My Mission Week 4

Has it really been a month? No, it couldn't have been.  WOW!  I have a feeling time is going to whoosh by the next couple of months and my baby boy will be gone!  Hopefully the next 24 months will go just as fast.

So, I'm not anywhere near my goal.  I am waaay behind.  I did sell a couple things this week, but I have to share what I found to sell in the future!!  I'll make you wait in suspense though.  I'll show you after this week's sale.

Yup.  That's it.  I have 8 items currently posted on Craigslist, but this is the only one that sold this week.  Go figure.  I've had lots of contacts about other stuff, but they went nowhere.  Maybe I'll get lucky and all those will sell this week, right?




Okay, I made you wait long enough.  Here is the exciting news.  But first, behind door number one:

I found this gorgeous commode at a nearby garage sale.  It looked in immaculate shape.  It looked like a fine piece from Ashley Furniture or something.  25 bucks? Sold!  I took it home and opened it up to find this in the drawer:

I went online and tried to look up the maker.  Regency House, Inc. is a high end furniture maker from North Carolina.  I can't find any pieces online to compare it with, but I'm sure it's worth a lot more than chain store furniture.  I'll list it as $100 this week and see what happens.


And here is the other exciting find:  I'm so excited.  Are you ready?  Okay, okay.  Here it is:

I bought this very heavy baby for $125

I was planning on painting it white with a black top and handles.  Not gonna happen.  Why?  Well, I found this in the drawer and looked it up too:

Lo, and behold, this is a masterpiece!  It is a 1950's John Widdicomb French Provencial Carved Dresser.  It's valued anywhere from $600 to $1500 dollars on the market.  

I definitely can't paint it now!  I'm not sure how much to list this on at yet.  Maybe I'll start somewhere in the middle and see what happens from there.

In the mean time, here is one I can paint.

I've got great ideas in store for this one.

Other items I'm working on this week:

Two chests that need sanding and restaining.

This cute little one I finished last week.

The many still listed on Craigslist, and maybe a few other small pieces that I can dig out.  Hopefully it will be a more productive week.

Sales for the week: $40

Expenses: $0

Profit: $40

Grand Total: $300

Craigslist

Craigslist has me baffled.  I will post something and get a few calls/texts/emails about it, and it usually goes something like this:

Person:  Is your {table] still for sale? I really NEED it, LOVE it, WANT it,  gush, gush, gush, etc.

Me: Yes, it's still for sale.  

Person:  When can I pick it up?

Me:  Any time. I will be home most of the day today.  Just let me know when you're on your way.  My address is.....

Person:  Great. Thanks!  I will be there at such and such time

Me:  Thanks.  See you then.

So I when it gets close to the time they come, I wait in the house so I can hear when they knock on the door.  I can't hear it when I'm redoing furniture--besides, I usually have my headphones in.

The time comes and goes when they say they will be there.  Hm. They must be lost or something.  I'll wait a little longer. I do a load of laundry and clean the bathroom.  A half hour has gone by, still no person.  I clean out the fridge and unload the dishwasher.  1 hour past the appointed time.  They must be really lost (I'm so optimistic).

After about an hour and a half, I get the hint.  They're not coming.

I can understand this happening once in a while, but it seems to happen to me 50% of the time.  Is it just me? What am I doing wrong?

But, the other 50% of the time I meet some wonderful folks.  I've had buyers drive all the way from Tolleson (half way to California in my book) just to pick up a $40 table.  I've had a pregnant lady who was about to pop come by herself to pick up a heavy dresser.  Of course I loaded into the SUV for her.  I just hope her husband unloaded it when she got home.  She looked like the kind who would do it herself if you let her.  I've met a guy who just got divorced and was doing his new house HIS way.  What kind of man doesn't like the way his wife decorates, huh?  Maybe that was the reason for the divorce.  Hee. Hee.  Just kidding.

All in all, despite the waiting game, this has been so much fun!  I enjoy this process of taking stray pieces of furniture, grooming and pampering them, fall in love with them, then watch them get adopted into a new loving home.  Sniff.  Sniff.

Bathroom Update Part 2

Slowly and surely, I am bringing my bathroom to the 21st century.  It started with the $5.50 chandelier.  Now moving on to the shower.

I got this wild idea while cleaning the shower.  I was tired of looking at the outdated, ugly brass every morning.  While scrubbing the scum from the shiny metal, I had an epiphany.  Paint it!  

I ran and grabbed my Rustoleum Black Spray Paint and a piece of sand paper and went to work.  I taped off all the glass, sanded down the brass until it was not so glossy, and rubbed it with liquid sander/deglosser, just for extra measure.  I'm sure I didn't need to do all that, but just in case.

I proceeded to tape off all the glass area, and began to spray away! Ooh, how I love to spray paint stuff.  It feels like I'm playing paint ball with high-powered paint ball gun.....and I'm winning! Mwa-ha-ha-ha!

I got so excited, I didn't think about taking a picture until I was almost done (see the black on the door jamb).

Now for the after:  Ta-Da!  Welcome to the present, old shower!

I was a little worried if my husband would like it, so I played it up that I did something drastic to the house today. I let him stew about that all day.  Then when he got home, I led him to the bathroom.  He didn't seem to mind at all.  I guess I softened the blow a bit.  Whew.  Now on to the cabinets.....some day.

My Mission Week 3

This past week was a week of peace.  I didn't do any treasure hunting, or much refurbishing.  First, because my husband tells me I already have enough "stash", and second, it was General Conference weekend, where members of the Church of Jesus Christ have the opportunity to watch and listen to the counsel given to us by our prophets and apostles. This was on Saturday and Sunday.  I did do a little garaging on Friday, but didn't find anything that was jumping at me to take home.

So, here is what did sell this past week.  Most of these pieces were basically flips:

I found this adorable white table at a garage sale and listed it on Craigslist as is.  I didn't do anything to it but clean it up and dust it off.  I was secretly hoping this wouldn't sell so quickly because I had intentions of painting it and mod podging it.  Oh well. It found a new home at the cost of $40.

This black table also went pretty quickly to a couple of cute sisters that were moving in together to their first apartment.  This one didn't take much work either.  Just a light paint touch up.  Sold for $40 as well.

Another great garage sale find that took nothing more than a light re-stain to mend the scratches and dings.  Sold for $50.

Last item of the week:  this black beauty.  This one took some TLC.  It was in pretty bad shape when I found it, but nothing a little spit, grit, glue and paint couldn't fix.  I had it listed for $180, but let it go for $125.

sales for the week:  $155

Expenses: $0

Profit: $155

Grand Total: $260

My Mission Week 2

I don't expect all my items to sell every week, but I hope at lease one or two will--and they did.  The black bench went very quickly!  I also finished my friend's chair.

I made $240 last week, minus the $135 in expenses.  That makes my total $105.

Here are some more projects I finished this week, and a few more I have yet to refurnish:

 I picked this one up at a garage sale for $10  It hardly needed any work at all.  Just a fresh coat of paint.

This is a goodwill find for $5.99.  This one needs some TLC.  I plan on sanding down the scratches, and painting it a creamy white.

I got this one off Craigslist for $30.  It's pine and I hate working with pine.  I'm not too happy about this one, but I'm hoping to make something better of it and come away with a bit of a profit.

Here is another Craigslist rescue.  Can you believe I got this one for $10?  It doesn't even need much work! Just a light re-staining should do it.

I am in love with this one!  It's so unique and has soooo many possibilities!  I think I will try to sell it as is first, then maybe if it doesn't go, I'll get my hands on this with some mod podge or stenciling.  

This week's expenses: $66

My Mission Week 1

Okay.  Week One.  Here we go.  These are my finds for the week.  Most of these I picked up at garage sales or Goodwill.  Almost all of them are already refurnished and for sale, so I guess I got a head start this week.

This is my friend's chair that I'm redoing for her.  It was her grandfather's chair.

This week's spending: $135

The Call

Excuse me for a moment while I brag on my awesome son, Ricky.

He is my oldest, and my only son.  He is such an amazing guy and such a gentleman.  He is an excellent singer, ballroom dances, ran track in high school, is a sharp shooter with a bow and arrow, and currently works at Dairy Queen (I don't know how he does that and still stays so skinny!).  Sorry girls.  He's not available right now.  Ricky is saving all his money to serve a proselyting mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Well, Ricky just got his mission call!

Ricky opening his mission call

  He will serve in  the Honduras San Pedro Sula mission.  Look how beautiful this place is!



Ricky will report to the Missionary Training Center on June 20th of this year, and will be gone for two years.  What many people don't realize is that although these young men who go on missions sacrifice two years of their lives to serving Christ, they also have to pay for it themselves.  The cost to serve a mission is roughly $10,000.  Ricky has been working for almost a year to save up enough money.  He's getting close, but has a way to go.

I am so proud of him and his decision to serve a mission. Of course, I want to do all I can to support him.  That's kind of where my idea to restore furniture came into play.  It was something I was inspired to try to help with finances while still being able to be a stay-at-home mother.  So far, Rescue Me Furniture has been a blessing, and not just in a financial sense.  It has allowed Ricky and me to work side by side, spending time working on furniture.  He is my big strong muscles that transports all my heavy pieces.  He is my handy man when I need something hammered or drilled, or glued.  He even enjoys being my photographer, taking the pictures of finished pieces to list on Craigslist.  He really gets into that and has such an eye for detail.  I am really going to miss his help when he leaves!

Just had to add another adorable picture!

I was discussing Ricky's story to a couple of kind and dear friends recently, and they suggested I make a goal of how much I want to raise before Ricky's mission, and keep postings of it here on my blog.  Not only will it give me a purpose, it will help me be accountable for my funds and motivate me to continue to rescue furniture.

So, with a deep breath, and fingers crossed, here it goes!!!  My goal is to make $3000 by the time Ricky leaves on his mission.  That's $1000/month.  To me, it seems a little lofty, but I really really think I can do it.  I plan on posting my finds and finished products weekly and keep tabs on my earnings. I will post my first one on March 20th.

Wish me luck!

This Little Light of Mine...

I've been searching for a chandelier to hang above my bathtub, and when I found this awesome chandelier at a church rummage sale, I knew I had to take it home.  I showed it to my family and told them what I was intending to do. They just shook their heads and must have silently thought I have finally lost it.  Little did they know rescue plan brewing in my head.

I started to take the whole thing apart.  At this point I was almost convinced that I really had lost it.  This was not as easy as I had imagined.  These things were well built!  The only way I could take all that awful glass and brass off was get the pliers and remove each pane, piece by piece.  I tried to be as careful as I could and not break any glass.  I'm sure I could make something out of these, right?  Near the end, I just started breaking them off though.  I just wanted the darn thing finished!

Then there was this big brass ornament on the top that HAD to go.  This is when bored kids come in handy.  I told my son I had a project for him.  He is so good at things like this.

Here is what it looks like before paint

Next came the fun part --- paint!!  I used Rustoleum Metalic Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint.  This sticks to anything, including shiny brass!

Now, I thought I was cool and could do this project all by myself, but I don't know the first thing about electricity.  So, again, I called on my helpful son to do the job.  I was impressed.  He has never worked with electricity before.  In no time he hung a can conversion kit and wired the chandelier to it.  Easy, right?  Well, that's what we thought until we blew a circuit and lost power to that side of the house.  I give you lots of credit for getting this far Ricky.  But time to call in the Big Boss--hubby.  He saved the day again!!!  Thanks honey!

Again, let me show you the before:

And the after:

It's hanging over my tub and so pretty now!  I sewed a simple black cozy to hide the ugly chain, and I got that ceiling medallion at a garage sale for 50 cents.  I'd show you the rest of the bathroom, but it's a rescue project of its own.

Stop! In the name of Yuck!

While out garaging this past weekend, I happened across this bright red dresser.  It was a blaring red that could be seen 100 yards before I approached the garage sale.  I parked my van and was immediately drawn to it like a moth to a lantern.  I examined it as I contemplated its' potential.  It was solid wood and in great shape. It just needed a color other than an octagon stop sign.  Then I found the price tag:  5 bucks!!  That price was enough to make me stop in my tracks.  Sold!!  

With lots of TLC, I gave this poor thing a makeover, turning it from traffic stopping red to go ahead green.  I finished it off with a nice glaze and new glass knobs.  Rescued.

Back to the Future

I found this little table at a nearby garage sale and was drawn to it immediately.  I loved the curvy edges and skinny legs. I'm sure it's hard to tell from the picture, but this is an adorable 1950's table.  $10 Bucks?  Sold.

I took it home and started stripping --scraping off the layers and layers of paint:  grey, white, black and yellow.  The poor thing was drowning in paint!  My favorite paint stripping product is this.

There's something cool about watching the paint bubble up.  Once it sets for about 10 to 15 minutes, just use a plastic scraper and slide it along the surface.  The paint just falls off!! Oh! Be sure to wear gloves when working with the stripper.  It will really sting if you don't.  I know from experience.

Once it was sanded, I went back and forth on how it should look.  Stained? No.  Black? No.  White. Yes, white.  For some reason I'm usually afraid of white.  It just lacks so much color.  But I gave it a shot, and I'm so glad I did.  Look how cute!!

My Very First Project

I'm embarrassed to post this, but I'm hoping some day it will help me remember my humble beginnings.  This is my very first furniture painting project.  It was a little scratched up and wobbly table I discovered at Goodwill for 5 bucks.  I told my husband what I wanted to do. He gave me a skeptical look, but gave in to my pleading and my new passion and let me take the orphaned table home.

At the time, I was reading blogs about amazing people who take ugly furniture and make masterpieces out of them.  Inside I desired to do this, but lacked the courage, or the know how.  I figured this little table couldn't get any worse than it already was, right? So I took it home and started sanding it down right away.

My inspiration was to turn this piece of wood into a cute white shabby chic table.  I painted the whole thing white, then bought some glaze and glazed the heck out of it. Obviously.   I had no clue what I was doing because the table started to turn yellow.  No problem, I thought.  I'll just make the whole thing yellow and add even more glaze.  That will look great!  HA!

I know, I know.  This poor thing is U-G-L-Y!  Yes.  It could get worse than the shape it was in when I bought it.  But it was too late. I was bitten by the re-do bug.  Since this project, I have bought books and studied techniques and had lots of practice on furniture victims.  My passion has turned into an obsession.  I wake up every morning and make myself finish my housework quickly so I can go work on my hoard of furniture.

My poor little table now sits in a corner in my kitchen.  I pass by it every day on my way outside to work on other furniture. Sometimes I stop to take a look at it and dream of how I want to redo it, but it remains in its deprived condition. I keep it there to remind me of  how far I've come.