Want to hear a funny story? I don’t know if funny is the right word. Heartwarming? Nice? Cool?
Here, you read it and you decide:
So, as you may know, I got divorced last year and sold my lovely house that I loved. That was the funnest thing ever whee wow so fun. Actually it was the worst. Zero stars, do not recommend.
Anyhow, this was my old dining room, one of my favorite parts of the house. Look at that black ceiling, my fave! You can see more pics of that process and a mini-makeover of it here.
This was the chrome orb chandelier, which was also my fave and I was very sad to leave behind.
Then I moved into a rental down the road, and it’s been a great little house for us. It’s not going to wow anyone design-wise, but it’s a happy space, and for some reason, those things that would have bothered me before (Yellowy cabinets! So much beige! Countertops that can only be described as … ‘odd!’) don’t phase me one bit.
Except for one thing. This guy:
I just … I just hate this light fixture so much. But whatever! It’s a rental! I hung pink party lanterns from it and went about my life treating it like that co-worker you’ve grown to loathe: avoiding eye-contact and expertly pretending they aren’t in the same room.
Then one day, I was scrolling through Facebook, and up popped a photo of my old chandelier. “Huh,” thought I, “that looks like my old chandelier.”
Well guess what? It was. The family who had bought the home posted it on a neighborhood Facebook group and captioned it with this:
FREE Chandelier – come and get it.
My heart skipped a beat.
And then my heart was like, um who are these huge jerks who don’t want your fabulous chandelier?
And then my heart was like, who cares, go get your chandelier girl!
And then my brain was like, hey guys there are already forty people in line ahead of you, who have all posted “NEXT!”
And I was all, yeah, I told you it’s a cool chandelier.
And my heart and I high-fived.
But then we got sad again, and figured we had lost our chance.
But then we all figured what the heck, let’s message them directly and see what happens.
And turns out, despite not wanting my fabulous chandelier, the owner was totally cool and said she would be thrilled to give it back to me.
And here she hangs in a new dining room, a sparkly little win.
It just made me so dang happy. Has anything like that ever happened to you?
48 Comments
Sheree L
March 28, 2018 at 10:39 AMWhat an amazing story! I’m so happy for you! I really like that shiny orb chandelier and wish I could have it in my house. I love my house, but don’t love the light fixture in my dining room.
But, I’m sorry to say, now I am singing that dumb song in my head 🙁 Must.get.rid.of.it!
CandiceMcC
March 28, 2018 at 10:51 AMAww, new owner for the win!
Amber
March 28, 2018 at 11:57 AMI did not see that coming! That’s an amazing story!
Just Justin
March 28, 2018 at 12:09 PMWow, buddy! That’s super AWESOME!!! I can honestly say that I have never been reunited with a chandelier…kind of sad, really. I did have a really cool chair that I gave away due to space issues, then I moved and the person gave it back to me because she got a different chair. I was super excited! It was green, which is my totes fave color.
Mary
March 28, 2018 at 12:50 PMOne in the win column for you girl! My mother always says, “You never know unless you ask”. She’s from New York and has a certain panache about her. Me? Not so much. I make polite conversation about the weather and look at your shoes when I am uncomfortable. But for a light fixture like that? Shoot for the moon! Congrats!
Andria
March 28, 2018 at 1:50 PMOh man, my heart totally went through the roller coaster with your heart, and I’m SO glad that you got it back. What are the odds? Needed this really great happy ending today.
Deidre Craig
March 28, 2018 at 1:50 PMOH HAPPY DAY!!!!!
Olivia
March 28, 2018 at 1:52 PMGreat story, great chandelier! Great blogger:)
Mumzy
March 28, 2018 at 1:53 PMTHAT IS SO AWESOME!!!! I know you loved it and I did, too!!!!! TM’s!!!!!
Julie McCubbins
March 28, 2018 at 2:24 PMYou so deserved to have this little blessing happen in your life! (And, all the big blessings you have and will have in the future!) My prayers are with you and your children. My biggest piece of advice: Always speak lovingly and highly of your ex when your children bring him up in conversation or are around when others mention him. I didn’t do a very good job of that, and my adult children are now strapped with “who sits where” at special events. I wish I would’ve done a much better job at getting along with their dad for THEIR sake. Maybe today, then, they wouldn’t worry so much about the two of us being in the same room. (ok…. didn’t mean to turn this in to a life lesson.) 🙂
Sandy
March 28, 2018 at 2:26 PMI am so happy for you.
Renee P
March 28, 2018 at 2:36 PMThere is justice in the world! I am so happy that you got your beautiful light back again. However, if I would have seen that thing, I would jumped at that sucker!!!
Cecelia Krajcar
March 28, 2018 at 2:42 PMMake sure you save the old light fixture so you can put it back up when you get your own very special house again. You will definitely want to take your treasure with you…..if just for looking at it and being remainded, Uh, Yeah….some happy, unexpected joys pop up in life! Happy Face all over the place for you!
Alma Miranda
March 28, 2018 at 2:51 PMWhat a great story! Yeah, who would not love that gorgeous chandelier. It missed you. Glad it’s back with its rightful owner.
Danielle Sharp
March 28, 2018 at 2:52 PMNope, nothing even remotely similar has every happened to me. I’m really happy that it happened to you though. I’m glad you got your beloved light back. Celebrate every win. All the small wins mount up. X
Courtney
March 28, 2018 at 3:11 PMSo glad you got your chandelier back!! I kinda feel that way about your blog… reunited and it feels so good!! 🙂
Michelle
March 28, 2018 at 3:34 PMKarma rocks! Your chandy missed you too 🙂 Just like we all did. So glad to have you back in my in-box.
Nikki DeRamus Moshier
March 28, 2018 at 3:48 PMI LOVE karma!!!
Kelley Smith
March 28, 2018 at 3:59 PMYes, I felt so happy when you came back to all of us! Yay! I got my friend back!!!❤️
Bonnie
March 28, 2018 at 5:44 PMThis is just really cool!
Sally
March 28, 2018 at 7:20 PMWhat a great story! It was meant to be yours girl! So glad to have you back!
Gilmer Gal
March 28, 2018 at 7:41 PMIt’s the little things in life that give us joy! Prayers that you have many more such events that bring Light to your darkest of days.
Amy
March 28, 2018 at 7:50 PMApparently she wanted you back as well. Did you read The Incredible Journey? Three pets who found their way 300 miles (yes I googled the details) through the wilderness to find their beloved masters. And they each had 4 legs. Your chandelier has zero legs. And probably not the sense of direction that a living creature has. That is true love.
LeeAnn
March 28, 2018 at 9:16 PMThat is the best story. I’m so glad you and your chrome orb chandelier are together again. Your dining room now looks fabulous.
Judy
March 28, 2018 at 11:10 PMThat is a wonderful story! How amazing God cares about you so much. I like that you are also being reunited with your wonderful sense of humor — even threw in a little sarcasm about the “D”. Sarcasm is close to humor, right?
Katie
March 29, 2018 at 6:04 AMI’m so happy for you! I completely understand how you feel, during our last move I had to fight long and hard to keep a chandelier that I made. Your chrome chandelier is beautiful!!
-also …. did I mention how happy I am to have you back 🙂
Katie recently posted…We Can All Be A Greek Goddess
Nicole
March 29, 2018 at 7:40 AMWhat a coincidence!! I had that exact same ugly brown chandelier over my dining table right up until last week. I hated that darn thing. It was hideous to look at and had a tendency to collect dead bugs in the upturned shades. For three years I loathed that light. I finally convinced the Mister that it had to go and we called an electrician to swap it out for a much prettier, easier on the eyes light fixture. Much happier. Congrats on getting that beautiful orb chandelier back. That’s a good day!
Michele
March 29, 2018 at 10:39 AMI am high fiving your heart and brain! Quick thinking to direct message!
Ers
March 29, 2018 at 11:04 AMSeriously, girl!! This gave me goosebumps, then happy-dancing-in-the-rain tears!! So glad you are back!
Michelle
March 29, 2018 at 11:38 AMGreat story 🙂 I can’t believe that lady didn’t like the chandelier. Some people have no taste. But I’m glad it made its way back to you!
Kenyatta
March 29, 2018 at 8:01 PMSuch an awesome story of reuniting with that beautiful Chaney!
Barbara
March 30, 2018 at 8:45 AMThe universe is on your side! Take this as a beautiful, awesome WIN!
Alicia
March 30, 2018 at 10:56 AMBest story I’ve heard all day! It’s perfect!
Cindy B
March 30, 2018 at 5:51 PMLove it, Congrats!
Laraine
March 30, 2018 at 8:46 PMSo I donated some darling curtains to Goodwill and then regretted it and went right over there the next morning to see if I could buy them back and guess what?
They were gone.
Not all stories have happy endings.
Lisa Ruley
March 31, 2018 at 8:16 AMWOW Lindsey, I am so happy for you. So glad you got it back. We have a saying in Spanish, “No hay mal, que por bien no venga.” Roughly translated, “there is no bad that good does not come from it.” That chandy was waiting for you to reconnect—with all things in your life. Thank you for your posts and thank you for YOU!
Stephbo
March 31, 2018 at 3:33 PMI’m so happy you got it back! I had completely forgotten about it until I saw this post and remembered how much I loved it. Living in a rental sucks. I’m glad you were able to personalize it a little!
Liz Efting
April 2, 2018 at 2:49 PMWe had almost exactly the same experience! We installed the carpet of my dreams in our living room, and a year later, sold the house. About 2 months after the house sold we drove by it, and there was our carpet spread out
neatly on the front lawn! We stopped, and asked about it, they said we could have it so we rolled it up and took it home and installed it in our new house where it lasted till we sold THAT house 12 years later! So happy
for you with your gorgeous light fixture!
kailee
April 4, 2018 at 9:12 AMThis isn’t the same, I guess I was on the opposite side of things, but this reminded me of when my in-laws “surprised” us with a bunch large pieces of dinged up office furniture, a red rocking chair, and some other hand-me-down furnishings when we got married. They never talked to us about it and actually entered our apartment and left it all in our tiny living room while we were on our honeymoon. It was really fun to come home to that, but we were gracious and lived with it. When we moved out of state a couple years later, we sold everything we had to help fund the move. They were horrified to see we weren’t hauling their gifted items across the country so at the yard sale they proceeded to take back all the “gifted” furniture (plus some of our other stuff). I guess our tiny apartment was just free storage for them all those years. haha who’d have known?!
Toni Madison
April 4, 2018 at 1:49 PMLindsey! I so glad you got your pretty back. That made me happy to read. <3
Anna
April 5, 2018 at 5:04 AMYay! Did you leave the residents of your previous home with your wishlist of other fixtures you’d be prepared to take off their hands? I like that you got past your eyebrow-raise at their decorating choices to embrace the opportunity. Go you!
Kimberly
April 5, 2018 at 8:18 AMOh, Lindsey, I am so happy for you. I am happy that you are making the rental a happy space for you and your kids no matter how it looks and you have been rewarded with your old chandelier!
Actually, it is a long story but this week the people who were living in my last house are moving from it and giving me back all my curated lighting (including a chandy that I fell in love with and saved for). They decided to put all the builder grade stuff back up and give me my beautiful lights. I am stoked!
Kay
April 9, 2018 at 8:28 AMYay!!! I love this story! You are sparkly, just like that chandelier, Lindsay.
Laurena
April 13, 2018 at 1:01 PMI love your stories and humour. Its great that you got the chandelier back! And its even greater that you are back to blogging! I just discovered your new posts…and let me tell you, I was excited! I hope you and your family continue to do well with the new normal. And I look forward to reading more of your posts. It brightens my day and I am always inspired by the ones you feature on your blog. Thank you!
Meta
April 14, 2018 at 7:53 AMSo glad you are back! I enjoy your writing.
It’s a tender mercy that you got the chandelier back…and too funny!
Laurel M.
April 17, 2018 at 6:37 PMOH MY GOSH, YOU’RE BACK!! I LOVE YOU!!!
Lindsey @ Better After
April 23, 2018 at 8:15 AMHaha, thanks so much Laurel!!
Reenie
May 24, 2018 at 6:58 AMOMG!! You’re back…. I guess I haven’t checked your site lately. I have some catching up to do.
I hope you are doing well ~ ~ welcome back ~ ~ you have been missed.
xo