Let There Be Light

Whew!  It took a little longer than we expected but this weekend's lamp building extravaganza is complete.  It was so much fun going through all of the lovelies we have been hording carefully saving and finding new lives for them all.  Here are the results:

Big Daddy and I came across this Brownie Jr. Six-16 many months ago and were so excited!  We rushed home and began our research.  We learned that this camera was introduced in 1936 and was worth approximately.....you ready?....next to nothing.  What?!  How could this Art Deco beauty be worth so little?  (Something about the manufacturer discontinuing film production in 1942....humph.)  We decided it would go into the project pile until we had the perfect plan. I love that this piece of history has a new (and purposeful) life.

Tripod Lamps.  We've been lucky enough to find a number of fabulous vintage tripods over the years and love turning them into lamps.    The little one even has pretty brass legs when fully extended....Rawr!

Old film reels are so fabulous!  They are industrial and architectural and always remind me of old Hollywood.  I love the simplicity of this one.

This old Edison record is now a pendant light.  Big Daddy paired it with a long red houndstooth cloth cord and it's a real beauty.









This simple wood base and cloche bell jar are the perfect setting for a Marconi bulb.  I love that it feels like a museum exhibit with Steampunk flair.







We picked up this piece of driftwood at an insanely overstuffed vintage shop downtown a while back.  (Remind me to tell you about it...That place is a complete trip!)  The wood is architectural and sculptural and we let it speak for itself.



We'll be listing these goodies in the Etsy shop as the week progresses, but for now I'm happy to have given these beautiful pieces new lives.  The hard part is going to be resisting the urge to keep them for myself!

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!