I really hate mushrooms.

Now, before you’ve think I’ve gone off the deep end and have started ranting about pizza toppings, let me clarify. I don’t hate mushrooms: the fungi. I hate mushrooms: the lights.

See that one above my kitchen sink? It makes me completely crazy. It gives off very little light, and it’s pretty much just an eyesore that you can see from both the kitchen and the living room.

In my effort to rid the world of mushroom lights one fixture at a time, I knew that this one had to go. I wanted to wait until I found the perfect chandelier to replace, and I luckily stumbled upon it at the City-Wide Garage Sale last weekend.

What do you think of the new chandy that replaced that ugly fungus of a light?

Come closer my pretties…

Still closer…

Ahhh, isn’t it fantastic? It has three “candles,” three different little birdies, and lots of bling. It’s impossible that I could love a light fixture any more than I love this one. We installed it on a dimmer, so we can make it as bright or as dim as we would like. It’s nice to have the bright light while working in the kitchen, but we like to have it softened in the evenings when we are enjoying our living room.

The thing is, Tom didn’t love it when I brought it home. In fact, I think his exact words were, “Where are you going to put that ugly thing.” Tsk, tsk.

Sometimes, Tom’s right, though. He helped make some upgrades to the chandelier that really made a big difference. Before, it seemed too long for our space and just looked very heavy.

He suggested making some changes to the shape of the fixture. What a catch I have, huh?

After adding a length brass tubing, some wire to hold it up, and a touch of black craft paint, Tom even loves it. Hooray for a smart husband and a “ghetto” fix. Whatever works, right?

So much nicer than a cheap, boring mushroom light, don’t you think? Now, I just have to find replacements for the six (!) other ones in our house.

I’ve been hopping around the Internet the last few days checking out some coffee table tablescapes. Wow, that’s a mouth full. Coffee table tablescapes. Coffee table tablescapes. Coffee table tablescapes. I bet you can’t say that three times fast.

We haven’t had a coffee table in our home in almost four years. The one we had before my son was born was glass and it had to go since it would KILL MY SON AS SOON AS HE WAS BORN! AHHHH! I was totally that mother, but I’ve calmed down a bit.

Anyway, I hadn’t even thought about accessorizing a coffee table in so many years that I needed some guidance. I thought it would be fun (well, fun for me at least) to go through some designer photos and note the common themes and accessories throughout. My buddy, Kimba at a Soft Place to Land, read my mind yesterday and put together a post on how to decorate your coffee table, so I must not be the only one out there who needed help.

Oh, and yes. This means that THE coffee table, the Britney Spears-meets-Kid Rock coffee table (no joke) that I keep talking about has been transformed, and I am enjoying it’s deliciousness right now. You’ll get to see it next week. I know you’ve been losing sleep over it.

So, let’s take a look at some of my favorite photos that didn’t look styled to death (i.e. totally fake and no one could ever live like that):

I like the simplicity of this one. It has a natural elements – florals and a wooden candle holder boat thingymajig. There’s also a bowl of unidentified stuff. It’s also not too cluttered, so there’s be plenty of room for airplane landing strips, and race car tracks (which is how I’m sure my table will end up being used).

I’m also drawn to this one for it’s natural elements. Is that arrangement of succulents and florals beautiful or what? It’s low enough that you’d be able to see someone sitting on the other side of it, which is important. And see? Another bowl and a tray. And not a lot of junk.

Another nice tablescape here and another combination of flowers, books, and a tray of stuff. Hmmm…I’m starting to notice a theme.

Notice that this table is much larger than the other ones we’ve looked at, but here’s another tray full of stuff, a few books and a nice low-profile floral arrangement.

I’m starting to feel like a broken record as I point out yet again more flowers, a stack of books, and a plate.

It’s always interesting to me how rooms that are styled in such different ways still have common elements throughout. Note to self: Pull together some books, a floral arrangement or some other sort of natural element, and a tray/plate/bowl of “stuff” for Miss Britney.

What’s on your coffee table? Do you subscribe to the flowers-bowl-tray-books design method? Or is your coffee table just a place to collect the day’s newspaper/craft project/homework? Do tell!

All photos: House Beautiful