Better than Mike Wolfe

Remember when I found this lamp at a tag sale for a whole $3?

Well, about a month ago, I was watching American Pickers and Mike Wolfe picked the same light!!  AAANNNDDD  he paid FOUR TIMES what I did at a whopping $12.  I totally get lucky every once in a while rock!

Take that Mike Wolfe! (And that is said with much adoration and respect of course, since I love American Pickers so much)

Before the weather turned totally rotten, my lamp got a much-needed coat of spray paint.  It's been hanging around for the past few months, patiently waiting to be rewired.  I decided when I got it, that my sexy deco desk light needed to stay true to itself.  That meant I had to hunt down a good source for cloth-covered wire.  I did a quick Google search and found Sundial Wire.  Jackpot!  Not only are they a local Massachusetts company, but their prices are fantastic!  It made me kind of giddy.

After New Years, I ordered 10 feet (extra just in case) of snazzy(that's right, I said snazzy) red cotton twisted wire

and a vintage style plug

Having never rewired anything before, I armed myself with tips from Handy Dad and watched this youtube clip: [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNcUst55t5s] It may have taken me a full hour to accomplish what she does in about 4 minutes, but I have a feeling that wasn't her first tango.

Check out what my deco desk lamp looks like today!

And look- it works!!

Furniture Happy Dance

I totally was planning to post picture of my not-so-exciting Christmas tree today, but plans changed for the better. Did you ever buy an item that makes you want to do a happy dance every time you see it?

Multiply that by 4 and you have my weekend.

I hit the jackpot on craigslist and it makes me giddy.  From one singular seller, I robbed bought 4 pieces of furniture for a grand total of 70 buckaroos.

My loot includes:

• 2 dressers
• 1 small cabinet
• 1 desk (which came with a chair that may or may not be salvageable)

and I already have plans for all 4.

The story began as I perused craigslist looking for a mid-century dresser for my future nephew's nursery.  My sister's expecting her first child beginning of May and I'm taking responsibility for the nursery.  I have a picture in my head of mid-century pieces mixed with more traditional elements (much like the nursery I showed here), so off to craiglist I went.

I've been stalking craigslist on and off for a few months, but I wasn't finding anything that spoke to me (or at least not anything that wasn't ridiculously expensive).  Until this weekend.

My nephew will be the coolest baby on the block with his midcentury dresser and cabinet which will be custom refinished by his awesome auntie.

They both need some significant love, but the bones are there.  At $15 a pop, "no" wasn't in my vocabulary.

The 3rd item from the same seller is a wonderful dresser that just screamed to me that it needed to hold tools and craft supplies in my in-progress basement work-area.  When furniture yells at you, you listen.

This vintage turquoise gem was also a whopping $15.

The last item is a flipper.  What I  mean by that is: I have no place for this desk, but it has too much potential for me not to bring it out.  It's my responsibility as a designer to restore this amazing piece to its former glory and let someone else enjoy its beauty.  I'm being melodramatic and overly verbose.  What I really mean is that I'm going to refinish it and sell it. ...and hopefully make lots of money.

Its truly amazing in person (I say that of course because I can see past the contact paper top and broken hardware to what it should look like), the picture really does it no justice.  Did I mention I got it for only $25?

After I found these on craigslist and contacted the seller, I was grinning from ear to ear, just ask Hubby.  We had to take 2 trips to get all my goodies, but it was worth it.  It's probably a good thing that you can't see me doing my happy dance.  It would be embarrassing.  For both of us.

I have to hurry up and finish my work space so I can get started on all my furniture refinishing projects- now I have even more motivation!

*All the pictures are from the craigslist postings, so please forgive the quality*

ReStore the Basement

As I slowly chip away at my mountainous basement mess, I've been daydreaming of my fantabulous work space that the piles of crap stuff will eventually morph into.  It will be a wonderfully organized work/project area that is part basement, part creative inspiration.  So far it's been all basement, but I now have a few items that will help bridge the gap. I finally got a chance to go to the new (as of 8ish months ago..) Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Worcester (where my sister lives).  Since the ReStore is a new novelty in this area, allow me to explain.  It's like GoodWill, but for all things house and building.  They accept donations and all the profits go to local Habitat for Humanty.  It's a wonderful collection of awesomeness furniture, tiles, doors, windows, light fixtures, cabinets, and whatever other home or building items people have donated.  It's a fun place to explore.  A few weeks ago, my parents had gone and told me about a piece of countertop that could serve as my workbench, so I had to check it out myself.

I left the ReStore with the countertop and a light for UNDER $10!!!  Nope, that's not a typo.  Check out my loot and their prices:

$5

$4

I don't have a complete plan devised for the countertop yet.  It's 36"x64" and finished on 3 sides, so I could use it as a peninsula coming out from the wall, or I could cut it down a bit and put it against the wall.  Basically for $5, I can MAKE it be what I need it to be (once I decide what that is).  The light was a no-brainer.  I saw it when hubby went to grab a volunteer to help us move the countertop.  It was love a first sight.  When I saw the price tag, it was love at second sight too.

My new goodies will help keep me motivated through my basement archeology.

Must. not. let. couch. win...