Salvaged Spaces

Urban Barn Room Planner

2013-05-01T12:29:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite designers is Sarah Richardson, the beautiful Canadian designer who you can sometimes see on HGTV. She is a GENIUS! I have never seen something from her that I didn't like.

I could really spend several posts talking about how much I love her designs and approaches (and maybe I will later), but I want to focus on my first approach to room design. A digital room planner!

What does that have to do with Sarah Richardson?

Well, nothing really. But my favorite room planner just happens to be one made in Canada. So, in a way, I feel like I'm taking a necessary step to becoming Sarah Richardson.

Hah, that is a creepy thing to say for several reasons! But just humor me here.

I've looked at a few room designers online to play with the layout of our house (including playing a round of Sims 3!), and here's my favorite so far and why:

Urban Barn: The Make Room

1. USER FRIENDLY
You can start with an example design or by creating your own. The planner allows you to create one room first, and then add to the plan in the design.

2. CUSTOMIZE ROOM SHAPE
The room planner allows you to change size of walls, delete walls, and split walls!

3. FURNITURE OPTIONS
Hundreds of furniture options for every type of room imaginable! It also allows you to change the size of the furniture to fit your dimensions. So fabulous!

4. LANDSCAPE OPTIONS
Who has two green thumbs and a beautiful backyard?! Now I do! At least I will make you believe that. ;)

There are so many options to customize your yard. From trees to plants to grills and hoses!

5. SHARE IT!
Urban Barn allows you to export your design and share it with others. My mom is really the only one interested in getting email updates about our design plans, but I can see how this could be a really useful tool for people who are collaborating together on a design. Imagine trying to figure out a new office design and wanting to share it with your employees or co-workers. Or if you're a designer, this tool will allow you to share plans with clients before making any changes to the rooms.

They aren't paying me to love all over this room planner... I just felt the need to share this wonderful tool! It's so easy to use and I love the results I'm getting with this one. Do any of you know of other tools that can help with design? I'm sure there are a lot I haven't found yet!

We Bought a House!

2013-04-24T10:27:00.000-04:00

I have remained quiet on our blog because all I have wanted to talk about was trying to buy a house. Searching for a house. Finding a house. Putting an offer and crossing our fingers. Pacing in our tiny apartment. Waiting to hear from our realtor. Waiting to hear from our lenders. Waiting. Waiting. Inspecting. Waiting. Waiting. More waiting.

For some reason I thought if I posted anything, I would either embarrass us when we didn't get it. Or maybe I'd jinx us. But now it's ours! WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!

I have been dying to tell you all about the search and house buying process! It has been one of the most stressful experiences of my life, from searching, to offering, to inspecting, to approval. But right now it's just time to celebrate and maybe we'll relive those other moments later.

(oh, Lucy June isn't so little anymore! She'll be almost a year old when we move in!)

The photos we will share are from the original listing of the house. In all of our excitement, we didn't take many photos every time we visited the house. But trust me, you'll see a lot of photos in the future!

I won't talk about the house too much yet, but let me just share the top five things that convinced us we wanted this to be our home:

1. Cat door in the laundry room!

I haven't confirmed that this is a cat door, but I can't figure out anything else it might be. And call us crazy, but this is so awesome! I probably shouldn't put this out on the Internet, but our sweet dog Clementine likes to sneak a snack from the kitty litter if we're not at home (she leaves crumbs so she's never that sneaky). We have tried so many things to stop her from doing this, from training her to changing her diet to blocking off the kitty litter (which is unfortunate for the cats). So a CAT DOOR! Our dog won't fit through that and the cats can use the restroom in peace.

2. Natural lighting!

The house is full of windows (including this "Florida Room") that all have beautiful views of the scenic yard.

3. A fireplace!

Sometimes I can only calm Lucy down if I sing Crosby, Stills, and Nash's "Our House." I'll light the fire, you place the flowers in the vase that you bought today. Staring at the fire, for hours and hours...

So of course I saw a fireplace and really, really, really wanted this house so we could finally become the family in that song, with two cats in the yard.

4. A new roof!

If you've followed the blog at all, you know I'm obsessed with old homes. I still plan to someday buy a fixer-upper and bring it back alive, but after looking at homes that needed thousands of dollars in repairs, there was something so relaxing to know we could just move right in and call it home. Plus, finding a home with a new roof also saves you a lot in insurance! So I love this house because it is practical for us in every way.

5. An updated kitchen!

That sells everyone, right? It sold me after trying to cook in our apartment kitchen. Remember our awful oven? Our handle is taped on, the burners never stay connected, and there's nothing that lets us know if the oven is on or off or pre-heated. Sounds fun, right?

(old apartment stove)

I'm drooling and I can't even smell what's cooking!

A safe, gas stove. *smile*

I can't wait to move in!

Finding Our Home

2013-01-22T07:59:00.000-05:00

Those of you who have read our blog before know that I have dreamed about owning a fixer-upper all of my life. A historic home, with old windows that let the hot Florida air in through the cracks. With old wooden floors that creak as you tip-toe on them in the middle of the night. And a big front porch with wooden rocking chairs to read your favorite paperbacks on a warm Sunday morning!

It's all I've ever wanted so I can't for the life of me understand why I'm now changing my mind...

The house pictured above is currently listed for sale for only $50,000. Of course I immediately called Pete and asked him if we could buy it. It reminds me of my dream house that I set out to find in Leesburg, FL. Look at that rusty old roof and wooden porch swing! Sigh.

But, it's in a town with a population of 800 people.

Who's going to be Lucy's friend? And what kind of schools will she go to there? Where will we find jobs? Also, the realtor told me that the roof may look charming to me, but it leaks. Everywhere.

Not to mention there's no air conditioning.

Or heat.

And the electric and plumbing most likely need updating.

If we had the money, I'd dive right in and make it our home. Maybe in the future, but right now we can't afford to put our savings into a leaky home when we should really be saving for Lucy's college and possible unforeseen medical emergencies.

So I'm forcing myself to look at newer homes. For Lucy. It's amazing how much having a kid will change your outlook. Believe it or not, a leaky roof and no air conditioning wouldn't have bothered me before, but if I can help it, I'd like to have a good roof over Lucy's head. And I'd like her to be in a place where she can find opportunity.

One thing that Pete and I promised each other:

"Whenever we buy a house, we won't live in the suburbs."

Well, now that's the only place I really want to live! What is wrong with me?! I found an old home with wood floors and a front porch and a big back yard... but it's in a neighborhood that has a lot of history of burglary to residences. So when I looked at newer homes that were built to look like older homes and there's 0% crime history, I can't help but say that's more appealing.

Seriously, who wouldn't want to live here?

So what am I getting at here? This blog has helped me achieve so much because it's forced me to write down my goals. It seems like things start to happen once I commit to them here on Salvaged Spaces. Writing my goals for a blog led me to Salvaged Spaces, which has introduced me to so many good people and fun projects. Researching projects for this blog led me to find the house of my dreams and slowly but surely, I am becoming a junkmaster because I set out to do it. So maybe. Just maybe. If I write that Pete and I want to find jobs someday and buy a house, then maybe, just maybe, it will happen. Is that too much to hope for? Jobs and a house? It doesn't need to happen tomorrow, but someday. Please keep your fingers crossed.

And please don't hate us because we don't want a fixer-upper right now...

12.12.12

2012-12-12T22:05:00.000-05:00

I know. We've taken an extended break from our blog again and there's no excuse for it! Salvaged Spaces is on my mind every day, but then I get caught up with baby, housework, reading, errands, and other miscellaneous projects. On top of that, Pete and I have been on a minimalist kick so it's hard for us to commit to finding junk and blogging about it.

Wait, I said there was no excuse for not blogging and here I am making excuses! We've got some things in the works that we'll post about soon, but here's a quick update with what we've been up to the past few weeks.

I.
The biggest adventure for me has stemmed from a Craigslist ad that Pete found. A lady's grandmother passed away and she wanted to get rid of all the books that she left her. She said her grandma was a book hoarder and needed to get rid of these things so I quickly showed up at her doorstep! I left her house with 160+ books that were from the 1800s! Everything from Little Black Sambo to Victorian etiquette to Shakespeare's works.

I couldn't believe it!

And neither could Pete. Even though he found the ad, he wasn't expecting me to bring all of the books home. Like I said, we were on a minimalist kick and this is exactly what we didn't need!

So, to make us both happy, we decided that I could foster the books until they found a permanent home. I get to read them, then take photos of them and list them on my Etsy page: Leslie's Miscellany.

Leslie's Miscellany has been so fun and successful that I've actually went out and bought more antique books to sell. Oops! So much for minimalism.

II.
Flea Market Style magazine has contacted us again about being in their next issue! They will be featuring one of our projects from our blog so be on the lookout for that! We'll post more details once the issue has been released.

III.
Pete got bit by a dog. A German Shepherd attacked him while he was at work. For those of you who don't know, Pete is a mapmaker and he is always mapping rural areas. People seem real lax in the country so dogs are usually loose. Animal control has the dog in custody and they said if the dog is still alive in a week then he will not need a rabies shot. That was last week and so far Pete is not violent and the only foam I see from his mouth is when he's doing his Pee Wee Herman impression while he's brushing his teeth: "rrr mad dog mad dog!"

IV.

Lucy June is nearing her six-month birthday! Where is the time going? She is sitting up by herself, babbling a lot, and tries to eat every inanimate object known to man. She's the best!

V.
Pete has started writing his book (did I mention he's been wanting to write a book?). We both have several ideas for books and I'm so happy that he's actually started! Hopefully I'll start on mine someday soon.

I think those are the most important updates. We haven't forgotten about junkmates. I've started working on an article for the first one in the queue so you will see something shortly!

Happy 12/12/12!

Jane Eyre

2012-10-18T16:48:00.000-04:00

The first book I read as a literature major was Jane Eyre. As most college students will tell you, it's a liberating experience when you change your major. It's a moment in your life when you accept whatever you were doing before wasn't working out and you forget whatever anyone has ever told you to do in the past and you go for the one thing you love. In my case, that was literature.

Jane Eyre is a constant reminder to me of that liberating experience so I really can't help but love that book. Ever since, I have been on a never-ending search for Jane Eyre.

Every time I enter a bookstore, antique store, thrift shop, friend's house, I always look for a copy of Jane Eyre. I'd like to have several copies and read every one of them. I'd like one to take notes in. One to take apart to make art out of. One to send with Lucy when she goes off to college. And oh my gosh, a signed first edition would complete my life! Not sure if a signed first edition exists, but I would be all over that!

Now that you know my obsession with Jane Eyre, let me share with you a copy I found the other day! It's a Quick Reader:

Aww, look how tiny it is! It was published in 1944. Quick Readers were abridged versions of books that were meant to fit into your cargo pocket. They were printed during WWII because it was common to sending reading materials to servicemen. Look at the back!

Our boys in the service are "hungry" for good reading matter! I had no idea servicemen loved Jane Eyre as much as me.

The illustrations are my favorite part of the Quick Reader!

"That is my wife," said he. GASP!

Oh Bertha, you crazy woman in the attic, you.

I love this Quick Reader and I hope I find some more fun copies of Jane Eyre soon!

Alfred's Long Lost Sister Adelaide

2012-10-16T10:34:00.001-04:00

I'm pretty sure giving human characteristics to inanimate objects is a common trait among hoarders. Which scares me, because I'm always doing it. And I don't want to be a hoarder. Ever! But for some reason I feel the need to name almost everything we bring into the house. Our giant bear piggy bank is Elijay. My sewing machine is Sally. All of our old photograph family have names. My car is Sylvia. The bobbing-head cat inside is CJ.

I think you get the idea. Perhaps the most important named inanimate object to Salvaged Spaces is Alfred the junk bird. Remember that little guy?

Alfred is our inspiration. He is such a small little bird and he was covered in rust, dust, and dirt when we found him.

Then:

We immediately took him home, named him Alfred, gave him a bath, and refinished his bird cage.

Now:

There's probably something very familiar-looking to him, right? He's our logo! Look up top. See the birdcage with the blue bird? Aww, that's sweet Alfred. We love him.

Okay, so we've had dirty old Alfred the junkbird for a while now and he's always been a one-of-a-kind in our eyes.

Until the other day!

We were antique shopping in High Springs, FL and we found Alfred's sister (and of course we adopted her)! Here they are together:

She's a prettier, cleaner version of Alfred! It's obvious that she's taken care of herself compared to our ol' junkbird. We were stoked to find her! What was even better was that Adelaide kept all of her documentation with her!

One of our favorite things to do is research the junk we find. We usually find our stuff when it's on the verge of death, so it's not often we get the original box and documentation - so this was easy! Turns out that Alfred and Adelaide are from the 70s. Adelaide's real name is Saezuri. My favorite parts of the documentation:

If the bird does not sing or does not stop singing, change batteries.

Electronically controlled Transistor Singing Bird of happiness... It's relaxing, amazing, delightful, enchanting; and creates a garden of paradise with its life-like color and sound.

In case you're worried about bringing this bird into your home, don't worry... The bird immediately lives the atmosphere, put everyone in a receptive, warm, friendly mood.

Hah! I love it.

Now, does anyone know where I can find a UM-5 1.5Vx2 batteries? It had a dead one, but we have no idea where to find others. So far our search has been fruitless. If we can find the batteries then I'll record her beautiful sounds.

Do any of you have a collection that you're always looking for?

Introducing Junkmates!

2012-10-12T09:18:00.000-04:00

We're excited to announce our new project we're working on here at Salvaged Spaces called Junkmates! After connecting to social media through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc., we've realized that there is a huge junkin' community out there! Seriously! I mean, we knew we weren't exactly inventing the wheel, but we were convinced we were the only ones who casually (or not-so-casually) glanced at dumpsters, filled their house with junk (not hoarding!), and then lived to tell about it online. Not the case. Junkers are everywhere - and we love it!

So say hello to one of our new loves - Junkmates! Junkmates will give us a chance to share some of our favorite blogs and projects with all of you.

What is Junkmates?
Junkmates is our new online submission program that allows fellow junkers to share their projects on Salvaged Spaces. Their project will be featured in a blog article that outlines their junkin' endeavors, their website, and an introduction to the artist behind the project. Junkmates features DIY, repurpose, and/or before and after projects.

Who are junkmates?
Junkmates have rust in their blood and dirt in their eyes (ouch!). Anyone who has ever picked a piece of furniture from the dumpster. Or turned an old piece of trash into a new treasure. Junkmates just want to salvage, DIY, and share it with the rest of us.

How can I become a junkmate?
You can submit your project here. To get started, we just need your contact information and some details of your project. If you have a blog then we would love to see it and see the original post (if there is one). Junkmates are not required to have a blog.

Why become a junkmate?
We are so excited to include Junkmates on Salvaged Spaces because it gives us a chance to share some of our favorite projects that we find on other sites. If you're a blogger, then becoming a junkmate will also help your blog significantly by introducing it to a new audience. Salvaged Spaces continues to grow in readership and is connected to social media and blog directories. Junkmates are featured in a blog post, but are also shown off on every social media outlet.

And don't worry - Pete and I still have so many projects to share on Salvaged Spaces. You'll still see us on a regular basis because we love this place. Junkmates will show up about every 2-4 weeks - be on the lookout!

Start submitting your projects now!

Before & After: The Nothing-But-the-Clothes-On-Our-Back Chair

2012-10-08T07:05:00.000-04:00

We were having a lazy Sunday yesterday and didn't want to leave the house for anything. At the same time, we wanted to fix up an old chair we had so Pete could finally have something to sit in at his circle drawer desk. I know, that was almost six months ago when we got that desk! Poor Pete.

I'm lucky enough to have a brother who understands my love for dumpster furniture. It's free and always a good project. He brought me home an antique chair that was absolutely hideous. Covered in dirt, tacky fabric... but perfect for our circle drawer desk!

Here she is when I met her:

I will never understand why fabric like that was so popular in the 90s. Yuck!

Since we were feeling lazy, we decided to challenge ourselves. We were going to refinish this chair without having to buy anything. Lucky for us, our apartment is full of fabric, paint, tools, you name it. I'm sure we're not alone in this.

Here's what we used:

- Pale Bloom paint left over from the circle drawer desk and the shangri-lucy dresser.
- Hammered brown paint left over from our chandelier lamp.
- An old wool herringbone coat that Pete never wears

Here's what she looked like after:

I love that we were able to do this without stopping by the fabric store or home improvement store!

I've never reupholstered a cushion before, but this was way too easy! I pretty much wrapped the coat and stapled. Let's pause again and remember how ugly the cushion used to be:

Uh, no. Bad idea. Never look back!

To do this yourself, you'll need:

Staple gun with staples

Scissors

Flat head screwdriver

Padding

Old coat

I used the flat head screwdriver to remove the old staples and fabric. I already had some cushion in the apartment that I picked up for $1 at a thrift store a while ago. I knew that someday I would do something with it!

Now, before I get negative comments about cutting up an old wool coat, let me just say one thing. We live in Florida! These coats just shouldn't exist here. But instead of throwing them away, I thought I'd make something else out of it. You can find old wool coats at thrift stores for really cheap (in case you don't have any laying around your house).

I wrapped the coat around the cushion and positioned the shoulder pads toward the front of the cushion. The hardest part was folding the sleeves around the cushion to make it really snug, but it still wasn't that difficult.

Total cost for us that day: $0! Now we can finally sit down when we write a blog post.

Is there junk in my blood?

2012-10-06T08:33:00.000-04:00

My love for old homes, antiques, and renovation has always been a no-brainer to me. I grew up in a house that was more than 100 years old, I spent my weekends in the antique shops up the street, and I had a mom who insisted on re-painting every piece of furniture we owned at least once a month. The smell of paint and polyurethane instantly reminds me of my childhood.

But some things, of course, are my own personal interests. At least that's what I thought until I visited my 93-year-old grandma.

Grandma has a lot of stories to tell. One of my favorites is how my grandpa was a professional photographer. And then his son. And then his son.

I figured that my grandpa was just so passionate about photography that his son couldn't help but be passionate too. That's usually how things work. We can't help but love what our loved ones love. Right?

As I was looking through old photos at my grandma's house, I stumbled across two very interesting things.

The first one was a scherenschnitte! Remember how Pete and I fell in love with the scherenschnitte at the consignment store and then I quickly went home to make my own? Or, tried to make my own, anyway.

I grabbed this scherenschnitte and asked my grandma where it came from. Turns out my mom made it! Right around the time I was born.

I've never seen it before in my life, so it was so exciting - and sorta creepy - to see my mom was making scherenschnitte around the time I was born. The same way I was making scherenschnitte around the time Lucy was born! Coincidence?

Then, at the bottom of some old photos I found some newspaper clippings:

They had pictures of a man in front of a wall of clocks, reminding you that you need to turn back your clocks. Grandma then explained that it was my great grandfather. A clock repairman.

!!

This was shortly after I decided to take on the challenge of clock repair, which I actually succeeded at (see here). I had no idea that we had a clock repairman in our family.

Maybe all of this is one big coincidence, but it's got me thinking about my choices and makes me want to learn more about my family history.

Need Advice on the Dumpster Chair!

2012-10-05T15:17:00.001-04:00

When Pete and I lived in the big city, we had an apartment that overlooked the dumpster. Best view ever! Apparently there are a lot of rich, wasteful people in that apartment complex because we saw every type of furniture appear next to that dumpster. One that I fell in love with right away was this abnormally tall wooden chair. Sure, it's a mess. But I think it has good bones! The problem is, I can't figure out what I want to do with it. It's been almost two years since I dragged it from the dumpster to my apartment garage so I really have to figure this out soon!

Here's the dumpster chair:

Tall, dark, and handsome.

Here's what I love:
- Solid wood in good condition
- The details! It has beautiful metal flowers on the top sides (see first detail photo)
- The size. In case you can't tell in the photo, it's really tall and she's got beautiful hips!

What I don't love:
- The dirty upholstery.
- The woven leather on the back. It's beautiful, but somebody spilled white paint on top of it! (see second detail photo)

The spilled paint makes things difficult. I really don't want to paint the chair because I think the wood looks great the way it is. But with the condition of the woven leather (at least I think it's leather, it could be something else), I can't leave it natural. I don't think I can paint the woven leather without painting all of the chair, unless you have a good idea I'm not thinking of. I haven't tried removing the paint yet, but it looks like it's on there for good.

Have any of you ever tried removing dried paint from leather? If so, any tips?

I'm stumped with what colors to paint (if I paint) and colors should be in the fabric. What would you do with this piece? I'd love input!

Junkmaster Update: The clock is ticking!

2012-10-04T20:19:00.000-04:00

Remember that broken New Haven clock I found on eBay? It's been almost six months and I finally took it apart to see what's wrong with it! It's all a part of my journey to become a junkmaster and it looks like I'm one step closer! Because I fixed it!

I know, I'm as shocked as you are. I'm slightly embarrassed to admit this, but when I first opened it up, I thought "Oh, no wonder it's not working! There's no electrical cord to plug it in!" Yes, sadly, that's how little I knew about clock repair.

And as I write this, I really don't know anything more about clock repair. But I did manage to get this little guy working again! Here's how:

I found a tiny screwdriver in the kitchen and removed the back. Inside I found a cockroach egg, some dust, rust, and gears. I was so happy to see gears!

I checked out a book from the library that proved to be completely useless. As I started reading it, it was referring to terms that I didn't feel like googling. So as I explain how I fixed the clock, I won't be using any proper clock-repairing terms.

I noticed that there were different gears inside and a spring. Everything looked filthy so I grabbed a can of WD-40 and sprayed the gears. I figured WD-40 usually helps every piece of junk so why not.

Here's where it gets technical, but I can't explain it. Since I didn't bother to read the clock repair book or even google clock repair, I'm making up my own technical terms. After coating everything in magical WD-40, I moved the "seconds-gear" (the gear that I think has 60 little bumps to represent seconds) and the "winder" (the key in the back of the clock that winds the clock).

I know what you're thinking... dang Leslie is so smart! But it wasn't easy, folks. It took about 30 minutes of tilting my head in every angle and biting my tongue to finally accidentally figure it out by moving what I call the "seconds-gear" and the "winder." I actually jumped in my seat when it started ticking! I didn't believe it at first, so I sat and watched it for 30 minutes.

When I woke up the next morning, the clock was still keeping time! By mid-afternoon, though, it was behind a few minutes. I wound it again and it started to keep time for another day.

By the third day, I was losing it. The tick of this clock really tocks! I couldn't escape it. In the kitchen, I could hear the clock ticking over the running water in the faucet. Upstairs, I could hear it over the bathroom fan. When I was watching Jeopardy, it felt like final jeopardy the entire episode. The anxiety of this tick tock was starting to drive Pete and me mad. I had trouble concentrating on simple tasks like singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" to Lucy. I felt a lot of anxiety because the clock was a constant reminder that I was aging. That Lucy was growing too fast.

So on the third day, I stopped the clock. My heart was finally beating at its own pace and not the pace of the clock's. My thoughts were coming back. I didn't feel trapped in a really bad game of Scattegories anymore.

But here's proof that I really did fix the clock. That it lived for three days and that it has hope of living again someday. But right now it will be a pretty little piece of quiet junk to display on my desk.

Junkmaster update: the clock is ticking! from Leslie Mojeiko on Vimeo.

The Blog's Better Half: Pete

2012-10-03T20:33:00.000-04:00

Today I'm not going to post about DIY projects or our Florida adventures, but something that is much more important to me: Pete! I'm feeling all kinds of love bugs today since we're celebrating our second wedding anniversary, so it seems like a good time to talk about Pete. I've also noticed that a lot of the bloggers I'm following have been posting about the personalities behind the blog so maybe some of you would be interested to learn more about Pete.

Pete is more than good looks and a beard.

He's smart, funny, and has an impressive collection of plaid shirts (see below). That he deserves to wear. He was born in the land of corn but grew up in the sunshine state.

Pete's Day Job
Although he may like blogging and helping me with DIY projects, Pete's true passion is maps. Pete once went on an adventure in his backyard using the map from his Zelda game.

He didn't "gain enough wisdom...to summon the wind and ride a tornado to the entrance of the Underworld," but he did discover his passion for mapping and adventure. He majored in geography at the University of South Florida and created maps of towns in Florida, North Carolina, and New Mexico while he was in college. Today he works as a utility mapper, mapping the backwoods of northern Florida.

Pete's Proudest Achievements
Pete was convinced to join the Air Forces right after graduating high school. He committed six years in the military and got to see places like Qatar, Kuwait, Germany, England, and Montana. While in the military, Pete arrested a few people, got a few random tattoos, drank two pints of bier at Oktoberfest, and held a gun.

Pete once ran a mile and a half in 11:21.

Pete has never shaved his legs, but he does keep a well-trimmed beard. Most of the time.

Pete once kept a goldfish alive for 15 months. He had to give it up for adoption so there's a good chance that the goldfish is still swimming today. At least that's what I tell him to make him feel better.

Pete created a human being.

Pete's interests:
Saving money
Most of our stuff is from salvage shops and thrift stores. Pete will only buy his pants from thrift stores (even if they have holes in the crotch). While he loves to save money, he will get very upset with me if I bring home a deodorant that doesn't have all the tiny little holes on the top that leak gel. And even though Tidy Cats might be BOGO, I have to get Fresh Step. Not because the cats care either way, but it's really important to Pete.

He also tries to save money by cutting his own hair. He has even tried cutting my hair since Lucy has been born. So if you're looking at me and it looks like my hair looks longer on one side, chances are it's not because I'm tilting my head.

Pete, of course, can never pass up the chance to stop at a yard sale:

oops

Pete's Favorite Books
If the books have maps, time travel, and/or a post-apocalyptic setting then he loves it.

Pete's Favorite Movies
Pete's not a big movie buff, but he does have a soft spot for Nicholas Cage.

Pete's Favorite TV Shows
Pete has 4815162342 favorite shows. He quotes Seinfeld around my mom just to impress her.

I'm sure you can see why I'm head-over-heels for him. Happy anniversary, Pete!

Cotton Anniversary

2012-10-01T09:50:00.000-04:00

As you know, I was feeling a lot of pressure for this year's anniversary gift. Last year's gift was a huge success on Pete's part, but no one can even remember what I did. I was determined not to let that happen again, which is half the reason I'm blogging about the gift. No one can forget when it gets posted on the Internet!

I should warn you that you may not fully understand my gift for another few years. But Pete understood it right away and guess what? He loved it!

I'm not calling you dumb because you don't understand it. And I'm not trying to make excuses in case some of you think this was a lousy gift.

When I was thinking of what to make Pete, I kept thinking about two of the "biggest" things happening in our lives. Which is strange, because they aren't big at all. The first one of course is little Lucy June and the second one is Pete's novel. We both have stories we want to write and Pete has already started on his. He's been thinking about this story for a long time and started to put it on paper last night. I know he's my husband and I think the world of him, but I'm serious and objectively stating that he's going to impress the world with his writing. I'm not afraid to tell him when he messes something up - like when he told me he wanted me to be fully relaxed for our anniversary weekend, and then took me out to a totally unrelaxing camping trip. He wouldn't even let me bring pillows!

He knows that trip wasn't a success and I sure enough let him know it, too. In a nice way.

But his book is going to be a success and to help you sort of understand my gift, I'll tell you that the book involves lists, a pocket watch, and Montana. There. You still have no idea what it's about but you can see why I got him the things that I did.

I started with a box I had from some old stationary. I made a paper collage of Montana - or at least how I imagine it. The top says "you and me were meant to be part of the future." It's a Flaming Lips song that Pete has been using as inspiration. The song actually says "you and me were never meant to be part of the future," but that seemed depressing to me so I changed it up.

His favorite thing (I think) was the embroidery hoop I made for him. I've never embroidered before but I absolutely loved it! It was one of the most relaxing things I've done in a long time.

I first sketched out the image of us and then glued some cotton to represent Lucy.

Pete has always had a soft spot for embroidered art (remember when he picked this up?) and now he wants me to make him one every year. Yes please! Do you know how easy this will make gift-giving?!

The book of lists was fun to make too. Some of the lists were meaningful, but mostly they were completely useless. Like, how I like to take a shower: turn on water, adjust temperature, get in, shampoo, wash face, rinse face then shampoo, conditioner, wash from shoulders to feet, rinse conditioner and soap, turn off shower, dry off, get dressed.

It all made him smile so I count that as a win in my book!

DIY: Home Camping

2012-09-30T07:45:00.000-04:00

You'd think we'd accept it by now: we're not the camping couple. We have plenty of good stuff going for us, but camping, nah, not for us. The first time we tried it was in my parent's backyard--a dry run for a bigger trip coming up later that year. Half way through the night, we got cold and went inside to sleep on the sofa. The next time was the big camping trip, for my sister's wedding in New Mexico. We pitched our tent, settled in, and then I had the worst allergy attack of my life and Leslie had to drive me to Wal-Mart in the middle of the night and pump me full of Claritin. I woke up in the La Quinta.

But we love the outdoors! Trees, rivers, bugs, ~~snakes~~, throw it at us. We feel like we should be naturals at the camping scene, so we keep throwing ourselves back into it, only to be met with the same old results. This time, for our second wedding anniversary, I decided to book us a spot at the Silver River State Park. I know, I'm an awesome husband.

We showed up early in the afternoon, had a little picnic, took some pictures, and walked a trail down to the river. I was excited, to be in the wilderness with my family. I had a campfire planned, with veggie hot dogs, Reese's S'mores (Leslie's favorite), and maybe even some ghost stories after the little one hit the sack. But after a couple of hours, it was becoming apparent that someone wasn't as into it as the rest of us:

Okay, okay. I don't want to blame our camp-abandonment on Junebug. Sure, she wasn't exactly a happy camper, but to be honest, Leslie and I were ready to throw up milk at one point, too. We weren't really looking forward to sleeping on our gravel campsite, or dealing with the mosquitoes for the rest of the evening. So we made a family-decision to pack it in and hit the road.

The whole drive back, I was in a funk. What kind of manly dad was I, if I couldn't even rough it for a night and give my family a memorable outdoor experience. Do I even deserve to wear this plaid shirt anymore?

When we pulled up to the apartment, inspiration struck. I remembered an old book I used to read (or have read to me) when I was a kid, called Bailey Goes Camping. It's about a little rabbit who's too young to go camping with his older brothers, so his parents let him go swimming in the bathtub and roast marshmallows over the stove. Well, if that bunny can do it, then so can I. Leslie, Junebug: this camping trip isn't over yet.

Ah, the fresh breeze of the AC. The ice cubes in our cups and the warm water in Junebug's bath. This is camping.

DIY: Wedding Newspaper Invitations

2012-09-29T07:05:00.001-04:00

Maybe it's our upcoming anniversary, or my blogging buddy's upcoming wedding, but I can't stop reminiscing about our wedding. One of my favorite DIY projects from the wedding wasn't even in our wedding, but it was one of the most important pieces to our big day: the invitations!

We struggled a lot at first with our invitations. We wanted them to be creative, but we couldn't find any store-bought ones that captured our personalities. We also wanted them to be affordable. And we had way too much to say that couldn't all fit onto one invitation card. So our answer was to...
write a newspaper! Invitations covered in lace and vellum are beautiful, but it didn't fit the style of our wedding. A newspaper would allow us to include a lot of information for our guests, be creative, and stay within budget.

To re-create this newspaper-style invitation, all you will need is the following:

Microsoft Word (seriously! That's the only program we used for this project!)
Legal size paper 8 1/2" by 14" (we used a type called Classic Linen, Antique Gray, 80 lbs)

The front page was all about us. Our opening article was about how we met and for some reason we had that "written by our cats." To the left of that article, we had a side column explaining how to pronounce my new last name Mojeiko. And for you readers, it is pronounced Mo-jay-co. Very simple!

To the right of the main article was the invitation portion from my parents and a map of the location. We used Mapquest for the image because we thought it was prettier than Google Maps. We also included an RSVP ticket on the bottom of the front page. We had our guests RSVP online through our weddingwire website so this kept cost down and made it easier for us to keep organized.

The back of the newspaper was the most fun to create! We wrote personal ads, auto ads, and sisterly advice columns for our bridal party. Pete had the chance to create the comic he always wanted to and I had the chance to create a crossword for the first time! We included an ad for our big day too that resembled an ad for a movie.

Like I said before, this was very easy to create in a Word Document. Here are some tips when using Word:

- Set page layout: size to legal 8.5" by 14"
- Create tables to keep all sections organized. For those of you not familiar with tables, here's an online tutorial that may help.
- Use an online crossword generator

We went to Office Depot for printing. They printed 150 invitations in about 10-15 minutes! We had one side done in color and the other in black and white. They also folded all of the invitations for us.

A newspaper invitation was a great way to express ourselves, but we were also able to continue the fun with our thank-you cards. We sent everyone a personal card attached to a second issue of The Daily Love that recapped the big day. We included a general thank you section, shout-outs to our favorite dancers, and best moments.

DIY: Paper Anniversary

2012-09-26T18:05:00.000-04:00

The pressure is on. In exactly one week from today it will be our second anniversary as a married couple. While I'm excited to celebrate 730 days of blissful marriage, I'm terrified of giving Pete a gift. Pete treats gift-giving like a sport. He spends months training for the planning, presentation, and execution of the gift. For at least two weeks in advance, I am reminded on a daily basis that "this is going to be the best gift ever." He has that excited close-mouthed grin on his face like he's trying really hard not to spill out any clues to what the gift might be.

And me, on the other hand. I suck at gift-giving! There's no nicer way to put it. When we think back to our first anniversary, neither one of us can even remember what I got him. I don't want that to happen again so I've been spending the past month thinking, and thinking, and thinking of what in the world I will get Pete for our second anniversary.

I still don't have any good ideas.

But I don't want this post to be about how bad of a person I am. I want to share with you one of the awesome gifts Pete got me for our first anniversary. For those of you who don't know, there is a list of traditional gifts that you are supposed to give each other each year. The first year is paper. Pete decided to make me a book that outlined our life together from the first day we met to our first wedding anniversary.

Pete bound the book by himself and wrapped it with vintage Florida fabric. He used a method of book binding called post binding.

Post binding is a non-adhesive method of book binding that involves using two-piece binding screws/posts. In this book, Pete used foam core as the book cover, but you can also use cardstock or recycled items. I've seen books made out of water bottles, potato chip bags, bath mats, and more. I definitely want to try something like that someday!

The first couple years of our relationship were long-distance. We met in person when he was on leave, but we kept in touch through messages and phone conversations. We kept all of our messages and the picture above includes the first message I ever sent him. He was living in Montana and I was in Florida.

Some of my favorite things about this book are the vintage photographs he randomly and not-so-randomly included. Here's one of my favorite randoms:

A diagram of cats and ducks. Perfect!

And a not-so-random vintage postcard of Davis Islands, FL (where we got married).

And finally, illustrations of our first year together:

I think he did a great job for our "paper" anniversary. The second anniversary is "cotton." I can't wait to see what he has up his sleeve this year, and hopefully I'll think of something spectacular soon!

We're famous! And so is Brooksville!

2012-09-23T13:24:00.000-04:00

Pete and I were both raised in the small town of Brooksville, FL. Brooksville hardly has more than 7,000 residents, but it's a town with a lot of heart. I grew up near downtown Brooksville, which meant that I was always walking or riding my bike to the shops and restaurants, even before my Mom said I could (sorry, Mom!). I'd spend my days reading library books under the oak trees, tip-toeing around the antique shops, and sitting in the window booth of Main Street Eatery, enjoying a turkey melt with my best friend.

So when Flea Market Style, one of our favorite magazines, asked their readers for submissions of their favorite shopping towns, we had to tell them about Brooksville!

My love for Brooksville runs deep. Remember I've talked about it before? Like here. And here. Oh, and even my Dad has written a book about Brooksville. So yeah, regardless of how quiet and small this town can get, I believe you really can have a lot of fun there if you know what's hiding beneath all those oak trees.

With a hot cup of coffee in Pete's hand and a six-month old baby in my uterus, we wrote to the editors of Flea Market Style. We told them that you may not be able to find websites for any of these shops, but they exist and they're open and ready for business. We told them about the friendly people who own the shops and the great deals we've been able to score there. We figured it probably wouldn't make the list but it's worth a try. For Brooksville. For Brooksville!!

And guess what? We made it! Our little Brooksville. Is now a favorite city. On paper. In a magazine that's viewed in every state and city!

You can pick up a copy in grocery stores, Target, Wal-Mart, bookstores, home improvement stores, etc.

So what made the list for Brooksville? The Shoppes at the Corner, Odds and Ends, Easy Street Home Decor, Great Stuff, and Coney Island Drive Inn. Pick up a copy to read what we wrote about these places!

Junkmaster Update: Project Complete

2012-09-22T06:38:00.000-04:00

A few months ago I set out on a mission to become a "junkmaster." Since even I didn't quite know what that meant, I had to create a curriculum that would make me fit to be a junkmaster (at least how I imagine it).

One of the junkmaster goals was accomplished during our move so this update is well overdue!

Goal #8: Project: Sell one of my salvaged items.

Believe it or not, I did! Someone out there in the world bought our foosboard! Pete had an old foostable that we transformed into a chalkboard/organizer. We listed it on Etsy and, sure enough, someone decided they wanted it!

I know what you're thinking. Really? Someone bought your lousy project? Well, yes! And it's not so lousy when people are paying money for it! Here's proof that it sold.

That's inspired me to post a few "new" items to our Salvaged Spaces' Etsy Shop. We're new to Etsy so please follow us on there (and we'll follow back).

Can I just say that I love Etsy? Sometimes we find some really cool things on our salvage/thrifting hunts that I feel completely obligated to buy. Whether it's a great deal or a really cute object. But we can't always fit everything into our place AND we have a fear of hoarding. So when space gets tight we can run to Etsy to see if someone else wants it. Although we probably shouldn't buy it in the first place if we don't have the space. Don't judge.

We Got the Hook-up!

2012-08-09T15:21:00.000-04:00

Whoever lived in our apartment before us were real hookers. They didn't even try to hide it, either! I don't like to judge other peoples' lifestyles because I'm far from perfect. But usually when I move out of a place, I clean it up. Remove traces of myself - like the pencil mark on the wall that shows how tall I am (still checking to see if the mark ever goes up or down). I clean the carpets, scrape off all the labels from the label maker. I even finally clean out the microwave so they don't know I had leftover spaghetti as my last meal.

But the previous tenants clearly don't care what we think of them. It's evident in the state of this place, but even more obvious by how frivolous they were with screwing.

I've counted at least 25 hooks in this apartment! Is that normal?!

Don't get me wrong. I love organization, but there's nothing organized about these hooks. They are in random corners and on the tallest parts of the ceiling. What were they hanging? I also love a good deal and that's why I buy in bulk. But after some quick investigation, it's clear that these hooks were not all bought at the same time. Some are metal, plastic, nails, screws, wooden...

And why should you care about all of the hooks in our place? You probably shouldn't, but it's something I noticed and it's got me confused. Pete's theory is that they recklessly hung Christmas lights. I cringe at the thought of their decorating.

I made the mistake of removing the first hooks I saw. Little did I know they painted around the hooks.

This is one of my favorite displays of hooks. It's hard to see all of them because it was taken on my camera phone, but there are five hooks in this corner of the room. Seriously. What were they doing?

White metal hook...

Curly hooks

Shiny hook next to the skylight

Found this nail hook in the closet. Of all the places, you think I would find the best hooks in the closet.

Brown plastic hook above our creepy cat sculpture.

White plastic hook above another creepy cat. ;)

Flimsy pantry hooks

Here's a fun one! Double hooks all the way! On the toilet! Think of the possibilities! (?)

Nail hooks in the laundry room? I think that's what they were trying to achieve here.

Not really sure.

I actually have several other pictures of hooks, but I should just stop here and go do something productive with my time!

Apartment Reveal (The Before, Uncensored Version)... (oh yeah, we moved!)

2012-08-08T17:56:00.000-04:00

It all happened so fast! About two weeks ago, Pete was offered a job in the Gainesville, FL area working with maps. If you know Pete, or know about him, then you know he is beyond excited! He spends his days walking through uncharted areas and then plotting them in mapping software (GIS).

The start time for the job was immediate, so we needed to find a place to live ASAP! We knew what we wanted. Hardwood floors, updated kitchen, garden tubs. But, of course, that's not what we got.

Since we needed to pick something fast and we wanted to find a place to save us money, we threw out all of our wants and focused on needs. I should also say that we will only be here a year, since his job will give him a new assignment for next year.

Our wants: ~~hardwood or laminate flooring~~, screened-in back porch, dog-friendly area, ~~nice kitchen~~, close to the library

Our needs: one or two bedrooms, safe, ~~functioning~~ utilities (AC, water, etc.), low price

We are paying a ridiculously cheap amount for rent. So cheap that I'm afraid to talk about it in public because I will either A) make you feel bad, or B) make myself look extremely poor.

We moved in about a week ago and so many people keep telling me "how did you guys move so quickly... especially with an infant!?" There's a simple answer: we didn't! We still have boxes all over the apartment, we still have items at our old place, we're still waiting on some furniture to be delivered. Here's proof that we don't have super powers...

The Before, Uncensored Apartment Tour: Unpacked and Uncleaned!
(photos taken on camera phone - sorry! )

Don't judge us too much on these photos. We haven't had much time to unpack and organize and we're still missing a lot of essentials. But we're on our way and I'm excited about what we're going to do to this place!

Fancy Foyer

Not much to see here, except a few things I picked up at the store last night. I'll get around to it soon.

Spare Bedroom (obviously not expecting any guests anytime soon!)

~~Updated~~ Kitchen

The kitchen may not be completely updated (or at all), but we kind of find it charming. Pete was sold when he saw the oven (I know, clearly he's not doing the cooking). Let me introduce you to our terrifying oven:

At first glance, I noticed it didn't have a working clock (and thus, no working timer). That's something I can overcome, but let me just vent on what I do not like about this piece:

It doesn't notify you when it's pre-heated. You just have to hope for the best.
The back right burner doesn't work.
The handle isn't attached.
There are no lights on it to tell you that it's on (such an easy way to start a fire!).

I don't want to sound spoiled, but they seriously need to consider replacing this oven. It's such a safety hazard! (I know I'll get a call from my mom as soon as she reads this... Leslie, I don't feel comfortable with you cooking)

Dining Room

Even though we still have a little work in this room, I'm happy with it for now.

Sewing Space

It's supposed to be my sewing space, but right now it's being taken over by a baby!

Living room

A lot of random pieces of furniture. We're waiting on the delivery of a couch to match my favorite yellow chair!

Bedroom/Nursery

I'm not ready for Lucy to stay in another room, so she's staying in our bedroom. The bedroom comes with an addition that's the perfect size for a nursery (she may end up there soon). The bedroom is also loft-style with his and her closets. Not bad!

(we forgot to pack our bedding and lamps! whoopsy!)

There you have it! A work in progress, but progress nonetheless.

Oh, and here is what Lucy did while I was taking pictures:

Lucy June is Here!

2012-07-02T17:17:00.000-04:00

We spent the entire month of June absent from our blog. I guess you could say we're on our "maternity leave" because it's taking some time to adjust to parenthood! We don't foresee giving up on Salvaged Spaces, but we definitely need a small break.

For those of you who are following our blog, you'll be happy to hear that Lucy June made her appearance on June 18, 2012 at 1:11pm! She weighed 7 lbs 4 oz and was 20" tall. We love everything about her!

Pete made a video welcoming her into this world:

I think at least half of the video views are from me! I love re-living this experience. :)

Pete and I occasionally will update our personal blog while we're on "maternity leave." Feel free to stop by and say hello!

Love,

Leslie

We're sorry!

2012-05-31T20:13:00.000-04:00

Yeah, we've got some 'splainin' to do. Where have we been for the past... two weeks?! The sad truth is... nowhere! I'd like to say we've been on a cruise, or stranded on a remote island eating nothing but coconuts and fish, or... what I'd really like to say is we had our baby!

But none of that is true. We've just been stressed and losing our focus. Call me crazy, but I feel our focus coming back. We needed that strange and uneventful two-week stint to re-energize our blogging powers.

In case you're curious about what we've been up to for the past few days, here's the boring synopsis.

I've been sleeping more. A lot more. It's crazy how this little baby can suck the life out of you!

Pete has been job searching like crazy. I wish I could tell every potential employer how amazing he is. Not only does he pay attention to every detail (he's great at cleaning every part of the house and always knows what to buy at the grocery store), but he's also smart, curious, and motivated. Just the other day he told me, "I've applied to every job I could find, so now I'm starting to program a video game about time travel using a programming language called C#."

What a nerd. I love it. Be on the lookout for an XBOX Live video game or a new phone app by Pete. :)

Aside from finishing the nursery, I've also been doing a lot of nesting. I've done everything I possibly could to prepare for the big day. My car is packed with a hospital bag, carseat, and a car diaper designed by Pete:

Since I have an hour commute every day and I sit on cloth seats, Pete thought it would be a good idea to cover them in case my water breaks. Do you see what I'm talking about? He thinks of everything! Hah!

We've also cleaned our house like crazy. Everything from the craft room to baby bottle nipples has been cleaned. This picture is a little dated, but it still exemplifies the state of my craft room. I heard Clementine (our dog) crying in the hallway and found her wrapped up in my yarn. We can't have that happening to Lucy June!

The past couple of weeks have also seen their share of thrifting, but not a ton of finds. We have a lot of things in our queue to post about in June - clock repair, a "new" salvage yard, an interesting visit we had with my 93-year-old grandma, a photoshop project, DIY wedding invites, and the thing I'm most excited to post about:

A NEW HUMAN BEING! DIY! In just a few hours it will be June and that means we're super close to welcoming our new best friend Lucy June. I think I'll go walk a few miles while eating pineapple. Maybe that will make her show up tonight!

Talk to you soon!

The Big Reveal: Lucy June's Nursery!

2012-05-17T21:17:00.002-04:00

Have you ever spent days, weeks, months on a project for someone you've never met? Pete and I have been spending the last several months on thinking, designing, and decorating a room to impress Lucy June.

I thought it would be so easy! Just buy a bunch of cute baby stuff and put it in a room. It doesn't seem like you could go wrong with cute baby stuff, but yeah, actually, you can.

Our first approach was to buy cute antique baby items. We found things like old children's books, baby carriages, and this dark (and sort of depressing) antique pram. Yeah, it's charming. But it's not practical. Or safe. Or bright and cheerful.

So at some point we pushed the antique pram out of the room, dumped the geography books that showed the Soviet Union, and proclaimed let there be light!

Lucy's nursery was inspired by:

- Greens, pinks, and browns

- Animals (she has to love animals)

- Outdoors (she's a June Bug after all)

- Handmade items with love

We started with a neutral room and two very important pieces of furniture: a rocking chair passed down to us from Pete's parents and a crib that was also bought by them.

It took us forever to paint the walls. We bought a can of Valspar Spring Botanical green paint about five months ago. Over the past couple of days, Pete painted the walls in this color and also painted a brown and pink tree on one wall.

We found a green rug and pink bug from Target that really gave the space the outdoor theme we were going for.

We were also blessed with friends and family who spent days working on projects for Lucy. Receiving these gifts has made me feel so loved... and amazed me that other people are also putting in so much effort to impress a little girl they've never met.

The quilt over the rocking chair was a gift from my friend Bailey. My friend Shaina also gave me a crocheted blanket that her mother made for Lucy. It feels like both of them knew our plan for the nursery all along because they are absolutely perfect for the room! Bailey also handmade a card that is displayed in a handmade picture frame from my friend Erika. Seriously... I'm in love with this room because of these items!

To keep the craftiness alive, we have two beautiful diaper cakes on display from Eva and Dana! I know I'm supposed to take them apart and utilize all of the fun things inside, but they're so darn cute! I promise I will take them apart eventually. Just not right this second.

Also, Lucy's dresser/changing table was the $40 find that we salvaged from a thrift store.

When do babies start to read? I haven't read about that milestone yet, but I think we have a few years before she starts enjoying books. That being said, my undergraduate degree was in literature and I've spent my entire life enjoying and learning from any book I could find. So... even though Lucy won't be able to read for a while, we have two bookcases in her room that are already beginning to fill up with children's books. Of course I'll be reading a lot to her, but I just didn't feel comfortable having a nursery for her that wasn't full of stories.

The above bookshelf was the first one I bought in high school when I realized I needed more bookspace. It was looking a little rough, so Pete painted it for me.

Lucy's second bookshelf is full of so many items that I love. Above it, we displayed the Scherenschnitte of Little Bo Peep. It also has my vintage baby shoes and Pete's letter box.

I'm confident that Lucy is going to love this room, but I thought I should check with a panel of judges who also think like babies. Catsby and Clementine did a quick walk-through once we were done:

Catsby has tried out the crib, changing pad, rocking chair, green rug, and wicker chairs. He's in there all the time so he must be enjoying it. Clementine has licked every piece of furniture and remained calm in this environment (that speaks volumes since Clementine is a hyper Jack Russell-mix).

I think we're all ready to welcome June Bug! Four more weeks. :)

Saturday Junkin' Roundup

2012-05-13T09:41:00.000-04:00

It's been a couple of weeks since Leslie and I have been out junking and thrifting together. I've been taking it on myself to hit up the thrift stores alone, but that doesn't always turn out great. I need my partner-in-grime there with me: she's got an eye for good junk, and I have, well, I'm there to carry it to the car.

Yesterday, we went to visit Leslie's grandma, who lives about an hour away. It took us about three hours to get there, though, because we went the long way--the crazy stretch of thrift stores, car dealerships, and fast food chains that is U.S. 19 north of Clearwater, FL.

We stopped at several thrift and consignment shops along the way. Like modern day treasure hunters, we sifted through piles of tupperware, old suitcases, and VHS tapes to find some pretty sweet items. Here's what we got:

Above is a vintage Scovill bowling bag, sold in the 1980s. It's extra big and Leslie thought it would make a sweet purse. We put it in our little Etsy shop, though, because she already has like a hundred purses.

Below is the pile of free baby clothes that we got from Itzy Bitsy Baby Kids Consignment in Palm Harbor. It's a consignment shop, but anything that is donated to them is given away for free! The owners were really nice and they had sales on almost everything. In addition to the free stuff, we bought 20 pairs of baby socks and a stuffed animal.

Leslie named her Mandy. It's a cat. Probably.

She spotted it on a tall shelf, buried under other much cuter stuffed animals. She couldn't leave little Mandy, with her screwed up face, bad posture, and stubby legs behind. When we got home, I looked at the tag and found out that Mandy is a "Cuddly Quarry Critter," so I looked her up, and they have a whole line of these weird looking animals. I called Leslie over, and she got really excited, then rushed off, dug through a drawer for a while, and brought back this:

She told me that she bought this old frog with her first paycheck, from her first real job when she was in high school. I guess she developed her hobby of collecting weird looking things a long time ago, which kind of makes me wonder where I fit into her life. We flipped the old frog over, and sure enough, both Mandy the cat and the old frog were put out by the same company and part of the same line:

Strange coincidence, right? I think Leslie just has an eye for strange things, one of the many reasons she's a great junking partner.

Mother's Day: The Junebug Pendant

2012-05-12T10:26:00.001-04:00

For the past month, I've been searching for the perfect Mother's Day gift for Leslie. In the past, we've celebrated Mother's and Father's Day with each other, because we're the parents of two very sweet cats and one crazy dog, but this is the first Mother's Day that we can celebrate as real, soon-to-be parents to a little human. Lucy June is due in the middle of next month, and Leslie has been pregnant like a champ for the last eight and a half months. I'm so proud of her for going through all this pregnancy stuff. It seems tough, but Leslie makes it look easy.

For her first Mother's Day, I wanted to find something special for her. After searching high and low, blowing past the typical fruit bouquets and diamond earrings, I found the perfect thing at the bottom of a jewelry display in a thrift store.

It's a copper pendant with a little beetle, or Junebug, on it. "Junebug" is Lucy June's unofficial nickname, so when I found this little guy, just last week, it felt a little serendipitous, and I knew that this would be Leslie's first Mother's Day gift.

I wanted to personalize it somehow, though, so I picked up a metal stamping kit and went to work. Metal stamping is pretty simple. Just take the letter, or number, you want to stamp, line it up, and give the end a few good whacks with a hammer. Copper is pretty malleable, so I had to hammer the pendant flat again when I was finished.

I'm giving Leslie the metal stamping kit, too, because I know she'll find some cool uses for it, like labeling all of our silverware, or writing poetry on all the doorknobs in the house.

We ended up finding a nice necklace to string it up on, and now she can always have her little Junebug close to her heart. Happy Mother's Day, Leslie. You've earned it.

LPM
&
LJM
2012