A review copy of
Wary Meyers’ Tossed & Found
arrived in my mailbox this week. After thirty seconds of thumbing through it, I was ready to drop everything, hop in my car, and start driving down alleys looking for abandoned junk. Authors
John and Linda Meyers rescue unwanted stuff and transform it into one-of-a-kind items for homes; the book shows off their projects with instructions. It's completely inspirational. And it makes me feel a little sorry for myself because I don't have a workroom or a garage. Using power tools in my living room doesn't quite work, and I'm not lugging a stack of old barn siding up three flights of stairs. But no matter. I have renewed determined to find something and fix it up. I'll keep you posted.
A review copy of Wary Meyers’ Tossed & Found
This is going to be a "harsh my mellow" comment but one that needs to be said. How do you know that the fine piece of junk in not invested with A)fleas B) insects C)bed bugs or D) eggs of all three or some combo? Also what about smells? Sure outside, can't smell a thing but inside it's a whole different story.
ReplyDeleteI like to live dangerously.
ReplyDeleteThe smell, flea, insects, bed bugs, eggs thing can be worked around by leaving upholstered items where they sit. Visual inspection will usually tell you if any of those things are a problem.
ReplyDeleteI have an antique, solid maple, carved desk that I pulled out of the trash 5 minutes ahead of the garbage man. Everyone thought I was a little crazy... I knew better.
I took it home, glued & screwed the legs back on, gave it a distressed coat of paint and had people ready to start a bidding war over it.
It's probably the nicest piece of furniture I own.
Total cost: $7 for the can of paint.
Live dangerously Jessica! You may just find that 'hidden gem'!
ReplyDeleteI love that molding idea and such a great choice of colour!
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the previous comments, I read Summer Rae's comment and at first I thought it said "you just may find that hidden GERM"! lol
ReplyDeleteI can just picture you dumpster diving. I fear it runs in the family (but don't look at ME)!
Ha. I may find hidden germs in addition to gems, but it's a risk I'm willing to take.
ReplyDeletegirl, come on down to the south, you can use my garage...and my power tools!! You will just need to rent a truck for all that junk. hmm...maybe not so cost effective.
ReplyDeleteI like to live dangerously too :)
I know someone who works at the county garbage dump in another state. She says people are always throwing away perfectly good stuff...even though there are places like Goodwill and another charity that will take things off your hands. I have gotten a chest of drawers and a dresser (not matching) that she brought me from the dump for free. I cleaned them, painted them, and put new hardware on them. Mine aren't antiques or anything like that, but they are functional and cute.
ReplyDeleteI have another friend that lived in New Jersey, and she used to take their minivan up and down the streets looking for good stuff that people throw out. She found lots of things that people could use, including a nice (and expensive) toy train table that she donated to a day care. She said people in New Jersey are always throwing out mounds of perfectly good stuff.
I have a child-sized picnic table I found sitting with someone's trash waiting for pickup while the kids and I were on a walk one day. I rang the lady's doorbell and she said her kids had grown out of it. My husband thought I was crazy for racing home and making him go pick it up in his truck. But I have four kids under age five. I didn't do a thing to it other than hose it down, clean it with pine-sol, and set it in the backyard. It was totally free and I can't count the snacks, meals, and games that table has seen.
ReplyDeleteI'm all for upcycling other people's trash. It's cheap, envirnmentally friendly, and fun. :)
Hidden germs are a small price to pay for those gems :)
ReplyDeleteenjoying catching up on your posts. just wanted to say, have a carefree weekend.
ReplyDeleteVery informative. I love to transform unwanted items into something special.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, andrea
PS: I have an urgent prayer request on arise 2 write.
Grandma G's comment made me laugh! Thanks for the great post...I see all kinds of things go to the trash around here...it's wild!
ReplyDeleteSometimes taking a risk is worth it!
ReplyDeletenice that's very informative and interesting. :)
ReplyDelete-cathy young
http://hotawards.blogspot.com/
Keep living dangerously! One of my most treasured possessions is a fabulous 40s-era enamel top table that I rescued from the trash. It took some elbow grease to clean it up, but now it's gorgeous. Apartment living does keep me from bringing home most 'trash treasures' though, so I feel your pain on that one!
ReplyDeleteI thought you guys might want some
ReplyDeletefree fonts and graphics I posted about them here
http://thepowerofme.typepad.com/the_power_of_me/2009/09/things-i-am-loving-today.html
I love redoing free stuff too, I can't wait until Spring cleaning garbage day next year
ReplyDeletemy parents sell antiques at shows- and at one of them the lady who sets up next to them gets ALL her product from the trash. She takes a truck and drives around 4 or 5 mornings every week. Takes the stuff home, paints it and then resells it.
ReplyDeleteHi Jessica!
ReplyDeleteJust popping in to say I've been enjoying your blog for a while now - I have you on my Google Reader - can't remember where I found your link!
juno
xx
Juno's Place
I love finding tossed treasures! I have lived on and presently live close to an Army base (where my husband works). You would not believe the treasures that have been found. I know when you get orders to move you don't get much time and the less you have to move the better.
ReplyDeleteThe government also gets rid of stuff that is still in its prime. Just this last week my husband came home with 4 sets of lockers-think high school locker room. They are awesome!
Hi. I know your site is a bit more professional in appeal than mine, so you may not want to display it, but I wanted to let you know I am passing along a blogging award to you.
ReplyDeleteStop by and pick it up if you want it. If you are not in to displaying awards... just know that I read your blog regularly and you are an inspiratation to my creative side.
www.sandersmemoirs.blogspot.com
We have city clean-up once a year. Husband dreads it. My very best, uh, favorite, furniture has come directly off someone's trash pile. One time my neighbor threw a wonderful table on her trash heap. Mark was tempted to run over it with his pickup because he knew it would end up in our garage ready for transformation. He didn't (run over it), it did (end up in our garage) and it is now our kitchen table. I love it. (he does too).Almost every room in our home has some "treasure" that someone else thought was just trash.
ReplyDeleteAck! What a cool looking book! Looking forward to thumbing through that myself!
ReplyDeleteI'm so with you on not having a workspace. Sometimes I paint in the shower for lack of a better place.
ReplyDeleteomg... and their blog is fabulous too! (you must check it out... the things they find ... amazing!?)
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, it's a shame what some people throw away as useless junk. Hooray for diy-ers!
Thanks for all the good words Jess!
ReplyDelete