Tossed and Found | How About Orange

September 25, 2009

Tossed and Found

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.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

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.

Jessica Jones said...

I like to live dangerously.

Anonymous said...

The 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.

I 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.

Summer Rae said...

Live dangerously Jessica! You may just find that 'hidden gem'!

jojoebi-designs said...

I love that molding idea and such a great choice of colour!

Grandma G said...

After 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

I can just picture you dumpster diving. I fear it runs in the family (but don't look at ME)!

Jessica Jones said...

Ha. I may find hidden germs in addition to gems, but it's a risk I'm willing to take.

Christine said...

girl, 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.

I like to live dangerously too :)

Anonymous said...

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.

I 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.

Darla said...

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.

I'm all for upcycling other people's trash. It's cheap, envirnmentally friendly, and fun. :)

Anonymous said...

Hidden germs are a small price to pay for those gems :)

Larissa Holland said...

enjoying catching up on your posts. just wanted to say, have a carefree weekend.

Andrea said...

Very informative. I love to transform unwanted items into something special.
Blessings, andrea

PS: I have an urgent prayer request on arise 2 write.

slmpetersen said...

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!

Laura said...

Sometimes taking a risk is worth it!

Hot Cover Girls Central said...

nice that's very informative and interesting. :)

-cathy young
http://hotawards.blogspot.com/

Alli (One Pearl Button) said...

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!

Mama said said...

I thought you guys might want some
free fonts and graphics I posted about them here
http://thepowerofme.typepad.com/the_power_of_me/2009/09/things-i-am-loving-today.html

Mama said said...

I love redoing free stuff too, I can't wait until Spring cleaning garbage day next year

thefarmersdaughter said...

my 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.

Carol said...

Hi Jessica!
Just 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

Erin Sipes said...

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.

The 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!

ONe PiNK FiSH said...

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.

Stop 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

Live a Colorful Life said...

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.

Twiddle Thumbs said...

Ack! What a cool looking book! Looking forward to thumbing through that myself!

Samantha said...

I'm so with you on not having a workspace. Sometimes I paint in the shower for lack of a better place.

Teresa @ good-grace said...

omg... and their blog is fabulous too! (you must check it out... the things they find ... amazing!?)

And yes, it's a shame what some people throw away as useless junk. Hooray for diy-ers!

Linda said...

Thanks for all the good words Jess!