One fine sunny day, my friend facebooked me, asking if I'd like to come for a look see at her parent's place. They are friendly retired folks moving into smaller quarters soon, so their many years of collecting was coming to a close and it was time to clean house and home.
I didn't really know what to expect, but I rearranged my schedule (read: push work to the next day!) and head out. If trucks could talk, mine would have squawked that it wasn't even awake yet as I made flames down the roadway. It was a junkin' day after all!
Once I arrived (after getting lost a couple times, terribly directionally challenged I am) I didn't quite know where to start. And then I saw the rusty metal pile. Giddy, I knew I was home. :)
Old rusty headboards adorned a retaining wall. They came home with me. As did one of those mattress spring things you see. Can't wait to show you what I did with that one. :)
There was quite the birdhouse collection dotting the yard as well. I immediately fell in love with this one, as it paid homage to my growing up years. We had that big 'ol red barn in real life.
Aren't the shake shingles adorable?!?
There were so many things to look at. I didn't bring these home but sure wish I could have!
And then there was this little darlin' stuffed in a corner. Wait till I zoom up on the patina for you.
You can't possibly MAKE paint do this! Such beautiful natural aging. I've never seen crackle look quite like this. Now I see why we attempt to simulate it. Real deal here.
This is part of my pile that came home with me.
A cluster of yardsticks begging to be brought home, and something that resembled a cauldron. It's cool! That white speckled thing is an antique garden hoe. Never seen anything quite like it. Other antique tools came home as well to mount up on my character building.
Clean workshop?!? Eh... that was last week. :)
I just love the galvanized touches along with the other rusty components. Don't even ask me what I'm going to do with these. I have NO idea. All I knew is, I HAD to have them. My new rusty friends are most happy here. :)
I wish I could have stayed all day and just taken pictures. There were old clocks, cameras, dictionaries, newspapers, cutlery, jars, dishes, furniture, skeleton keys... anything and everything, and all from a time long ago. Why didn't I bring more stuff home? $. I'm sure you get it.
Oh how wonderful. I am soooo jaleous, to be able to rummage there and then just take your pick. Junkers heaven. I am currently on the look out for some iron fences/gates (but know I think headboards might work too). I have a corner in my garden that I want to hide (keep the ugly garbage containers there). I want to put an iron gate in front of it and have winding flowers grow against it. So I'd probably do something like that with them. Use them as a fence in my garden (or make a headboard for my bed like yours, but you already have that).
ReplyDeleteSome wonderful pieces you got there. I look forward to seeing what you do with the mattress springs. I love that bird house and you are so right about the patina being perfect as is on that dresser. It just needs a little clean up and it will be even better. Enjoy all these treasures.
ReplyDeleteFlowerLady
Awesome junk! I think I'd use those old headboards for a "flower bed", you know, bury the footboard about 6 feet away from the headboard and plant flowers in between... or I might even cut the posts off, wire the fancy work to our ugly farm gates and make signs to attach to the posts: "Goat Gallery" "Peacock Paradise", etc. for all our animal pens. Oh, you lucky woman!
ReplyDeleteThose headboards are awesome! You'll have to have one somewhere that you can see it EVERYDAY at it.
ReplyDeleteGive me a minute to clean the drool from the keyboard! Great... wonderful... awesome finds!! Can't wait to see what you did with the mattress springs! LOTS of great stuff coming up... yeah! :)
ReplyDeleteHoly crap! It must have been like a kid in a candy store. I do love those old birdhouses. I would have to think about those headboards for a while but one would have to go in the garden for some clematis to wander through! Love the red sled and the old wire sifter thingy. What about the old metal cart, did you bring that home too? (please say yes, please say yes)
ReplyDeleteugh! I am so jealous of all your free finds!!! I love the flower bed ideas for those headboards. I also think it would be cool made into a bench for your entry or something. I wonder if you could fasten hooks to it to hang coats. Or, I like it turned sideways and leaned against the wall with quilts hanging on the horizontals. Do you have any king size beds, because...I know this sounds like totally crazy...but you could just use 2 together as an actual headboard. ha, but we would never do THAT!
ReplyDeleteI am crazy jealous over all your junk finds, I would have been in heaven! I can't wait to see what you do with all of it!! I love the birdouses, I would have grabbed every one!
ReplyDeleteWowsers - I can't believe I just said that - but really in this situation with those headboards & that dresser - completely necessary! I'm super jealous!
ReplyDeleteSimon says "Send them to Polly". You have to do it - Simon said. lol
ReplyDeleteEnvy. Total envy.
Here's an idea. I would go on the lookout for an old metal watering trough, and then use the headboards to make the frame of a bench, put the trough in the middle as the base and attach a piece of wood to it for the seat.
Or, wouldn't it be cute to build a fence around your little building - made out of the gates? One right after the other.
Or just line them up in your yard somewhere and plant different kinds of flowering vines on them.
You know, The Great Wall of Headboards.
Seriously, I'm dealing with some total envy here.
Oh, oh, I've got it. How about using them for a hammock? Mount them in the yard and tie a hammock to each end. I've never seen a hammock with a headboard before!
ReplyDeleteMan you have a great friend....jealous....
ReplyDeleteI'm getting lots of outdoor ideas from your finds! Maybe you could make a garden "bed" from one of your headboards. ; )
ReplyDeleteMetal yard art. Work your magic and weld it into something beautiful. There's a local shop that sells framing and art, and outside they have the most beautiful rusty metal contraptions. Pieces of art, some spin and move. Everytime I drive by the shop, I think of what you do! I'm sure you'll do something fantastic with it! :)
ReplyDeleteOh Donna! I bet you have a bunch of readers drooling all over their keyboard right now.
ReplyDeleteI sure am!
I just love it all, and do not know that i could pick a fave if I had too.
about the rusty bed frames, I would just love them sitting around the place!
blessings
barbara jean
PS thanks for featuring me today. =0)
Oh la la I am drooling!!!! I love all the rust! There are million things you could do with them- do share! Krista
ReplyDeleteGreat rusty stuff, Donna!! Have fun. I love that patina.. perfection. -Tammy
ReplyDeletei would LOVE to have some of those headboards to put in my landscaping. . . .the landscaping that i don't have, you know?
ReplyDeletethat's what you should do! do some tutorials on how to landscape. i don't know where to start. to save money, we didn't have our contractor do any landscaping to the house. . .we have a pretty house on a hill sitting in mud! yuck! all i want is some flowers and shrubs around the house!
Ohhh I love those beds!! We got one for $5 at a yard sale that looked like those. We had a friend of my dad's sand blast it for us and then repainted it for our daughters first big girl bed. It is GREAT!!! And everyone always asks where we got one that old in such good shape.
ReplyDeleteI'm very curious about what you're doing with the bed spring! I love the rusty old oil lamps They look so cool! You found some great things!
ReplyDeleteHi--
ReplyDeleteI'm new to your blog--along with everyone else I'm totally jealous. Love all your finds and goodies. I'd be in heaven too.
Will be back to see what you are up to.
Melinda
I can't wait to see what you will do with all this cool junk!
ReplyDeleteLinda
LOVE the birdhouse, one of my favs. Polly had a great idea, what a hammock those headboards would make. The caldron is amazing too. And that hoe, I have a collection of vintage farm tools in storage, can not wait to get them out and put them to use. That one is one I have yet to see. Look forward to seeing what you do with it. Great Great Great finds!
ReplyDeleteOh my Goodness! I Love the rust! and the dresser! What a treasure that all is! Can't wait to see what you do with it.
ReplyDeleteLove, love, LOVE the headboards! And of course everything else you got!
ReplyDeleteLove your finds. I think I would have to work all those rusty headboard into my gardens with vineing flowers all over them. They are awesome!
ReplyDeleteOh wow! My heart is all a flutter for you! Great finds!
ReplyDeleteOH my! I'm not good with junk! Not good at all. But you could maybe use one of those rusty headboard jobbies mounted on the back of the dresser and then put an oldish mirror in the middle of the headboard.
ReplyDeleteOr perhaps you could use the headboards alongside the house for viney plants?
Or you could just come up with some thing WAY funkier than anything I could think of. I'm just a funky person. I have no funk with junk!
However, like I said before, the cauldron somehow keeps calling me!!!
No ideas for your headboards...just wanted to say how much I love your blog! :)
ReplyDeleteOMG Donna ~ you must have had to clean your pants out after you saw all that metal!! What a lucky girl you are and I cannot wait to see what you do with it all.
ReplyDeletehttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3152/3624863027_5673792279.jpg but with iron! Kim
ReplyDeleteWow, my eyes would have been glazed over and I am sure I would have appeared greedy and out of control. Good for you! What fun!
ReplyDeleteHey, Donna.
ReplyDeleteJust put all that stuff back into the truck. Drive to Washington state. Head South on I-5 to Grants Pass, Oregon...Cross the Rogue River... Go to the Redwood Hwy....
Oh, wait. That's probably not the answer you wanted, huh?
Can't wait to see what you do..I'm sure it will be stunning.
I have a collection of "waiting to transform" as well, but I need to figure out how to make MORE TIME!!! Anyone blog about that anywhere????
Cheers!
Wow, Donna you scored big time, I am not sure what I would do with your finds, but I am sure looking forward to what you do with them, great job on the blog, do I see a 1500 followers party coming up in the future. Well done....That was so nice of you to mention us in your post this week, we sure did have some great times at the flea markets, sigh.... Love u.
ReplyDeleteP.S. be careful of lead paint on that old dresser, I think I saw that you can get test kits probably at Home Depot...It's a beaut, but do be careful with it.
ReplyDeleteLove the frames and the birdhouses!! Wonderful! How about, if you have a sofa against a wall...put rusty headboard behind it. Well behind and up so you can enjoy the whole frame.
ReplyDeleteHugs
SueAnn
wow, wow, wow...how cool is it when you find authentic items that don't need multiple faux treatments to look like we want them too. Everything is gorgeous and I can not wait to see how you 'use' each and every one of these items!
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love junkin'. The Yankee and I junk where ever we travel. I'd rather be given money to spend at my favorite salvage yard than at a retail store!
ReplyDeleteI just posted about a salvaged vanity that we reinvented. Come check it out.
Liz @ the Brambleberry Cottage
Wow - That is the best haul I've ever seen.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great friend you have. I'm anxious to see the mattress spring thing's makeover -
Marsha
I love your "stash" What great stuff! I am really interested to see what you do with it all.
ReplyDeletexxkelley
I am green with envy!! That's all, just green! LOL. Lucky you!
ReplyDeleteAhem...THAT post was even better than chocolate!!
ReplyDeleteMissy-JunkFest
My freaking heart started to race......my mouth was drooling. And where did you say this place was??? Between, this and the hockey game going on, I think I need to go outside and breathe...or I will have a heart attack.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you got those old beds!!!! They needed a loving home-not- a retaining wall.
Melissa
Oh my gosh I can't believe the haul!
ReplyDeleteLucky, Lucky you!
Jealous, jealous, me!
Can't wait to see what you do with it all!
OMG! I thought I was the dumpster queen of the GA South! Well, girlie you have me beat! For this month anyway ;)
ReplyDeletePlease tell me what are you going to do with the AKA Witches caldron!