Now that I've started talking about frugality, it's going to be hard to stop me. I wanted to show you some more uses for other people's garbage. We're still in my redecorated bedroom.
The little cupboard in the top photo was found up in the hayloft of the barn at our old colonial house in New Hampshire. It was painted black when I found it and has been through several paint jobs since then. In this particular reincarnation it is decorated with some sunbonnet baby stickers that my sister gave me long ago.
The shelves hold some glass pieces that mostly came from the Swap Shop at our old New Hampshire dump. The "Swap," as we lovingly called it, was a metal building containing shelving that was loosely organized into categories like "books" and "toys" and "kitchen," etc. The motto there was "take it or leave it" and it was a great way for the community to recycle objects they didn't want that were still useful. Sadly, the town there has apparently become too upscale for this kind of recycling, and the Swap is no longer in existence.
Some of my best finds at the Swap were these two old glass candy holders. They would have originally been sold filled with candy, held in by a paper seal at the bottom.
The cupboard is sitting on an old painted wooden chest that was found in the back hall of the same old colonial house when we first moved in. Apparently, even the feckless "B" family had no use for it. It, too, has lived through several refurbishings at my hands, and is now a creamy but battered yellow.
The cloth spread on top of the chest is woven of fine linen, delicately decorated with drawn-thread work. It was found, balled up in the bottom of a box of assorted trash, down at my favorite New Hampshire dump--an absolute treasure, just tossed away.
3 comments:
I think you're hitting the spot with the frugality posts Clair. I believe we will be all the better for learning that not throwing away on a whim is the way to go. Learning to 'make do' can be fun. So much depends on your mind set.
June in Oz
I love the little cupboard and my mom used to have a chicken dish like that one. Bob and I rented a booth at the Peddlers Mall here this month. I don't know how that will go. He loves woodworking and wants to make little tables to put in it. I had enough junk stored away to fill it up the first month! I am so bad about collecting things but just love doing it. Yard sales should be starting here this weekend and I can't wait to go get some more "stuff".
June, I think that our generation is more likely to want to "make do" than some of the younger people who expect to live at a certain level, even when starting out. I could be wrong...
Judy, I'm trying my hardest not to add anything to what I already have. It's helps that we just moved cross country 2 years ago. I got rid of so much, some of which I miss now, most of which I don't. However, my sister and I recently discovered a little junk store in town. But this junk COSTS MONEY, unlike our beloved Swap Shop back in New Hampshire, so that will help us curb any desires to collect. Sure is fun going there, though.
Post a Comment