The most fabulous gift~a blue chandelier

 This is a real life fairytale story I am about to tell you.  Once upon a time, Betsy, one of my blog readers, sent me photos of her house that she thought I would like. She was right! Her home had been photographed for a christmas magazine special and it was very charming~then she added one more photo...one of her kitchen and  in the picture was the most fabulous vintage blue opalescent chandelier!  I posted a story  about her house all decked for the holidays and then mentioned how fantastic her blue chandy was...and that Betsy Speert, not to be confused with reader Betsy, had one in her home that I got to admire in person.  Have you ever seen blue opalescent drops in person?  They are milky and ethereal and soft and luscious...the night my post ran, reader Betsy sent me an email saying she had spare blue opalescent parts and she wanted me to have them!!! That's right~! She was sending me vintage chandelier parts in my very favorite color in the whole wide world!

 The big box came last night and it was unwrapped piece by piece with Mr. Maison Decor.  I was like a little girl on Christmas eve unwrapping each part that Betsy had carefully wrapped and sent.  The first order of the day was to figure out where and how I would attach these parts to my living room chandelier.  

 All the blue papers held the pieces of the pair of sconces Betsy wasn't using.

Above is the crystal chandelier we recently put up, 

but it is going to get a new look shortly!

 Ta Da!! Look at these hand blown milky blue drops with

 the old iron pins and the beads at the top. 

 Opaline means "milky, and translucent rather than transparent". 

 Definitions courtesy of my big book on chandeliers.

 There were large tear drops and smaller tear drops and chains 

of beads (called "festoons" or "garlands")  and "bobeches" 

(which are the dishes fitted below the candle nozzle). 

 Sadly Betsy dropped a bobeche when she was cleaning them for me. :-( 

 She sent me the pieces to see if I can have it repaired.

 There was a beautiful aqua blue Christmas card included~just for me!!

 I am so blessed and thankful to you Betsy~walking on cloud nine 

with the thought of a blue chandelier, a gift from a blog reader! Wow!

 As soon as I hung the 6 large drops, 

which fit the six bottom holes perfectly, 

I stepped down to admire and take a photo. 

LOVE!!

 My big tall ladder under the chandelier with the first six drops, 

and me in the doorway in my pjs taking it all in.  

Doesn't everybody just do things in their pajamas when 

they are super excited and don't want to waste time by changing??

Very carefully using needle nose pliers I opened up the end of the iron pin and slid it into the hole on the chandy. You can buy parts and change the look of any chandelier doing this and it is quite easy.  

You need pliers, reading glasses if you are over 50, and patience!

 I mixed up the crystals with a few "french slab drops".

These came off the vintage iron sconces. I had a trade in mind...

 That is the official name of the clear curvy shaped drop. 

The blue ones are called "tear drops". 

 The rest of the clear ones 

on the chandy are called "moulded pear drops". 

 A view from the ceiling!

 I had enough parts left over to add to the sconces.

This is what heaven must look like...

 A small festoon and a drop for the sconce~

and more are on the way after I hunted some down on eBay.

 If I can get the bobeche repaired I will use the two pair on the candles here!

 Christmas came a little early for me, and I couldn't be happier! 

Merry Christmas to all and especially to you, Betsy Duggan!