Free Trash Finds

It was bulk trash pick up again in my area.  Which, for me, meant a week of digging - through trash. Ok, not literally... but I just went around the neighborhoods and looked at the piles at the curb.  Usually, if the trash was stacked neatly, there was a treasure hidden there.  If the pile was thrown about, chances are it really was junk.  For this post, I am going to write a dollar amount for how much each of these items might be worth as is or with a little retouching so I can measure how much I gain by recycling!

One of my favorite scores was this white wooden bench.  The bench could use a touch up with paint, but it works for now with my front porch.  I like how the bench has spokes just like my porch.  It also adds that historic charm I like for my home. Estimated Value: $50

This piece with the mantle ledge will be transformed into a chalkboard dinner menu for my dining room.  Estimated Value with refinishing: $50-$75

This is sort of what I am thinking. (Idea from Pinterest)

I can't take credit for finding this awesome piece, but I have trained my partner in crime's eye to scope out vintage/antique pieces.  This washboard is actually made of glass rather than metal.  From a quick google search, I found that this was likely created/used during the WWII era since metal was on short supply. But I plan on adding this one to my collection to create something I found on pinterest for my laundry room. Estimated Value: $30

Inspiration 

I didn't take a pic of the next item, but I found 4 long, white shutters.  I thought I could sell them to someone to use as a headboard, but then I came across these cool ideas from Pinterest. Estimated Value: $40 

I always keep my eye out for old multi-paned windows because there are so many projects that I can do with them.  I hit the jackpot and found about 6.

I cleaned, scraped, sanded, and painted this guy and created a layering masterpiece.  If you want to see how, click here for my Vintage Window DIY post. Estimated Value after refinishing: $30 (x 6)

And for a really big treasure... I have been wanting a canopy bed/couch for the outdoors all summer, but the price tag held me back.  Most of the pieces I found cost around $900.  Well look what I found - again I should be giving credit to my chauffeur!  It came with the shade too, but I didn't assemble it yet (since we are changing seasons anyway).  All the cushions were still in original plastic bags.  I really don't know why someone threw this out.  It is in brand new condition.  However, it is missing the other half of the semi-circle. Estimated Value: $450

See what I mean? Below overstock.com is selling a similar one for $950.

Estimated Value of all the treasures I found: $800 - $825!!!

Want to see what treasures I found last time? Click here.

From Trash to Treasure

Fellow cheapskates of the world, and fellow fake it till ya make it followers, no need to be ashamed about hand me downs, freebies, or goodwill finds.  Look what can be made from the side of a man's curb. 

Trash to Treasure Project #1

Found this Pier 1 coffee table on the side of the road.  Used antique finishing wax on it, and hammered on some upholstery tacks after I gave it a thorough cleaning.

Trash to Treasure Project #2

Found this wooden coffee table with an awesome structure and size.  I knew I didn't like the middle, but the legs were real sleek and wooden.  I decided to use chalk board paint in the middle and a mint green/blue distressed look on the rest of the body.  This is one of my favorite pieces.

Trash to Treasure Project #3

Found this Drexel French Provincial Dresser at Goodwill for $39.99.  (See this purchase in more detail). I sanded the top, stained it a dark shade (KONA by Rust-o-leum), and then painted the rest of the body with a white chalkboard paint that I DIY'ed (using HGTV's Sherwin Williams "Greek Villa").  This is the project that most people gawk over.  It was hard work, but the finished product really is stunning. 

Back to School Clothes Shopping for a Teacher 2015

After my last post on the Stylebook app, I realized it might be time to grab a couple back to school items for myself... Keeping in mind my goal was to find low wedge black sandals that would be easy to wear with almost anything in my closet. 

At Marshall's, I may have stumbled across a few more items than I bargained for (but that's why I love this store!) Starting with this sleeveless diagonal striped blouse (which reminds me of my rug in my bedroom- totally my style!) it fit beautifully and was $16.99.

I also came home with a black and white striped silky Calvin Klein blouse for $29.99. The functional zipper detail in the middle can be adjusted for teaching or date night. I know it seemed crazy to buy something with longer sleeves, but it fit great. Destiny.

This next item was a last minute find that I scooped up. It's a denim, button down, shirt dress by Kenneth Cole for $20. This piece excites me because I can wear it in the early fall as is with wedges or my new boat shoes below, or I can pair it with leggings, boots, and a scarf when it gets cooler out. Only downside is I need to wear a slip with it.

Here's what I went in the store for to begin with: a low black wedge. For $39.99, I left with a comfy (and stylish enough) pair. I may still keep my eye out for all black ones to add to my low wedge collection.

I debated on putting this next purchase back because I already have boat shoes, but these ones were so comfy and were on clearance for $20. I suspect I will get a lot of wear out of them. 

Total: $126.99 (Makes 3 Sep Outfits at least,  w/ items I already own, for a price of $42 per outfit)

Two of my new outfit combos: 

Where is your favorite place to shop for back to school clothing?

Stylebook App Review

For all my teacher-readers, school is upon us.  I go back in one week and I haven't bought one thing for my back-to-school wardrobe.  Except, I came across this app, StyleBook, which is supposed to keep inventory of all your wardrobe items and enables you to create "looks" and add outfits to a calendar.  See the advertising video the company uses from their site to show how the app works.

The price of the app was $3.99.  Not too bad, but more than I would usually spend on an app.  I figured I could always use help organizing my outfits when it comes to the school year.  Here is what I have found out about the app:

The app will allow you to categorize your clothing in pre-made categories and sub-categories.  For the most part, they did a nice job with labeling the categories.  I would have preferred a cardigan category, but I just put all my cardigans in the sweater section.

You can add an item by taking a picture of an item against a white background.  The app then eliminates the background and saves just the clothing item... except for it doesn't work like this all the time.  

Sometimes, as you can see in my photo below, it starts to eliminate part of the item.  For example, some of the brown in the dress near the shoulders and along the left hand side started to disappear.  The background eliminator is awful for light colored items since it can't differentiate what is the background and what is the item.  But you can still save the light colored items with the white background; your "looks" just won't look as nice. (See Below).  I tried putting my white items against a dark background for contrast, but the app still won't cleanly save my white isolated items.  That is my biggest complaint with this app, otherwise, I think it's going to be a tool I use often this year.

Here is an example of a white top against a white background and a white colored shoe against a white background.  See how the look just looks sort of piecey and unprofessional?

Again, this shirt had white stripes and wouldn't have shown up without keeping the background.

Take a look at the shoe below. The app couldn't eliminate the white here either because of the shadow the shoe cast. 

Here is where you can organize your clothing line up for the week/month.

Overall, I do think this app is worth the purchase despite the issue with cutting out the background on some items.  For me, this $3.99 is a way to utilize under-used clothing in my wardrobe and to organize my mornings, days, and weeks a little easier. If I only spend $4 on back-to-school shopping, then I'm happy about it!  

In addition, if you are looking to spend a little on back-to-school shopping, this app will help you see what you might need to add to your collection.  For me, I noticed I was repeating a pair of nude strappy low wedges over and over again because they look dressy and are super easy to walk in all day long.  I don't like to wear the same thing all the time, so I will be keeping my eyes out for low black wedge sandals to give my nude ones a break.

If you use this app or one like it, comment below, especially if you have a trick for taking the best pictures!

Apartment Tour of Mostly Free Furniture

My brother's apartment is always inspiring.  I had to go there yesterday last minute to help him with something, so while I was there, I figured I'd snap some photos of where he calls home.  The inspiring part is that most of the items in his apartment were free.  He just has a distinct taste and knows what he likes, and his room mate is awesome at making a house (of mismatched junk) a home. 

Oh yeah, he lives in a funeral home turned apartment.  Although not everyone would be able to live in a home like this, I have to say the details of the home really make it home-y...even if spirits are roaming freely.

Also, I should forewarn, he didn't plan for me to be coming and photographing his home, so they way you see it here on the blog is the way anyone would see it if they were to go by his house. No styling done (ok we did fluff the pillows) and no cleaning.  This is real.  This is free. 

Garden/TV Room

-The table behind the futon is actually a dresser.  It doesn't seem like it could function well as a dresser, but if you stored seasonal items in those drawers, it's not a bad idea at all. I'm not sure if this was free or not, but I like this idea because they use what they have to work with.

-The old, distressed door was found in the basement of the funeral home their apartment.

-I don't have confirmation, but I strongly believe the futon and table were probably free from a friend, from the side of the road, or a really cheap find on craigslist.  

-Again, I don't have confirmation, but the rug looks like it could have been found at ikea, target, big lots, walmart, etc.  It's probably a 5x7.  It could have cost about $20. It anchors the room, but still displays the hard wood.

A better view of the room.

-In their second floor apartment, they have a garden.  It may be unconventional, but they sure have a garden.  They used a metal shelf rack and just put assorted plants on it.  Believe it or not, some of the plants are fake!  I would never want fake plants in my house, but I think it works because they are disguised among the living plants!  I thought that was a cool idea.  

-Also, I really like the dried out stump which they usually use for a surface for a plant. Again... the stump was free.  I like this idea because if you over water your plant, the stump will just absorb the water and you don't have to worry about clean up. If you live in West Haven, there are plenty on the sides of our roads right now.

This nook showcases a beautiful tall door and an ancient looking small/medium sized trunk.  My brother told me this trunk came from the side of the road on their street.  These trunks easily sell for $50-$150 on tag sale sites and craigslist.

Study/Library

This room does have a lot going on, but it is so inviting!  I think what makes this work is the consistent color scheme of rich earth tones of sage, orange, and burgundy.

-This ottoman was left by the former occupants of the apartment.  All that my brother and his room mate did was throw a coordinating colored blanket on top of it, tuck it a bit, and add a bunch of pillows to make a reading nook.

-The metal and glass side table was also a find from the side of the road.

Closer view of the reading nook.  Lighting was very hard to figure out at this time of day.

-Just a close up view of some of the details.  This book of spells was free from me to my brother.  It was left behind in my classroom when I inherited it.  The mustard colored pottery was made by our younger brother as a school project.

Another close up.  Lots of books.  Also, I think what makes a home a home is if it feels used... and by that I mean the candles.  They have actually been burnt down which creates ambient lighting while lit, but then leaves behind the feel you see here.

Yes, that is a handicap image on the table.  The table was free from a Starbucks dumpster!  I actually really like the handicap image because you know there has to be a story behind the table.

Just a close up of a decorative corner.  Books turned into shelves with some brackets.  Another HUGE trunk turned into a side table. The frame was free from Friendly's after a remodel.

Kitchen

My poor brother hates this image because he hates the floor and he hates that the floor is probably dirty and here I am trying to get a close up.  My point was that this eat-in kitchen bistro table was a basic bistro table, but to make it work for a kitchen, they used an old Starbucks wooden table top and just placed it on top of the circle base. It's not perfect, but it was free!

Big Take-Aways:

1. Don't be afraid of free (or second hand).  Accept the mantra, "Free is for me."

-Friends & Family

-Curbs

-Craigslist

-FB Tag Sale Sites

-Tag Sales

-Goodwill, Savers, etc.

2. Pick a style or color scheme for your home. This will help your rooms feel cohesive instead of looking like a mismatched junkyard.

Thrifting Finds

I've been totally into thrifting now that I have the space to store (and work on) furniture. Here are some items I've found. 

This french provincial desk and mirror was by a children's brand of expensive furniture. Goodwill was asking $50 I think for the desk and $20 for the mirror, which would have been a good price but the back of the desk had water damage and the drawers had a funny smell- which I took to be mold. So I passed on both items. 

The next item was a daybed trundle pop up on Craigslist for $50. This was well worth it as I was looking for one of these for a couple of months and anything I found new online cost up to $500.

As you can see, I'm really into the french items. I found this one at Goodwill for $35. The top is laminate, but the drawers are wood. I believe there are dovetail joints as well. It's a stark white, but I plan to paint it with chalkboard paint. It should adhere to the laminate finish.

This solid wood table with drawer was only $15 on a local Facebook tag sale site. The under side has a pencil written letter from a mother to daughter from the 1930's... So it says.

And finally, for $10 on the same tag sale site, I bought these 2 washboards. I am pretty sure they are both authentic pieces.