Painted Toasters are Art!

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well. Like most people still in school, I'm dreading returning to the endless workload and suck that is high school. I only have 9 more days of freedom and it feels like a giant weight is on my chest when I think about how little time that is. I've never understood people who are excited for back to school. Sorry to be so negative! But for now, I have toasters to console me!

Here are some goodies (eye candy if you will, though I use that word conservatively because of it's lewd connotations) that I've discovered! Hand painted toasters! These are truly works of art!

This adorable ensemble is very straightforward. It's toast... because it's a toaster. Get it? I love the face on this drawing though if I came into the kitchen late at night, as I often do for a 2 am toast snack, this face would likely scary me speechless. 

Source: Ebay (no longer listed)

This toaster is so darling! I love owls and birds in general! The attention to detail is incredible. You can tell the artist has a lot of creativity because of the outfits of the owls, down to the pearls! A lovely ensemble indeed! 

Source: I Craft Gifts (Non Sponsored)

This toaster is obviously made by the same artisan as the previous toaster. It is equally adorable! I love the ties and the contrasting teal and orange colors. Just lovely!

Source:I Craft Gifts (Non Sponsored)

Save the best for last? Of course!

This gorgeous hand painted/crafted toaster lamp is straight out of a Nova Scotia cabin! I adore the design of sheep outside a barn and house. This reminds me of something that would be decor in my mom's friends house. She's a berry farmer and her home is full of gorgeous and unique pieces like this. This fits with a very specific and timeless aesthetic; some may call it 'cottage core'. This is delicate while still remaining sturdy. It is a truly beautiful piece. 

Source: Artist Raggedy Jan on Pinterest

Antique Toasters For The Soul

Happy summer my lovely toaster fans! I've compiled some antique toaster inspiration for all of you. I'm back from Italy and will be writing more on this blog this summer. So enjoy these gorgeous images of antique toasters.

As we know, the 1920s are prime time for the toaster boom. The Great Depression of the 1930s greatly stunted the growth of the toaster market and thus toaster models from the 1930s are much more rare and pricey.

This beautiful specimen is from 1915.

Source- Sally Ann

Here are some from the 1920s.

Source- Delishably

Source- Al Ann Anderson

This one is from the 1930s.

Source- Al Ann Anderson

This one is Art Deco.

Source- Al Ann Anderson

So what do these antique toasters inspire in us? I always find looking at these toasters and comparing them to the modern day quite interesting. The toaster from during the Great Depression is far less ornate than any other which shows the lack of opportunity and opulence characteristic of the Great Depression. Even toasters don't escape artistic movements as shown by the last toaster. In the end, we must know where we came from to understand why we are the way we are now. This applies to any subject or situation. And beyond all that, isn't it just fascinating to see things that are so common yet hardly recognizable?

Best of luck to you! I hope you have many fun adventures this summer!

Toaster Inspiration?

More often than not, when people go to the store to buy a toaster, they don't think about the toaster itself but rather the features it holds. How long will it last? Can it also toast bagels? Is it stainless steel?

Buying a toaster should be an experience and not a chore. While you certainly have to consider the aspects of the toaster that matter to you, I'd argue it's equally important to consider your personal connection with the toaster.

I remember one day when I was 12 and my mother and I went to Sears. She was in the market for a new vacuum cleaner, and I, being the toaster-focused girl I am, headed straight for aisle 4. I remember kneeling in front of a row of boxes. Only when I began to feel light headed did I realize I'd been holding my breathe.

There was this one toaster, a light blue vintage looking one, with a white stripe on the curved top. Two slots, one knob, classic. I wanted more than anything to pull open the packaging and hold it in my hands. But of course, I couldn't. I was a well-behaved child.

For several weeks after that, I thought of the toaster everyday. I didn't ask my parents for it because I knew what they'd say.
"Sarah dear, we already have a perfectly functional toaster."
"What would we need a new toaster for? The Sunbeam one works just fine." (Yes, I grew up with a Sunbeam toaster, go figure!)

To this day, I know when I move out of my parents house and into my own place, that toaster will be one of the first things I buy. I'm so excited for that day.

So my point in all this? Though features and novelty are important to consider when buying a toaster, I'd argue that your personal connection is far more important. If you don't feel a connection to the toaster you're looking at, it's simply not the right toaster for you. And if you've never experienced anything like this, just wait. I'm lucky that I found mine so young. The perfect toaster for you is out there somewhere.