Craigslist Find #1

So as part of starting this blog, I hope to be able to document great finds I've made at thrift stores, flea markets, yard sales, or on craigslist and how I've turned these finds into something really special. 

Enter exhibit #1 - a pair of brass candlestick lamps:

They came with large round white shades as well, but they weren't worth keeping.  I scored this pair of lamps for $5 - and yes, both lamps are in good working order. My plan is to clean, prime and paint these lamps a bright color (once I figure out what colors I'm doing in my living room), and pair each with a white drum shade to maximize the light output.  I'm also planning on adjusting the "harp" (thats the wire piece that goes over the bulb) size to allow for a shorter shade than was on the lamps previously.  I've been doing research on selecting the right shade here - a great website - but pricy stuff :-(. 

I was curious to see how good of a deal I got, so I let my fingers do the walking via google, and I found these lamps:

Wow - at $140 apiece, that means I saved $275!  I think I'll sleep good tonight :-).

I will update once I've done the big Lamp Makeover Project, but here's a couple pictures of lamps I'm loving right now:

Inspiration #1:

Inspiration #2:

Wish me luck!