cake lights

There's a certain style of light that comes drifting through the shop on a regular basis. Although it no doubt has a proper name, we call it a "cake light," and, as you can see in this photo, it isn't nearly as exciting as its nickname might suggest.

This is the light my great-grandmother Lucille had in her farmhouse kitchen in Ohio. Maybe it's the one you had in your first apartment. This light is all about function, and the only kind of cakes it brings to my mind are good, sturdy, Midwestern cakes. Like bundt cakes. Or maybe a coffee cake. Something respectable, but reserved.

I don't mean to sound dismissive. I actually like cake lights. I think they're kind of homey. Today, though, while I was doing some reorganizing at work, I came across some light shades that I thought were much more deserving of the name "cake."

Martha Stewart Weddings has featured wedding cakes inspired by fashion, and even by architecture. I think someday Martha and her crew should tackle cakes inspired by lighting. Wouldn't one of these look just swell on top of a vintage cake stand?

The lights pictured below are from a church in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. The church was damaged by an earthquake and was ultimately demolished several years ago, but the lights live on. I think they're stellar.

So, edible? No. Delectable? Definitely. I've been trying to imagine something like this as a reception table centerpiece. It would definitely be way too posh for our wedding, but hey, a girl can dream...