Country Heart: Someone else's trash...

Never underestimate the fine art of "junking".

As most of you know, I married a man who had been a bachelor for 20 years two years ago. He was living in a small apartment in the city and did not have much in the way of housekeeping items. We still have 5 forks...and about 100 coffee mugs...and an old chair with a hole in the seat exposing its stuffing. I was in Houston, with a house full of housewares, decorations and furniture, but we felt it best to sell all I could since I would have to store them, and then get a huge U-haul to bring them to Canada. Our idea was that in time we would replace certain items. Two years later, with a very expensive immigration process over and paid for, and with the downturn of the economy, we find ourselves with only a few purchases to fill in the missing gaps in means of needed housewares and furniture. I like to decorate, and I have a specific style....not even sure what it is called..perhaps we could just say its country cottagey? Not frilly lace, and flowers, but more like scratched up tables and old signs, and quilts and candles and loads of books. Basically if you were to go to a cottage on a vacation you might find a cozy atmosphere, a put your feet up on the coffee table and sit with a cup of tea kind of place. That is what I like, and what I want my house to be like. Since we are usually broke, I look for things that can be fixed up, or repurposed so that I can replenish items we need, and ummm, well that I really want. :) Recently Cal and I found a shelf in the back alley that a neighbor no longer wanted. It was meant to be picked up with the trash, but once I saw it I knew it just needed some imagination and elbow grease. We scooped it up, cleaned it up, painted it up and now I am distressing it up....getting it ready for a new use in our home!
Once it is done I will take a picture and show you how we used it. For now here are a couple of pictures showing how we gave it a second chance to be used again. People who don't garage sale, or "junk sale", or even consider the option of saving a piece of furniture that was meant to be sent to the landfill are missing out. Like its been said many a time, "One man's trash is another man's treasure".
*****
Here is how it looked when we found it.