Gotta love the garage sale!

I'm not quick on the projects, but eventually I get to them and I think D is beginning to have a little more patience with my makeover schedule and is starting...just starting to have a little more understanding about the "trash to treasure" mantra. He whole heartedly holds to his own OCD routine called "trash to trash cans".

The rub? We disagree on what defines trash. Well, truth be told, we occasionally disagree on a couple of other things, but we're both still in training in the married arena, so the things I drag home from someone else's driveway only occasionally raise an eyebrow. Asking him to carry each piece upstairs to the spare room for storage, then to the patio for painting, then back upstairs to their resting place...well I'm sure he loves showing off his muscles that way.

Anyway, I did a crazy (by crazy, I probably mean illegal) U-turn on the way to church over the summer and bought this chest for $30.00...sanded & painted it, then distressed the edges a little and ta da!

Then I found this trunk on Craig's list and drove up to the innerds of Ojai and bought it from a lady who slept on the floor next to it. After I told her I'd take it, she told me she really loved it, but it was now too small for her.....ALTAR! What? I just bought someone's place of worship? Ugh! As I glanced around I realized that she now had a much larger place with dozens of little candles and little wooden idols of this and that. I hightailed it (do you ever picture where that term "high tailed" came from? I'm picturing the far side of a deer or rabbit flying over a hedge...tail high in the air, which means the description really doesn't at all describe my exit moves in this case) and got the heck out of there. Do not worry about me or the trunk...it got a good praying over and extra sanding. Leaving so fast did get in the way of me getting the key that actually opens this baby up for storage, but I am so not going back to the altaress looking for the key to anything.

Why is it that people expect little wooden things to have any ability to do anything but gather dust, is beyond even the lowest level of my reasoning, and I'm wondering what the real God question is all about.

Little wooden figure vs. living breathing man alive after being dead.

I'm going with the live guy over the wooden guy anyday, bet my life on it!

Anyway...old trunk....new trunk...white as snow I might add.

And then forgive me if it ever seems like I am anything other than completely shocked when something turns out well. This is the Pitcher's old-old room. Largest person in the house always had the smallest room, but that's because back in '91, a 3 year old has limited negotiating skills when it comes to picking out your bedroom in the new house.

Plain old builder's grade closet doors...filigree trim added to the top.

Leaded glass from a garage sale, one of 2 for $30.00...hanging 75 pounds of glass, not so easy. D and his macho to the rescue.

I am very not-good at the wall and accessory stuff and blank walls in some houses means they are still moving in...in mine is means...I'm stuck for what to do. So feel free to leave some advice on finishing touches.

Anyway, I just need to say...Home Goods...you complete me!

Garage sale and Mod Podge

Me and Dell, dang...Dell and I, (sorry Mrs. ??, dang again, I'm too old to remember any of my English teachers? double dang) Anyway, we happened to be blopping last night after the extended painting of primer coat #2 and I did think more than once...I kinda liked the red. Anyway, we came across a project that was so darned cute and it was called Mod Podge. Diversonal thought...can I just say I love bloggers! Because they are totally about showing something dang cute and then telling you where they got the idea and how to do it yourselves. No kit to buy, do downloading or instructions, just pics and and a whole lot of "you can do it!" And I know the entrepreners ( I think there is a "u" in there somewhere, but whatever) of the world would call them crazy for giving away their secrets instead of selling them, but I would call them just plain nice, generous and all about the bloggin' relationship. Ok...Mod Podge, which I have been calling Mog Podge...oops. Here is a sample.



So this morning I woke up all saturated in inspiration from the blopping session with Dell and hit the garage sales. Div thought...did you know the local paper has a link on the net where you can see each garage sale on a map, select the ones you want to visit and then print out a list of directions from home to one sale, then the next, and on and on. Anyway, I was looking for some potential Mod Podgee things, went to a sale at house we lived in during the late '80's (think big bangs and flourescent colors, acid washed jeans) and bought these 3 pieces for $9.00 total.

Watch for future makeover pics. I found this cabinet door for 50 cents to practice my paint/stain-over technique before I try it on my own kitchen doors. These two vases, just because they fit the color pallette,two canvases either for Dot's great room or just to use as a frame for another idea I saw, $1.00 each. A set of black canisters for the new kitchen (never owned canisters before this), but will probably do something on the fronts to liven them up a bit...more after pics ahead ($1.00), a couple of plastic shoe boxes with lids for organizing. BTW the guy had 60 of them and said he used them to store herbs...??....I didn't ask. Anyway, one single wine glass because we have 3 and every once in a while 4 people want a glass of wine and it just doesn't seem the same from a coffee mug. I am sticking all this project stuff in an upstairs bedroom behind a closed door hoping D never finds it because first he's not a "stuff" guy and second it represents a "to do" list and we've already talked about the heart attack that can cause an already stressed out guy, who by the way worked 24 hours Friday, mandated to work today another 24 hours, working tomorrow another 24 hours and has to stay over for a tour to review a fire from last fall another 8 hours. That's 80 hours straight. He'll be home Monday evening for dinner, then back to the FD on Tuesday....He is my hero, but I miss him. Of course, it dawns on me that he hates to paint so there could be something fishy going on...think I'll just go ahead and splurge, he deserves a new toothbrush today too.

Doesn't everyone?

Because when you are raising your own kids they are tougher, but when its your grandchild, every precaution must be taken! So when you hit the Lego jackpot and buy somebody's $75.00 souveneir set from Lego Land, which was a castlesomething they "Had to Have" but you find it at a garage sale for "make me an offer" ok "how about $2.00?" and they say "sold" you must run screaming like the IKEA shopper lady to the get-away vehicle "start the car, start the car"! Only I was alone, so I was yelling on the inside to myself and running away quickly, bag in hand looking over my shoulder expecting the garage sale seller to be shouting after me, "wait, I didn't mean the whole bag of legos!" Too late, yes you did just give away the farm!





So, yes I soaked every single piece in hot soapy water first, then scrubbed each (yes huh!) with my own toothbrush. Diversional thought (not delusional, though possibly also appropriate) ...I have always wondered how you know when its time to replace your toothbrush, I mean other than what the toothbrush company says (possible conflict of interest, or the dentist, who I think could possibly be in cohoots with the tb company) . It dawns on me that July 25th, today might be a good day to purchase a new one!


As they are drying I have gone through to pull any inappropriate pieces out. Yes huh, there are inappropriate legos. Here are two "scary faces" which will not make the cut. The guy on the far left is a questionable character. If its red hair, he is in, but if those are flames, he is out. Really, how many nightmares could head on fire cause, A LOT! Then there are these guys, three headed something and pig faced guy. I may put them away incase we ever study the book of Revelation together, using Lego props, because isn't every toy a bible story waiting to be played out? But they aren't going to be in the general Lego supply. I was also so pleased to discover Papa and DD in with all the different Lego guys and that the heads come off and can go on different bodies so that we can have a little change of wardrobe every once in a while and have different jobs. Ok, now only 3 more hours until the little guy comes over...just enough time to dry this jackpot with my blowdryer on the high/sanitizing setting. What? Doesn't everybody?