Thursday, January 17, 2013

My Halfway House for Junk


At our house, the day after your birthday is kinda still like your birthday. After all, a day is so short and in the case of my birthday this year, I had to work. Then on top of it, I was plagued by allergies which were so bad I could barely function all day. I needed a birthday redo. In light of this, I'm considering today my official birthday.

This post has been updated to reflect the correct name of the green suitcases. They are Maximillion, not Samsonite, just in case you wanted to know. :)

Therefore, on this "day-after-my-birthday-birthday" being as it is trash day, I decided to make my first official junk run of the year, just in case something might be out there for the taking. Unfortunately, it had rained a bit in the night and was still sort of drizzly when I awoke. This dampened my desire to go junking because I don't necessarily want to bring home soggy things. However, it had stopped by the time I was ready to go out, and one never knows what one might happen upon. After all, many things can withstand the rain, be dried off or dried out, and many things make for good pickins even if they get wet.

Jackpot

I spotted a few piles of interest, but after picking through and rejecting their contents, I came upon my jackpot of the day all in one pile, stacked up nicely just for me, as if to say, "Happy day after your birthday, Liz! Come and get it!" Not one to be rude and decline such an offering, I accepted, shoved it all in the back seat of my car (cobwebs, big spider, raindrops and all) and headed on down the road.

A midcentury end table in quite sweet shape except for the slightly imperfect finish on top.

Stylish! These look like stockings for table legs.

There were two vintage green Maximillion (New York, N.Y.) suitcases, one was hiding inside the other. The large one is in decent shape inside.
The other smaller one (inside view not shown) has a stain.

I couldn't get the blue hardshell suitcase (pictured above - American Tourister) open yet. It has some tape on one side where the finish appears to have been peeling. This is actually good because now I will have no qualms about doing something funky with it. I have a harder time altering things when they are in better shape.

There was also this great wood frame which is fairly large.

So the moral of this day after my birthday tale is, get out and go looking. You never know what you will stumble up and who will be discarding what. Could be nothing, could be a pile of vintage treasure. It's a like a birthday surprise party almost every time. Yes, there will be piles of cardboard and broken plastic toys and rotted wood, sundry colored toilets and old mattresses, but just around the next corner, there may be a pile of goodies with your name on them begging to be taken home.

Now I just have to figure out what I'm gonna do with all these "day after my birthday gifts". I have plenty of junk here in need of work already, but as always, I hate to see such plunder get "The Claw".

Better that it come home to my halfway house for junk, I guess, than be tossed in the trash truck and lost forever. At least there's an inkling of hope here. Sometimes not much more...but I'm working on that.

Find my post at:

Furniture Feature Fridays
Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here
Treasure Hunt Thursday @ FMFPTY
Savvy Southern Style

Knick of Time Tuesday @ Knick of Time










Mop it Up Monday @ ISBMTF
Junkin' Joe @ The Cottage Market

Funky Junk's Saturday Nite Special


Thrifty Things Friday @ The Thrifty Groove
Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage
Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home
Be Inspired @ Common Ground

27 comments:

  1. Seriously, where do you live? Trash day in my area is nothing like that. In fact, you are not allowed by the trash company to have anything outside of the can.

    I can't believe your finds. I can't wait to see what you do with that table.

    And by the way, it is okay to make it your birthday week and I'm not averse to calling it my birthday "month". You just stretch it out as long as you want.

    Hope the allergies are better!

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  2. I agree with Art and Sand above...birthdays should be spread out and celebrated repeatedly.
    Love the suitcases. I have seen some stacked and made into side tables before. I don't know how the fastened them together but they looked really cool.
    Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

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  3. Happy Day-After-Your-Birthday Liz!! My mom's friend has always had a 'birthday week'. I think it's the best idea! Great finds... hope the rain helps your allergies today. No one needs boxes of Kleenex for party decor. xo

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  4. Happy-After-Your-Birthday! What an awesome find! I, too, live in area where I can fill up my Explorer over and over within a mile of my home! Just the other night I scored a perfect dining room table and 4 chairs! I had to knock on the door and ask the homeowner about it 'cause I couldn't believe it was just sitting all alone by the curb! Don't you just love junkin'!!!

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  5. Awesome finds! I love the suitcases and that mid-century table. Sounds like a fun day! Happy birthday!

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  6. We have a 'birthday season'.
    I simply can't believe you find such good stuff just sitting there for the taking! It's so fun to see what you find.
    Keep enjoying your birthday, Liz. :)

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  7. Awesomeness! Oh you lucky lucky thing! HAPPY BIRTHDAY indeed!

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  8. Happy after b-day! I am so envious of those Maximillion suitcases! My husband said the other night I need to go before the city council and request a curbside shopping day once a month for those of us who love to rescue things.

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  9. I love those green suitcases! And I can't believe that table still looks good after being out in the rain! Can't wait to see what you do with all your treasures! Happy Day After Your Birthday!

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  10. I trained our daughters to celebrate birthday "week", so two measly days don't seem extravagant to me! Great curbside finds! We don't have curbside junk pick-up in our small town, so it's rare to find any goodies on the side of the road. It's good to have grown children to take things off your hands if you don't have a spot for them. In fact, I'm loading up our car this weekend to "share" the love. :)

    Happy Birthday WEEK!

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  11. Wow, I want to live in your neighborhood. That table is awesome and the suitcases are a real find too. Was this an annual or semi annual garbage pickup or just the regular trash? We used to have them twice a year around here, but budget cuts to the city did away with that. Happy belated birthday to you.

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  12. Happy late birthday! Your "new" table is a nice find! Congratulations. Saw your post on Diann's blog! Susan

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  13. Oh those suitcases are amazing. Love them. And that table was a great score - worth restoring. In our house we get birthday weeks - sometimes longer - depending on the birthday. It's the only way to go! Happy Birthday to you!

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  14. Okay...that is an amazing haul. I have never done that, but I can think of a few neighborhoods in Sacramento that might be good!!! Can't believe the things you found!!! That table is great!
    Karen

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  15. I was enjoying looking at those green suitcases, never seen any quite like them

    Lucky for you finding a good trash pile, in the city where I live it's against city laws to take anything out of someones trash pile? ???
    you have to knock on the door and get permission to take anything

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  16. What great treasures! I love that table and it looks like it is in good condition. Thank you for sharing at TTF.

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  17. I'm in my glory on trash day in my area.
    We have a very large population of what
    we call 'snow birds' and they come in the
    fall and leave in the spring. The good part
    when they leave, they leave many items in
    the trash... Enough to furnish a home, really!
    Very good finds there.
    Happy Birthday no matter when you choose
    to celebrate it!
    Sandy

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  18. Great table...I never find anything on trash days!

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  19. I love the table and the luggage! Great finds!!!

    http://cottagesweetcottage.blogspot.com/

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  20. Happy day after your birthday! (yes, I'm a bit late for even that...lol) I love your blog! Thanks for stopping by mine and inviting me over. I'm following. I love suitcases. I transformed a quite a few this last year into shabby chic, fall and snowman decorations.

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  21. Happy day after your birthday. I've solved the problem of one day being too short to sufficiently celebrate - my birthday is February 29th - so every year that's not a Leap Year, I say I have two birthday - Feb 28 and March 1st. That way the party continues (and anyone who forgot to call on the 28th - mother can you hear me? - can still call on the 1st and pretend it's still my special day.

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  22. Great finds! I am jealous of your green suitcases. :)
    Happy several days after your birthday now.
    Kelly

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  23. Great finds! Our local trash is never this good! ha! Sure wish it was! Love that table! ...coming from Met Monday!

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  24. Great finds! Thank you for joining Home Sweet Home!
    Sherry

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  25. Wow - Happy Day After Your Birthday! Sounds like you made out like a bandit. I cannot believe those items were waiting for the trash collectors. I picked up a few vintage suitcases recently at the swap meet, and haven't yet decided what to do with them. What are your plans>

    I'm your 401st follower! Looking forward to catching up on your old posts and reading your new ones. I'm Doreen at Altered Artworks. Would love for you to come over for a visit!

    altered-artworks.blogspot.com

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