Illuminating the Past

I have been drooling over all of the upcycled vintage crafts out there lately, haven't you?  So many super cute treasures that have been repurposed into new and generally more useful beauties that actually serve a purpose around the house.  I've been pinning them for quite a while but just recently thought about transforming my own collected goodies. The idea was born during one of Big Daddy and my's discussions about how we were going to control all of the stuff we've accumulated and where we could keep it.  (Some day soon I'll have to show you just what a warehouse our bedroom has turned into!) One by one we discussed things, "Yes, I have to keep that old useless Edison record...it's fabulous" and "I know it's not safe to use but that heater looks so cool!".  This must have gone on for an hour or so before our lighbulb moment.  That's when we realized we had the makings of some real gems.  We immediately ordered our reproduction vintage cord, started collecting old sockets and found some beautiful plugs and went to work. 

What do you think?  This old Edison record plays "Aggravatin' Papa" on one side and "Carolina in the Morning" on the other.  Unfortunately it is in poor condition and unplayable.  Until this idea came into our minds we weren't sure just how we could go about appreciating this lovely piece of history but it was so special to me that I could not let it go.  Now I'm so happy to have kept it and hope to share it with someone who adores it as much as I do.  (That is, after all, what makes this whole thrifting thing so fun!)

And what about this little hottie?  It was the cutest darn thing I ever saw and I had high hopes when I brought it home.  Much to my dismay these little heaters are not worth much and are even a little dangerous in a home with small kids.  What to do?  A lamp, of course!  This one is extra awesome because Big Daddy was able to put two candelabra bulbs inside and take advantage of the Hi/Low switch on the side.  You can turn this guy on and off, as well as high (using two bulbs) or low (using only one).  Isn't that nifty?  And it gives off the most incredible light patterns.

It took me a while to get to the point where I was willing to make changes to the original perfection of some of these items but making them more available is very exciting.  And I have a few more tricks up my sleeve and hope to share those very soon!