Happy New Years!
One of my fellow toastmasters wrote a blog recently suggesting we should not make resolutions, but instead make goals. Since I am not very good at keeping resolutions, I liked that idea. I won’t bore you with my “goals” for the year; suffice to say they include what the other 90% of Americans are striving for. A new year is not only a time of proclamations; it’s a time of renewal, renewing our bodies, our minds, our daily activities, our goals, our homes and for me at least, newly found treasures. A home is like a bride, it needs something’s new and something’s old, color (doesn’t have to be blue)- not so much borrowed, however I have been known to “borrow” from resell shops, then return and resell again once I’m ready for something different.
Yes, I just admitted, right here on the WWW, that I scavenge resell stores, thrift shops, garage sales and goodwill. You never know what you might find, and I love taking something another person might think of as garbage and giving it new life! This gives me a treasure transformed by my own two hands, not mass produced but something completely unique that no one else has, and in a tiny way I feel like I’m helping our environment. There is nothing wrong with filling our homes with new, shiny furnishings, but if you want to give it soul, mix in pieces that you didn’t buy at the local store – like a piece of furniture that has been in the family for generations, a picture or accessory you pick up on vacation, or my favorite, an item you transform by your own imagination.
I know, many people would not have been so excited to spot these two –
The cushions were so stained I hesitated to set on one, but when I did I discovered it was well made and sturdy. Course I was sold when I turned it over and saw that it was made by Drexel Heritage, and was $3.99!
First I removed the seats, completely sanded and re-stained the wood. The seats were easily recovered with some new fabric and a staple gun. Then Walla – 2 custom made stools for less than $40.00!
