My Dear Trash

A Used Waffle Iron that was still New?

2012-02-09T23:12:00.000-08:00

When I dropped my waffle maker a few weeks ago, I just knew it was broken. It landed on the floor with a sound of broken plastic. Plastic flew and it was beyond repair. How did I drop the waffle iron? The same way I broke my toe when I dropped a picture frame on it or the same way I cut open my leg taking out the trash or the same way I broke my tooth when I swam into the wall of the swimming pool. I’m not particularly clumsy, but I do have many o’ shining moments.

In other words, I’m not sure how it happened, the waffle iron just slipped out of my hands right before I plugged it into the wall.

Needless to say, I made pancakes.

But, I still wanted to replace my broken waffle iron. This particular waffle iron was purchased at a yard sale for $3.00 almost 10 years ago. I thought replacing it would be easy. I mean I see used waffle irons often enough. I looked for a few weeks at various yard sales and thrift stores and nothing suited my fancy. The few used waffles irons I did find were covered in grease from the 1970’s and still had Grandma’s waffle inside. I thought I’d do something totally unorthodox for me. I decided to act normal about this little predicament. I would go purchase a new waffle maker. Why not, I mean I deserve it, don’t I. I would wear my finest shoes and put on some lipstick, plan a date with just myself. Off to Kohl’s I went, certain a waffle maker could be mine for around $25.00.

Boy, was I wrong. $80.00 for a waffle maker and that’s getting my 15% discount because I have a Kohl’s charge card. (I could go off right now on Kohl’s very clever sales tactic which is to mark merchandise ridiculously high, then offer huge discount though mail flyers only to lure the customer into the store, but because of time constraints and such, I won’t do that tonight.)

So, I decided to try Wal-mart; home of cheaply made and even cheaper priced merchandise could offer me something better, but $50.00 for a Wal-mart waffle iron didn’t make me feel any better.

My friends, I tried to do it, but I just couldn’t convince myself. I can’t lie to my instinct, I can’t fool my gut reaction, trust me, I’ve tried. But what about my waffles? Was it time to go frozen? I know Kashi makes a great frozen waffle. No, I grew up eating waffles for dinner. I make waffles at least once a week for my family, grind my own wheat, blend up organic blueberries and peaches, I’ve even ground flax in a little coffee grinder and added it to my batter, so I decided to get serious. I was going to find a great used waffle maker, and that was it.

What happened the next week was even better.

I was out thrifting and I found the most glorious shine of chrome I’ve ever seen.

My friends, this wasn’t a used waffle iron, this was a new-used Krups waffle iron and it was mine for $8.99. That's right, it was used only because it wasn't purchased at a retail store, but it had never been used because it was perfectly immaculate without a speck of anything other then thrift store dust on it. But wait, the thrift store was offering 50% off, so I paid $4.50. This waffle iron retails for $49.99. Glorious money-saving day! Instinct wins again.

I knew if I was patient, the thrift God’s would shine down on me and once again, they did. I can see my smiling reflection when I stare down at my waffle iron and I love it. Chandler says the waffles taste better in the new-used waffle iron, but is that really possible? I'm still using the same recipe, but maybe the waffle iron is so pretty that subconsciously the waffles taste better. I'll have to ask the counselor about this one.

Feeling The LOVE!

2012-02-07T13:18:00.000-08:00

My kitchen is covered in this...(I'm in the process of making 100 heart cookies for a young women's activity) Mr. Right looks like this...
and this
(after sanding 72 oversized scrabble tiles for a craft day project) Despite the chaos I'm still feeling the love as I prepare for two big events this week. Here's my latest project for our "New Beginnings: Lovin' It, young women's night- which is tomorrow!
This love sign is HUGE! (4 feet wide and 2 feet tall) This will be used on the front display table. The boards were from our scrap pile- 1x2's- and Mr. Right attached them like so...
I used Mistral font and an overhead projector to get the word love onto the wood. I filled it all in with a paint pen. I'm "Lovin' " how it turned out.
This one will probably go to the shop after the event- but I've made another one with natural wood and white paint for our house- I'll show you just as soon as I get it hung. Let us know what you're working on- leave us a comment! Love, Kelly.

My New Favorite that’s not eBay

2012-02-06T23:04:00.000-08:00

What if I hadn’t been kicked off eBay?

Let me think about that!

I’d still be shopping many times a week at yard sales and thrift stores, bringing home bags and bags of gently used name-brand clothing, sometimes over 100 items a week, hoping to flip them for a profit.

I’d still be staying up until 1:00am almost every night, working on the computer; listing jeans and skirts and dresses until they all blended into one piece of huge fabric.

I’d still be taking two young children to the thrift store looking through the clothing racks for over an hour, hoping I wasn’t the reason the head cashier kept reminding customers to keep their children with them at all times.

I’d still have a disastrous spare room with piles and piles of clothes waiting to be sorted, folded and shipped out.

I’d still be running to the post office many times a week, waiting in long lines to fill out custom forms for internationally shipping.

I’d still be completely stressed out and overwhelmed and wondering if I was ever going to catch up on all the work ahead of me.

I’d still feel out of control.

But, that has all stopped. I am no longer eBaying myself to death.

I never thought I’d say this, but I think getting kicked off eBay has been an absolute blessing in my life.

It took almost a year for me to say this because it was such a painful life lesson.

But, I am grateful . . . because it’s been nice to let go, to focus more on my family, to just let things fall where they may and now with all this freedom, my inner-artist has come out of its shell.

And here I am, restoring furniture and shopping the greatest trash around and still making a great profit.

Shopping is much more fun now that I don’t feel so overworked and overwhelmed. The kids love going to the thrift store, as we can look at toys and I find I’m not in such a hurry all the time.

Some of my favorite finds include:

This amazing vintage cast iron 5 ft. candle stick. This thing weighs about 100 pounds. I purchased it for $12.00 and am taking it down to QcumberZ tomorrow.

(Here is a picture of a little French lady and is not actually this spooky looking in real life, although I guess that depends on your perspective, you'll just have to take my word for it.)

This wood toolbox took my breath away. It's also huge and weighs a bit. For $10.00 it was mine. I can’t wait to paint and stain it.

Industrial and vintage, these little metal organizing boxes were $5.00 a piece and are now at the shop (so are the vintage metal butterflies).

Remember a few weeks ago I was working on a red china hutch for a client?

Not only did she love her new china hutch, but she asked me to paint more of her furniture red.

What a blast it was painting this barn wood table.

Thank you, as always, to my little helpers. Here's Eden dipping her sponge brush into a cup of water, which she thinks is a cup of paint, so please don't tell her the truth about his little white lie.

We blast K-love (Christian Rock) on the radio and have a groovy time.

Bri-wax and my inner artist got along very well on this project.

I’m also working on this same client's 4 bar stools. The hardest part of this project was taping off the brass frame near the bottom of the legs.

She’s has these things for 25 years and they are in great shape. I say if you want them red after that long, it’s time to paint them red. I can’t wait to see how they turn out.

Thank you eBay for firing me so I could get back to my life and discover my hidden artistic talents.

Knick-knacks for sale!

2012-02-02T10:56:00.000-08:00

I love myself a great funky chair, so when I first saw this chair and fell in love, I knew I was either crazy or brilliant. When I actually bought it, I knew I was both!

At first I thought I was crazy. Why do I love trash like this! The funkier, the better. I had a feeling it might not sell, but I tried not to be discouraged. I staged it in my favorite place in my living room corner and it sold a few days later to a wonderful couple looking for a rocking chair for their baby nursery. If this chair compliments there decor, I'd love to see the rest of the nursery. My confidence is back and I'm on the lookout for more funky trash!
When I found this French lavender chair , I knew I might have a sell.

Us ladies are always looking for a great chair to re-purpose, well, not me because I don't have the talent or patience, but someone out there does. I received so many calls on this chair. It sold in one day to a woman taking an upholstery class at Mesa Community College.
Same thing with this antique mirror.

It's a great piece of history, I love it, I just don't have the space for it, but I do know how to sell it. Remember, my philosophy is if you love it, but don't need it, most likely you can bring it home and re-sell it to someone who does have the cash and space. I brought it home for $7.99 and sold it for $25.00.

A few other interesting purchases?

A bumbo chair I paid $2.00 later sold for $20.00.

A $10.00 corner shelf that sold for $30.00.

Cast iron cowboy shelves, paid $20.00 sold for $50.00.

And my favorite trashy find were these barn animals. A huge bag was $1.99. They've kept these kids busy for most of the day and my friends, that is priceless.

Priceless, indeed!

The Next Event

2012-02-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm working on the decorations for a young women's New Beginnings night for our church. This is a night where we will welcome all those who will be coming into young women's during the year (girls turning 12 years old) and also honoring the current young women for their projects, service and accomplished goals during the year. Our theme is "New Beginnings: Lovin' It" We will of course be doing a Valentine type theme- so this is the jumping off point for the decor. The event is a week away- so I'll try to share my projects as I go. First is this beautiful frame turned chalkboard...

This will be on a table as the young women and their parents enter and the girls will be asked to write what they love about personal progress on the board. To learn more about what personal progress is visit here. Another project is this antique sheet music garland. It's super easy to make and looks so cute draped over the frame...
I found a great tutorial over at Minnesota Mom These can be made with scrapbook paper in any color.
I'm " LOVIN' " how it turned out. stay tuned for many more projects for this event- as well as what may be the biggest event for our family this year... My daughters baby shower! It happens to be the night after New Beginnings- so we are crafting like crazy over here- Don't worry, I'll be sharing it all on My Dear Trash- as long as I live through it! Have a great day. Love, Kelly.

We have a WINNER!

2012-02-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

You guys are awesome! So many dedicated readers that came back day after day to enter our trashy weekend give-away. Thank you. Now for the winner.... The random generator chose number 194...

Sharla!

Sharla entered 26 times! Now that's persistence! Please email me Sharla and we can work out all the details. kkbiggs@hotmail.com

Another big thank you to everyone who entered. We'll be taking lots of pictures of our trashy weekend and sharing them here, on My Dear Trash. Wish you all could join us. Love, Kelly

Before and After - Binky Style

2012-01-31T09:35:00.000-08:00

I had a great week of shopping trash. My favorite find of the weekend?

This New York fashion mannequin.

Isn’t she special? I found her at a very artsy Saturday garage sale.

While shopping, I noticed another girl picking out the coolest trash and I knew she was an expert. Well, wouldn’t you know it she approached me and asked if I wrote on My Dear Trash.

“Are you Laura,” she asked a bit shy.

We hugged and got all giddy! She told me because of what she learned on the blog, she is able to shop trash and stay home full-time with her children. I was so happy to meet her and it made all the effort Kelly and I put into blogging worth it.

I also made it down to the shop at QcumberZ. Here are a few photos of the space.

Don't you love the green man painting!

I’ve gone a bit crazy with color, but it makes me happy.

Here’s a dresser I finished this weekend.

Before

After

And here’s Eden and Reef in there new P.J’s I picked up for .50 cents each at a garage sale.

Be ready for some pretty intense before/after photos.

Before binky is removed

post-binky.

Here Eden is in her new $10.00 pink troller I found thrifting.

With binky.

(Notice she's wearing her big brother's NBA wrist band).

After binky.

I'm not sure if I've ever had a before/after picture turn out so dramatic!

Getting her to give up this binky is going to be interesting.

How was your weekend?

Hello Craig, Remember Me?

2012-01-30T07:46:00.001-08:00

With a larger space at Qcumberz, I haven't sold on craigslist for a while. It seems like I've been working like crazy to keep that space full. However, I've decided if an item is in the space for 4 weeks and doesn't sell- It's coming home. I turned to craigslist this weekend with excellent results. I had purchased this little desk a while back for a few dollars at a yard sale.

My kids have loved playing school with it for the past year or so, but I'm trying to simplify- especially the toy room. I took it down to Qcumberz and didn't have any luck so I posted it on craigslist for $25. Sold in 1 hour! I also recently purchased two of these french dressers at auction...

One for $50 and the other for $55. We needed them to display the food at the vintage victorian wedding so I painted them black with a little distressing. Now that event has ended and there wasn't room in the shop for 2 dressers. Again, I turned to craigslist. SOLD $165 each. Craig, I've missed you. but hopefully we will see each other more often now. Love, Kelly.

Lucky by Alice Sebold: A Book Review with some Questions?

2012-01-27T08:02:00.000-08:00

When a book has the following as the first sentence:

"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie."

It sure does get your attention, it did mine anyway.

Because from the very first line author Alice Sebold makes it clear the main character, Susi Salmon, is no longer living. In the book, The Lovely Bones, I instantly bonded with 14-year old Susie Salmon because of her innocence and sweetness. I just loved her and as the narrator of the book she was vibrant and descriptive and funny, but she was dead. Early on in the book I knew how she died, a horrible death that still leaves me cold inside, but I found myself wishing I didn’t know she was dead. My reasoning behind this is I wanted the chance to think she could not be dead, so I could have some relief; so I could hope. Maybe they’ll find her, maybe she’ll escape – Nope! I knew she was dead and as the reader, it was heartbreaking to deal with her parents search efforts and belief that maybe they would find her alive.

I was very taken by the book, The Lovely Bones, but truth be told, this is the only book I’ve every thrown away. Once I finished it, I didn’t leave it on my bookshelf like a trophy, I didn’t offer it to family and friends like I do other books I read, I threw it in my outdoor black city garbage can because I never wanted to think about such horrible things again. The book itself was a visual of something I never wanted to remember again.

Although . . .

I will say I was very intrigued by the author, Alice Sebold. Who was she? As a writer, how did she get to such a dark place? Was she herself Susie Salmon; young innocent rape victim?

As a writer myself, I had I to do some research and I found a book I had to read: Lucky, Alice Sebold’s experiences of being raped and how the experience shaped the rest of her life.

(image found here)

Why the title Lucky? Because when she reported the crime to the police, they remarked that a young woman had once been murdered in the same location. Thus, they told her, she was "lucky." Lucky had me hooked from the start. Ms. Sebold so graciously allows the reader into her mind. She doesn’t hide what happened to her, she doesn’t sugar-coat it and she never apologizes for the vulgarity of it. So, I have to ask myself; is this how she was able to write as rape/murder victim Susie Salmon? Do authors need to have some sort of personal experience to be able to write the stories they want to share? In other words, can I write about something I've never personally experienced myself?

I’ve thought about his more then once. When I read the“Twilight” series, I remember thinking Stephenie Meyer must of have had a pretty healthy childhood. No mention of abuse or trauma. Bella is never looking back at a difficult life. Other then Bella’s parents divorce, we don’t know much about Bella “pre-Edward”. I’m convinced Ms. Meyer is a hopeless romantic who wanted to write a powerful love story and that’s most certainly what she did. Ms. Meyer needed to write, but not for the same reason Ms. Sebold needed to write or maybe the reason doesn't matter because both authors found what they were looking for: an escape.

Still, I think writing is so therapeutic for the author. When I write on my YA novels, I get to explore shady places, reveal deep inner-thoughts and travel places we’ve never been. In fiction, I don’t have to reveal my sources unless I want to. I commend Alice Sebold for her accomplishments in The Lovely Bones and Lucky. Both stories needed be told. Ms. Sebold took a risk, she put her heart on the line in hopes to help other rape victims, and for this, I thank her. She shared a difficult story that took hold of the reader’s heart. So now I know. When I was reading The Lovely Bones, I wasn’t just rooting for fictional character Susie Salmon, I was rooting for the very real Ms. Sebold’s justice as well.

Vintage Victorian Wedding Reception

2012-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

I've spent the last several weeks preparing a victorian style wedding reception for a friend's daughter. So many fun projects- Here's a peek at the lights and overall look... The mother of the bride took paper lanterns and glued paper doilies to the outside. With the light showing through it gave a gorgeous lacy effect. Let's start at the entrance...
Grandmother of the bride donated her antique sewing machine for the outside entrance. We also had a poster print of the bride and groom, candles, flowers wrapped with lace and a "Happily Ever After Starts Here" sign. Here's a closer look...
The sign was made by just spray painting over an old picture that had a beautiful frame. I then applied vinyl lettering. The font is AdineKirnberg. Next we have the entrance doors...
A custom vinyl treatment was easy to remove at the end of the reception but made a big personalized impact.
In the foyer a picture of the Arizona temple- where the couple were sealed- hand painted by the mother of the bride and a little telephone table we decked out in royal purple- one of the wedding colors.
In the foyer we also hung a swing and personalized a watering can for a little vintage charm.
The bride hand carved the couples initials into the seat of the swing.
Last stop in the foyer is the sign-in table. A french dresser taken straight out of my daughters room and set walls covered with embossed wallpaper and then painted that same Royal purple. Here's a closer look...
The Mr. & Mrs. banner was made by the bride's aunt.
For the vintage typewriter I took a snippet from a letter the groom wrote the bride when he proposed. I used American typewriter font and it looked just like it could have been created with the keys.
Each table was dressed in black with vintage books (covers removed- middle book covered with "little black dress" scrap book paper) lantern, key, vintage bottle with flower, picture of the bride and groom and a personalized western union telegram.This picture shows just how striking this couple looks together.The idea for the western union telegram came when I found a few originals at a garage sale. I figured I could recreate some using real stories about the bride and groom's courtship. I started with a blank template of the telegram that I found online. I printed it, downloaded telegram font and then typed up the stories shared with me by the bride and groom. I then found an old age paper image online and placed it behind the text so that the strips of paper would look aged. We printed the lines, cut them into strips and glued them onto the blank telegram (this is actually how they used to do it) If guest went from table to table (each telegram was different) they could get the full story of the bride and groom.

Here was a little vignette to help hide some of the "basketball court". Two french doors with a shutter door in the middle. We painted the chair and table and then left the upholstering up to the professionals.
Next stop was the gift table. Another piece on loan from the Grandmother of the bride, this fantastic 10 foot table was fun to decorate and held the many gifts the couple received. The printer drawers were an auction find and looked great behind the vintage luggage. The "love" scrabble letters were such a fun project- I plan to make a few sets for the shop. Here's a closer look...Simply made using a 2x10 piece of pine. Lots of sanding, then natural stain and vinyl. I designed the letters using the font: Univers LT 47 Condensed. Another personal touch was the chalkboard door...

Difficult to see in the picture, but the couple printed out how they met, when their first kiss was, the proposal etc. I love that the guests can read more about the couple as they approach the receiving line.
For the receiving line we used 16 feet of set walls (same ones we used for my daughters 50's diner backdrop here) treated the same as the sign in walls. We collected frames at garage sales and auctions for a fun geometric backdrop.Now onto the food display...

I so wish I had a better picture of this- it was my favorite element of the reception. We took 2 10 foot tall glass doors- painted the sides black, braced them and then attached a 14 foot board across the top. We draped 5 different types of fabric (cut into 1 and 2 inch wide strips) to create a fabric backdrop. In front of the back drop we had a two tiered table (borrowed from a friend) 2 french dressers (purchased at auction a few weeks ago and painted black) and a vintage vanity we painted black. That held the ingredients to the pasta bar and salad guests enjoyed. Here's a little closer look. After food guest were greeted by out spirited bartenders...

serving up 7 different flavors of Italian Cream soda. We built the bar (which folds up easy for storage) and framed the flavors using an ornate gold frame. Here's a closer look at the backdrop...A paneled door and 2 shutters helped cover up some of the block walls. Now, onto the sweets...

Two black french doors and a purple paneled door framed the cake, cream puffs and chocolates. This cake was incredible. Take a closer look...Individual white chocolate flowers and ribbons of icing from dark purple to white. The toppers were the perfect crown.Two birds made by the mother of the bride.The water table was jazzed up with a little metal chair, iron, vintage books and a miniature version of the "love" scrabble letters.

I created a screen for the video of the bride and groom by taking a huge frame and tacking a white sheet behind it. Here's a better look...
We projected the movie from behind to hide all the equipment and cords.
On the way out guests were greeted by a vintage church pew and another custom banner from the bride's aunt. Such a fun event! So much so that the Brides mother and I are thinking about dabbling in the wedding planning business. Another fun adventure. Let me know what you think. Love, Kelly.

Cream is in.

2012-01-24T07:33:00.000-08:00

I found this dresser a few weeks ago and listed it on craigslist.

I had an offer for $75.00, barely making me a profit.

Should I sell it as-is?

Or should I paint it cream and then try to sell it?

The kids, and our neighbor and the dog played right next to me in my parked car while I worked on sanding, then painting. I had the stereo on, cookies passed around, it was a grand time.

What a difference the cream-colored paint made!

It sold within 24 hours for $175.00.

So, what did I find this weekend?

These cream distressed bar stools (they came this way) were $5.00 each and thanks to craigslist, they are already sold.

This French dresser is amazing as-is, but I'm wondering if I should paint it cream too.

And what about this high-boy? Cream might make it a "for sure" sell.

I love this cream bookshelf with wood shutters. I'm not sure what to price it at.

And this bookshelf, with this emblem is pretty cool.

Imagine it cream?

The kids would tell you their favorite weekend trash was this race car track I found at Goodwill.

This Weeks Garaging Finds!

2012-01-23T09:09:00.000-08:00

A late start was had this weekend due to the wedding we decorated for Friday night- got home after midnight and didn't wake up til 9:00am! We still found some great stuff though, here's a peek...The little step ladder was $2
This cheese dome will look great glued on top of a chunky wood candlestick and painted up- it was also $2
Love me some pool balls- these sell for $3 each at the shop. We picked up all 16 for $3. Can anyone tell me what the little black balls are for- I assume some type of variation on the traditional pool game- do you choose and that number becomes the new 8 ball? Leave me a comment if you know.
This bent wood canister set is so modern and fun- I had to have it for $5!
The roll of lace was just .50- couldn't pass that up, even if I don't have a need for it...yet.
And 2 scrabble games and a set of dominoes- all for the shop. How'd you do this weekend? I'll be posting all the pictures of the wedding later this week- so be sure and check back. And don't forget to enter our Trashy Weekend Give-away! Love, Kelly.

My Little Picasso

2012-01-19T22:11:00.001-08:00

I sell a lot of frames at the shop. Sometimes I use them to make chalkboards- like this tall cream oneSometimes they become chicken wire frames

And sometimes I just sell them as empty frames

Most of these frames come with some type of artwork in them- so what do I do with the artwork? I donate them to my little girl...

While I paint my furniture, she sits outside and makes amazing creations- sometimes for hours.
And it makes her happy. And that's what it's all about- right? Have yourself a happy weekend. Love, Kelly.

The Wedding Blender

2012-01-19T11:09:00.000-08:00

While I was engaged and finishing up my last year at ASU, I worked as a nanny. The family I worked for had the sweetest Grandma named Ruth who occasionally stopped by and spent time at the house while I watched the children. Ruth was delightful, very soft spoken and gracious. When Ruth found out I was engaged, she offered me a special gift.
“Let’s go to Williams-Sonoma and you can pick out anything you want,” she said.
I’d never been to William-Sonoma and didn’t even know what it was, but I looked forward to spending time with Ruth
Ruth took me to lunch and then we went shopping. When we arrived at Williams-Sonoma, I was blown away at the amazing selection. Everything from bake wear to kitchen appliances to pots and pans. Should I get a juicer? A nice skillet? A mixer? Then I saw the blender.

I had never owned a blender, but I recognized this was the same blender the family I nannied for had. It was super for making smoothies. The Waring blender was what I wanted more then anything in the store, but it was $169.00. Actually, it was cheap compared to what most items in the store cost, but I couldn’t believe that Ruth was willing to spend that much money on my wedding gift? I looked for something cheaper, maybe a cake pan or something, but Ruth insisted again I get what ever I want.
“I saw you looking at this blender,” she said and kindly urged me to get it.
The joy of nannying is being introduced to new cultures and ways of life. Growing up, I was lucky to have an extra $5.00. Ruth’s generosity was overwhelming. My heart was so full, I wanted to cry. I was so grateful and amazed to be given such a beautiful gift.
When we checked out, the cashier pointed out the blender had the motor of a lawn mower, plus a lifetime warranty.
“If for any reason it stops working, just bring it in and we’ll replace it for free.”
I couldn’t wait to try it out. The blender was just what I needed for not just smoothies, but blending up pinto beans for the best refried beans ever, homemade salad dressings, blending zucchini for bread, pureed soups and so on.
Our first year of marriage, the counselor and I purchased a little 3 bedroom home in downtown Mesa.
I continued to get more nanny work and babysat for many different families. One Saturday night, I was babysitting a little girl named Sophie when Derek called around 9:00pm to tell me he’d just returned home and called 911; we’d been robbed!
“Everything’s been torn apart, the mattress is overturned and the drawers are all pulled out. The TV, stereo and speakers are gone,” he said.
I sat for a moment, than had to ask. “What about the blender?”
“The blender?” he replied.
“Yes, is the blender still there?”
I really do love my blender that much and thank heavens, it was untouched by thieves!
My blender and I had a beautiful relationship until one day I tried to make pesto. I added a little fresh basil leaves, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic and parmesan to my blender and turned it on when the glass picture started making a funny noise. The basil steam had caught on the blade and pulled it apart.
I called Williams-Sonoma to inquire about getting a new picture.
“We only replace the base as part of the life-time warranty,” the clerk said. “A new glass picture runs around $65.00.”
Well, I loved my blender so much I forked out the $65.00, only to have it broken again a few years later. I once again, purchased the glass picture until last month; Payson dropped it on the counter. When I heard the crash, I just knew it! I ached for my little blender.
The blender base has sat on the counter, unused until a few weeks ago. I was shopping at Goodwill and saw this beautiful blender picture for $2.99. The thrifting God’s are soooo very good to me. I brought it home and it was a match made in heaven, hence the story of the blender lives on. It’s the wedding gift that keeps giving.

My New Favorite Color

2012-01-18T06:38:00.000-08:00

I picked up this spindle leg table for just $4 at a garage saleI wanted to try a fresh bright color on this one, so I pulled out the left over gallon from my daughters wedding and here's how it turned out...
It went straight to the shop this weekend- priced at $65.
Can't wait to see if she's sold. I'll let you know next week. Also, a little update on Mr. Rights, "What Real Men Do On the Weekend" post. Only took him 3 days to discover he was the subject of my post- He does read my blog :) Have a great day. Love, Kelly.

Debbie of Top This Wedding Dresser Make Over

2012-01-17T14:19:00.000-08:00

Last year, I was out taking my son Chandler to his basketball game when I saw a yard sale.
"Please don't stop," Chandler begged and since he needed to be early to his game to warm up, I dropped him off and drove back to the sale.
From the curb, I saw this dresser.

It was in pretty bad shape, with no fixtures, lots of scratched wood and water damage on the top. This dresser looked a little bit like I feel on certain days; stressed, past my prime and aging faster then I'd like to be, but with a little help, I knew it could be beautiful again.
The dresser was $50.00. I paid for it and got back to the game before Chandler made his first basket.

Hooray.

The dresser sat on my back patio. I had plans, oh did I have big plans for this dresser, but I was a little overwhelmed. I'm still somewhat new at redoing furniture and I lacked the confidence. This piece seemed to need more work then I was comfortable with, so after a few weeks I decided to put it on craigslist.
I didn't get a single call, because as-is in a photograph, it's not that special. You can't see the lines, the amazing wood work and it's potential just yet.
My friend Debbie was over, bringing me goodies for my birthday when she saw this dresser. Her heart about stopped!
"This is just what I've been looking for," she said and I was happy to sell it to her, re-coping the money I was certain I'd almost lost in an old junky dresser.
Fast-forward a few months later. Debbie is a wedding designer and helps set up for weddings. Her company is called Top This Wedding. She has an incredible eye and makes amazing pieces of art out of trash.
Check out her brooch bouquets. Aren't they amazing.

image found here

You can find them and so many other things in her etsy shop.
So, I attended a wedding she had designed for and there it was,

the dresser,

in it's glory.

And I realized it's all in our interpretation. It's all in the potential only we can see. Sometimes we need help to see how amazing life is, how beautiful things can become. I knew the potential was there, but it took Debbie and her amazing talent to make it possible.

This Weeks Garaging Finds and the Shop

2012-01-16T10:19:00.000-08:00

Not many garaging finds this weekend, so I thought I'd show you a few pics of how the shop looks this week...We were finally able to hang the black shelf- which used to be the top to a hutch. We moved the door backdrops over from the old space and they were study enough to hold the shelf. The "Superior" sign makers kit sold the day after we set this up- for $100.
Here's more furniture in the Incredible hulk green (love this color) as well as a new chalkboard in the back. Now onto a few garage sale finds- and they were all .25 each!
This little black bingo game with gray balls is so cool- .25
These enamel sap buckets say "made for Eddie Bauer" on the bottom and were just- .25 each. They're sitting on top of a table in another new favorite color of mine- more on this piece wednesday.
I don't know if you can see them, but I purchased 2 of these cream metal card holders- .25 each- they look great holding a vintage bingo card. Other than a few pieces of clothing- that was it! Three day weekends are always a little sketchy for garaging- lots of people out of town- so next weekend should be amazing. What did you find this weekend? Leave us a comment and let us know. Love, Kelly.

A Two-Toned Desk

2012-01-13T08:59:00.000-08:00

I was looking through the current issue of Phoenix Home& Garden and came across a picture of a 3-drawer dresser. The drawers of the dresser were green, while the frame of the dresser was stained wood.

A two-toned dresser?

I’ve seen them on blogs and such, but something about seeing this in print gave me the courage and inventiveness to try it on my own.

I’m so glad I found the desk the other day. It’s perfect for my little experiment.

Remember, up until just a few months ago, I’d never even painted furniture before, so I’m still very new at this.

It is so rewarding to have an idea and see it come to pass.

I worked on a few other pieces too.

An old wood garbage

can turned shic.

And a little nightstand

with a makeover.

I'm going down to the shop at QcumberZ today and can't wait to set up the space.

This Weeks Garage Sale & Auction Finds and The Shop!

2012-01-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

Garaging is a little slow in January here in Mesa, but thankfully we attended some great auctions. Saturday afternoon was spent refilling our space at Qcumberz. Here's an overall peek at the space...
(you guessed it- cell phone pics- sorry)
Here's the other side- This sweet little settee and matching chair just sold today for $345.00. And now a few pics of this weeks finds- some went straight to the shop before I had a chance to photograph them.
The large picture is a Tarkay print and was just $5.00- The little dresser below (with the linens in the drawer) was $30.00 and sold in just one hour for $125.00!
Here's another Tarkay also $5.00. Now onto some auction finds...

This box of vintage books was $7.00 and will be used in a wedding I'm decorating next week- can't wait to show you all the fun stuff were doing- Purple, Black and Gold- Victorian Wedding- LOVE.

This piece of art work is 5 feet by 4 feet- HUGE! I'm not really into the artwork part of it, but the frame is to die for and will be an amazing feature at the Victorian wedding. A splurge at $50.00- but I still think I can turn a profit on it after the wedding.
This little spindle table was just $4.00 at a garage sale.
I was so anxious to start this piece that I began to disassemble before taking a before picture. Another auction splurge at $100.00- but I think it will be a $395.00 beauty for the shop when I'm done- we'll see.
And finally, if you've been reading My Dear Trash for a while you know I love me a french style dresser- what could be better?
Two french style dressers. I picked up these matching beauties at auction- one for $50 and the other for $55- I've already painted them black with light distressing and will be using them for cake and food at the wedding next week- but I'm sure they'll bring in $150 each at the shop when that's over. Things are a little crazy right now- but crazy is good, right? Let me know what you found this weekend. Love, Kelly.

Finally a mint green dresser!

2012-01-11T06:24:00.000-08:00

Thank heavens this retro dresser made it out on the dirty, scuffed linoleum showroom floor of my local thrift store because let me tell you, I was thrilled when I first saw it, but then I almost passed on it.

It was in super bad shape with a broken drawer and lots of places it had been banged up, but priced at $14.99, I knew I could take a chance on it. After all, it was real wood and super sturdy.

Seriously, I couldn’t wait to give it a go. Last night I dreamt about re-doing this dresser a color I’ve been in love with since my trip to New York City.

This mint green copper color was on many New York City penthouses and I was lucky to pick up a quart at Home Depot for $2.00 because it was oops paint! Score!

My brother Tadd told me about these sponge paint rollers. At first I thought I could tough it out with my friendly old familiar paint brush, but I finally caved in because I really wanted to see if they were all that . . . and let me tell you, they are ALL THAT!

I have to be careful because if I set my swifty roller down while I’m working, I have a couple little ones that are happy to pick it up and help me out.

First, I use some Gorilla Glue and a hammer to fix the drawer. That worked out well.

After sanding the dresser down, I apply my first of three coats of paint. After it drys, the real fun begins: Distressing

You know me; I can get carried away with distressing. I could distress furniture all day long. It’s so much fun because the furniture really comes to life at this point.

Not bad for a $14.99 investment, huh.

More thrifting finds from this weekend?

This rod iron wood shelve with glass shelves was in pretty bad shape too,

but a little stain and it cleaned up nice. It will work great for someone as a plant stand, bookcase or in the kitchen.

And another Baby Bjorn. A few months ago I found one for $10.00 at a garage sale and later sold it on craigslist for $30.00. This Baby Bjorn I paid $2.50 for and have it listed for $25.00.

And my favorite find (other then the $14.99 dresser) was this Pottery Barn cork board map I found for $5.00. To keep or not to keep, that is the question.

Congratulations to my boy almost teenager Chandler who was ordained a Deacon in my church on Sunday.

His responsibilities include passing the sacrament, volunteering in service projects and just being an overall amazing young man.

He told me “Mom, this is the happiest day of my life.”

What Real Men Do On The Weekend!

2012-01-09T20:34:00.000-08:00

What do real men do on the weekends? Relax and take a nap? No way! Not in a house with 6 daughters. Let's take a closer look...
My two year old and eight year old girls gave dad a little make-over...
He seems to like the hair, so let's work on the toes...
Perfect!
Sometimes Mr. Right reads this blog and sometimes he doesn't. Let's see how long it takes before it gets back to him that I posted this. I'm so grateful for Mr. Right and his willingness to let our girls have a little fun with him. I'll be back tomorrow with my garage and auction finds and some updates on the shop. See you then. Love, Kelly.

Thrift Stores in Heaven? Pretty Please!

2012-01-08T23:12:00.000-08:00

I saw this couch across the way at my favorite thrift store and couldn't get to it fast enough.

Heaven; with yellow and tan flowers. Yeah, they better have thrift stores in heaven or else I'll complain!

(I'm just kidding about the complaining part. I do fear the Almighty!)

Payson's begging to keep this rare find. I love how his 9 year-old mind works, as he tries to convince me it will fit in our living room.

The fabric is spotless and although it does smell a bit funky, it will do great for resale.

A few days earlier, I'd found this little dresser

and it miraculously turned into this.

(Don't you love the Anthropolgie knob. Clearance for $3.97.)

I always have plenty of help from my little angles when I work on my next project.

Sometimes a bit too much help

but as long as no one gets hurt it's all good.

We have plenty of clothing accidentally brushed with paint. Jeans with a bit of paint on them is quite trendy, so it's all good.

Reef's helping me with a nightstand I found.

The top is a mess

so it's perfect for a re-do.

Currently, I'm painting on a china hutch for a client. For weeks, I've been looking for a china hutch with a certain flare, that's cute and vintage enough for her kitchen.

I finally found it, brought it home and gave her a call. It was love at first sight and she asked me to paint it red.

It should be done in the next few days.

Next comes distressing and staining. I'm going to try Briwax for the first time.

I'm sure I'll have plenty of helpers while I finish this up.

Can't wait to show you the final look.

How was your weekend? Any "straight from heaven" thrift store/yard sale trashy finds?

Chalkboards

2012-01-06T11:44:00.001-08:00

I can't seem to keep my chalkboards in stock at the shop so I whipped up three new styles. Here's a peek...Two are frames and one is made from what I think used to be a footboard on a crib? This one is my favorite...
I mod podged antique sheet music along the edge and I just love the square shape. I'll be going down again tomorrow- so I'll let you know if any sold. Don't forget to enter our give-away- leave a comment (on the give-away post only) each day until January 31. I can't wait to find out who the winner will be. Have a great weekend. Love, Kelly.

Star Garden - My Christmas Gift from Santa

2012-01-05T11:53:00.000-08:00

The morning before Christmas, the counselor wakes up and tells me he has one more gift to purchase.

Really!

“We’ve done it all,” I tell him, not wanting him gone with so much left at home to do. “The toys, bikes, stocking stuffers, all the goodies we need for Christmas we have. Everything’s done.”

“I need to get one more thing,” he insists as he laces up his shoes and runs out the door.

“Alright,” I say to myself and start the morning routine of baby bottles, diaper changes and breakfast.

Over an hour later, the counselor returns home with a bag hidden under his shirt and a smirk on his face.

“Is the wrapping paper in the bedroom still?” he asks, but he’s already shut and locked our bedroom door.

Christmas morning was perfect with happy faces and lots of surprises.

After the kids all opened their gifts, my oldest son Chandler handed me a package from underneath the tree.

“Here, Mom,” he says. “From Santa.”

My other children wanted to go outside to ride their new bike/scooter/skateboard (with 5 kids, take your pick), but I sat back to open this mysterious gift from Santa.

I tear the paper open and gasped.

I looked up at my husband with grateful eyes, amazed at how well he knows me.

A book.

He’d given me a book.

The 3rd book in Nancy Turner’s series from These Is My Words.

“I know you just finished Sarah’s Quilt, so I wanted to get you Star Garden.”

“This is what you ran out to get yesterday?” I asked touched that he’s aware of what I’m reading and anxious to find me what I want to read next.

What a wonderful gift and I’m not just talking about the book Star Garden, although I can’t wait to start it.

Our New Solid Wood Kitchen Table

2012-01-05T06:03:00.000-08:00

I finally finished painting my new table that Mr. Right built me for Christmas. Here's the before...
And here's the after...
I painted it with a black satin finish, sanded the edges...
and then applied Briwax in clear to protect the top. Mr. Right was worried about using a poly coat- because it does chip and yellow. On our wood floors we also chose not to use a poly- we just applied tongue oil and they're holding up great. Only problem?
Now I need to redo all my chairs! Those darn fancy jeans my girls wear- tear us the seats of my chairs. Let me know what you think. Love, Kelly.