JUNK!

I am super excited about some great thrift store finds in the past few weeks! 

This year, I decided to try my hand at junking...I started this quest over Spring Break this year, and I will tell you, it has taken some time to get used to the smells associated with sifting through other people's junk. In the beginning, I came home with nothing. I couldn't see the potential behind things. Everything just looked like...junk! 

However, as I started following blogs that involve repurposing old items, I started to see the possibilities. I've even looked around my own home to find items that might be recreated into something better. My husband and friends have learned that we do not throw things away! No, I am not a hoarder! I just like to reuse any items that I can. 

Ok so here is what I've found recently:

LOVE this! Not totally sure where it will go, or what it could be, but I had to have it!

This came from Habitat Restore on John's Island for $35 (well...free b/c my mom paid for it!)

It's an old milk jug, and I still need to look up the company stamped on the back. I plan to redo the color, but I can't wait until it's finished!

I am SUPER excited about this chair! As we moved into a house with an actual dining room, I started thinking about what I wanted the style of the dining room to be. I didn't feel that a formal dining room set would suit our style, so I decided to put together a mismatched set of chairs. I want to make or redo a table and pair it with a set of random chairs. I plan to paint the chairs the same color and add matching cushions. 

So far, I had spent a total of $10 on 2 chairs from Goodwill that would definitely need a little TLC. The shape on both is great, but they will definitely need a paint change. Plus, if they don't end up coordinating with the final set, I can send them right on back to Goodwill.

This chair was a budget buster...haha! Stacy and I found this one in Sumter. It involved literally climbing through Solomon's (he is definitely a hoarder!) maze of junk. I loved the shape and uniqueness of the base of this chair. He said it would cost me $35, but we were able to talk him down to $25 (or, $20 with a $5 tip) because Stacy's husband was his banker! It pays to have connections!

 I love the cross-stitch look of the seat, but unfortunately, it's gotta go!

Stacy and I found this rusty brass light at the Habitat Restore in Sumter for $8. As with all things brass around my house, this is calling for some spray paint. I love the unique shape of this and thought it would be awesome in a funky color. It will definitely need some sanding, but the rest of the project should be fairly easy.

This was our last find at Sumter's Habitat. A stack of cabinet doors...on sale for only $2 each!!! I snagged 5 of them in various sizes and details. The larger ones will make awesome trays, and I plan to paint some of them for gifts around the holidays. The smaller ones will make the perfect canvas for a painted cross or quote! We also snagged some cabinet handles for only 25 cents a set! Yay!

This final lamp is nothing exciting. I inherited this from a teacher friend who didn't want it anymore. At my last school, we were all about lamps and plants to decorate our classrooms and make them more cozy. Lamps can get expensive, so I was always open to taking free ones. Anyways, I've had this for a few years in this state. I think the shape is alright, so I'm thinking I'll spray paint it to use in my new classroom. The shade (which has been hot glued in place...no, seriously!) will have to come off. It may even fit on my tall brass lamp once it's spray painted. The shade will need to be covered in another fabric, and I'll find a smaller one that's more suited to the size of this lamp.