Thursday, October 11, 2012

A Slippery Shopping Slope

 It is indeed a slippery shopping slope this overwhelming desire to save the old and tattered.  People are set up every weekend trying to unload this stuff on unsuspecting buyers  - LIKE ME!

I place all the blame on Leia, my niece, who had asked for a small dining set for her new apartment.  I had planned on driving down to see the new place, help her decide the colors to paint the chairs and table, and maybe go find some things she needed.

After we unloaded the table and set it up.  The first thing she asked was if we were going to the flea market.  The flea market!?!  Had we not gone just a few weeks prior!?!  Had I not filled the entire truck with bargains then!?!  Was some of that stuff still in my living room!?! 

Was I supposed to be at home doing the October Overhaul!?!

We went to the flea market . . . 
     And the community thrift shop . . .
          And the Goodwill pound store.

Yes, we even squeezed in an estate sale.

I must say I was very picky about what I bought.  I kept my spending to a minimum.  I selected items carefully.  Some items free.

I will confess each and every item.  Some have already been cleaned and painted and left the house for the shop.

This list shows my eclectic side (some call it the crazy side!):

FIRST PHOTO
-a ladder
-a free typewriter
-a blue tweed suitcase
-a wooden tool caddy with removable tray
-a yellow first aid kit
-black ice skates
-a small wood collector's box
-box of books
-metal tray with ivy painted on it






SECOND PHOTO
-three clear stacking Atomic Fireballs reach-in bins
-One red Atomic Fireball bin with screw top
-Cigar box of old button envelopes
-baskets


 










THIRD PHOTO
-five heads
-a pink armchair
-a pink kitchen chair
-a free locker basket
-a handful of vintage linens
-a black and taupe dance costume (shades of The Black Swan)

What was on my original list before leaving:
-pink chairs
-heads
-locker basket
-suitcase
-ladder
-baskets



So, not so so slippery this shopping slope.  I actually bought things on my list.  I actually kept under my spending limit.  I actually have moved most of this stuff into the booth.  The Atomic Fireballs bins I will admit are really out there, but they were a sentimental favorite.



WHEN COPS AND JUNKERS COLLIDE

A TALE OF REDEMPTION

Coming home from work the other day I spotted a shutter on the side of the street. It looked as though it had fallen off a truck.  Not wanting it to be run over or, God forbid, someone steal it. I drove around the block.  The traffic was horrific.  I pulled my truck over the yellow curb and snugged it up close and personal to the No Trespassing sign managing to block a driveway in the process. As I cautiously left my vehicle and approached the poor abandoned shutter, I discovered a true jewel, a real antique, a genuine shutter.  It had hinges, locks, and real moving slats.  It was six feet long and heavy.  So what if it was missing a few slats.  The color alone was beautiful.  I wrestled it off the ground and carried it over to my truck and got it in on a diagonal.  I glanced across the street so I could judge how best to get back in the truck with the traffic whizzing by and to my horror saw a cop watching me from up the block.  I thought surely he would give me a ticket or take me to jail - I was breaking about five laws.  I knew that Chucks would leave me there as punishment for collecting stuff off the road.  To my absolute amazement,  the cop got out of the car and yelled, "Thanks for getting that off the street, Ma'am!"   WHAT!?!?  I mean, WHEW!!!  My shutter rescuing was redeemed!

See y'all!

October Overhauling



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13 comments:

  1. You are one lucky lady! Some gorgeous stuff there!

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  2. I think I stole a wheelbarrow up here this summer from the side of the road...right in front of someone's home.

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  3. LOL, you get yourself into the most interesting situations. The funniest part is that you think your husband would leave you in jail for collecting more junk~

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  4. You are a total addict girl! I must admit, I could not have passed up most of that myself! Hilarious about the cop!! Be careful in the road...I want you to be alive and healthy when i see you!

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  5. Atomic fireballs are "out there", but not the heads? Ha! Your confession ends up being good for MY soul. I feel as though I may as well have confessed myself. I feel better already. Does that let me off the hook then, or do I have to show and tell what I have gotten into lately too? I couldn't do it half as entertainingly as you, but now I feel guilty for holding all my secret shopping shame inside (even though much of it was curb shopping.) Man that shutter is a beaut! The color is like a jewel. Someone had to have painted that at one time, maybe I could paint the louvres I found the other day that color. Let's figure out what it is and them I could try. Of course that never works, but I can dream. It's gorgeous!
    Liz

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  6. Beautiful finds! Love the shutter, the ladder, and the old wooden boxes. What a fun post!

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  7. LOVE it!!! Was stopped once coming home from a junking stop... do all of you know whata two door Olds calais is? I brought home a full sized round dining room table, 4 chairs and a hutch with glass doors in and on that little car. My friends could not believe it! But it was free from the side of the road! Can't wait to see what you do with your new found treasures.

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  8. Hey that was my shutter!!!!!!!! Just kidding :) Haha, I would have done the same thing! Great rescue! Thank you so much for sharing this at Rustic Restorations Weekend!

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  9. Atomic fireballs are my absolute favorite candies of all time!!!
    Have to have 2 in my mouth at the same time - one in each cheek.
    What do you need those heads for Donna lol? Always such a fun read coming here! Mrs protector of the roads lol
    XOX
    now I feel like a fireball - badly

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  10. If I had come across all this and had the budget I'd not leave any of it behind! Okay, maybe I'd leave the heads...but hey it's Halloween soon so I could probably make use of them as scary deco by stuffing them in the fridge for a laugh :)

    I'd absolutely love to come across a pretty old ladder like that!


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  11. Haha! I had so much fun reading your post! I loved stopping by:) Thanks for linking up To Whimsy Wednesday!
    Kelly,
    Smart! School {House}
    www.smartschoolhouse.com

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  12. What an awesome HAUL!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!! Leave no one behind! lol!!!!! I would have done the same thing! Thanks for sharing over at Junkin Joe -- we LOVE having you there! hugs...

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  13. Gril, what a haul!! Thank you for sharing this at my Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. You will be one of the features tomorrow, so pop on in and grab a feature button. See you tomorrow. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

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I enjoy reading all of your comments and will always answer with email. I will try to track you down if you show up as a "no reply" commenter to let you know. Friends are like that!