Pickin' Fixin'

All of you who like to go crawlin' and pickin'  know that inevitably there is the fixin'.  Sometimes it is the fun part; sometimes it is the most frustrating part.  Those treasures chosen with care and dreams of a bright future often turn out to be trolls instead.  Just so you know I have not been shirking my fixin' duties, I will relate what I accomplished today.  I will have to do this quickly because I think Survivor starts tonight and I cannot miss that!

Habitat was continuing their sale from last week so I stole Chuck's truck because mine was full from the weekend's pickin'.  I was prudent in pickin' because I knew fixin' was in my immediate future.  One of Chuck's rules is both trucks cannot be full to the brim at the same time.  I admit I have broken this rule a couple of times if I can get his cover over the stuff in the truck bed.  He never looks under it - he has learned to ignore what he cannot see!

 First up a cornice with one end broken off.  Loved the scallops and the fact it is painted cream, white, light pink, and dark pink in layers.  Took my hammer and pounded out the nails.  Left with just the front piece.  Tomorrow a good power sand will reveal those luscious layers!

This appeared to be a divider screen from a kitchen area.  I pounded out the nails to separate the spindles.  I did not paint them - they were pretty well distressed enough.

The hardest part was backing the nails out.  I could tell a nail gun had been used to attach the spindles to the molding.  Those nails have tiny heads that are ridiculously difficult to grasp with the hammer.

Why didn't I just use my pry bar?  I am getting to that!

Neat group of spindles heading off to the booth.  I can see a lot of projects in need of these - cut into sections or left whole.  They are four feet long.  They would make pretty legs for a table.

They only had four windows and I snatched up all of them.   They were dirty and covered with spider webs.  A little Fabulosa lavender scent with a scrubby sponge and they are sparkly again.

This size stood on their sides and screwed together make excellent divider screens.  

Since I already have a divider screen of windows, these are off to the booth.

Usually if there are fancy fittings on the windows like these brass beauties, I take them off to save for another project.  Today, however, I was in a hurry to finish and get rid of them so I left the hardware on the windows. Just a little extra treasure for whoever buys them!

Found two long wooden screens in good shape.  There are several projects to do with these.  Hinge them to make a divider.  (I am really into dividers - if you saw my house you would know why!).  Second, my favorite, paint the frames and write a quote around it.  Third, lay a lace tablecloth (those old plastic ones are great)  and spray paint a design on the screen.  Fourth, do a sort of cross-stitch pattern through the little squares.  Fifth, clean them up and sell them to someone who needs a project to do!  I have not made a decision.

I seriously fell in love with this tan leather suitcase.  It had obviously been used out on a porch for decoration.  Squirrels have hidden acorns in various cracks and crevices.  I took it all around the outside of my house looking for a protected place to put it.  I envisioned it with some creamy mums and some rusty, crusty bits and pieces.

I could not find a single spot for it.  It is a bit crumbly, but after I clean it up and find all the acorns, I might just drag it inside.  I don't really have a front porch - really it is just a stoop.

This old cabinet caught my eye.  It has great proportions and is in great shape.  Have you noticed all this orangy stained stuff around?  Well, after tomorrow we will not have to look at that stain anymore.  I sort of like those retro hammered copper hinges and handles.  I might just keep them.

Look at the cabinet's beautiful Formica top.  Nary a crack or scratch on it.

You know Mother Nature does not produce marble quite like this!

These people had to be the cleanest people on earth - even the inside of the drawer and shelves are pristine clean - not a smell to be smelt!

I had a little space left in the truck bed so at the last minute I threw in this long pantry door.  Not sure what I am going to do, but I would make a serious wager that The Graphics Fairy will have something to do with it!

Late afternoon and the weather-idiot assured me no rain today.  Molly and I were having a good game of chase the pine straw, and Chucks and the pups had left to visit friends at the dog park.  Azalee was lazing in the front window and all was right with the world.  I had made an executive decision:  Since I planned to start early tomorrow morning, I would just leave everything out in the driveway.

You guessed it - a raindrop, then another.  There was only one truck, but I shoved and stacked until everything but the cabinet and the screens remained.  I put the cabinet up on my paint frame and covered it with a vinyl tablecloth secured by the screens.  Then, there was SUN!  All that for nothing!!! 

Well, the neighbors will only have to look at this for a day or two.  You can see Distressed Donna over to the side looking so ashamed to live in the driveway of this house.  Don't worry.  I strategically placed the pile so when Chucks pulls his truck in, it will block this view.  Nothing will be seen from the street.  Hopefully.

THE PRINCESS AND HER PRY BAR

A CAUTIONARY TALE

Once upon a time there was a princess who loved to use her pry bar to remove those pesky nails from furniture.  One day a queen from the castle down the street offered her a treasure - a broken dining room chair.  The princess was enamored of the chair's lovely legs and graciously thanked the queen and daintily carried it home.

There was nothing to save, but those big bulbous legs so she got out her royal blue pry bar and got to work.  The first leg came off easily, but the second was stubborn.  The princess gently pried here and gently pried there to no avail.

She stopped just for a moment to stretch and think of a solution.   Without notice the pry bar fell from her hand and dropped on her head causing a great chunk of skin to peel from her scalp.  Blood gushed and spurted and poured and rained down upon her fair face, neck, and heaving bodice.  The princess held the gash as she ran for the castle door leaving a trial of splattered blood.  

She knew her prince became quite queasy and uneasy at the sight of blood so she quietly asked him to met her at the sink with towels - a roll of towels and ice and alcohol and bandages.  The princess now appeared to have met with grievous harm from the woodcutter's axe.   

But surprisingly the prince, after a momentary swoon, washed the blood from her and held the ice pack to the gash pulling the skin back into place and securing it with an adhesive strip.  The skin held and the gash healed with only a teeny scar to show for her heroism.  

However, the princess is currently at odds with her trusty pry bar and takes the hammer to work instead!  But the prince is in her good favor - for now, at least!

The End

See Y'all!

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