Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Out With the Old, In With the Vintage....

Back when we first moved into the nest here in Cedar Rapids, I posted this photo of the Guest retro pink bath in the hallway...Still in very good condition. The one oddity of it was that there was a small ceiling fan hanging in it.



At that time, I stated that I had a vision of a small chandelier hanging in there, and was going to begin my "watch and wait for it" routine. ** That ceiling fan hasn't been used ONCE since we moved in. Only the vent fan.



I have to state the obvious....Aren't those light bulbs hideous looking? (they are to me) but the man wants to use them for energy saving purposes....(another REASON I wanted to get rid of the fan!!) ;-)

So fast forward...15 months later. December. I see an ad on Craig's List. (yes. Craig, my online picker, lol)




I am thinking to myself... "I am reading a misprint here", based on the price. It was for TWO vintage chandeliers, listed in the Antiques classifieds. There was a photo, and I was on the edge of my chair!!! I make a call, thinking they would be grabbed up...SOLD...but no! The man says they are still available. I quick arrange with him to pick them up that coming Saturday morning, 2 days later. (He lives in Des Moines, Iowa, but he and his wife come to Cedar Rapids every Saturday to work on a house they are remodeling/renovating to sell) That is where the lights were.

Now this occurred RIGHT in the midst of 11th hour WAITING to hear when Justin's Company would be offloading from the ships that had just returned from their deployment. We still had no idea.... You guessed it. The next day we got that last- second message that they would be marching in on Sunday...We had to get OUT OF HERE!!! I was excited, over the moon!!! but, oh, still so disappointed that I would have to call and cancel getting those chandeliers. 15 months of searching !!!! oh my.... :-(

Long story short. When I told this man why I couldn't come and apologized for backing out which is something I don't normally do...he was extremely kind and asked questions about Justin and the Marines and said he would be "WILLING TO HOLD THEM FOR ME 'TIL WHENEVER WE RETURNED FROM NC!!!!" I was so shocked...this is rare for a Craig's listing sale....but believe me I accepted!!!



I later told Justin that I could tell the seller did that for me because he was grateful for Justin's service, it was obvious by the conversation we had. I was so floored by his kindness and willingness to wait for me to purchase it. Justin said, "You're Welcome!" lol :-)

It turned out that the deal did not take place until January 12th because this man and his family went to California for 3 weeks over the holidays. When they returned to Iowa, he called me. We met and I bought the chandeliers, and he gave Kurt and I a tour of the house he and his wife are remodeling. It was all very enjoyable. :-)

Below is a photo of the two, waiting on the kitchen table to get cleaned up.



Getting the small chandelier was a long-awaited purchase. It is absolutely perfect for the Bathroom. Four candlesticks and not too large for the room dimensions. Da man installed it that same day. He knew I was excited. He is so good to me.



I love the aged look of the bronze. They are solid and heavy lights.



Makes SUCH a HUGE difference in the look of the bath.

The large one is tucked safely away in the back Guest room on the floor until I decide where to hang it. Since it was an unexpected surprise, I am still thinking on that one.


Heavy!!

I decided to save the best part for last...the Blessing of it all. You know the saying, "It's Worth the Wait???" Well, It IS! Both of these chandeliers together were $25.00. No, that's not a mistype. My loving dad had given each of us money for our Christmas gifts, and I used some of mine to buy these lights. SO..they are a gift from him! :-)

Just for a comparison, I did a search and saw this ad on Craig's the other day for a large vintage chandelier...



It's not as big in size nor does it have the beautiful pineapple shaped center post. It is priced at ... $175.00.

I always wondered who came up with that saying, GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT.

I thank God for the gift of these lights. All things come from His hand. And even if they are material earthly items...they are all provisions from Him and His love and overseeing....I believe this in my heart.

Another post in my ejournal book to document the goings-on in this nest as it changes and gets rearranged and altered.

For any who are popping in today to see what's going on here, I say HI! and thanks for visiting with me. Hope you have a blessed day wherever you are.

Give away a smile. *It does a body good.




















10 comments:

Anonymous said...

WHAT A DEAL! God surely blessed you with that one, my friend...like I have to tell you, right? ;-) How he not only blessed the price, but how He worked everything out between your going away and the seller's vacation...Happy for you, Julie! xoxo

Beth said...

That's great, Julie. They are beautiful and the story is special. You are right in that God loves us so much, He cares even about the little things!

Sandy said...

How beautiful! I'd say these were a gift from the Lord. I always believe He is in the details and He knew you wanted a chandy and blessed you doubly!
Hugs~

Tete said...

I love it when God smiles on you! I want that bathroom! LOL
I love it that you acknowledge Him in your life and playtime. You always make me smile when I come here, even when things are not so great there, its good to see your trust when you cannot see the path.
Have a great day and I know that bathroom will get a lot more use out of it. Better stock up on TP!

Theresa said...

Hi there SWEET friend of Mine:) I have been busy around my nest this morning, stopped for a quick sandwich and saw your post in my sidebar! YEEHAW, Julie posted! I ADORE that chandy in your bathroom! Bargain? WELL, I would say that is a huge bargain! ALSO, what a nice fella to hold them for you until you returned! Can't wait to see what you do with the other one! Have a blessed day in your part of the Country! BIG HUGS!

Staci said...

Love it! :)

Anonymous said...

You may find this hard to believe, but I actually THREW OUT a chandelier just like the one shown for $175!!! It came with our 1961 house, but never went with the style of our furniture. Also, it needed re-wiring (a couple of the sockets had bad connections, and the bulbs flickered and made crackling noises). When our daughter bought us a plain black wrought iron chandelier for our anniversary, I decided to chuck our old one. But I did keep the crystal pendants! - Paula

Lori V said...

I just love your chandelier story. You did get 2 beauties. I have been collecting chandeliers and redoing them. Enjoy them in every room. I even have one little one in my closet.

Manuela@A Cultivated Nest said...

What a great story to go with those lovely chandeliers! Amazing how things work out.

Yes, those bulbs are not my favorites either but since they're energy efficient...

Lili said...

A-mazing!!! Love the chandys AND especially the story of how they came to be yours. xoxo