Letting Go of the treasure...after the hunt

I have concluded that the part I love best about thrifting, whether it is a yard sale, word of mouth find, or from a thrift store, is the treasure hunt itself.

I like the repurposing of something that no longer is able to do it's original job, and envisioning it's new job. I also enjoy the vision of bringing life back to something old and in a neglected state.

One of my finds last year was an amazing old bedroom set that my husbands mailman( for his work), told him about.

 The mailman's wife is from W. Virginia, and when we went to see the furniture she said it came from the "hollers'. Well the story just won me over, as I love old furniture that has a story.

We piled it into our trailer, and took it home. This is the tall dresser, and it has been used it's whole life. The lady sid in the "holler" when your done with your furniture, you pass it on to a neighbor or friend, and this set looks like it was around the block more than a few times. Scratched, stained, some cracks in ...but in tack and all hardware included.

How could I not bring it home, as it has an extraordinary look with the detail of the pieces.

It came with the headboard and footboard for a double bed, and a stunning dressing table and mirror.

Ok, this was a great find, and I felt like I could now choose to direct the destiny of this old set. First I considered doing the whole set over in Annie Sloan chalk paint...but really was not in a hurry to make a drastic change to the look of this furniture. It was just so cool looking. 

I decided, the fun for me had been the hunt, and I would get it out there to go to someone with more expertise to bring the life back into it.

I put it on CL, and shared it's story. I sold it to a Home Interior designer, who specializes in Vintage Furniture Redesign....a perfect match!

I was delighted that she saw exactly what I had seen in this set, and I am sure she will make it stunning for herself or a customer.

Good ending for this old bedroom set, which has come along way from the "holler" of W. Virginia.

Any recent treasures found in your life?

Jan

Loving our Pacific NW Summer...

This is the best time of the year in the Pacific Northwest..we are having another glorious dry warm summer..with near perfect temperatures.

My covered atrium is inviting with my repurposed pieces, and the radio on 24/7 to my favorite station. I retreat here often, when I am by myself, to read or pray.

I got this old trunk which is a coffee table of sorts for me now, at a thrift store. They said it came from Sweden over a hundred years ago...my husband says ummm...no... the little tag inside says made in Illinois.

That's OK, I still like it.

I have pulled many of my extra overflow art pieces, and made this my own little art gallery...as you can see we do have horse art galore.

Even the dogs are enjoying the outdoor space...

The wicker was purchased last year at an estate sale, and I spray painted several pieces black...and am glad I did.

 I picked up new cushions in the spring at a Ross store, so they were very reasonable, and since they match, brought the different wicker pieces together.

I was leaving to go garage sale-ing a couple weeks ago and barely got a mile down the road and saw a pile of old patio furniture, with a free sign. I was driving my convertible, and the top was down. I scooped up 3 plastic old sad looking Adirondack chairs in the back of my convertible, poor old things  were a worn out looking beige color.

Well, 2-3 cans of spay paint later..I was rather pleased with them. Don't ya just love it when you see a "free" challenge, beckoning you to take it on!

I hope your summer's are good, and not to hot or wet...mine is near perfect, I must say!

Jan

New "old" find...

For the life of me, I cannot understand how someones hundred plus year old family album can end up outside of the family, and in the home of a stranger.

I was at a new antique store full of new vendors that opened in Monroe. So many treasures, and the prices were not bad.

Then I saw this old album, in a gold worn mohair cover, made to stand up on a frame and when unlatched, opens in a really lovely way. It has raised decorative initials on the front...and is full of some ones old family pictures.

And then you open it, and the family history of someone I don't know, literally unfolds in front of me...

The names shown are the photography studios in Vermont and Maine...and here they end up in Washington State...

Oh, this is when you only could wish to know the stories that go with these folks of so long ago. Who are they, where were they born, what were their lives like, what is the story of their lives?

I doubt if I will ever know...

Jan

How cool is this...The Pink Geranium "vintage" business card!

As I was browsing through some of moms things, guess what I came across?  

What a special treasure to me, personally...

This is the only business card I have found for Gloria's old brick and mortar consignment store, the Pink Geranium.

Though the store in Issaquah is long gone, the Pink Geranium lives on here in my blog. 

I was going through her record books from the early 1970's and see it was an act of love and not money that was her motive. The entries are all hand written, sold and consigned items, her debit and credit columns all hand written, with receipts attached with a paper clip on those pages.

The early 70's was a "hippie" influenced period, and I was in my 20's. Being creative was part of that era as well, as I am sure many of you in my age group are have a flashback of memory to that period too.

I remember a Hippie type crocheted shawl I made, and sold through the shop on consignment, kind of like this...

What is funny is I really was shocked when it sold it, that is my memory!

This sign hung on the wall outside the shop.

It's a shame I have not found any pictures of the shop itself, as that would have been so cool to see now. If we had the kind of digital camera's we have now, ...well, we would of had plenty of pictures.

After looking at the books, I don't know how she made any money.
I believe having her own shop may have been something she always wanted to do, and if we had the online options then that we have now, well that is where she would be selling her stuff.


Now.....another treasure from her family.

I thought I would show some other family treasures that live on with me...in my home I mean.

My great grandparents dining room chairs. I remember thew chairs when we went to my grandmas house when I was a kid.

My mom used to tell me she could still see in her minds eye, her "gramps" sitting in his armchair. I am fortunate to have the 4 chairs. For  awhile some of them were up at the family cabin, and I brought them home when the cabin was sold.

      The fabric is still the fabric my grandma put on them, I kind of like it so I have not stripped the chairs or reupholstered them.

 I did see the same chairs that had been stripped and -re-stained with new upholstery, at an antique store in Snohomish...they looked really nice and wanted a chunk of change for them!

What is pretty funny is I did not notice until recently that one chair is different... but has been with the 3 that "match"  for like...forever!

Thanks for taking the time to go back in history with me...it always makes me feel connected to my family's past.

Jan

Linking with:

Tweak It Tuesday

Primp Your Stuff Wednesday

It's Party Time

Knick Of Time Tuesday