Many weeks ago, I mentioned the sleep trouble that I suffer this time of year, and a kind woman named Nancy suggested that I look into SAD lights.  I decided to give it a try, but it took some time for me to remember to pick up new light bulbs, and then I couldn’t find a lamp that I liked.  I did switch the bulbs in the office ceiling fixture to bright daylight CFLs, and I have made an effort to keep the window shades in the house open when the sun is shining.

When I visited my dad recently, he offered me an old table lamp that he had on his dresser when he was a child.  It was so much cuter than any of the lamps I’d looked at while thrifting, and it was even cheaper (free) than a similar lamp I almost bought at Walmart.

The paint was chipped, it needed re-wired, and a shade.  I planned to re-paint it black, but then I changed my mind and used the can of aqua spray paint that I bought to spiff up a child’s school desk.  I’m fairly certain that this lamp is now the only aqua-colored home decor item that I own.  It reminds me of my dear friend Beth’s Magic Chef stove.  With the can of paint, and the wiring kit, I spent no more than if I’d bought the new lamp (around $10) and this lamp appears to be cast iron rather than resin/plastic/rubber wood.

At some point in the future (like maybe on one of the 5 days out of the year when the temperature is moderate and the wind isn’t blowing), I may decide to sand the paint to smooth it and spray on one more light coat of aqua. I was impatient (shocking, I know) and painted on a windy day, and as a result there are a couple of spots where the paper towel I used to protect my patio table from overspray touched the lamp before the paint was dry. I’m still debating whether to use some silver Rub-n-buff to bring out the Art Deco details. For now, I’ve strategically turned the lamp so the imperfect spots don’t show.