I may just burst

I've had a lot of fun new things come my way in the past couple of weeks.  I found some great furniture, three large doors that will make amazing signs, some goodies from new sponsors and a very special package all the way from Germany containing these...

One of my gracious readers, who lives in Germany, has become a "grain sack picker" for me.  This was the first package I received from her and it was so exciting.  I can't wait to put these bad boys to work.  (Yes, it's OK to refer to antique European grain sacks as bad boys.  I checked it out.)

My magnetism for cool things continued into my yard sale venture this morning.  My husband prodded me out of bed and rounded up the family for a morning of driving around to "look for treasures."  I was really considering not going.  I was sleepy and still a little tired of hunting after my shopping spree before Lucketts.  The lure of not knowing what I might find was just too strong, so I tied a bandanna over my blonde fro (it's bad), got my kids dressed, packed snacks...all the usual yard sale prep and we headed out.  At the first sale, I found an old book, ironstone casserole and a huge gold frame (perfect for a chalk board.)  The lady who sold the frame actually hugged me.  They had tried to sell that frame at four other yard sales without success. 

Anyway, we reached a neighborhood yard sale about 10:30...a little late for finding any great deals on furniture.  We passed a few "drive by's" (yard sales that aren't worth getting out of the car for) and then hit a street that had several promising yard sales.  I got out to walk with my oldest son and my husband pulled the car up the street to park.  My son and I browsed around and I was about ready to check out a slightly wonky pedestal table when I spotted my husband and he gave me "the nod."  That meant there was something I needed to see.  This pedestal table had some promise, so I thought I would look at it...but then I spotted what my husband nodded at me about. 

The back of three graceful antique French chairs. I couldn't move fast enough. I forgot all about the pedestal table.  I dragged my four year old by the hand. There was another shopper standing near them...was he interested in MY chairs? Had he just bought them? Was this going to get nasty? Why were they still there? Were they outrageously priced? Broken? Stinky? All of these thoughts were compressed into about 2.5 seconds.  (Are you catching on that I get paranoid, hyper, giddy, weird and a little frightening to be around when I'm shopping?)

I still hadn't seen the price tags, but my husband was looking at them from the front and said, "Oh, we're buying these." I rounded the chairs and saw they were in great condition, beautiful shapes, they didn't stink and they weren't sold.  They were mine. I ripped the tape off and ran over to the "cashier" and paid for them before someone else swooped in.

Later in the car, my husband said I "got all loud and talky" about the chairs. I may have kissed babies and hugged strangers and gave an acceptance speech. As long as I had those chairs, I didn't care.

They're safely in my home and I'm thankful my husband dragged me out of bed and later gave me "the nod" and then put up with me acting slightly insane.  He's a good guy.

Some other exciting things I bought recently are a new camera (Nikon D7000), a new lens (Nikon 60mm Macro, which I used to take this picture)...

...and I have some new photo editing software coming my way.

I also have a new sponsor!

Janet Hopkins designs beautiful printables, including these clever father's day kits. 

I love the one with the tie.  Very dapper. 

If any more really cool things come my way...I may just burst. 

Table Makeover

I have so many things in the works and so few things finished at this point.  I have babysitters coming for the afternoon over the next few days, so I can get some things in the "finished pile."  Here's the first piece...

I found this pretty table at a yard sale last week. 

Funny story...I was paying for this table and a few other things when I spotted a really cool antique shelf leaning against the barn.  It had a $10 sticker on it.  "Oo!  I'll take that as well."  I grabbed it and added it to my pile. 

 "Oh, I'm sorry, but I think that gentleman set it aside." 

Total bummer.  Oh well.  The gentleman looked over at me.  I couldn't resist asking, "Are you sure you reeeally want it?"  Eyelashes batting (not really.) 

 "Yeah.  Yeah, I do.  I'm going to put it in my workshop." 

I had an image race into my mind of that ornate shelf hung in a garage, covered in cobwebs and holding old peanut butter jars filled with rusted screws and bolts. 

"A workshop!?!  That beautiful antique shelf!  No, please, no!  Don't do that!"

OK, so you might be thinking I was just thinking those things to myself, but I was actually blurting them out to the gentleman.  Not only was I trying to get him to give up the shelf, but I was actually telling him how he should and shouldn't use it.  I am a crazy lady.

A nearby younger gentleman who was with the older-shelf-abusing-gentleman chimed in.  "His workshop is like a gallery.  It's really nice." 

Funny enough, that made it OK for me then.  "Oh, OK.  Well, I'm at peace now!" 

Yes, I said that.  I gave him my blessing to use the shelf he was buying any way he wanted.  Wasn't that gracious of me?

I loaded my things into the van realizing I got totally carried away and I'm way to opinionated about what people should do with things I deem pretty.  I'm going to have to travel with a chaperone to keep me in check.  Especially when there is lettering on my van advertising my business.

So, back to the table.  I painted it in a mix of Louis Blue and Old White with a wash of Old White.  I finished it off with a mix of light and dark wax, wiping the excess away.

I could stare at these legs for hours.  Have I mentioned I have a leg fetish?  On furniture, that is.

These go on all day long. 

This table looks a lot like the table I had in my foyer and sold at the fair in August.

The new one is missing the piece that stretches between the legs, but it doesn't affect the stability of the table and, as you know, I don't mind imperfect things. 

I'm off to do some shopping for supplies today to repair a dresser and finish a couple of projects for HGTV.com.  May is an insane month.  Have I mentioned I'm also the designer for a wedding coming up in the last week of May?  Insane.  I am a crazy lady.  In many more ways than one. 

The thrill of the hunt

Those of you who get it, get it.  There is an addiction to the thrill of thrifting.  The joy of junking!  The awesomeness of auctions! It is a drug and it's my drug of choice.  Hook me up to an IV and open the line.  I love hunting for treasures.  I set out for a morning of hitting yard sales and I don't know what will be in my van when I come home (much to the dismay of my husband.)  Maybe nothing.  Maybe something I've been longing after for ten years...and it was only five bucks.  You just never know. 

I have admired these industrial shoe carts for a long time, now.  Gail has one in her space at Wild Rose and I've admired that one as well.  I've never found them at a reasonable price, so when I spotted one on the porch of a local antique shop, I was expecting to sigh at the scribbled figure and walk away.  I turned over the tag...what?!  Really?!  My heart started to pound.  I could buy this.  I realized I wasn't even in the door, yet, so I needed to think about it.  As I gathered other good deals in my arms, the industrial cart kept nagging me.  I then became paranoid that everyone else in south central PA would know there was an awesome piece for an awesome price sitting on the porch and I would need to run and tear off the tag to get it.  I would perhaps even need to take out some senior citizens or small children to claim it, but I was prepared for some casualties. 

OK, I'm exaggerating.  I cooly walked to the porch, pulled the tag and gave it to the cashier to add to my pile of goodies.  "I think I'll buy this, too."  I nearly passed out when she told me I got an additional 10% off of it.  No, not really, but it was the cherry on the sundae. 

It has the coolest wheels, wire stabilizer and writing on the sides. 

Here's the funny thing. I've been hunting for one of these and, now that I found one, I'm just going to sell it.  Seriously.  All of that excitement, just to sell it.  Well, that's the nature of the biz. 

So, do you get it?  Or am I alone, here?

By the way, someone asked about my lack of fanfare over passing 3000 followers this weekend.  I've been so busy with custom Christmas orders that I have not given it much thought, even though my mom kept telling me I needed to do something.  So, what do you think?  Another "Miss Mustard Seed in a Box?"  Or perhaps a sampling of my Christmas line? 

10 Secrets to Thrifting Success

One of the questions I am asked most frequently is how I find such wonderful things at ridiculously low prices. Today, I am going to share the secrets of my thrifting success. Unfortunately, I can't help with the most important aspect of finding great things (luck), but I do think you can improve your chances by following some easy tips.

1.) A.B.H. - Always be hunting. There are times when I go out to intentionally look for things, but I hunt even when I am not hunting. I even look up thrift store locations to hit when I'm traveling. There have been many times that I have yelled, "stop the car!" or done a (sometimes illegal) u-turn to check out a yard sale or piece of furniture on the side of the road when we're running an errand. I found this French style sofa at a yard sale for $50.00 while on the way to a Labor Day picnic.
2.) Be willing to roll up your sleeves and dig. Junking can be dirty work. If you're not willing to dig through boxes, hurdle chairs, or brush off some cobwebs, you might miss some of the best finds. I found this chandelier late in the day while I was out yardsaling. The reason it wasn't snatched up earlier was it was in a pathetic looking box that no one else had bothered to opened! The chandelier was in pieces, but all of the crystals were there and I knew it could easily be rewired. I ended up paying $4.00 for it! 3.) See what something can be, not what it is. Having a vision for a piece is a gift, but I do believe it can be learned through trial and error. If you spend $1.00 on a piece of furniture (like I did on this table below), it's ok if you mess it up and it ends up in the trash. Know your limits if you're going to spend more than $20 on a piece, though. If you are just not gifted with the vision, bring along a friend who is. (And remember, you don't have to use a piece the way it was intended. Have an open mind.)

4.) When buying furniture, look for quality. Most of the furniture I buy looks like it's in pretty sad shape, but I always look for some key things. Make sure it's solid wood, has dove-tailed drawers, quality construction, and good lines. Stay away from pieces that have been poorly repaired, are stapled, made of "press board", have severe water damage, are missing pieces that would be costly to replicate, or ones that are saturated with smoke. I know some brave souls who take these pieces on (and I have on occasion), but as a rule it's not worth it. Again, know your limits.

5.) Buy what you love. You will never go wrong buying things that you love and that "speak to you." It's easy to get swayed by trends or to be tempted into buying something just because it's cheap. Trust me, if you don't love it, it won't stay in your house for very long. I love ironstone, so I buy almost every piece I come across that's reasonably priced and I rarely pay more than $5.00 a piece.

6.) Don't be scared to "dumpster dive" and pick up furniture off the side of the road. Sometimes people just want to get rid of a perfectly good piece of furniture. I'm not sure why they stick it out on their curb instead of donating it to a thrift store, but I'm glad there are people like that! It can be a little embarrassing, even scary to pull your van over and pick up a piece off the curb. "Am I going to get yelled at for stealing? Are people going to think I'm crazy?" Possibly...sure, but I've never had the former happen and I'm sure the latter happens all the time. I'm ok with people thinking I'm nuts. This chair was our most recent curb freebie. It was a little wet from sitting in the rain for the morning, but surprisingly it didn't stink and was in great condition. It just needs a slipcover.

7.) Talk to people. Just about everyone I know, knows that I love antiques, vintage pieces, furniture, whatever. And I have people offer things to me all the time because of this. I get freebies from family members, friends, acquaintances, friends of friends, lots of unexpected places. I even talk to people at yard sales to see if they have more furniture that they are looking to get rid of. You wouldn't believe some of the things people have pulled out of their garages to sell to me for a few dollars. I'll leave my card with people who are selling good furniture at reasonable prices and tell them to call me when they want to get rid of anything else. I also get to know the people who work at my local thrift stores. They'll often give me a better price on something because they know me. I got the piece pictured below (salvaged from a sewing factory in Gettysburg) from a woman at the parking authority when I was paying to rent a spot for the day. She told me that she was moving and wanted to get rid of some things and invited me over to see if there was anything I wanted! She gave me several of these interesting wooden pieces, some antique windows and shutters.

This beautiful 100+ year old piano was given to us for free as well. It didn't sell at our church yard sale, so the receptionist asked my husband if I would like it. My sweet guy rented a U-haul, enlisted some help, and surprised me with it one evening. In addition, the owner of the piano gave us an antique pram that was in mint condition. I also got a ridiculous amount of antiques and furniture from my neighbor, including this pocket watch for $2.00 (and it still works.)8.) It's ok if something isn't perfect. In fact, you should expect that it won't be. There are a lot of things that have been and are currently on my wish list that are very expensive if bought in antique stores in mint condition. I learned that I need to be willing to compromise if I want to get a bargain. I had wanted one of these enamel pitchers for years, but they were always too expensive for me. I finally found one at an antique store for $18.00......the bottom was rusted out, but since I wasn't planning on filling it with water, it wasn't a problem for me. This gorgeous French rocking chair was only $10.00, because it was dirty and there was a rip in the caning. Both things I could either fix or live with. 9.) Get to know Craig. If you have not checked out Craig's List, you must! It's basically an online yard sale. I know "The Craig's List Killer" and stories of robberies and fraud may have frightened some of you away, but that is the rare exception, not the norm. Some Craig's List tips - be particular, never pick up something alone, don't be afraid to negotiate, and if something doesn't sound/feel right, just let it go. I purchased both of these pieces on Craig's List (these are the "after" pictures.) The desk was $15 and the hutch was $30.

10.) Go to Auctions. I went to my first auction a few months ago and I feel like I've been a sucker for years for shopping at antique malls. You can find really cool stuff at rock bottom prices at auctions. I've come home with a van load of furniture and antiques for less than $80. Auctions are amazing. You can check out local sales in your area at Auction Zip. A few tips:

~ Don't get carried away with your bidding (it's very easy to do)

~ Come prepared. You have to take things home with you that night. With small pieces they actually carry it to you and drop it in your lap. Don't bid on something you can't get home or discuss arrangements with the auction house in advance

~ Know how the bidding and payment works. Sometimes you have to pay a buyer's premium at auctions. This means there is a fee added to what your bid was. The auction house I go to charges a fee if you use a credit card and you have to be pre-approved to use a check. Just know what you're dealing with, so there are no surprises.

~ Wait to bid on something until you feel comfortable. Some auctioneers can be very difficult to understand. Make sure you know what's going on before you raise your number. It goes fast and can be confusing.

~ Talk to "auction veterans" and ask questions. Most people are happy to help (as long as you're not bidding on something they want!) You can normally tell the people who are there for fun and the people who are dead serious about it. Talk to the former, not the latter!

The woman who owns our shop found this antique toy phone in a box with other vintage toys for $4.00. I loved it so much she gave it to me. This would've cost a great deal more in an antique shop.

So, get out there and score some junk! I hope this is helpful and valuable information. I get giddy about finding things, so I am happy to pass my secrets along to you!

I am finally finished with the shop move, so I'm taking some time to work on my house. I've just started arranging my fabric in my new Craig's List armoire. Here's a little sneak peak...

I'm also going to try to get my dresser finished, some sewing, painting my bathroom, painting my dining room set, cleaning the workshop & basement, on and on... Of course, I'll share it all with my lovely readers.

I've posted this to 2nd Time Around Tuesday at A Picture is Worth 1000 Words and Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous.