If you wait long enough...

... the answer will come to you.

I've been replacing the ugly light fixtures that came with the house. It started last year, when I decided that I was going to stay in this house, and that I should decorate it with things I love. (Previously, I was very careful not to let anything be too feminine, too bold of a statement or too ... anything.) Then, I decided that I was going to stay and I painted my front porch purple. That made it official.

Next, I started on the light fixtures. In my great room (living room/dining room/kitchen) I took out two sets of track lights and replaced them with two chrome fixtures that are all about the wow.
I found the first one in San Diego, while I was travelling with Katie. I didn't buy it then, but wished I had from the day I got home. So, when I found it again here in town, I snapped it up for above the kitchen island.

I decided then that that Sparklies are a Very Good Thing.

After that, I found this fixture, and added it to the collection, above the fireplace in the living room.


The problem has been finding a fixture to go between them, above the dining table. The only thing I'm certain is that the carboard-fake-stainless steel ceiling fan has to go.

I figure I can go one of two ways... I could get a fairly ornate fixture that can hold its own with those two, or I could get something very basic and fairly plain that will slip into the background without competing.

Oh, and if I could find something that didn't cost too much, I might feel a little less guilty about the first two.

About six weeks ago, I found an inexpensive fixture at Home Depot. It's Chrome (like the other two fixtures). It's round (like my new soon-t0-be-delivered dining room table). It isn't white (not a big fan of white), it isn't black (cat hair magnet!) and it doesn't have any soft material (cat hair and dust magnet). The price was reasonable, so I bought it. I didn't loved it, but I didn't dislike it. I figured that not everything can be the star in the room.

Except, six weeks has gone by and that fixture is still in its box, in the garage.

Today, I decided that I'd made the decision by not making the decision. If I didn't like it enough to hang it after six weeks, I don't like it enough to keep it. Tomorrow, I'm going to throw myself on the mercy of Home Depot, and hope that they'll let me return it after having it for so long. (Worse case scenerio, I figure they'll give me instore credit. Since I, personally, shop at Home Depot enough to support half their staff, I don't think that'll be a problem.)

After that, the search is on. I need a chrome fixture that's modern, and whimsical, and affordable. And apparently, I needs to call my name really, really loudly.