This weekend my mother, a friend and myself set out for thrifting following my triangulation scheme of preferred stores. At Goodwill, I located some iron items that seemed fit for my Tuscan inspired dining area.
I currently have a beautiful, large mirror from my great-grandmother's house in the dining room, but some adornment would work wonders. Some beautiful ironwork would be a great offset to the gold, but can be pricey.
As luck would have it...there were some plant holders in iron for $3 a piece at Goodwill. Also, nearby I located some iron candle holders that I envisioned to round out the look of my adornments. These were $2 each. So, my thoughts take me to getting a great look for $10 without additional work.
I cleaned the pieces up with soap and water and got to making my vision happen. The cashier at Goodwill informed me the pieces were for plants. I told her I needed them for wall decor. She stared at me a moment and then said, "Well, if you are creative, that could work." The gauntlet was thrown down in that moment!
Votives are the missing element here. I picked up 6 for .50 each at Walmart. They did not fit quite right and I have another candle piece with Amber votives that work perfect. I traded the amber votives from the other piece with the new votives from Walmart. Voila! There is light and ambience that matches the intended look.
To each their own. As long as you follow whatever may be "your own" there will be success in your endeavors.