Antiquing ~ Junking ~ Fleaing & A General Hunting Hobby

Oh my gosh what a great week it has been!  How is everyone out there?  Good I hope. :)

I want to give a shout out to all of the wonderful support and great followers and friends from the great Etsy group on Linkedin!  It has been wonderful getting to know all of you and I look forward to reading, sharing and networking.

As time goes on here I of course want to give you a chance to get to know me.  I have listed in my profile as being in retail/marketing/merchandising and I have wanted to send out a post like this for some time.  This is in honor of everyone that sees something more in "junk".  More than what others see that might just look like worthless "stuff".  I am a hunter/scrounger and bargain/value seeker extraordinaire. It is just a part of who I am I guess and how I view the world and its surroundings.  This work has always coupled nicely with my love for giving anything tossed away new life.  I am not sure what it is but I am just often drawn towards (in addition to the bargain bin or clearance rack) the forgotten, left behind and hidden. 

I am convinced it holds magic.

Over the years I have collected, antiqued and scrounged around and am really not afraid to get "dirty".  That is where you can find the good stuff anyway....right?  I often find great things just because it was a place no one else was willing to look!  I am fortunate to live in South Central Michigan (USA) in a small historic town of Marshall, Michigan. www.marshallmi.org This community has a long wonderful line of history (almost being the state capital at one point) and when you are here, you really get a feel for the love of history.  "Living history".  Living with the past while being anchored in the present has many gifts as anyone who chooses these places to reside will tell you.  One of the great annual events is a community wide "garage sale" just held recently this Spring.  Now many communities share in this great idea across the region~Midwest and other places.  But what is a bit unique about Marshall in addition to antique and treasure hunting at these publicized events, is the ability to also put something out by the curb (any time of year really) you no longer need or want etc...and it is a common courtesy known in the community that it is "free" to take to the first lucky passer~by that notices it or can put to good use.  (O.K....we politely do not call it garbage picking.) What a wonderful common understanding among citizens.  I loved the idea when myself and family moved here.  Good Will ~ Salvation Army etc..are all great organizations, but what a wonderful common good for the world of recycling to know that if your child out grows a bicycle, for example, and it is still in perfectly good condition, you can be rest assured, if you set it out by the curb in the afternoon, it will have a new home with a new owner by dinner. :) It is a comfort to know that what you no longer needed or wanted, someone was thrilled when they passed by and picked up a treasure of the day!  In a way, in addition to finding treasures of your own, it is like playing Santa Claus any day of the year.  Love it. :)

Over time I have managed if it wasn't free, to pick up great finds at flea~markets, auctions, antique markets as well.  I am going to make a commitment to my blog to occasionally post a find with before and after pictures for inspiration. 

I will share a few finds around my house that I snagged in the past.  Every "find" has a story to tell.....

This cute bookshelf I painted white and robins egg blue, found at a flea market in the Detroit area. Price ~ $10.00

A lonely old chair found at an auction was painted a chippy dirty yellow, bought, sanded and painted white and added a braided seat cover.  Price ~ $2.00

An old kitchen door found curbside my husband painted fun red and white and hung on the side of my old garage (Please excuse the mess inside the garage!). ~ Price $0

Though not old or an antique, this was an Ikea chair left literally tossed under a bush someone had long left after a moving day.  It looked like a child had a "field day" with poster paint on it.  It cleaned up nice however, with a coat of Krylon in Hyacinth.  I am thinking maybe I should decoupage on it? Price ~ $0

I really and truly marvel at what people will toss away?! This is a very old, large maple table left curbside I now use as a work table.  A young woman, down the street from me, had it in her garage and with small children said she just didn't have room for it.  It is heavy as a stone steeple and has sturdy folding legs.  ~ Price $0

The secret of a happy life isn't buried in a treasure chest...
it lies within your heart. ~ Author Unknown

Now you can see that there really is treasure everywhere....if you only look. 

Now go and find yours. :)