~Do you do it?~
No, neither do I.
However…………
However…………last Friday
{garbage day}
I was routinely driving my kids to the bus stop at 8 am and there I saw it!
She had chippy white paint and a great old patina, and it was in someones garbage can nonetheless!
{gasp!}
I embarrassed the heck out of my kids, getting out of the
car in my pj’s and rummaging through this persons
garbage to salvage this piece of old wood.
You would have thought the world was coming
to an end by the looks on their faces!
But, I got it, and even emailed my neighbor to say I had taken it.
Yesterday I got it out, cleaned it up, and painted the words
Guest Cottage
on it.
I love it.
I am thinking it will go over our bed in the master,
haven’t really figured out the details yet.
But I love it.
Did I say that?
This look is not for everyone. It’s very rustic and chippy,
but to me that is what makes it so full of character and
appeeling!
{no pun intended}
Have a great almost Friday, hey wonder
what will be in their garbage cans tomorrow?
xoxo
Oh my!!! You're just fantastic having such idea!! I love it!! I can imagine the scene:how fun!!!
Zaira xx
GREAT find. I stop on the side of the road for every single pile of chippy wood I see 🙂
I LOVE that, Melaine! I can't wait to see where you put it.
Fabulous. You're not only finding something darling, you're recycling! Which makes you a good person all around, I'm sure. Embarrassed kids or not.
I absolutely LOVE it!!!! Lucky you!
I love this!!! Are you going to make any more for your Etsy shop? I am putting together a new guest room in our house and I would love to put a sign like this above the window.
Oh I love it and the thought of you digging in your pj's and all, too funny!
What?!? Someone threw that in the garbage? Silly people. I would pay good money for that! 🙂 I'm glad that you happen to spot it. Great find!
Joyce
Looks like an authentic oldie to me! Brilliant wordage on it too. I'm always at a loss on what I want to have it say.
You did awesome. 🙂 Admit it.. diving ain't just for swimmin' anymore…
Donna
TOO FUNNY! My kids would have died when they were younger!! Too bad, huh??? Love it!
No…I really don't do it either…but this was a great find! Good job girl!!! I posted a few great ideas today…I would love for you to check them out….
Oh, I love it!!!
☺ Celeste
Woo hoo Love it!!!
What a great find! I would have totally done the same thing and my daughter would have been equally mortified! {haha} I love that look! so much character. Hope your having a great day! xoxo
I'd definitely dive for that! What an awesome find.
I ♥ it! Matter of fact, I did grab some things out of the trash last weekend! I used them in my home tour on Tuesday, and I'm going to blog about them soon. They're really pretty! And one is an old, white, chippy conservatory/greenhouse. I love it!
It's Fantastic!
What a great find, and such a memorable family moment too, "remember that time…"
Definitely worth kid humiliation!
Gorgeous!
Mikal
It looks great!! I love it!!!
You must have a great eye for the potential beauty of 'junk'. HOw fun to create something that you LOVE out of something no one else saw as worth anything. very talented!
You certainly did a great job on your sign!! I am an unrepentant garbage picker and although I've never personally been in a dumpster, my husband has been kind enough to retrieve treasure for me. He worked at a university for a while and brought home lots of goodies from the dumpsters…old locker baskets, fans, lamps, etc.
If we dont embarass those children, we arent doing our jobs very well!
Excellent job and find there, girly.
Do you stencil or freehand your signs???
I love it! But once you do it once….. watch out.
Yes, I admit, I do it. We have something called "spring clean-up" where I live. For one week everyone drags what they don't want to the curb, people take what they want and then the city hauls away what is left. Yes, I felt a little weird at first but I got over it and have found some of the greatest things on the roadside. I actually love the idea it keeps a ton of useable items out of the landfill!
Great story, gave me a chuckle and then a wince of envy! 🙂
Oh I'm so jealous!!! I love it!!!!
xo,
LuLu
Bravo Melaine, I don't do it but have been tempted at times. Will pick up good looking things with FREE signs on them on the curb though. And was tempted to get all the wood boards from an old fence from a neighbor recently but they are kind of strange so didn't even want to approach them about it.
Cute sign, great job!
Linda
Oh La La….I love it! Yes, I DO Dumpsta Dive..lol
I love it! I actually just did my first trash pick last week too! I posted about it on Friday, it was too cool to pass up! I also grabbed a nice piece of old chippy wood too!
oooo great find! There is tons of trash on the streets of nyc but usually its old broken IKEA. Lucky you!
xoxo
Alicia
LOVE IT!!!! You'll have to stop by sometime and look at my posts called "Sidewalk Sunday" I post everything i've found on the side of the road or was given for free!! Haven't been able to transform most of them yet- maybe because I spend to much time checking out your stuff! 😉
I like it very much! Your text on the sign is really great. Isn't it funny when the kids start getting old enough that they worry about you embarrassing them. My oldest has his moments with me! It can be kind of of fun!
When my kids were younger they were embarrassed by my scavenging ways. Now that they are in their twenties they have furnished their own apartments with roadside finds. I have raised them well.
Kelly
Second Hand Chicks
I hate to admit this, but I furnished my house on other people's trash. It's the ultimate form of recycling and I see nothing wrong with it. In fact, if my sees something great when he's out on a bike ride, he'll come home to get me. Ya, I've trained my kids to pick junk. They do a descent job! 🙂
Wonderful sign. I really do love it. I've never lettered my own signs, but you've inspired me. Now for trash day…
-FringeGirl
You have a great eye for potential fabulous-ness! I love it:)
O yea I dumpsta dive! Don't you love the feeling you get when you see something? Sometimes I can't stop the car fast enough!! Yes, my kids are often embarresed but I look at it this way….they'll be laughing about it long after I'm gone! ha Have a great weekend! <3 Donna
I totally remember hunkering down in the car as my mom went to a yard sale. The worst was when we would have one and I have to help. Now I think I am the yard sale queen and my mother laughs at me. I think your kids may just thank you one day. Great idea, I'd love to see where you put it.
Fantastic find Melaine! It looks great! Kids are so easily mortified! My ex-husband was the first “dumpster diver” I knew and I was horrified (embarrassed) until I saw what he did with the stuff he “found.” It amazed me then and still does what people will throw away! He actually sometimes made a nice profit on things he found that only needed a minor repair.
~ Tracy
That's too cute! I can only imagine the look on your kids' faces. Oh, the things we crazy blogging moms put them through. 🙂
I love what it says. I need it for my (cottage) guest house!
I LOVE other peoples junk, too!! Especially after they see what I've done to 'renew' it!
omg! my first dive i have to admit i was super embarrassed and a lil weirded out..lol…i felt like i was invading peoples trash & imagined the homeowners looking out the window and saying "what is this lady in a suburban
thinking?"…but, i got over pretty darn quick! i'm not ashamed!..i say "who cares" it's trash right? lol i have found some really neat things! NOW, i have my daughter looking out for things as we drive past houses b/f heavy trash day! lol
oh my lord i'm NUTS! xoxo's nancy
oh, and my husband calls me every now and then when he see's something…LOL
Love it, Melaine… so perfectly chippy.
Michelle
It looks great !!!!!! fantastic !! i love it……………hugs from Ria
Oh my, I covet that sign. Seriously, if you ever get tired of it . . . Dumpster dive? Absolutely. Literally. More than once. Some of my best finds are dumpster/big trash pickup day/regular trash pickup day/side of the road trash-to-treasure finds. You had great vision for your project, I love it.
I would have done the same thing! The only difference is my boys are still young enough that they would have wanted to help me. 🙂
Love what you did to it.
It makes perfect sense to me. You know what they say "one man's trash is another man's treasure" a great treasure at that!
Love this! I was a little jealous when I realized you stole this out of the trash! I always keep my eyes peeled and the only things I seem to find in the trash when I walk or drive through our neighborhood is…trash. No secret treasures! The words you added look fabulous!
It looks awesome. So talented!! Thank you for sharing.
Claudia
Your sign turned out really great…. I do dumpster dive,,, I find some really great things…
have a great week..
Hugs;
Alaura
Looks super cute=0)
xoxo,
Carol
It is absolutely perfectly imperfect, and I would have done the same thing…stop the car jump out get it in the car anyway that I can make it fit.
The painting on it is perfect and it will look great in the bedroom or where ever you place it.
I paint signs, walls, columns, furniture anything I get my hands on, so I don't blame you for digging out this treasured find and restyling it to a piece of art.
It would look great over at my place as well 🙂
Keep inspiring us.
~Dore~
Ha! I dumpster dive…only if a piece is really worth it, though. This is a great find anf your lettering looks perfect on it.
Totally worth your kids disowning you for a couple of days.
Love it! I am with Lisa on you making more for your shop (or similar). Love your beautiful home too!
lmao I would totally do the same thing if we had garbage like that here in Edmonton. I can totally picture myself head first in a dumpster, legs in the air, screaming jackpot if i saw something really awesome sticking out. If we had cool garbage like that i would keep one of the face masks i use when painting in my car forsure!!!
Don't blame you, I would have screeched to a halt too! Here in Brisbane we have a council cleanup, where you can leave all your unwanted furniture on the side of the road for collection. It's one of my favourite days of the year! So much good stuff there for the taking, you just have to be quick. Love it! K xx
it's very pretty…I'm also into wooden signs (who isn't huh?) I would love to know where you find the word stencils or is all just free hand?
Thanks!
seriously great find. love the words you added!
You find the best stuff but I will say that I wouldn't stop and go through the garabe:) I will barely stop at a yard sale! But look at what I give up!
I LOVE that!!!
This is another amazingly beautiful project, Melaine. Can't wait to see what you've come up with for our new entry!
Perfect! Did you stencil the letters or stamp or hand letter them?
Wow…….!!
That is a nice piece of well worn loveliness! I love what you did with it. I am all for scoping out curbs on garbage day for trash to treasure. I live in the country.. so I have been thinking about checking out old abandoned barns for some fallen down wood. Great photo.. love the texture and wear.
🙂 Lara
I too have embarassed my son stopping on the street to help myself to chippy paint table that still sits in my living room after 15 yrs. Guess who now is out looking for the cool treasures people dump. My now thirty yr old son!!!!!!!!!!!
I just love it!!! Yes I have taken the odd find off the kerb at hard waste rubbish time. I have also asked my son and his mate to grab a chest of draws when I was too chicken, they looked like thieves casing the draws to see if anyone was looking. when they were convinced no one was watching they ran to the car with the chest and we all laughed so hard trying to fit them in the car. Donnaxx
Just found your blog and love it!
I love that you jumped out of your car in your pjs!
What a great find!
I've found some of my favorite furniture by the side of the road before trash day. Where I live, people leave it out early so it can be taken, and even post on the town email list if their putting something out. So, it's not really dumpster diving, just stopping by the side of the road. You wouldn't believe some of the nice, solid wood antiquey furniture people put out on the curb in my neighborhood! I won't pick up couches or upholstered things though, that does gross me out!
Oh my goodness, ME TOO! I'm always "treasure hunting" as I have trained the kids to say (except those moments when my 4 yr old guy says 'lets go trash picking mom'). Teaches us moms a lesson, doesn't it? We should get all glammed up BEFORE school FOR trash picking 🙂 GREAT find!