Made in the Shades (of Light)

The fine folks over at Shades of Light are my new BFF. If I was Rudy, they would be Notre Dame. If I was an old person, they would be Depends. If I was Brad Pitt, they would be Jen...doh!...I mean, Angelina!!! You get the point.

What is Shades of Light? Besides being Katie's Best Friend Forever, they are the cat's meow provider of lighting, rugs and furniture. Just look at some of these amazing lighting fixtures:

Lurve me tender! Uber cute, no?! And the goosebumps don't stop there - the SOL items are actually quality stuff...totally 'investment' pieces. No, I don't often recommend spending a boo-coo of money on home decor items but in this case, loosen those purse strings! Not only will this stuff last the test of time in quality and general wear and tear but also in design. So your purchase is well worth the money.

So why are they my BFF? I am so glad you asked.

When they heard about my kitchen rug debacle, they swooped in to save the day. They actually offered me a rug! (insert bootie dance here!) And their fabulous design team already picked out some options! One word - "Moderndaysuperheroes".

As many of you know, I love it when you guys vote on stuff for me. Mostly because I get option paralysis...diner menus are the worst (too many choices!) but also because all ten of you have super-fabulous taste! Soooo this rug choice is going to be put into your very able hands. Here is the photo of the too-much-wood-ain't-so-good space:




Now please put on your design hats and pick me a kitchen rug! Here are the options:

Option #1 is the Happy Trellis Rug. Ya'll know how much I love me some green...and this brisk colored plush baby is totally punchy and comfy to boot. Available in three colors :)


The Variegated Round Braid rug is the second option. With it's happening combo of colors done in a practical polypropylene, this option is a breeze to clean (prime time kitchen rug!)


Last but certainly not least, is the Soho Dhurri rug. This is similar in design to my too-small-Pottery-Barn rug but in a rugged and durable dhurri weave. Although it is not as plush as many rugs, the nubbly texture and the yummy yellow color make it quite the contender.


So there you have it...the battle of the century. Even bigger than the one over Brad Pitt. Dear friends help me out by voting. Whatever you choose will be the rug I will live with forever :) I realize that a few of you may not be in the mood to de-lurk, so I thought I could give a little something to you too - here is the Shades of Light Blog. So now you can add that sucker to your reader and continue your lurk-dom!

And because those fine folks at Shades of Light are being so generous, I also decided to pay it forward.

For each vote I get, I am going to donate $1 to Locks of Love (up to $250). They provide hairpieces to bald kids who lost their hair due to medical illness. I know several little girls who suffered from cancer and losing their hair was excruciating. I figure I am getting a rug, so should they :) And it is all thanks to Shades of Light.

What do you do?

What do you do if someone dies and leaves no will?


We have a bit of a situation. Let's explain. Grandma went to be with Jesus last Friday. She left a will when it came to money. But she left a WHOLE HOUSE of stuff. Tons of clothing, three floors of furniture, and millions (no joke - millions) of chotchkies. It will take weeks and weeks to sort through everything.


My dad is one of four brothers (my uncles are VERY well off and their families have asked for basically nothing in the house). So it kinda falls on my immediate family. My older brother asked for a doll (my grandma handpainted their tiny faces) for my neice Clara. My younger brother didn't ask for anything but we found some old coins we thought he would like to add to his collection. My sister has no space and asked for a few scarfs and a bit of her costume jewelry. And then there is me. I have a certain emotional attachment to almost everything. I would keep an unhealthy amount of items. So what do you do?


We have all asked for little things of sentimental value...I asked for the pighead. But then there is the stuff that has REAL value...like furniture. In actuality, my parents and I are the only ones with room for anything...and when I say my parents and I, I mean my mom will stuff other things in a closet to make room. Also, it seems wrong to ask for anything of any intrinsic value because we don't NEED it. But it seems more wrong to not ask for her things because of the emotional value. Even if an item is worth a lot doesn't mean that is the reason you keep it, right? So what do you do?


For instance, Jeremy and I have space for a bedroom suite. I would prefer her bedroom suite...because it was hers. Her hands touched those dressers everyday. Her smell is still in the drawers. Her most personal items were in that room. But it is probably the nicest of all the bedroom furniture. And besides the dining room set, it has the most value. So I felt really strange asking for it. But I didn't want to NOT ask for it and it be donated to someone who never knew how special it was to touch her things.

Have you ever dealt with a situation like this? What do you do? Do you only choose the items of sentimental value or do you ask for items that are worth cash? We don't want to sell anything but if we donate the items, the thought of her stuff being picked over by complete strangers is really painful. We realize that it is better if we give the items away for others who need them. But it is really hard to know whether it is better to choose all sentimental items or mix it up with some items of value too. Just another reason why death sucks.

Right now I am on the way home. Yup. God bless technology. Gotta love wireless internet. My boyfriend is driving down Interstate 85 and I am speed typing (get it? hee hee) Ya'll keep truckin!