting for a while to find just the right thing.

As much, or more than your money, your beautiful home needs your time, your devotion, your thought and your energy. The perfect addition could pop up when you least expect it - and sometimes, at a perfectly affordable price.

I still need a mirror for that powder room, though.