Help Wanted; Must Love Crystal and Getting Damp

Three years ago, we bought That Old House 
and set about making it our own.

Even when "our own" involved

some possibly oddball decisions.

I am not sure what flight of fancy, or wacky middle-aged wish to play princess, prompted me to choose a great big honkin' crystal chandelier for the dining room of our old Greek Revival farm house.

This was my first blog header.  Meh.

Honestly, friends, I did follow the rules for how big a ceiling fixture

should be installed in a 16 x 20 dining room.  Really, I did.

It still startles me when I walk into the room.

As in, Whoa!  Shiny stuff!

In the dining room today: tablecloths waiting to go to the laundry, the wedding guest list on the table, an old chair upturned prior to getting its seat taken off and recovered, and a covered dish, homeless on the table.  Real life.

The chandelier (which the neighborhood kids think is made of diamonds)

has been holding court in the dining room for three years, as of last month.

It's never been cleaned.  Not that anything ever gets schmutzig around here . . . .

Got Dust?

 Why yes, we do.  Thanks for asking.

That ain't amateur dust, either.  That's old house dust.  Old houses manufacturer

it by the dumpster load, and anyone who's owned an old house knows what I mean.

So who wants to help me clean the dining room chandelier at That Old House?

There are some basic job requirements.

You must be able to climb more than one step on a stepladder,

because one step is my height limit for doing dangerous things.

You must be able to look directly up without getting dizzy.  Because I can't.

You must have strong arms that won't poop out from being held in the locked and upright position

as you swipe out those little cuppy doo-dads, those bobeches, and you can't be bothered by

drippy cleaning solution running down your arm and off your elbow, and sometimes all the way to your pits.

Hey. I think I have just described my daughters.  And luckily, they are home right now!

This job position is filled.

My girls have never minded getting messy.  That's our bride on the right.  Yikes.

 

 Link Parties!
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home.  Click here!
Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground.   Click here!
Home Sweet Home Friday at The Charm of Home.  Click here!
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage.  Click here!

 Have a glorious weekend, and remember to take pictures!

I don't want to forget to say that we love our big honkin' chandelier.
-- Cass

 Postscript

About our chandelier . . .  I bought it online, for what was a really good (as in, cheap) price.  It was delivered in an enormous box.  Inside the box was a giant crystal 3-D puzzle of sparkly bits and pieces, and snaky looking glass tubes, wires and connectors.  Plus very sketchy instructions, written by someone for whom English was a casual acquaintance, perhaps even a one-night stand.

After a brief flirtation with assembling it myself, I came to my senses and called the electrician.  It took two guys to assemble and hang it, and that cost more than the danged chandelier itself had cost, but those electricians earned every penny.  I just toss that little factoid in for those considering playing princess under a big crystal chandelier; be prepared to pay a king's ransom for installation if you aren't married to a patient electrician.