Thinking Outside of the Box and Bringing it In!

Hello, Beloved Readers!  (all five of you!)

It's been a while.  I have some excuses, but they are boring excuses!  So, to my former co-worker, I dedicate this post to YOU!  There were some who thought we were sisters (we are both white chicks).  So here it is, Libby!  This one is for YOU!  Yes, YOU inspired me!  It only took me an hour to sign-in to blogspot, so you owe me an hour of your life.  To be spent however I want!

Splendid Trash!

So, Rick and I found this really cool salvage shop.  Well, he found it and I tagged along.   I would tell you its name, but it doesn't have one.  For real!  A shop without a name!  I was trying to tag the place on Instagram and so I asked the guy, "What's this placed called?"

"I don't know" he said, "Well, it used to be Junque, but somebody else took that name.  So now it doesn't have a name." This place is a goldmine!  You would think these guys read marketing books and learned how to sell their stuff, but I think they are just doing what they love.

The Statue Without a Head!

The main guy looked like an actor playing the part of a homeless dude.  Super grunge.  I wanted this headless statue, but when I asked him the price, he gave a long pause.  "She's a beauty, isn't she?"  Then he went into this long story about how it was his dad's and it bothered the neighbors that his dad a collection of statues, so some kids vandalized it, but he still has the head.  Here it comes, I thought.  The price is a gazillion coins.  Nope, it's not for sale.  Then he told a story about how Bob Cassilly--of the City Museum, rescued a statue by Michael Angelo from a crazed maniac with a sledge hammer in Paris when he was a teen.  Then he told the story of how Yoko and John Lennon met over a statue.  He had a lot of statue stories and he wasn't even selling the one we wanted.  I am not sure if these stories are true, but we were smitten by the homeless shop owner.

This guy charmed the socks off us!  We bought some stuff!  And we will be back!  Oh, and there was this other guy who worked there--he did Not look homeless.  He was like Vin Diesel's twin. For real! And there was a woman (wife of the homeless guy? Mother of Vin?) who told us about the building--this really cool area where Anheuser Busch used to get their ice.  This place was amazing.  We will be back to buy this crazy French Chandelier.  It looked haunted!  Beautifully haunted!

Bring the Outside Box, In!

So, we found something really cool.  As you may know, we like to think outside of the box when it comes to home decor.  So, the box that goes outside--why not bring it in for a really cool place to stash bills to be paid, or mail to go out.  How's that for thinking outside of the box?  Checkout the character on this beauty!  There must have been Ten mailboxes to choose from.  Standard issue.

Rick hung it for me right by the front door.  I will come home from work, hang my keys on the hook, sort my mail and then put the actionables into the inside mailbox.  How's that for a system?  We just bought a new light switch plate on eBay.  This one is looking a little out of place.

It took me like, two more hours to post these pictures.  Libby, now you owe me THREE hours! I had multiple technical difficulties.  Loading!  Ugh!  Then I tried to remove the red splotch at the bottom of this picture.  Ugh!  The red stain is the remainder of a my bag that I keep by the door.  I used my mac photo shop to the best of my abilities in an effort to remove the red.  I give myself a D+.  Oh, well.  Please ignore the spot!  Let's pretend it's a rose.

More Splendid Trash--Teaser!

More to come from the store with no name!  What do you think this is going to be?  Think OUTSIDE Of THE BOX!

Selling Crap on Craigslist Part 2

If you want to sell your crap on Craigslist, you need a good photo and a great description.  I tried to hawk this sweet little table last week to no avail.

Maybe the electrical outlet is too distracting.  I would give this photo a 'B'.  I also had a few close-ups attached to the ad.  My description went something like this:

Shabby Chic side table.  Features beautiful leather-like insert and a handy cubby for storing books, magazines or a basket.

I included the measurements and $30.00 cash price tag.

Not one bite!  I had multiple inquiries on the other side table and sold it right away.  So, I had two options.  One, lower the price.    Two, change the wording and try again.  I already had a lot invested with the walking next door in the dark and hauling it into the house.  Plus hiring my husband to paint it for free.  So you can understand why I had to charge the full 30 bucks.  The change I made to the ad was minimal:

Madmen meets Shabby Chic, side table.  Features beautiful leather-like insert and a handy cubby for storing books, magazines or a basket.

Boom! Four people wanted it!  Boom!

I just love selling crap on Craigslist!  My sister and I have an idea for selling chairs on Craigslist!  Coming soon!  

Selling Crap on Craigslist

You know what I get a kick out of?  Finding something in the trash, fixing it up and then selling it on Craigslist.  It's so exciting!  Mystery, intrigue, danger, with a feel good ending!

Mystery
Why did someone throw away this little treasure?  It just needs a little TLC,  and elbow grease.  I love the smaller sized objects. You can quickly pull your vehicle over to the curb, swipe the discarded items and throw them in your trunk all before  the neighbors witness such low-level activity--or before they change their mind.  You wouldn't believe the cool stuff people throw away.

This little nightstand was missing a little piece of wood on the right lower corner and the drawer pull.  No big deal.  My 'before' picture could use a little more forethought and skill.  A true 'before' and 'after' would showcase the missing chunk of wood.  I should work on that, but imagine the worst.  

Intrigue
Neighbor looks out the window, sees me driving slowly by her house, stop, slowly backup and put the car in park.  I quickly get out and examine her discarded object, grab the nightstand, pop my trunk and throw it in, and zoom away.  She wonders, "What is that crazy neighbor doing with my trash again?  Now what on earth is she going to do with that broken, ugly o'l thang?  Maybe I should leave her a sandwich and aluminum cans."  Now, she is intrigued!

Suspense
What will it look like when it's finished?  Will anyone want it?  How much should we sell it for?  Or, should we keep it for ourselves?  Gift it?  What shall we do?  It's a nail biter!  A cliffhanger!

Danger
Everyone knows the stories of 'The Craigslist Killer' or the guy who robbed the fellow in a Craigslist scam.  It's a risky business to be involved in, especially in my hood!

A Feel Good Ending!

Charming Recycled Key Hook

Are you still there?  If you are, this post is dedicated to you!  Especially Lindsey, who requested that I write another one.   That request came about a year or so ago.  Briefly, there were technical difficulty.  A plethora of technical difficulties too boring to get into.  I'm over it!

 This post features this lovely key hook, constructed of discarded (trash) objects.  The wood: trash!  The hooks: trash!  Some people throw away the most beautiful trash!

Now for the back story... Here at the Hess House, we have some members that have a little difficulty keeping track of his or her keys.  I'm not naming any names, but let's just say that a certain person in this house got tired of looking for another certain person, or persons' keys.  I, or should I say, a certain person would advise the other certain persons to make a habit of putting his or her keys in the same location every time they entered the house.  Unheeded.  Repeatedly.  Soooooooo.....The hooks were born.  Or should I say reborn.  This took a lot of begging, but eventually a certain person made this out of a bunch of junk found in our dungeon.  That's what I call our basement.  Have you seen it?  It's a dungeon!  Tours are available upon request.




Check it out, it conveniently features 3 hooks, and 3 people live in this house (up until recently)!  Notice the nice frame constructed by a very talented member of this family!  Admittedly, the peeling paint is not for everyone, but I love it!  It reminds me of the passage of time, and survival.  If you can't relate, fine...you can go to the store and buy some shiny hooks and mount them near the front door so that you don't waist time searching for keys.

But look, after all that begging and then the labor involved crafting this little beauty, one little set of keys hangs.  One lonely set of keys, hanging forlornly on its prospective hook.  Longing for it's fellow keys.  Oh well.  Attempts were made!

Up next....a rehabilitated dresser from the trash!!!!