We have liftoff!

While I didn't check everything off of my to-do list last weekend, I did complete one long overdue project.

Yes, the sputnik has come out of hiding and taken its rightful place in the dining room.

I <3 this chandelier!  I mean I REALLY LOVE it.  If marriage to inanimate objects was legal in the state of Missouri, I'd be writing my vows right now.  Unfortunately, society frowns upon our affections and this dream will never be realized.

In all seriousness though, I couldn't believe my luck when I found it at an estate sale last summer for a song.  It's a big'n too - a full 24 inches of brassy, atomic goodness.

I'd planned on putting it up just about every weekend for the last few months, but kept delaying because I thought that there might be some way to fix those tarnish/scratch issues.  Brasso, Katsup, and a mixture of vinegar and salt - all tried to no avail.  I was even thinking that I might just get it re-plated.

Perhaps I also had a feeling that it'd be a nightmare to hang.  It was.  Don't ever attempt to tackle a sputnik installation on your own unless you enjoy contorting yourself into all sorts of awkward positions and being poked in the face with brass rods.

Eventually I just couldn't bear it sitting in the storage room any longer.  So there it is, blemishes and all.

As you can plainly see, the chandelier is missing a few bulbs, but that's another project for another day.  Apparently 15 watt chandelier bulbs are extraordinarily hard to find and I'm not paying $3.87 per set of 4 ($23.22 just for the dang bulbs!) at Home Depot when they can be found for $.97 online.

It does take 15 watt bulbs, right?  None of them have any markings, so I'm not completely sure.

It used to have a full set of star bulbs, but they were taken out by an overzealous estate-saler who tried to snatch my prize AFTER I'd paid for it and set it aside at the checkout counter.

Now, I want you to close your eyes and picture a cheap, generic, builder-quality chandelier.

Does it look like this?

I'm so glad to see that light fixture go.  The whole contemporary brushed steel combined with very traditional marbleized frosted glass thing should've died in the 90's.  OK, so maybe that's a bit harsh, but I'm still bitter about being sliced open by its cheap stamped metal edges and the fact that it began rusting after hanging for only 6 months.

Ahhhhhhh, much better.

House Envy

These weekends just seem to go faster and faster.

I'd planned to clean and install the Sputnik chandelier on Saturday, but never got to it as I just can't commit to rubbing it down with Brasso.  I wouldn't want to ruin a great piece of history like that, so I think I'll hold off until I find a tutorial or someone with experience removing tarnish from them.

I did have a great BBQ with the family though.  There's nothing like a warm, sunny fall day and bratwurst on the Weber Kettle.  We've also got leftovers waiting in the fridge, so that gives me something to look forward to at the end of a long Monday.

As far as the house goes, not much went on this weekend.  A few estate sales looked interesting, but nothing really caught my eye.  In the end, I decided to sit this one out, but I still managed to bring a few new additions home.  Stay tuned and I'll post them soon.

I also found this cool mid-century home that just came on the market in southwest St. Louis for.  Man, I wish I'd waited until this one was available.  It just needs a little kitchen rehab, some new carpet, and a fresh coat of paint.  It's in a great neighborhood and just $165,000 to boot.  Looking at these pictures makes me want to take out a second mortgage.  Somebody stop me!