Bitch

Betty's being a bitch. She finally stopped lighting the kitchen.

Since the beginning, the kitchen light has been twitchy. After a minor adjustment, for the most part it worked. What I noticed was that after three or four weeks, it would start to flicker, and sometimes go off. I would twist the fixture, sometimes pulling it all the way out of the ceiling. Now, that is not enough.

I took a look at the wiring, and it was easy to see where someone else had already snipped a wire and re-connected it. I will admit I was nervous about messing with wiring, especially since my breakers are not labeled as well as they could be (I turned off the entire living room in addition to the kitchen). I did snip and re-tie the wire, covering with electrical tape, but to no avail. I still have no kitchen light.

I've put in a work order to have the super look at it. Meantime, it's summer, and between the living room windows and the entryway hall light, I have enough light to get by.

Lamps

I haven't posted the lamps I bought. They're not gonzo-fabulous, but they do help out a lot.

First of all I bought two of these for the living room:

They're great, and demonstrate once more how West Elm has come to dominate my decor. Basically, they sit on storage ottomans that are serving as end tables until I can properly furnish the living room, and provide badly needed light - there is no overhead or built-in light in the living room.

And then I bought this for my bedroom:

Also great, and sitting on my nightstand, a far cry better than a ratty old Ikea lamp that stepped me through the past five years. There are little butterflies on the glass, and it is managed with a rocker switch. It is so nice to be able to lie in bed reading a book before falling asleep, with a place to set the book and a lamp within easy reach.

I know, that makes me sound old, but I don't care. I like it. ALso - West Elm, on sale, $15. Can't beat that.

Metropolis

I finally got my poster hung up. It isn't framed - OMG, framing is expensive - but I think the Metropolis poster makes the room.

Metropolis is a movie that hits all the right notes. It's a little tedious to watch with modern eyes bc it is so stylized, but: German, German Expressionism, science fiction, a femme-bot, and class struggle are all well-represented. Since I love these things - and the color works - I got the poster.