It has been well documented on this blog that I don't like to spend much on my furniture. It started out that we just couldn't afford much, I stopped working to be home with my babies and really couldn't afford much, now it is just an ingrained habit and over the years we have been gifted with hand me downs, found one of a kinds at garage sales and the oh so delightful curbside treasures. There hasn't been an interesting looking trash pile that I haven't at least slowed a bit for.
Well a few years back, my sister and I were driving home from our carpool grocery shopping and I saw this beauty, yelled "dibs", hit the breaks and loaded it up.
I scored our little battery TV at that same stop!
Well over the weekend my hubbie and I decided a good house cleaning was in order. Yes he cleans AND is good looking.
I liked our old table, it was a hand me down from the 70's that had 3 leaves to add and made it huge. We got 12 at a time at that baby. The problem was even with the leaves out, we all had a bad habit of leaving paperwork and junk mail on it. The four of us each had a corner stacked with clutter. We moved the monster table to the basement for crafts and sewing, hubbie cleaned up the "new" table, power washed all the rugs, while I did the nitty gritty and de-cluttered.
Check out the corners, no clutter!
A bonus: my dad and stepmom were getting rid of this little red cart that matched perfectly, same Formica top. Swishy (aka Jaws) the science project fish from back in the 5th grade loves his new location.
So now I have this funky vintage table with a hodgepodge of chairs that are also found treasures that I re-covered that don't go with it at all. So I went on-line to find some new retro type chairs and guess what, they want a lot of money for new chairs from the store. Who knew?The good news is I have clean, less cluttered home and I get to search for new curbside chairs!
My girl had the camera again and lookie what I discovered, a cute fuzzy Guinea Pig tooshie.This mornings temp was 39 degrees, YUCK!
7 comments:
That is the cutest table...I can just hear you in the car, yelling out your claim to somebody else's garbage as you pull up to it. You have a damn good eye, though...this table is a beauty. I think the mismatched chairs add a certain charm and flair, too :-)
Swishy, indeed, looks quite happy in his new location. He's winking at me in that picture, did you see?
Nice guinea pig, butt. Does he like it scratched?
Wow girl! I like your style! And that is the cutest little tooshie ever! :)
Love that piggy tooshie. As you know we have 4 piggies. And their ittle tooshies just fit so snuggling into the hand! Wheek!! Wheek! hehe
OM goodness!! Your table and cart are just gorgeous! I love that retro look, but yours also have such warm colors. Modern can tend to be so cold and bare.
The table and cart look striking on your beautiful wood floors, too.
Oh how I wish we could could crubside shopping and dunpster diving together. So much fun!
I have to share with you a real find that we found on the curb one day when we lived in South Carolina.
We had just bought a new house(old house) and the fireplace had never been used. It was just a big empty cold cavern.
So it had no glass or screen cover.
We just didn't have the money after moving in to buy one either.
But winter was fast approaching and one day while out driving in our neighborhood, I spied a glass fireplace screen set on the curb!!
And best of all? Everything was included: all the bolts, screws, everything was placed so nicely in a plastic bag and laid out there on the curb.
There was a itty bitty note that said please take it because the previous owners had just bought a gas fireplace insert and they didn't want the glass and screen anymore.
I was shocked and elated!
And when we got home, it fit perfectly into our fireplace.
And it was FREE!!
Oh girlfriend! You and I we'd be two happy treasure finders driving around looking for deals together.
And we could both wear our jammy pants!
Will your wonderful Mom make us cake? :)
Brrr 39 degrees, eh?
Last night the wind kicked in here with 40 mph gusts and it was so cold I closed all my windows for the first time this summer.
I'm afraid fall is here with winter fast on it's heels :(
~Lisa
Laughing Orca Ranch
New Mexico
Dumpster diving huh? That can end up being quite a competitive sport! You never know who will try to eye YOUR stuff! That table is great, tho. Good find.
I am a sucker for roadside "trash." You made a great pick with that table. I too think your eclectic chairs only make it look better. You must be further north in MI than I am. It was a warm 42 degrees here!
I'm getting ready for the woodstove weather tho!
Love the table, I thought it was in a shade of orange until you said red. Love it either way.
Farmgirl, I have embarassed some family members by pulling over and loading up(not the kids or hubby, they like it). But those same family members get me to hop out when they see something good.
Swishy thinks your hot.
Ratface likes his butt scratched, a lot!
Farmmom, thanks, my style is trashy with a bit of paint thrown in. I'll tell Ratface you like his tooshie.
Twinville, Guinea Pigs make the best pets for kids, grown ups too. He whistles at me everyday, gives a gal a bit of an ego.
Thanks for the table and cart love, I do like unusual things.
I love your story of the glass door for your fireplace, it was fate!
I can just picture it now, jammie pants, cake and treasures. We would have to take turns driving/eating/hauling.
This mornings temp was 63, go figure.
Frugalmom, just for the record, my body hasn't ever been in a dumpster, not that i judge. My treasures are ones that someone cleaned their garage or basement and didn't want to work harder than taking it to the curb.
I did have my mom convinced I had a digging stick to beat off the rats! She'll beleive anything.
Hi Don, I think you may be my first male commenter. Thanks!
I am actually more proud of the things I scrounged and perked up than the things I overpaid.
I'm actually just south of Ann Arbor. We always are a bit cooler than other places, I'm not sure why.
Hi Mim, in person the table has more of a red shade but there is an orange tone mixed in.
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