THE CHIT CHAT PART
I enjoy looking at shelter magazines and interior design websites and home decorating projects on IG. When I began to notice photos of bedrooms with chandeliers, instead of ceiling fans or ceiling lights, my curiosity was piqued.
Why, you ask?
Welp, after 20 years of looking up at a large white dusty boring ceiling fan in our bedroom, I was ready for a change. I never liked using the thing, especially at night when rotating fan blades above my sleeping head worried me.
Made me fretful, they did.
So I decided that we’d replace our dodgy old ceiling fan with a pretty, useful chandelier that’d hang from the spot where the ceiling fan had been. Here are a few things we learned along the way with this DIY project.
THE INFORMATION PART
√ A rule of thumb about the width of the chandelier: add the length of your room [in feet] to the width of your room [in feet], then use that number in inches to determine the size you need.
For example our bedroom is 17′ x 13′ so I added 17 + 13, which meant that we needed a chandelier around 30″ wide.
√ The chandelier we picked was 26″ wide, smaller than recommended, but for a good reason. Keep reading.
√ We have a sloped ceiling in our bedroom. We had to choose a light fixture that was sloped ceiling adaptable. Not all light fixtures are.
√ A rule of thumb about how far down a chandelier should hang: the chandelier should be between 8′ to 9′ off the floor. This is accomplished by allowing the light fixture to hang from a chain from the ceiling.
√ The trick here is that depending on the slope of your ceiling and the height of the chandelier, you have to allow for enough space above the top of the chandelier for it to hang down on a chain.
In our case because of where the junction box was in the ceiling we couldn’t have a chandelier that was taller than 25″ because there wouldn’t be any space for it to hang down from the ceiling.
√ Thus we picked a chandelier whose height allowed it to hang down from the junction box in the sloped ceiling, even though it meant that the width of the chandelier was a bit too small according to the rule of thumb.
In other words, we thumbed our noses at the rule of thumb.
THE GOOFY PART
As is the way with any home improvement project we tackle, there was a problem. One of the globes for the chandelier arrived broken. Thus we had to email the company and wait for a replacement globe, crossing our fingers that it’d be the same color as the other four.
It came within days, was the right color, and looks perfectly at home with the other shades so all is good.
However, keeping in mind that I can be a silly person, while waiting for the shade to arrive, whenever I walked into the bedroom I began singing the following lyrics to the tune of One Toke Over The Line:
One bulb over my head, sweet Jesus
One bulb over my head
Sittin’ down here on the bed I sees it
One bulb over my head.
Awaitin’ for the shade that goes on, sweet Mary
Hopin’ that the shade is delivered on time
Sittin’ down here on the bed I sees it
One bulb over my head.
THE END
And there’s today’s earworm!
On a side note: I like your chandelier, especially because the bowls of the lamp face up – I do not like seeing bare naked light bulbs. And I like the way that the light bounces of the ceiling and enhances the effect.
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Maggie, I bet it’ll be a good earworm. 🎶 Your explanation for why you like the chandelier is EXACTLY why we [that’d be me] picked this one. No bulbs in my eyes, please.
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Yup, I’ve caught the same earworm!
Fun post, Ally!
I’m now looking up at the boring ceiling light in our bedroom and wondering…..
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Donna, see that’s the thing about light fixtures. Once you see how you could do yours differently, ideas are born. If I hadn’t seen chandeliers in bedrooms on IG, I’d never have thought to do this.
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I’m big on the thumbing our noses part of life..
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LA, are you? I hadn’t noticed.
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🤔
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I think the first thing we did in our house was add a ceiling fan to the bedroom! But we live in a warm climate. Still cheaper than AC.
I tend to revise songs to fit my pets and my kid. The pets find it far less embarrassing.
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Also, I now have Sia’s “Chandelier” running through my head. I suspect I’ll be humming, “I’m gonna swing from the chandelier” all day.
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Ha! Of course now that you’ve shared that song… HELLO EARWORM. So thanks, I think.
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AutumAshbough, I like ceiling fans. We have one in the bathroom and the TV room and the screened-in porch, but in the bedroom it made me nervous at night. Go figure. I like that someone else revises lyrics, it makes me feel less silly.
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Only you can make a home improvement project sounds intriguing, Ally Bean!
Our bedroom features a ceiling fan (We live in Florida, after all) with a tasteful globe underneath that has two settings – dim and dimmer – which I actually like. 🙂
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Marian, thank you… I think. Oddly enough when I started this blog I intended on writing lots of home improvement blog posts. But here’s the thing, I found out we don’t do enough DIY projects to make for a whole blog so I started writing about other stuff. Eventually I became known for the other stuff, not the interior design stuff. 🤷♀️
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Ha Ha! I get it.
After I posted, I thought of naming our whirligig a fandelier!
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OH I LIKE THAT! You have a way with words that makes me smile. Enjoy your fandelier.
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Inside your head is a funny place. Thanks for the explanation on the fixture size. I like that you ignored it 😉
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Dan, yes inside my head is wacko, but not unkind so I figure it’s ok to be wacko. We learned many rules of thumb while doing this project, but common sense said to do what we did in the way we did it. Seems to have worked.
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Your house, your taste.
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You and Z-D are far braver than I am – tackling anything that involves electricity is my fret inducer. But I have to say you did a fine job, choosing an appealing fixture and making it happen. No more dreams of being sliced and diced while sleeping! However, I’m afraid I might have trouble sleeping tonight – I suspect that earworm has been so firmly placed it’ll be with me well past bedtime. 🙂
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Deborah, yes, you said it: No more dreams of being sliced and diced while sleeping!. I tell you it’s a relief to not see the ceiling fan above me when I wake up– and the light from this chandelier is bright, but not harsh, so finding my clothes in drawers is much easier now. Sorry about the earworm.
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LOL! Now, I’ll have that song in my head all day!
The new light fixture looks great. I’m glad you received the right color shade in a time too.
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Deborah, I sang that song, with my lyrics, for days. I’m only too happy to share it here.
Having had many, many things go wrong with DIY projects, I wondered about what would happen with the replacement shade, but it’s perfect. *yay*
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Ally, Congrats on chandelier mission accomplished! I usually stay away from electrical projects that involve more than changing a light bulb. Your Info part gives good tips that I didn’t know about. I’m singing now…A good start for Tuesday 🙂
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Natalie, this chandelier mission was a long time in the making. There is much to learn about them when you have a sloped ceiling. Now that the chandelier is up and working, I cannot believe I ever hesitated to do this. I like the light it gives off– and I like no fan blades whirring above my head at night.
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I was told there would be No Math on this blog.
Sigh.
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Nance, I am sorry for that oversight. I promise to keep to words in future posts. Mea culpa
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Nice to know I”m not the only person who adapts all sorts of songs to the situation or just my weird whim. When I sang with the praise team back in Ohio, we used to say there was a praise song for everything and we adapted with reckless abandon.
Here in Arizona, we would never, ever get rid of a ceiling fan, as they’re invaluable and it was the same when we lived in Illinois and Ohio, although I understand the urge for something different. The fan in our bedroom in Illinois wobbled, so there was always the thought lurking in the back of my head that one day it would come off. It never did and as I knew our landlord would ever replace it, I didn’t worry about it. 🙂
Never knew about the sloped ceiling lights. Good to know.
janet
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Janet, I like your Ohio philosophy that there’s a praise song for everything. It makes me feel like I’m proudly showing my buckeye roots with my adaptation of this song.
I like ceiling fans and we have them in other rooms, but over my head every night… it concerned me when we used it [not often]. Plus the thing was builder grade ugly, which didn’t endear it to me. However I can understand why you want one in AZ.
I didn’t know about the variables involved in sloped ceilings, but once I did some research it all came together.
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Impressed by your knowledge of how to hang these things. You did some research, I see. Good for you. It looks nice.
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Betsy, we learned as we went along on this project. The internet is an amazing place once you start researching home improvement projects. This was fairly easy once we understood what we were doing– and what advice to ignore.
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Oh gosh. I have a hard time shopping for things like this. So many decisions. I replaced the ceiling fan in the girls’ room last year, after years of dealing with a non-functioning light switch and always having to turn a light on and off with the chain from the light. The girls were not tall enough to reach the chain forever. Anyway, the new fan has a remote that remains near their door in the plate screwed into the wall. So simple.
Anyway, their new light showed up with a broken globe. It took a lot of emails and calls to straighten it out. Always something
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Ernie, I understand how difficult it can be to decide which new item you want in your home. I was overwhelmed with chandelier choices UNTIL we figured out the size we needed and that it had to be slope ceiling adaptable. Once we had fewer choice, it got easier.
I thought about doing what you did with a remote control + light kit on a ceiling fan, but decided I’d still not like seeing the thing over my head. As for your broken globe, well of course that happened. Why make it easy?
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I’m still trying to just absorb the concept of a chandelier… in a bedroom.
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Glen Corbett, I was baffled at first, too. But now that it’s here I love it. The extra light in the room is great, plus no ceiling fan blades over my head makes me happy. *yay*
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A chandelier… how very fancy of you. I wasn’t aware of those dimensional rules of thumb. I will begin ignoring them at once.
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Janis, you’re right. The chandelier is rather fancy, especially after seeing an old builder grade ceiling fan for 20 years. I am the sort of person who needs to know the rules of design first, so I have a place to start. Then all bets are off. Ignore the rules at will, my advice.
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Actually, I kind of liked that proportional “rule.” It’s easy to overpower a room with a light fixture, or have the fixture get lost because it’s too small. If I ever decide to replace our ceiling fan with a chandelier, I’ll be digging into your blog archives for the correct dimensions.
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One of our concerns with this replacement project was properly sizing the chandelier. We knew how large the ceiling fan was but a light fixture requires different considerations. Also, it seems to me, that you have to know your own tolerance for how much light you want. For us a smaller chandelier, giving off a little less light, is perfect in the bedroom.
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I love my ceiling fans…don’t know if I could sleep without them some nights, but I too have seen the pretty chandeliers in the home renovation shows, and they WOULD be pretty. I like yours, for sure, and that sloping ceiling thing looked tricky. You did great!
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Dawn, thanks! I like our ceiling fans in the bathroom and the TV room and the screened-in porch, but in the bedroom I never took to it. Plus I get bored with things, so I like to change the look of our rooms. Learning about the sloped ceiling was the key to doing this project. Well that and making a decision about which one of about three hundred gazillion chandeliers to buy.
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Several houses ago there was a big old heavy iron ceiling fan over the bed and it would give me fits. I eventually replaced with a new contemporary (meaning mostly plastic) version and it was much better. Your new fan is similar to what we have in our dining room. I had previously had the Williamsburg style with lots of fake candles and doodads. It was a nightmare to clean. Current one is a lot easier to clean.
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Kate, I would not like an iron ceiling fan over the bed, whirring around at night. I can understand why you changed it. It’s interesting you’d mention cleaning a chandelier. That was one of our conversations when we sat down to decide what to buy. Many of them were pretty to look at, but would be ridiculously difficult to clean. We are practical people, if nothing else– thus we bought what we bought.
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Loved the song…..life should have a soundtrack!
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Joni, that’s a great idea. No doubt when the movie version of our life is made, this song will be part of it. 😉
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So, when we did our bathroom renovation, the contractor installed the fixture with the bulbs facing up. I made him turn the bulbs and shades face-down – they aren’t dust traps that way. I hate dusting more than I hate bulbs in my eyes. 🙂
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Arlene, I hadn’t thought of the dust issue in quite that way. My eyes are sensitive to light so we went with this up light style of chandelier, but I take your point. Time will tell how dirty the glass globes get.
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I thought I was the only one who feared the blades of death would come down on me whilst I slept. I haven’t slept with the ceiling fan on me all this year. Why you ask? Because it is 2020, that is why.
Now I will be singing that song for the remainder of the day.
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Kari, I found the ceiling fan to be just slightly menacing at night. Not overtly threatening, of course. But like you said, it’s 2020 so you cannot be too careful. Enjoy your earworm.
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I’m going to have to try this idea of researching how to do something rather than just diving in and figuring it out as I go. Also, the only DIY home bloggers I still read are the ones who morphed into something else. Turns out I’m more interested in good writing than good home projects. (Full disclosure: I used to one of those kind of blogs, too.)
As for songs and such: My son and I once transformed The Commodore’s “She’s a Brick House” into an anthem for our poorly housebroken wiener dog: Cuz she’s a bad, dog/She’s mighty naughty/Just poopin’ all over the house…
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Rita, I was pleasantly surprised by how many good articles I found when I started to think about replacing the ceiling fan. Most of the information was consistent as in rules of thumb that made sense. I’m pleased to know I’m not the only blogger who drifted away from her original premise. I discovered that I’m better at being an off-the-cuff personal blogger than documenting each step of a DIY project.
I love how you adapted the lyrics of “She’s a Brick House” for you dog. Nice. I do hope she appreciated your effort.
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I’ve occasionally tweaked a line of a lyric, but not several lines, to fit some weird project we were doing. Can’t say I remember them anymore but I have done it.
Ceiling fans are definitely not a thing where I live but if we are in a warm climate I don’t like to use them at night because that moving air always makes me cold. Weird I know but window air is a side breeze and not a top breeze.
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bernieLynne, I didn’t intentionally set out to write new lyrics, but it all floated into my mind and stayed there. Plus it made my husband roll his eyes each time I sang my revised song, so it was worth remembering the lyrics. 😈
I’m with you about not like air blowing down on me, while I like air blowing across me. No to fan, yes to window.
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I want new chandeliers (three of them) but last time I went looking, I was overwhelmed by the decision making. And the sizes, colors and styles. It seems like you had many considerations and it has helped me to read how to choose a chandelier. Thank you! Once my house is painted, I can start my research.
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Margaret, it took me weeks of looking online to finally decide on the chandelier we did. Some online companies will allow you to upload a photo of your room then superimpose one of their chandeliers onto the photo so that you can get an idea of how it’ll look in your room. We did this and it helped.
But beyond that it was overwhelming because the choices were soooo varied– and the price points went all over the place. Best of luck
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This was ‘fun, fun, fun’…and you can add new lyrics to your heart’s content!
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Laura, thank you. Once in a while I go back to writing about decorating and remodeling– then I remember why I shifted my focus to daily life. Glad you liked the lyrics, they came to me out of nowhere.
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I did not know ceiling fixtures are not all sloped ceiling adaptable. Learn something new every day. I like your new fixture. My husband wanted a fan in our bedroom but I didn’t for the same reasons you didn’t like yours.
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Jean R., I wasn’t aware of that sloped ceiling adaptable issue until we started this project. It’s just something to be aware of. I liked the idea of the ceiling fan in the bedroom more than the existence of the ceiling fan there. 🙄
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So glad they were able to replace what was broken quickly! (Though how frustrating that it arrived that way.) How cool that this was a DIY project!
I wish I could get rid of the ceiling fan in my living room. But I’m renting, so I can’t.
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L. Marie, you’re right it was frustrating to have one piece of the chandelier arrive broken. I wanted to finish this project in one day, but that was not to be. Bummer that you can’t change your ceiling fan. They can be great, or they can be a nuisance. Funny how that is
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Nice update says a person who has a big fan and light combo hanging over their bed. 🙂 If you do continue to find yourself singing to bare lightbulbs, you may want to get out just a little more, but stay safe if you do. 🙂
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Judy, our old ceiling fan didn’t have a light on it which might have endeared it to me. Instead it just lurked above me, giving me the heebie-jeebies. I’d LOVE to get out more, but you know there’s this little thing called a pandemic going on. Perhaps you’ve heard of it? 😬
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Well done, Ally. We do have a ceiling fan in the bedroom that we use every night . . . but it’s over the FOOT of the bed, not our HEADS.
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Nancy, I could live with your ceiling fan– and obviously if I lived with ours for 20 years it wasn’t a HUGE deal, just a small annoying one. Now that we have the chandelier I’m pleased with how much light it adds to the room as well as looking snazzy.
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It does look snazzy!
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😁
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Very lovely upgrade and also love that I am not the only one that sings pop songs and changes the lyrics to fit my particular situation. I remember that song and was young enough to snicker at the word “toke” when I heard it on the radio, thinking someone had pulled off a good one and got a song about weed on the air. Not sure if the song was ever about that, but I thought it was pretty badass back then.
Deb
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Deb, I thought the same thing about that song. To me, living in a conservative world, it seemed almost scandalous to sing along to it. I’ve no idea why the song floated into my mind when I looked up at the almost complete chandelier, but there I was singing that song, making up the lyrics, while Z-D gave me the side-eye.
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One of my favourite songs from my youth 🙂
… now I’m going to be humming it all day.
hmmm – it gives me an idea …. 😜
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Joanne, weird how some songs just stick with me/us. I hope that if your idea manifests, you enjoy it.
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When I saw figures I ran away Ally Bean but I came back and did a measuring of our bedroom by pacing it out. Comparable size. The fan is quite pretty and soundless, necessary in summer. We had a chandelier in the dining room but changed it for more subdued lighting. Now if I could find one to swing on, I’d be happy. When I was climbing some treacherous parts of Mt Kilimanjaro, I sang ‘one step at a time dear Jesus that’s all I’m asking of you’ …. that was every day for several days –
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Susan, I didn’t mean to chase anyone off with figures. Nance has already scolded me about that. If our ceiling fan had been quiet I might have liked it better. But it was builder grade and old and I was sick of it, so the chandelier makes me happier. You climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro? Welp, that’s something impressive. I can totally understand why you sang the lyrics you did. I’m glad Jesus helped you do it safely.
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😅
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Do you plan any swinging from the chandeliers? Asking for a friend?
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Well now I’d not considered that possibility when we installed this chandelier. I was focused on light, but should things get boring around here I could try to swing on it. Maybe.
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Ha! Nice song adaption… and chandelier. Well done!
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Rivergirl, thanks. I totally expect to see a chandelier in your man cave barn pool room shed place, right?
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I was angling for a ceiling fan with lights but was shot down…
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I’m sorry.
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Your song made me chuckle. We had ceiling fans in the house before this one. I replaced all of them. I can’t stand them. I know they’re good for the environment – but even the quiet ones make noise and all that whirring over me just makes me crazy. I’d much prefer a chandelier. Or in my case (as we have don’t have high ceilings) even a boob light. Though my favorite are the very 50’s mod looking fixtures that are the rage right now.
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Katie, I know what you mean about the ceiling fan noise. We have a ceiling fan in our TV room and it’s about as quiet as can be… except I can hear it when the TV isn’t on. I like those mod light fixtures, too. But this house isn’t that type of house and to put one in would look contrived instead of cool. You work with what you have.
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Now I know why my dad made a flat ceiling with crown moulding from the slanted ceiling in the master bedroom at my parents. Way too much math involved in this proposition of yours, but hey, if you’re happy, I’m happy. Also, I’m now singing this song on repeat: https://youtu.be/2vjPBrBU-TM. It’s one of my faves, so that’s OK. 🙂
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Tara, slanted ceilings are cool but they come with their own challenges. I have learned things about how to make them my friend. I’d forgotten about this song, being focused as I was on the one lonely light bulb sans shade. Enjoy.
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One bulb over my head Sweet Jesus–oh, I love this, Ally Bean! Isn’t it fun when these songs arise almost unbidden and entertain you with their nonsense? We’ve never had a ceiling fan or a chandelier but am admiring your thought processes here. 🙂
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Kathy, this song and the lyrics just floated into my mind when I saw the chandelier hanging up there. I realized it was silliness but couldn’t shake the song so why not embrace it? The deciding on, acquiring o, and installation of this chandelier was tricky but worth it. And made for a good blog post so even better. 🤓
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WordPress is doing weird things to me lately. Can’t like posts, can’t comment without issues. Probably because I’m cheap, still have a free site, and won’t use that block editor thing! Love the new light Ally Bean. Good call on saying adios to the ceiling fan.
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Deb, I went through those issues with WP a few weeks ago, too. I never knew why it happened, then *boom* I was back to normal. Thanks for making the effort to comment here. I appreciate it.
The new light is pretty and provides just the right amount of overhead light in the bedroom to make it easier to find clothes in the drawers. The ceiling fan will not be missed.
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It looks pretty, good choice. Happy the replacement areived correct and on time. Enjoy!
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Markus + Micah, thanks. I figured there was a good chance that we’d get the right replacement shade, but you never know. We’ve done enough home improvement projects wherein something went wrong and kept going wrong, that I can be a bit cynical [pragmatic?] about things until it’s all finished properly.
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I’m not a big fan of ceiling fans. Hmm, that doesn’t look right. Well a chandelier is out of the question in a standard 8’ ceilinged bedroom. Guess we’ll just have to tolerate a boring light fixture. I’ll bet yours looks great!
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Eilene, I like your first sentence. Clever wordplay. In the rooms where we have [or had] ceiling fans the ceilings are sloped or cathedral, but in the rooms with standard ceilings it’s normal lights for us, too. When it comes to light fixtures you have to go with the possibilities the house gives you. 🤔
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Weren’t we just talking about DIY projects? I trust there was at least a modicum of cursing involved.
And what is it about music? When I posted pics of my shed project early on (of just the foundation), I, too, sang a song…’There’s something happening here, what it is ain’t exactly clear, there’s a man with a (nail) gun over there, makin’ sure that everything’s square…’
Great minds…
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Lies Jack Kerouac told Me, yes we creatively cursed our way to a new and better tomorrow filled with light, not dusty breeze.
I love your lyrics to the song that you sang when you started your shed. Singing them MAKES COMPLETE SENSE to me. I can’t explain why our minds work like they do, but you gotta love it– even if it becomes an earworm along the way.
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A great idea! I find that even a small change provides an uplift in my mind. 🙂
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carlamcgill, you’re right. After 20 years, getting rid of the old dusty ceiling fan was good, of course. But adding this chandelier to the room uplifted my spirits. My mind is happy now.
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Congratulations on a job well done! It’s a lovely chandelier. I’ve always kind of wanted a ceiling fan….until now.
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J, this project was one we could handle and provided an instant [even though we had to wait for the replacement shade] change to the room. As for ceiling fans, we have them in the bathroom, TV room, and screened-in porch and I like them in those spaces. Very practical. But over my head at night made me angst-y. Of course, that’s me– other people have said it doesn’t bother them at all.
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To me, ceiling fans are dust catchers and, if not used constantly, spider habitats. Having one dangling over a bed is not OK with me. Your new chandelier is very pretty — well done! I’m impressed with your research and do-it-yourself skills. (We have low ceilings so there are no ceiling lights in the bedrooms. Buying a new lamp now and then is all that’s needed for a change around here.)
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Barbara, I hear ‘ya. The ceiling fan in the bedroom was builder grade and seemed to catch more dust because of it. We have ceiling fans elsewhere in the house that are better quality and they don’t get so dusty. Over the years I’ve learned that you can find online information for just about any home improvement project as long as you’re willing to put in the time to search for it. Buying a new lamp would have been easier than this project…
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such a clever idea! congratulations on a job very well done!
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The Parmigiana Whisperer, thanks. It has made the room more inviting.
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Hells bells– that song is IN my head now too!
I love a chandelier in the bedroom (or bathroom) too! Yours looks so nice; I love the update.
I have ugly old ceiling fans because it’s Florida, it’s hot as hell and I’m a hot sleeper. So I will live vicariously through you.
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Suz, this project came about because I saw photos of chandeliers in bedrooms and liked what I saw, but mostly because I really didn’t enjoy the ceiling fan in the bedroom. We have them elsewhere in the house and I like them, so location is everything [like they say in real estate]. Plus the chandelier light itself is great when looking drawers.
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Oh, great. Now you did it. Another earworm ringing in my head for the next 24 hours!
My heart sunk for you as soon as I read about the broken globe. That’s happened to us THREE times already with light fixtures. If I buy one in a store, I’m conditioned to open the box now to make sure all are intact. But two of our light fixtures were brought by installers, and so we had to wait each time for replacements to be ordered. So frustrating. Congrats on a successful install, and your creative lyrics. – Marty
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Marty, we ordered this light fixture online so I’m not completely surprised something was broken during shipping. Fortunately it all worked out without any undue stress, other than waiting a few days to get the replacement. I’m sorry that you’ve had this sort of misfortune happen three times with light fixtures. Aren’t you a lucky duck! Enjoy the earworm. There are worse songs to have stuck in your head.
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Perfect use of light music. Made me smile
Our ceilings are taller than average – designed as in old days for cooler summers. Our fans (all updates from what was here) are invaluable in this climate. We’ve found that the heater/cooler vent directions in the ceiling do make a difference about the dust.
One thing I know from our last house with 2 story slanted ceilings is to be careful using fans with recessed lights…you can create a strobe light effect if you’re not careful about placement…..tralk about dizzy!
Great choice of light fixture. Love the upward facing shades.
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philmouse, it was light music, wasn’t it? What a fun way to describe it. 😁
We have ceiling fans in our TV room and bathroom and screened-in porch. I like them there, but in our bedroom not so much. The new chandelier is turning out to be a major improvement in the room. Who knew you could turn on an overhead light and see the contents of a dresser drawer? Also, it’s nice to not see a builder grade ceiling fan above my head. ‘Ya know?
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Our fan is over the dog’s head and bed beside the end of the bed – we may have downsized, but not with our bedroom size (one of the thing that sold me on this house) haha.
Still sometimes I think we need those surgeon head lights in order to see what’s in the dresser drawer….the cat and dog are perfectly content with cave-like lighting
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I’d never realized how much I squinted when I was looking in the drawers, but now… fiat lux.
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Older ceiling fans are pretty ugly and the chandelier is much preferable. Well done! It looks great. Somehow watching ceiling fan blades going round and round above one’s head reminds me of the movie – Apocalypse Now! In our new home, we have installed ceiling fans to make it more energy-efficient. Most people here have ducted air con but the sea breeze means a fan will do the job more efficiently without further negative environmental effects. The new fans are a bit more aesthetic, especially as the fans blade come in black, but even so, I never put it on when I am going to sleep. Enjoy!
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Amanda, I studied Apocalypse Now and the book on which is was based, Heart of Darkness, when I was in college. Yep, you’re right. Had not put that together.
We have newer fans in some of our other rooms and they’re a delight, moving the air without causing me angst. But in the bedroom, I’m not into them.
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I didn’t know there was a book based on the movie. I will have to look that one up. Who was the author?
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The movie was adapted from Joseph Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness. This was the topic of my senior thesis in college. I majored in English Lit.
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Then you would remember the novel well. I look forward to discovering Conrad’s writing. In the last decade or so, I have preferred to read Scandinavian writers.
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I’ve never had a ceiling fan in the bedroom or any room for that matter, but I guess I’d feel a little uneasy having that fan and its humongous blades over my head. I’d be worried it would spin out of control like a prop blade gone awry. Aren’t you a clever DIYer Ally! I’ll bet you have lots of light now with those five bright lights, so you can read away (or even perform surgery if you choose).
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Linda, you said it: I’d be worried it would spin out of control like a prop blade gone awry.. That was my worry. Now that the chandelier is in place, I’m wondering why we didn’t do this before. It’s stylish and the light is nice, says she with the weak eyes.
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Yes, weak eyes for me too Ally. I got my first eyeglasses at age seven and all the computer use sure does not help them. I have a swag lamp in the kitchen. It uses a CFL light which is equivalent to a 150W bulb. I may have to switch to something different, as even with a goose neck lamp next to the laptop, I need to shed more light for all the hours I spend here.
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Lighting is a tricky thing. I get that. I do best when I have task lighting and ambient lighting in my work areas. Then depending on how much natural light is coming in, I can adjust things to see clearly. Most days.
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We learned the same lesson as you when we installed a ceiling fan in our bathroom, which has a sloped ceiling. I never heard of the rule of thumb that you thumbed your noses at, though!
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Laurie, the whole sloped ceiling variable was a learning experience. It makes sense of course. In the process of researching this I came across many rules of thumb, all of which made sense, but many of which we ignored. 😊
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Nice! I love a well-planned, well-executed home project.
Is it wrong to tell you the song was the best part? 🙂
Here in bungalow land, we barely eke out 8 foot ceilings, so hanging lights are barely. In fact, one, the dining pendant. I suppose Sassy’s kinda hangs, but in that ‘hovering close to the ceiling’ way. I must admire your chandelier, but wouldn’t be able to live without the constant airflow my dusty fan over the bed provides 😛
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joey, for once our plan and execution of a DIY project went relatively smoothly. 8′ ceilings do not lend themselves to chandeliers in the bedroom, I take your point. I know that many people like ceiling fans in the bedroom, but ours freaked me out. However, you enjoy your airflow while I enjoy my extra light in the room.
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Any blog that riffs on Brewer & Shipley gets a thumbs-up from me! Nice job with the song parody.
We actually had a ceiling fan installed over our bed last year, lol. I need that cool air circulating, even during the winter months.
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Swinged Cat, I think that love or hate of a ceiling fan is idiosyncratic. If you like yours, I’m glad. I did not like ours, so good riddance to it. It’s not like there is a right or wrong about them, just a preference.
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Such a lovely addition to your bedroom ceiling. Congrats on thumbing the rules to get the look that you wanted. I agree with your fears, fan blades rotating over me while sleeping is unnerving.
And, super congrats that the replacement part MATCHED the previous lot. That’s truly a Thanksgiving blessing. 😉 PS – nice tune too, I think I may have an earworm now . . .
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Shelley, when the replacement shade arrived and I ripped open the box I was literally holding my breath. We’ve done many home improvement projects over the years and I know how quickly they can turn sideways. Fortunately the replacement shade was perfect. And I began to breathe again. Enjoy your earworm, ’tis a catchy tune.
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We had that experience with our kitchen remodel – every time we opened the new sink box we held our breath. It took 3 attempts. And, don’t get me started on the windows! The big half-circle finally received it’s 5th and final glass that fit perfectly after one year. I get your joy in things working out! 🙂
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I thought you’d get it. I know you’ve done your share of fixing up houses/apartments. It’s always something, but onward we go. Optimistic or delusional? Difficult to know some days.
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Yes, I get it, that’s for sure. Onward and downward and upward and sideward and everything in-between. It is difficult to distinguish at times. Sometimes a different view makes all the difference.
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Very cute chandelier!
Thankfully, the ceiling fan companies seem to have figured out how ugly they are and have stepped their game up. My friend has a very cute ceiling fan in her home, and I remember being in awe of how cute it is. Unfortunately, they do not come standard so most people who live in apartments will have busted old timey ceiling fans. Alas.
I’m glad the broken globe was the only (small) problem you had with your project!
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Akilah, it seems like ceiling fans are getting better but come to find out I had no idea how little light there was in the bedroom until we installed the chandelier. I didn’t like having breeze blow on me at night, but I love having light to see into a drawer during the day.
And yes, the broken shade worried me but was replaced without incident. For once a project came together in a week, instead of a month– or more.
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I’m so glad you have more light! That’s awesome.
Also! I forgot to ask: what are some good house decor/reno Instagram accounts or hashtags to follow? Those sound right up my alley.
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Sorry but I don’t follow any decorating IG accounts in particular. When I’m interested in making a decor change I use the IG search function, input a query [like “bedroom lights”], and then scroll through whatever shows up. If I see something I like I click on the photo to go see what else that person has shared. Eventually I get to what I need. Also you can search for company names; this is helpful because you can see their products in action, so to speak.
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Hi Ally! Good choice on the bronze chandelier with the tone glass pointing up, so no glare in your eyes. I too do not appreciate air blowing on me at night sleep. In a new build Colorado home (2006) I choose a similar one like you for over the bed. And I added an outdoor fan in the back covered patio for above the hot tub. Both were great choices!!
And I want to tell you that I have the 5 deliveries of patio furniture for tomorrow from LLBEAN (which were scheduled to ship end of next month as Christmas was not promised). I’ll have my complete set before Thanksgiving!! I’m very happy about it as we are in South Texas still in fall weather 50-80 degrees here; full sun, some fluffy clouds, no rain as we are in an unusual drought, and absolutely no snow in sight. Hurricane season soon to end.
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TD, no glare in my eyes was one of the reasons I liked this chandelier. Also it goes with our *relaxed traditional/sort of country/maybe it’s boho too* style. [I need to figure out a better way to say that.]
Congratulations on getting your furniture already. There’s no telling when orders will arrive anymore, even when the company sounds soooo certain of a delivery date. You’ll be able to use your patio furniture right away which is fun. Don’t you love it when things fall into place?
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Definitely not any kind of boho to style! It’s a dress up type of simplicity that offers extra non-blinding lights which improved funtunality! I love the chandelier in your bedroom!!!
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Thanks. We like the chandelier, too. It’s a big change for the better. The room looks finished with it and I like having the light. Our ceiling fan didn’t have a light on it, only whirring blades.
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Looks good. I’ve never wanted a ceiling fan over my bed because if I didn’t clean it regularly (likely!), dust bunnies would eventually float down onto me in my sleep. Also, when I did clean it, dust would float down onto my bed. A good change!
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The Travel Architect, you’re right about dust on a ceiling fan. Because it wasn’t easy to clean we’d *forget* to do so, then when we did clean the blades it was super icky. I’m glad we ditched the ceiling fan in the bedroom, for so many reasons. Also, light overhead is great. Who knew?
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What can I say (am laughing – you”ll understand why)? Our house has the same ceiling chandelier. Not in the bedroom, but the previous owner put it at the end of the kitchen which we re=purposed for our office. I don’t know if it’s common here in Texas, but each bedroom has a big ceiling fan. We never use it. Just have a small standing one on for a few hours to cool it off enough that I can fall asleep:) (don’t want to depend on electricity too much).
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Junie, the chandelier we installed was described as being for over a dining table so I’m not surprised you have one like it in your kitchen turned office. Ceiling fans in bedrooms were THE thing when we built this house, but now I’d never do that again around here. Maybe farther south they make sense? No matter, I’m pleased to be grooving on more light now.
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Never (except when I’m sleeping) too much light:):)
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I have always been a fan of the ceiling fan (hee, hee, fan, fan) especially for the white noise. And then I read your post, Ally. Wow, a lot of information here. I will bookmark for when I want a change. Your imaginative song made me smile. 😊
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Erica/Erika, if you’re a fan of the ceiling fan in your bedroom then you’re not alone. Many other commenters have said that, too. I like our ceiling fans that are in other rooms, but the one over my head while I slept bugged me. So bye-bye and onward, with a song in my heart, to a chandelier. Let there be light!
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Haha, brilliant! Iv been looking at my bedroom for a considerable amount of time (three days) (Thankyou lock down) and reading your blog was light bulb moment – pun Unintentional. Light is on the changing front now as we type. Fun post. Sakina from thehomeslogg x
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Sakina, I’m glad you like this idea. I never would have thought of it on my own but when I started seeing photos on IG I knew it was a good idea. Best of luck with your project.
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The new chandelier is lovely. And, thanks for sharing the rule of thumb about how large a chandelier should be. There is small one in the dining area of my kitchen that was there when we bought the house many years ago. I want to replace it, and am drawn to larger ones but worry that they won’t look right.
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Sheryl, I know what you mean about sizing a chandelier. When considering what to buy we went back and forth about: was it too large… was it too small? I liked the rule of thumb because it was a starting point, that we adjusted because of the sloped ceiling.
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I do love a fan for its white noise and air circulation, but that sure is a pretty chandelier. When we moved into our current home, the fan in the living room had blown bulbs that couldn’t be replaced. It’s also a sloped ceiling and the junction box is to the side of the ceiling which convolutes the process. So I opted for a chandelier with a swag chain from the junction box to a hook centered in the room. Catchy song you made there. 🙂
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Amy, I like how you adapted your chandelier to your junction box location. That must look pretty. Smart thinking. Yes, my lyrics are a goof, but they came to me in a burst of silliness so I had to share them here. Had to, I tell ‘ya!
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