Tuesday, November 29, 2022

A Short Rant About Lights

One of my favorite things to put up in the winter are the small white lights that I wind around the decorative iron thing that separates our kitchen from the dining room. 


Light in the darkness.

The lights I use were actually left here by the previous owner of the house, so I have no idea how old they are. 

But I know they must be pretty old, because they don't hurt my eyes.

I'm sure I'm not the only one to have noticed that non-colored twinkle lights now really are white. They're a glaring, stark, absolutely terrible white. The older ones are more yellow. They glow, they don't glare.

One of the strands I had stopped working last year, so I tried buying a new string online. I specifically searched for "warm" white lights. When I plugged them in, however, they were very far from "warm." They were awful.

So now I guess I'll just have to use my last remaining strand until it dies and then I won't have lights anymore. Or maybe by then there will have been a revolution and the people will once again demand lights that aren't an assault to the eyes.

8 comments:

Karen. said...

Yeah. Even the warmest LED lamps are too strident for me. Old-school incandescent twinkle lights are expensive, too. I doubt it's just cynicism in thinking they're using dollars to discourage their purchase.

Anonymous said...

I saw some incandescents today at TSC. It's the LEDs that are too harsh. MIL

Anonymous said...

Hey there,

I know your remote and all but go onto Targets website and check out the WONDERSHOP by Target led DEWDROP lights in warm white.

I picked up some boxes of the indoor battery operated/timer 9'7" for around 5 dollars each. They seem to be what you might be looking for.

Their very dainty and Twee.

Kristin @ Going Country said...

Karen.: I myself suspect a wide-ranging plot. :-)

MiL: Yes, it is definitely the LEDs that are the problem. And now they are all but ubiquitous. Boo.

Anonymous: Thanks for the idea!

Tu mere said...

Don’t use lights anymore, but I totally agree. So very sad about the possibility of no inside lights in your future. Really liked how festive they made the kitchen look.

Mei said...

I love old light strings but, like you, find it difficult to find replacement bulbs that are suitable. I am reduced to a single strand over my breakfast bar. I live in terror of even one bulb going out. Modern bulbs will not replace the vintage.

Anonymous said...

You could try to ask around. Lots of people regularly upgrade their Christmas decorations and just throw away they old "warm" lights. I bet they would be more than happy to pass them to you instead.

Kristin @ Going Country said...

Anonymous: That's a good idea. Maybe there will be a Christmas miracle and I'll come into an inheritance of old lights. :-)