Just You Watch!!

Thrifting, junktiquing, garage and estate saleing. My passions. I love to take people's cast-offs, no longer needed or loved items and transform them into something beautiful and useful. Some people would call this simply "recycling!" Good for the earth. I call it being a good steward with the money. . . the Lord's money : >) !!

One of my favorite things to do is to take something that was once very loved, very cared for and appreciated by someone and give it a new home. You know what I mean. Someone has died and their family is clearing out all their "junk!" "Junk" to their family, but not to the deceased person. I love pieces of antiques. Not my entire house, but a few accent pieces. Well, I came across such a "special" piece just recently. . .

I was cruising http://geo.craigslist.org/iso/us/mi just looking to see what was out there, when up popped this most beautiful antique secretary. $50, yes, only $50. It was from the 1940's had been painted, needed to be re-painted, or stripped. I immediately responded stating that "I wanted the secretary" and to "let me know when I could come and pick-it up!" I left my contact phone numbers . . . just in case they wanted to call me as opposed to e-mailing. I was delighted when I received a call back within the hour. The seller stated that this was in her parent's house, which they had just sold. Her dad liked to refinish, paint and antique furniture. It was his hobby. Both parents were now deceased and her brother placed some ads on http://geo.craigslist.org/iso/us/mi. They were trying to get rid of all her dad's junk! Junk! Junk!?! She told me when I could come out and look at it. I stated that "I didn't need to come out and look at it, I wanted it. I wanted to come out and pay for it and bring it home!" Home, my home, its new home, my loving vintage treasures home, my new treasure to love and cherish!

I didn't even pick it up. I didn't need to see it before loading it up. I asked my daughter and her boyfriend to pick it up for me (he has a pick-up truck and I give him money for his time and gas. Everyone wins!)

The pictures posted on http://geo.craigslist.org/iso/us/mi showed the antiquing a lighter stain color. Actually, it's an off-white with darker olive green antiquing. . . . Remember that color from the 60's? Everyone antiqued everything olive green? At least my mother did. Well, it's going. The color that is, not the piece. I'm working on it now. I've removed the hardware, separated the top from the bottom, sanded the piece down, primed and started applying the first coat of paint (you'll need to wait to see what color I selected). For all of you wood purist out there, I'm not into stripping furniture, I like to paint it. Sorry. Stripping furniture leaves me with a terrible sinus infection (yes, I wear a mask). I like the look of painted wood (and it was painted over to begin with when I got it, remember? So please don't e-mail me and scold me about painting furniture. . . it's a matter of preference. . . mine, yours. . . whomever).

It is a treasure, just waiting to be released. . . . Just you wait and see!!



Blessings!