little epiphanies

I was at Chicago restaurant Perennial over the summer, and though the meal was absolutely delicious, what I remember most was the mason jar chandelier they had hanging over one of their large round dining tables.  Throughout our lengthly meal, which included many courses of small plates and delicious wine, I studied the fixture in an effort to decide whether or not I could make something similar.  Now, looking at all these photos of lighting design involving jars, I’m even more inspired.

There is nothing more charming or more useful than mason jars.  Aside from preserving sauces, jams, and other homemade treats, they are the perfect shabby chic drinking glasses (and you don’t even have to worry about your friends breaking them at parties). They’re also great for storing all sorts of store bought snacks, from pasta to cookies, and making even the most commonplace foods look pretty on a shelf.  I recently made a display of all the random candy leftover from Halloween in our apartment by putting each type in a randomly sized jar and lining them up on a shelf, and it was like having a delightful little candy shop in our kitchen.  

Mason jars also make great vases, bathroom storage containers (for Q-tips and the like), and they display houseplants beautifully.  I could go on and on about them, and I’m sure they have dozens of uses I haven’t even thought of.  In any case, the next time I need a new lighting fixture, I’m going for one of these.  

Illustration by Alex Eben Meyer for Slate article How Did Dinosaurs Have Sex?

Need I say more?

Winter is beautiful.

(Source: bookspaperscissors)