Knock Knock.
Who’s there?
Moose.
Moose Who?
Moose Lamp!!!
Wait, but some of that pic is photoshopped. I can explain.
It all started when I saw a moose lamp at an moving sale back in West Virginia when we were there to makeover Granny’s bathroom…
I couldn’t resist grabbing him for ten bucks.
His shade was an odd too-small shape and his paint was flaking off in a few places…
… but I knew I could take him from log-cabin to log-cabin-chic with a little spray paint and a new shade. So guess what? Dude, I got on that (see how these odd, usually-animal-related “Dude Get On That Already” challenges started here). I got on that moose like a cowboy. That’s totally a thing right? Moose-riding cowboys?
As for a color, I knew I could go a bunch of ways with him (blue moose? yeah, buddy!) but after some serious moose-related thought I went with white. Why? Duh, because he looks like a ceramic animal first of all. And second of all, because that frees me up to do something crazy fun with his shade. We’re talking patterned fabric. Oh yeah. I’m a wild woman. I even have the exact shade in mind, but it’s a secret book project so I can’t share it until the 6th when the book is officially out – but I’m totally planning to pair that DIYed fabric shade with Malcolm (what? that’s my moose lamp’s name) and hook up Clara’s big girl room with a super fun dose of color and ceramic moose power.
The best part? When I had the lamp out on the table before I got around to spray priming and painting it (I just used Rustoleum Universal since it has a built in primer in it) I said “What’s that?” to Clara and pointed at the lamp and she said “I don’t know what it is” and I said “It’s a lamp with a moose on it!” and she said “I want a moose with a moose on it!” and I said “well I don’t have a moose with a moose on it, but it’s a lamp with a moose on it!” and Clara looked me in the eye and totally deadpanned: “moose… with… a… moose… on it.” Like she was spelling it out nice and slow so I’d understand. That chick is hilarious.
Thankfully after I sprayed him white and paired him up with the secret fabric shade that’s waiting in our crazy cluttered playroom (can’t believe it fits perfectly! it’s actually the original shade from the glass based lamps that a certain mischievous painting broke – we’d replaced the shades with whiter versions and had old ones around for secret book projects last December) Clara was 100% down with Malcolm…
… as in, she can’t wait for him to live with her in her big girl room. And she says goodnight and good morning to him every day (and even offers him snacks sometimes). The moral of the story? When in doubt, introduce a moose lamp to encourage manners and sharing.
And as for the photoshopping that I said I’d explain, I just faked a patterned shade (by grabbing this one from here and photoshopping it on). And while I was at it, I showed how a white moose on a white table might be blah, but could be amazing on something painted – like a soft celery green table (or even a rustic wood dresser).
Moose, there it is.
What have you guy been getting on lately? Anyone else doing any other ceremonial spraying of animals? Or ceremonial spaying of animals?
Katy says
What a great find! Can’t wait to see Malcolm’s new hat after the book is released!
Melissa M says
“Moose, there it is” is going to be my new catchphrase…which no one else will understand, haha. Love it!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, let’s do it. We need t-shirts! We need bumper stickers! Who’s on it???!
xo
s
Andie d says
My 7 year old daughter would die for that lamp. She is infatuated with moose! Why can’t I ever find super cool moose stuff like that! (Bet you don’t hear that often!)
Maureen K. says
I am in love with that lamp! I’m obsessed with moose–I even have a blue one tattooed on my back!
YoungHouseLove says
No way! That’s awesome.
xo
s
Joanna Banana says
Idk if you’ve been to Maine, but for the perfect combo of moose + lobster. you should go to vacationland, specifically Bar Harbor, ME. It’s amazeballs. You can’t believe it until you see it!
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh! Sounds awesome!
xo
s
Rachel says
Sherry, I’m so happy you did another “Dude, get on that already” post, I’ve been missing them! And I love Marcus the moose lamp. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Rachel!
xo
s
EK says
For the ultimate moose-riding cowboy, check out Teddy Roosevelt… There are some great photos online of his moose adventures!
YoungHouseLove says
Nice!
xo
s
Kathy says
I laughed aloud when you asked if there are any others out here spraying animals…constantly!!! I’m sure there are, but in all my 64 years, you are the only one I know. Perhaps there is a support group???
By the way, be proud of your book and fear not. You are not making anyone buy it, just offering it for sale. It is quite an accomplishment and I am tickled to death for you.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, you’re so sweet!
xo
s
Lisa says
My friends went with their 4 and 6 year old to protest people being kicked out of a mall for wearing partisan t-shirts during the 2004 campaign. They happened to be in a parking lot in front of a certain oft-visited steakhouse which featured animatronic forest creatures. They coached their kids to chant a short protest mantra, and they straggled in circles around the lot with a few dozen other true believers. You can imagine how long it held the interest of Miss 4 and Mister 6 Pants. Pretty soon they began to protest The Protest. They wanted french fries. They wanted soda. They wanted Furry robots. Quietly, then louder for the tv crews, they began demanding, “TAW-KING MOOSE! TAW-KING MOOSE!”
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahhahahahahahah!!!!!
xo
s
Elizabeth @Food Ramblings says
I love that shade…disappointed to see it was photoshopped and not something I can buy :) Love the moose too!
Nichole says
You can buy it! Sherry linked to it in the article :) Sort of spendy though…
http://www.shadesoflight.com/euro-fitter-carnival-wonderland-lamp-shade-2-colors.html
Jill says
I LOVE IT! In fact, I did a similar log cabin to log cabin chic lamp makeover myself. Mine’s deer family. You can check it out here: http://www.reallifenotes.com/2012/07/awesomest-lamp-ever/
I went with the bold color and plain shade, but I can’t wait to see yours with the white moose and bold shade!
YoungHouseLove says
Adorable!!
xo
s
Elena @ `a casarella says
I sprayed some animals! Mine were gators…
http://www.acasarella.net/2012/10/alligator-jars.html
:)
YoungHouseLove says
So cute!!!
xo
s
Emily says
Love this! It reminds me of one of my most favorite roadside sightings on my drive between Minneapolis and Chicago: the awesome giant orange moose in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. Northern Midwesterners like our giant fiberglass sculptures like you like your ceramic animals.
A someday road trip for you:
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1426
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahah! Love it.
xo
s
Maira says
Can i just say that i love how witty and clever you write? You’re like Conan Obrien. He can interview anyone…i don’t care who it is. He’ll make it funny and worth watching. You can write about anything and i’m always hooked. Thanks for peppering my monotonous work hours with an enteraining escape. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Shucks that’s sweet Maira! Thanks!
xo
s
Lisa says
He would be cute at christmas with a few small bulbs hanging from his antlers. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh, I like that!
xo
s
Kim says
I actually bought that same shade a month or so back! Glad I did then, because the traffic to get that shade after peeps seeing it here will make it go out of stock for sure! :) But sadly I do not have a moose lamp to put it on top of! LOL Thinking of designing an entire room around this shade though because I loved it so much!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, it’s so pretty Kim! Enjoy it!
xo
s
Gloria says
I have an almost three year old that is doing the whole “guess what, chicken butt” thing. Such a funny age! I love this moose!!! The original lamp looks like something my dad would have rescued from somewhere. He loved treasures like me. I love how these old things are getting updated and reused, so awesome for the environment and steering away from the disposable America that Walmart had made us. My sister in law and I send pictures to one another of ugly thrift stores lamps, I found one once that was a taxidermied pheasant in a glass cloche. It was god awful but so entertaining!
Suki says
I am positively drooling over this awesome lamp. I love moose! I have a small collection of moose on top of my desk (it is only small because it doesn’t include any of the stuffed animals).
For real. I need your lamp.