The Lamp Saga...

Buying bedside table lamps may seem like a simple thing to you, but not for us. Having two EXTREMELY different tastes sometimes makes for a volatile concoction.

Our bathroom is in desperate need of a face lift but our funds have limited us to one large project at a time. Because the bathroom is fully functional (but hideous to look at) it's dropped to the bottom of the ever expanding list of things to do. Ty, in all his sweet thoughtfulness, started looking for small vanities. Something that we could tuck into a corner of our bedroom so that I would have my own little space for my ablutions (my mothers terminology). After he told me about his idea, it got me thinking. Thinking has proven to be a precarious past-time for me. After some google searching, I started to elaborate on his idea.

My nightstand is actually an antique school desk. It has a small 'cubby' under the desktop and space to tuck a small chair or stool underneath. I thought, instead of buying something new, we could just use what we have! I was so excited to present my frugal idea to Ty! I explained to him that we could hang one of the mirrors that we have in storage on the wall in front of the desk. We would have to find a stool and some new lamps but overall we should be saving money. Ty agreed to this idea. I even think that, at first, he might have thought this was a good idea. We found an ottoman at Target that opens up to store things inside. It worked out perfectly! I've been keeping my makeup and small mirror inside and pull it out each time I need it. Except, we still needed to get some lamps and hang the mirror.

I've been using the lamp by my bed by turning it on it's side. Lamps are not meant to be used this way. The risk of breaking the lamp is greatly increased. My lamp still works but is very wobbly. We went to Lamps Plus last night to look for swing arm, plug in, wall mount lamps. I thought that this specific type of lamp would be perfect for this application. Space saving and light manipulation, precicely what I need. Little did I know that a decent looking lamp with the above specifications cost a whopping $180 EACH! At least the ones that looked cool. I don't think Ty was opposed to the way these lamps looked. I think that buying 2 lamps for nearly $400 was his problem. And honestly, it was my problem too! I wanted to go to this store if not to buy lamps, then to at least get a feel for what's available and maybe a few ideas. I definately did not go there with a secret plan to con Ty into spending $400. It was the first attempt that we made together to start the lamp buying process. I didn't go into this thinking that their would be a process.

First of all the selection of the specific type of lamp I was interested in was relatively small compared to the size of the store. It's a lamp store. A warehouse. An outlet. An entire buidling dedicated solely to the purpose of providing the public with their lighting needs. I liked a few of the ones that they had on display, but evidently, the amount of taste I have exceeds the amount of money I have in my posession. I didn't want to settle for the overpriced, cheap-o, brass, swing arm lamp with a paper shade from 1967. In all my browsing Ty misunderstood my liking a lamp that costs $180 as 'I want to buy 2 lamps for $400.' This was not the case. I was not prepared to spend that much money on lamps for our bedroom. I was only admiring a lamp that I liked and I thought we were just flinging around ideas. So he said 'You can have one but I'm not buying two.' So I immediately get defensive thinking that we won't have matching lamps. I ask him 'Why can't we have two?' He is thinking that I want to buy the sumptuously priced lamps. I'm thinking that he doesn't ever want to buy two matching lamps. Do you see the mis-communication?

We haven't bought lamps yet and will ultimately come up with something that makes us both happy. We always do. This is just a really good example of how women and men see and interpret things so differently.