Office Fireworks

Talk about a close call...

I was upstairs looking through decor, because that's the kind of thing I do when I really should be getting serious about cleaning.  Suddenly there was a mini explosion downstairs, followed quickly by the sound of breaking glass.

I was certain that one of my fur babies was about to be in big trouble.  When I came to the bottom of the steps, my cat, Cindy, gave me a superior look and if she could have talked, she would have said, "You can't blame this one on me."

Some of those globe shards look pretty lethal!

When I looked into the office I saw glass shards all over the floor.  Some were really big and sharp.  All around my chair.  The ceiling globe had fallen or exploded.  Had I been in my chair...  ooohhh. And if I had been in my chair, my sweet dog, Annie, would have been right where the most lethal shards had landed.   I'm glad I was wasting time upstairs.  Even worse, if this had happened a few months ago, Rudy might have been sitting in the line of fire.  Just the thought of that makes my stomach flip.

The light fixture that failed is the type where the globe goes right to the rim.  There's no real space for hot air to exit.  The shards on the floor were VERY hot even though it was a few minutes before I gathered everything I need for cleanup. The heat may have caused the fail.  It's also possible that the screw thingie could have given.  I don't think the bulbs have been changed since we moved in (2008).  The bulbs that came with the fixtures have been super long-lasting.  Unfortunately, I have fixtures just like that in many rooms in the house. Regardless of why it failed, I'd like to replace them all with fixtures that feel a little less threatening.

The one on the left is the one that exploded.
The one on the right is an identical fixture in the foyer.

When we first moved in this house, I didn't spend much on light fixtures.  I wanted to find unique ones I really liked at a leisurely pace.  That was in 2008.  I haven't replaced any of them. Obviously, I put that little detail on the back burner.  There was always something higher on my list.  Lately, I've been thinking about replacing a few, especially the ones in the kitchen, which are the ones that annoy me the most.  I'm even thinking about learning to do it myself.  I've seen plenty of gals on blogs who install new light fixtures and they act like it's pretty easy.  I wasn't going to rush out looking for fixtures.  Instead, I hoped to come across some pretty 2nd hand ones I liked. With medical bills still coming in, I don't really want to spend much money right now, so I wasn't in a hurry.  HOWEVER, now that I have the possibility of future explosions,  replacing fixtures has suddenly moved way up the list.  Meanwhile, I won't be leaving my overhead lights on for any length of time.  Whew!

If anyone comes across any 2nd hand awesome light fixtures you think I need to know about, let me know.  I have lots of fixtures to replace!  I'm thinking about a chandelier or two, some pendant lights and who knows what else.

PS - Please don't anyone worry that I want 2nd hand because I am at the edge of financial doom.  I prefer 2nd hand because it's way more fun to decorate that way.  That's just me.  And if anyone out there has experience with installing fixtures, I'd love a hands on lesson after I've learned a thing or two online.