Recycled Chandeliers

I have been so naughty about writing and visiting all your fabulous wonderful blogs. My past week has been a tornado of work, and I think it might be getting back to its usual pace now!!! I so apologize for the absence and to show my appreciation, I'll be giving away a prize this weekend! So be on the lookout tomorrow...

Ever since I spyed this trash chandelier in the Two's Company Dallas showroom this past January, I've been seeing them everywhere.

{made from detergent bottles}

I don't know if it's a trend or I'm just now noticing these beautiful reclaimed art pieces. Discarded pieces of "trash" can really be so intriguing!

{ below is made from Time Out Magazines }

{ below is made from plastic bags...don't you think this baby is pretty flammable?! }

{this one below is made from coffee stirrers}

{below is made from plastic water bottles}

{below is made out of sun glasses}

{ below is made from glasses lenses }

{ below is made from paper clips - it's a DIY kit you can buy from etsy! }

{ two's company showroom, designer Wary Meyers out of Time Out Magazines, Tyler Velten out of plastic grocery bags, Studio Verrisimo made of coffee stirrers, Anneke Jakobs made of Chaquita banana cartons, Stuart Haygarth out of party poppers, discarded plastics, sun glasses and glasses lenses, DIY paper clip chandelier from ReDesignTechnologies via etsy, ReclaimedLighting.com out of mason jars, Domestic Construction out of tea cups, wildflowerorganics.com out of wine barrels, reclaimed plastic and trinkets chandelier via Sean Daniel }

Dallas Market: Day 1

Day 1 of market (at least for me! It's been going for 3 days now!) was a bit slow. The highlight was getting to meet my fabulous reps. They're totally on it, and all so beautiful. How can I go wrong?!

I hung out in the showroom for a bit, mostly chatting with the girls and looking at the other gorgeous lines they have - Bella Ink, Lemon Tree Paper, Paper Belle, Jonathan Wright, Mara Mi, Sharp and Sally, Tina givens, etc. etc. Here's a couple of pics of the showroom and my wall section - I'll get more tomorrow!

And a NEW line that they carry by Amy Butler. I ADORE her. I've been swooning over her fabrics for years now, and she's turned some of her glorious patterns into paper products (not just scrapping paper). I'll take some pics of her exquisite line and post them tomorrow.

I did take a chance to roam the temporaries, which actually really shocked me. The aisles were half the size they normally are, and I didn't find any new paper lines. Even Papaya didn't set up this year. Last January, it was huge, with 5 or 6 new lines. And Papaya was like a bright beacon of color right in the middle of it all. I suppose the economy has sucked out some of the excitement of those entrepreneurship spirits. Plus the cost of the booths are a bit pricey.

However, the permanent showrooms looked as beautiful as ever. Here are a few pics of my favorite - Two's Company.

Yes, those are empty detergent bottles. Here is a close-up:

Here's a close-up of the wall detail:

And this white buffet inspired me so much. At first, I couldn't figure out why I was so drawn to it. Then it hit me. I, along with millions of other Americans, have a piece like this that's gross and ugly and has been in my parent's house for years. Chances are, there's one in every thrift store across town. Next time, I'm not going to pass this little gem up! A coat of white paint and voila!