Beautiful

Yesterday was a beautiful day. You ever have one of those days where everything comes out just right - your makeup, your hair, even the clothes you picked out for the day? Keeping the mood going, I skipped out to my car to meet a woman -- Melissa -- who had just posted on Craigslist that she had a bunch of things to give away. Fortunately she was less than 5 minutes away from me.

This was the first thing that I saw in a garage filled almost to the rafters with things.  Couches, a hutch, clothes, knickknacks, boxes, a piano, everything a baby would need for the first six months and even a soda pop machine filled my visual field. In in an earlier time that machine would have popped out a can for 50 cents. Sigh.....  Incredulous at the sight in front of me, I asked Melissa if she was giving everything away.  I was relieved (and maybe secretly a tad disappointed) when she showed me a smaller corner of the garage that held the giveaway things.  Whew!  I was worried she was giving away that soda pop machine.  Seriously, who doesn't want one in their garage?

This pretty little set of champagne glasses was in the box of knickknacks - see how they sparkle?!!. As I started packing them away for the ride in my car, another car drove up with a man and his very pregnant wife, along with a shy little toddler.  It seems the man and his family had just returned from New Zealand after the man's employer called him home. Not too long after stepping off the plane and showing up for his first day at work back in the states, the employer informed the man that he no longer had a job.  Just like that.  Several years of hard work and dedication to the company, moving his family to wherever in the world the company needed him, returning home on a moment's notice without their worldly goods and this was his reward for loyalty.  Sad to say that in my travels of  garage sales and church rummage sales, this is not that unusual of a story.  Melissa handed over all the baby things to this family. Asked if they needed anything else, they laughed and said "everything." But this day was for the baby and they were determined to have the baby's room ready within a couple of days. In the midst of hardship and fear, they could still smile and show such graciousness.  Just beautiful. 

Also in the box of knickknacks,  these two beautiful glass pieces that had been sitting in a box in Melissa's basement, covered in dust and cobwebs. The fan is now on my  antique table and the other has found a place on my dining room table. If it sparkles or shines, it has a home with me.

Another car drove up and parked.  Out popped a man and woman who headed straight for Melissa and said they were there for the large size men's clothing.  I raised my eyebrows a bit at that moment as I was also trying to gather clothing for my son whose anti-psychotic medications had put over 50 pounds on him in a very short time--a very common side effect I have been told. Melissa thoughtfully told the couple and I that we would go through the clothing together.  

As the woman began pulling the clothes out of the bag, I asked her if they were having hard times too.  She replied that her and her two children had just arrived here with barely the clothes on their back.  Her man - fiance? boyfriend? - she didn't say- worked contract jobs in construction and he had not been able to find work in awhile.   The woman and her two kids had made the decision to leave New Orleans and join up with the man to start a new life.   This man  from her younger years.   I listened politely while  quieting  the questions that were piling up in my mind.  She abruptly ended her story after a side glance from her man and I wished them well.  Inside I hoped she was following her dream to be with the love of her life.  Silently I wished a beautiful road for them to follow as we distributed clothes between us.

Along with six black stoneware desert cups and two goblets, this was the last item I pulled out of the knickknack box.  Beautiful colors and made in Japan, I carefully wrapped it up for the bedside table in my son's room.  Loving all things Japanese, I just knew he would be happy to have it in his room. 

As I walked to my car, Melissa told me about her reasons for giving things away.  She had years of accumulation of just things, in-laws who had moved to Arizona who had dropped off many of their things, two teenagers who were outgrowing clothing and toys, a toddler and a baby who no longer needed so many things and a leg cast in a lovely shade of pink that was slowing her down.  Melissa and her husband determined they really didn't need the couple hundred dollars they would make from a garage sale and decided to give to those in need instead.  So Melissa posted an ad on craigslist and then gave out the address by email to those she thought were truly in need.  Beautiful.

As I got in my car and drove away, I thanked Melissa one last time as she headed inside to rest her leg. Driving home, I noticed the cooler temperature outside after a string of very hot days. I watched an older couple taking a walk holding hands. I saw two kids setting up a corner lemonade stand and then delighted in the tiny baby rabbit sitting next to his mother in a field filled with flowers and green by the side of the road.

Beautiful.

Almost Finished With the Dining Room - First Makeover pictures

Here's my first set of before and after pictures.  The dining room, table and chairs.

BEFORE:

To be completely accurate, imagine for a moment that the antique table isn't there. That would be the most accurate before picture.

The side table is a recent addition that I got at a church rummage sale. Noting the tag marked $80 and the fact that they were closing up, I offered the girl whatever was in my wallet.  After a couple of moments of thought, she agreed -- especially since all their leftovers were being donated to Goodwill anyway.  It turned out there was  $5 in my wallet.  Whew!  That was a bit risky on my part since I wasn't sure what was in my wallet. I brought the table home and decided to leave it as is for the moment.

The other table in the room, the wood/tile table and 4 chairs were given to me about ten years ago.  Although I always loved the tile and the way each square shined, I was ready for something different.  I have been watching for a table since the start of my home do-over but had not found one that spoke to me yet.   I came very close to finding the perfect chairs a couple of weeks ago but was stopped by the size of the chairs or  - cough, cough - the size of my butt in the the chairs.  The hunt continues and in the meantime...

The china on the side table was my grandmother's china. The vase, creamer and little glass basket with flowers (which I know are difficult to see in the picture) were picked up at Goodwill on sale day for a quarter each. The bud vase is a particular favorite of mine because it has a blue tint to it and the actual glass blower signed his name on the bottom - Joe.  In cursive.  I love it.

While I kept an eye on the craigslist free postings on my computer screen, I dragged out my box of "loot" from garage sales, along with cans of spray paint from the local used paint and chemical storage facility. Note the masking tape on the gold mirrored tray as I readied it for spray painting. Very few pieces of furniture cross my threshold that aren't painted or changed in someway afterwards.

DURING:

The tablecloth and vases came from a church rummage sale that I happened upon that was ending for the day. Avery enthusiastic  church lady and I went from table to table in the church annex and I walked away with a box of things to add to my "loot box."  Hesitant at first to just start taking things, I kept asking if they were sure someone else didn't need the things.  It was an eye-opener to say the least.  And every time I ooohed and ahhed  over something, the ladies would shout out their encouragement.  Oh, the fun I had that day!  I found two frames  that I still  can't believe my good fortune to find and I will show pictures in a later posting. 

Keep an eye out for the lace around the tablecloth in  the next few pictures. It was what caught my eye when I looking at a large box overflowing with bedroom linens.  All the silk and plastic flowers came from this church except the flowers in the tallest vase on the table.  The tray, previously gold and now spray painted silver, came from another church sale - 50 cents.  The plates came from Goodwill on sale day when all dishes and glassware are 25 cents each as was the little vase.  The creamer (small glass item on table tray with flowers) was 50 cents.

DURING:

I picked up two of these chairs at a Free - Everything Must Go sale. that popped up on craigslist while I was spray painting the tray.  T I spied these wood chairs from the car, as the color of the wood was unusually orange.  I knew I had the perfect fabric at home for the cushion makeover.

Along with the chairs, I also picked up a very beat-up piano bench and two vases filled with potpourri.  The bonus was that when I got home and began to pour out the potpourri, I discovered blue glass gems mixed in.  Hooray, hooray. Just what I needed as I had been trying to fill the vase in the middle of the table with blue and white glass gems/rocks.  That vase needs a lot of rocks to fill it up.  As for the chairs, I was ready with white spray paint and fabulous blue striped fabric piece I had picked up at a church sale...errr...should I say church gifting event.

AFTER - THE CHAIRS:

AFTER: THE DINING ROOM, TABLE AND CHAIRS

So, what do you think of my first before and after posting?  I was so happy with how the chairs came out that I couldn't wait to write this post.  (I know the new chair padding looks violet in the pictures but it is a deep dark blue).  Every other day, in some way, I am learning that I have a good eye.  I can pick the beauty out of the rubble and I am finding I can imagine a color an item should be, no matter what color it was originally.  And look where the piano bench ended up  -- perfect fit for one side of the table.

The final touches - the wine glasses came from my cabinet, the water glasses for 50 cents from Goodwill and the flatware from rummaging through a kitchen drawer.  I am still working on some cloth napkins that I created from pillowcases but they are a work-in-progress so the napkin holder remains empty. I was just too excited to wait.

Before                                                                                  After