the kitchen looks like a …
2010
well, I was going to use that “b” word. You know the one. Two syllables. a “th” in the middle. Ends in “l”. Of course I have never been inside one so how would I know. And the …. oops! almost said it … the one up the street (yes they are legal in Victoria) looks very neat and tidy from the outside. Not at all like my kitchen. Can’t say it – imagine the spam I would get if I mentioned THAT word. But indeed, to use the family vernacular, the kitchen looks like a !!
And all because of hard crap. I like to call it hard rubbish. But Abby declares so much of it is utter crap – why don’t people use their wheelie bins for goodness sake – that we must call it hard crap. Last Friday, driving home from school and the shops, we took a detour and found an enormous pile of hard crap. The sky was grey, the weather drizzly and Abby desperately wanted to go home and eat the strawberry jam doughnuts we’d bought from the baker with a hot chocolate. Instead, she had to suffer her mother sorting through other wasteful folk’s hard crap. Boy was it worth it.
There on its side (’cause one of the legs was in a drawer instead of in its spot) was a 1960s long and low wooden sideboard. Six drawers. Dodgy finish on the top (torn verneer) but apart from that great condition. Perfect for the sitting room to store all the fabric and stitchy supplies Abby and I like to play with whilst in the sitting room!
So, despite her protestations and desperate call to Nan to confide what a maniac she has for a mother (“she cooked me brocoli soup, is making her own PADS out of one of MY old flannel sheets {shush Carolann, close your ears} and now she expects me to hoist someone else’s crap into the car. In my school uniform. Only two blocks from school. I mean really Nan! How am I supposed to endure this!) my girl helped me retrieve all the drawers – which the previous owner had scattered from one end of their nature strip to the other, and carry the sideboard itself. Very nice. :-)
Now, it is on the kitchen table …
An old shower curtain protecting the top …
I’ve scrubbed it down …
Painted it “slice of apple” and chopped my way through several old magazines …
Now I’m pasting …
tee! heee! heee! It will be so sweet when I’m done. A homage to my favourite magazine ever – the English Country Living – and all the things we love. Baking bread, strawberries, books, flowers, funny old furniture, lots of textiles, bees, robins, chickens, Wilbur the pig … I love collages like this – you can look at them afresh every day and smile.
Hopefully tomorrow my kitchen will be tidy and clean once more and my new piece of hard crap will be resting in its new home, its drawers neatly filled. You’ll like it then Abby!
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What a lovely way to safe a poor old sideboard, and make it feel loved again. The collage is a great idea!
I love to go through people’s “hard crap”, too, while walking the dog, and just yesterday we were (well, one of us was) very excited to find tins of dog food on the curb!
Great save! And I love that color. I’m looking for similar items for craft storage myself actually. Your collage idea is neato!
Hee hee. I can’t tell you how long it took me to figure out what the “b” word is. Maybe because we also sometimes call it the “w” word. ;-) That sideboard has loads of promise and is going to look stupendous with those magazine clips. Can’t wait to see it!
oh my – I’ve been gone so long – I usually catch up with you during lunch at work and you were ‘gone’ awhile so I had just missed you and now to hear of your horrible sorrows. I put one of my 3 down at the age of 13 in May and it was just so hard but I cannot imagine losing the two I have left in a matter of days and being dogless. I’m glad everyone else has left work as I am sobbing here at my desk. You are so in my prayers – it’s all so unfair – so glad you had good loving vets to help you through this.
Great find Lily! Sometimes I think I might not carry the thrifting gene. I want to but I have such a hard time finding things like this and seeing their potential. Patience, practice, and persistence I guess!
I can’t wait to see it finished! I have that exact same scrub brush at my sink by the way :)
In the town I live in, we are not allowed to pick through other’s hard crap. If it’s sitting out, then only the garbage collector can take it. There have been several times that I wanted to stop and retrieve those ‘treasures’. Lucky you and nice work of refinishing.
Oh my!! I love the accompanying story, but what a fantastic idea for old magazine pictures! I must continue my readings!
I can hardly wait to see this. I know it’s going to be incredible. Promise to show us ok?
Beautiful color choice, Lily! I love what you are doing for the top. It is going to be very cheerful and so great to hold your pretty things :)
oh my goodness! it never even crossed my mind to decorate furniture with magazine photos. what a great idea!!!
can’t wait to see the finished piece!!!
xo
~erin
You have such vision. I am trying to develop this skill, but currently, the hubby is so afraid of termites, bugs, etc he is scared of picking up stuff from the “sidewalk furniture store”