I've always thought it a bit amusing watching all the sudden rush of cars down our street [and everywhere else too] in the weeks before & during hard rubbish collection. We once put out an old busted TV. It was gifted to us years before but finally the tube inside went & that was it. Dead. Does anyone actually know what a TV "tube" is by the way? I know I could google but.. nahhhh.
Within hours of putting the broken TV at our front curb, it was snapped up. The next day we saw that same TV further down the street again, just on somebody else's curb. And would you believe it moved yet again, also within our street. We thought it was hilarious.
And I'm not being all conceited here by thinking, 'sucked in, you stole my crap TV & it didn't work, ha ha.' Quite the opposite. I think if people put out items they no longer want or need, they are up for grabs to whom ever wants to collect and do something with it. I just found it funny how this one item kept hopping around the street like that! Also a tad relieved that noone else had been able to fix it. The fix it/hoarding part of me doesn't really like to toss things if there is a chance they can be used for something else. TV goldfish bowl anyone? Anyone?
So anyway, I've never been brave enough to go looking for hard waste 'loot' myself. Let alone actually pick up somebody else's rubbish from the side of the road.
Until this year.
My dad has always been a garage sale attendee almost every week for years, [ok not every week, but often] and I guess that along with my thrifting in op shops in the last couple of years has battered down the inner snob in me. Now I'll take anything from fabric, retro bed sheets, linens, old books & even good condition clothes for the kids. I never thought I would do that! But I have to say it took me by surprise when I found near new Gap, Esprit, Pumpkin Patch & Fred Bare clothes for just a few dollars. With 5 kids, I cannot afford to dress my kids in labels, that is for sure.
So anyway, back to the garbage ..... it all started when I was driving to school one day and there was an old wooden chair in all its old faded & chipped glory, sitting on the side of the road. I love odd & old chairs. So much potential but I actually like them just as they are too, the kind that have seen better days. And we always need extra chairs around here. So many bodies.
I pointed this old chair out to the kids and with their recent knowledge of what hard rubbish collection actually was & further knowledge of seeing our current pile decreasing in size each day, they all said, "go get it mummy!" Should I? Could I? I thought to myself. If I cross this line & pick it up, will a whole heap of camera guys & film crew jump out of their van and cheesily tell me I've been punked or something? Aagghhhh! What to do?
With the encouragement of my personal little support posse in the back of our big people mover, I quickly pulled over, checked the street for potential witnesses, raced to the back & opened our large boot. I then bolted to the chair & galloped back like a crazy woman to the car with my prized battered old wooden chair. Boot shut, in the car like a pro-rally driver and we were off with lots of exciteable hoorays coming from my little people cheer squad in the back! We did it! I stole my first chair!!!!! From the rubbish pile. Eek!
Oh what a morning! Feeling all very puffed up & quite proud, I continued on and dropped my big girls at school. And with the little man & my twinnies still on board, we then moseyed on back to our house via many streets all filled with fantastic things. Oh I was like a kid in a candy store! OK, so there really wasn't much that I could use or makeover so I was about to turn home when I spied a cutie little wooden side cupboard. I turned back & did the slow drive by like I was on surveilance. Sure enough, it was wooden, it was faded, but it was dirty & had cobwebs. It really was cute & I knew it had potential.
What do you think kids? 'Yep do it mum! Go get it!'
So I did. Crazy stuff.
I wish I had taken before photos of this little cabinet. I scrubbed the living day lights out of it. And now in all its perfect aged crinkly faded state, I have this little unit in my home. I'm not sure what my long term plans will be for it. I could sand it all back & paint it properly but for now I do like all its imfections & scratches. I fitted a new handle & I've mod podged a napkin to the front panel of the door. Cath Kidston of course. Nothing less for my side of the road junk lovely little cabinet. And I'm happy with it for now. I currently have it set up as a homework cupboard but I'm also happy showcasing my little old blue typewriter on top too. We'll see.
So there you go, my little garbage makeover story.
What do you think? Will you admit to picking up any items from the curbside like me?
Turns out I'm still using it as a homework cupboard. You can read more about that here.
