Friday, June 22, 2012

High Fives & Double Fist Pumps

I was giving myself internal high fives even as passers-by raised eyebrows and scrunched up their noses while waiting for me to cross the road with old aqua cabinet parts, mirrors and other sundry treasure.
Once home and safely behind closed doors, double fist pumps would have been noted by any who were awake and interested in my morning's adventures. None were. My silent exclamation over my stellar junk haul went undetected. I had loaded up these cabinet doors and drawers for the knobs, if nothing else. I loved the cabinet color and saw some other potential uses that might come of them.
Sweet Salvage!

Ottoman on wheels!


No, I wasn't out garage sale hunting or thrift store shopping. It was bulk trash day. We are having a garage sale on Saturday at my friend's house and I thought I'd run out and see if I could nab some things from the neighborhood trash to turn right around and sell. It was worth a try. Each week in my neighborhood, treasures are sitting curbside for those willing to stop and pick them up.


Trouble is, when I go looking, my eyes hone in on things that I would consider as having potential in my world. So then what do you suppose happens when I get home? Do I leave them in the car to take to the garage sale?
Of course not. I pull it all out and spread it out in the front yard, clean it up and foof around with it a bit to see if it would possibly fit in around here somewhere. If not now, I might need it sometime in the "future".


So while I was out early yesterday morning, I saw plenty. I sadly had to pass on a number of larger things because of lack of room in the back seat of my car. I thought of Distressed Donna's wise insistence that I get a truck. I really could have hauled so much home if I'd had one, but thank goodness I didn't. It took half the day to clean up and dismantle the few things I gathered and gleaned "for the garage sale", just in case and "on the off-chance" I decided to keep them. It also took plenty of time to haul it all from room to room to see if I could work any of it in to my decor, even eventually after some tweaking.


This color is called 7199 Briggs Seagreen. (So it says on the backs of the pieces with bare wood.) Do I need more aqua in my life? Well...

Certainly I would think of something to do with them. Right? I should probably keep them, shouldn't I? There are three cabinet doors, 2 drawers and a dummy front with no knobs, plus some random pieces that were attached. The cabinet doors weigh about 5  lbs (or slightly more) each. You think I'm exaggerating. Don't doubt me. In an attempt at verification of that weight, I did go and hold a 5 lb bag of sugar and then the cabinet door. The door felt heavier. Does this really matter, you ask?

Well, if I'm going to hang them on the walls in some fashion with other items hanging off of them, were I to go that route, the weight just might matter.

 Now, this thing weighs a ton. It's mounted on wood. It's 3'x 2 1/2'. I liked that it was slightly curved at the top and had distressed edges.
I hauled home two mirrors like this, one had a chrome knob still attached in one corner.

 Then there was this beauty. Sturdy, and quality-built.
It must have been well-loved and used over the years. The leather was torn and taped.

If nothing else, I thought I could salvage the legs and the casters. You know how I feel about casters!
Did I stop and call it a day? Why, no. No I didn't. I removed all the hinges from the doors and tore apart the ottoman to get to the heart of it, just to see if it cried out to be kept and remade. I measured the leather pieces that I took off in case I decide to recover it and wrote the measurements on the sides of the ottoman.
It was topped with some great old batting which I've decided to save because it's looks likely that it will be restored as an ottoman with a new/old look, since it's such a well-built piece.
Thanks, Lynn!

Meanwhile, my sweet and wonderful friend Lynn was over today, and she was kind enough to help us haul some of our garage sale stuff in her truck, Big Blue, sacrificing her back in the process, no doubt.

Tomorrow morning we garage sale (or float away in the flood waters - there's a tropical storm threatening and lots of rain expected.) 

I'll be the one sloshing around in the raspberry red rain boots begging people to "take my junk, PLEASE!" It'll be a miracle if I make any money. I'm not known for my salesmanship. Last garage sale I was begging this couple to take a shelf for free even though they offered to pay for it. I know... go figure.

I am happy to say that the large frame and all three mirrors, even the big curved one, are on their way to be placed into the garage sale.

Wish me luck and tell me if you have any ideas for my Briggs Seagreen cabinet doors and drawers. 

I was thinking these doors and drawer fronts might be cool on the wall going in different directions with things hung from the knobs (perhaps attaching other knobs, hooks etc. to them, as well.) Another idea was to use chalkboard paint on the middle of them. A piece of chalk could be tied to a ribbon or piece of twine and hung from the knob so its always handy. That's about all I've got at the moment.

There's copper color showing through on the chippy knobs!

Any ideas, you all? I'd really like to do more than just keep the knobs. I'd hate to have to get rid of the aqua goodness if there's a great idea out there to make the most of the doors and drawers as well.

Put your thinking caps on and please let me know what you think!  

PS: Today I found a cool basket "for the garage sale" in someone's trash pile, but I got home and it looks great with my fire wood in it. I think I'm keeping it. 

I know... someone help me, please!

I'll be sharing this at:

11 comments:

  1. OMY OMY i just absolutely love what you do..I CAN SO RELATE.Would u believe..over the past 20+ yrs this has been a part of our conversation when we make an automobile purchase.."OK what will we haul Moms junk in?" There has to be an option for exactly what u r doing..More recently when we chose to let my honda van go for a loaded truck [4 seats] we HAD TO HAVE a cover for the truck that gave us options for like-THE LONGEST YARD SALE TRIP.The ans= a 3 fold cover-perrrrrrrrrrfect.
    QUESTION: Liz would you consider making a recommendation for a camera UPGRADE for me..I have a SANYO 7.1 mega auto focus optical 3x zoom...I now carry my camera w me everywhere and want to learn/improve In this area..Can you advise?
    Jonell

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  2. Oh my gosh, I can't imagine what I would drag home if people left things on the curb here! My garage is already stuffed to the gills and if things were free...heaven help me! I think your ideas for the drawer fronts are awesome. I'll be checking back to see what you do with them!

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  3. I agree. I think you need a pick up truck and to turn this into a business. I love the doors and drawers as they are for a kitchen. Maybe re-spraying the knobs white...

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  4. oh I do like that color. Maybe you could cut these up and make frames???? I'm wondering if those 5 pound doors just FELL off the cabinets because they were so heavy? Good luck with the garage sale. Hope you get rich!

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  5. wow, wht treasures and all for free!!!! sounds like fun to me!

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  6. OLA LIZ,NÃO SEI SE VOCÊ QUER IDÉIAS,MAS AQUI NO BRASIL,TEMOS VARIOS BLOGS COM GAVETAS,TIPO:PARTILEIRA EM QUARTO INFANTIL,NO BANHEIRO E ATÉ MESMO NO PRÓPRIO ATELIE,PARA ARMAZENAR O COLORIDO DAS TINTAS,É MUITO LEGAL,TENHO UMAS AQUI ESPERANDO PARA SEREM RECICLADAS,DEPOIS TE MOSTRO.OK?BEIJOS.BOM FINAL DE SEMANA.VALÉRIA.(BRASIL).

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  7. Hi Liz, I tried to send via email, but I did not find in your blog.Estou sending you the link address of a person here who does beautiful things with drawers and mobile inutilizados.Vê if you like something from it and think copie.Eu you'll like. Beijos.Valéria. (Brazil) (http://multiartes-rosabela.blogspot.com.br/2012/06/gavetas-recicladas.html).

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  8. Hi Liz. As usual, you find great junk - and IN YOUR COLORS! How cool is that? I have a fabby idea, that could work with your drawers and doors, and maybe some of the other great wood pieces you have collected for the future. The future is now, Liz! And it could be very useful and functional!

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  9. If the doors fit, I might try to attach them to the drawers and make like a bunch of shallow wall storage. i'd add some shelves to the drawers and hold my spices etc. in them. I'd stencil what I have behind the doors so i wouldn't have to keep opening all of them =0) Short term memory loss is getting worse!

    Love these and thanks for stopping by my blog. Following.....
    Kim@reposhture.blogspot.com

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  10. I can totally relate to your cramming as much in your backseat as possible, especially when it's free. I once made my then 5 year old ride in the front seat (for only one block), so that I could fit junk into my back seat. You'll totally figure out something great to do with the doors. Love the knobs too!

    Karen@itsallgoodhome.com

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