The seashell lamp (LONG)

@NJChicaa (115958)
United States
December 1, 2021 12:55pm CST
I have been watching Friends like all the time lately and a recent episode shown was the one when their cranky old neighbor Mr. Heckles dies and leaves the contents of his apartment "to the noisy girls upstairs". Rachel wants a tacky seashell lamp but Monica freaks out because she is a control freak and doesn't want it in their apartment. It reminds me of my seashell lamp. My grandmother had a friend for decades. We called her "Aunt Ann" but she wasn't actually related to the family. She was infamous for showing up to family events in her Cadillac totally hammered. My mother kept a bottle of vodka in the cabinet so she could serve Aunt Ann's vodka and waters. She would progressively water them down but Aunt Ann never noticed. Anyway she was a real trip. I don't know what all of the details are (or even like any of them) about what she left to who when she passed. She definitely had millions in the bank. I know that my grandmother had access to a lot of the stuff she left behind but she just wasn't like that and took only a few things (not of any particular worth) that had sentimental value. Our house was decorated all in beach decor. (and now well this apartment is) Sandy beach scenes, seagulls, ocean paintings, starfish pillows were all over the place. The walls were painted in pale blues and cream to echo the colors seen here at the Jersey Shore. The beach vibe legit smacked you over the head when you walked in. My grandmother knew this and brought me a seashell hanging lamp from Aunt Ann's house. It had loads of what looked like fake cream/tan seashells. What Aunt Ann did to it, though, was add silver glitter glue around the edges of each layer of shells and glued colored stones in random spots. Her addition were truly tacky and I absolutely loved that lamp! I made my then-husband hang it up in the corner of the front room next to the couches. I adored it. When I moved out I took pretty much everything. It was amicable enough but understood that the responsibility to replace everything was on him since the whole thing was his choice. He was sad to see some things go but he was definitely happy to see the shell lamp go. It was sitting here on the floor a couple of years ago when he was here and our cat was so happy to see him that he jumped up straight into his arms. My ex took a step backwards and CRUNCH. Right onto the lamp. It couldn't be repaired. Oh well. It had a good run---especially if it lived with Aunt Ann for a long time.
7 people like this
6 responses
@Happy2BeMe (99399)
• Canada
1 Dec 21
What a great story.
1 person likes this
@NJChicaa (115958)
• United States
1 Dec 21
Thanks!
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
1 Dec 21
I'd love to see a picture of that lamp, if you have one. I wonder if it's as dazzling in real life as it is in my head.
1 person likes this
@NJChicaa (115958)
• United States
1 Dec 21
I don't think I do. I'm sure it was normal and nice as it originally was and I would have loved it in my home anyway. The version with her additions was just great and tacky and made it one of those one of a kind things that I love. I also have my former MIL's hutch and a tile mural of palm trees/beach straight from Tunisia. I have all sorts of strange stuff around here.
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (57558)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
1 Dec 21
Sure seems like it had a good life.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73326)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
3 Dec 21
At least you have such nice memories of the seashell lamp. As they say gone but not forgotten, Do you have photos of it?
@paigea (35669)
• Canada
1 Dec 21
I love this story. What a treasure that lamp was
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (155843)
• United States
2 Dec 21
Great memories.
1 person likes this