A little crush that's not going anywhere

In the spirit of the Valentine season, I have a new crush to report.

I've fallen for yet another beautiful light fixture, a circa 19o0 Fostoria pendant, and it's even more out-of-the-price-range than previous finds. I really don't know how I do it.

We met on a website for a Kansas City antique lighting store, and I promptly fell in love despite the exorbitant price, and despite the fact they only have one light in stock, which is clearly not enough. In short: too much money for not enough light.

It brings to mind the old joke:
"The food here is terrible!"
"I know, and the portions are so small!"

If we found three lights in this price range, we might have to re-use the old laminate countertop—chips, burns, and all. *Shudder.*

The whole lighting search is starting to feel like a quest that will never end. I thought I had settled on the handblown bell jars, only to hear from our architect that two smaller pendants with down lighting would work much better over the island. (One or two of the bell jars still might work in the office, hanging from the vaulted ceiling.)

I've obsessively revisited every to-the-trade lighting site provided by Cynthia, re-checked East End Brass, Rejuvenation, Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn, and spent more time online than I care to admit.

I'm starting to think we should just find some inexpensive lights that are fine for now, and use them as placeholders until we find the perfect hand-made or antique fixtures.

But then I think about the garage drywall. Since 2001, it's been raw drywall with no tape, no mudding and no paint. It's really hard to go back to a job once it's more or less finished to take care of final details.