Who doesn’t love a garage sale? Well…I can think of a few people ~ my husband for one. He can’t seem to get past the whole idea of “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure”. I think it may have come from having a father who was a consummate collector of things, a dozen window panes, and 17 old typewriter’s stored in his basement.
Online shopping has been around almost two decades now. Like millions of others, after the initial fear of credit card transaction’ing’ wained, I was in buyer’s heaven. EBay was my first online shopping playground. Albeit, I’m not a big online buyer, I’m not a huge fan of virtual comparison shopping as I still need that ‘tangible’ look-and-see-before-I-buy’….before I buy, if you will.
I happen to LOVE Kijiji. I am so glad that here in Canada it has not gone the way of Ebay, as in the USA. I know, I know, there are the dangers of Craigslist and Kijiji, and it is not for everyone. First and foremost is online safety, so I just want to make clear that there is a right way, and a wrong way, when going about transactions with the public – however that is a topic for another day. I have purchased furniture, fine bone china, gold, diamonds, and cars, to name a few, on Kijiji.
People call me the Kijiji Queen.
One would think that my home looks like one big garage sale hit it, but I think anyone who is familiar with me knows that, this could not be further from the truth. I like to think I have an eye for value.
One of my hobbies is “furniture collecting”. I like antiques. I like pretty-much eclectic ‘everything’. 1930’s Art Deco, simple Canadiana, Chippendale, Art Nouveau, Contemporary, Cottage (in the right spaces). I have taken to browsing the local Kijiji Ads almost every other evening. I have my routine search down pat. First greater Toronto, then Hamilton, Brantford, Kitchener/Waterloo and London ~ for whatever the project of the month will be.
I usually know what I have in mind; a particular period piece perhaps? Such as, the love seat I purchased for my living room which was a 1930’s, smaller replica, of the same sofa ‘Claire Underwood’ would curl up on, in the first two seasons of ‘House of Cards’. It took me eight months before I found what I had been searching for. Finally, a retired teacher in Wainfleet Ontario sold it to me for $130 ~ newly recovered in white/cream, paisley-embossed fabric; (she also threw in a beautiful gesso wall carving for good measure). When it comes to second-hand chairs and upholstered pieces, there is a wonderful lady I know, in Mount Hope ON, who does excellent work in this regard at reasonable prices.
A couple of years ago, while DH and I were enjoying a quiet evening of coffee-sipping and TV-watching (‘Til Debt Do Us Part – of which we’ve seen every episode), I was scouring the furniture Ads, when my attention turned to two very unique wrought iron pineapple lamps. I paused and drew my gaze closer to the screen, and then it struck me. Those pineapple lamps looked awfully familiar to me. In fact, they were so familiar-looking, I could swear they were mine!?
I said “Hey honey, look at these….”
We immediately took another look and started inspecting everything about the photo; the paint colour on the wall in the background, the trim work, the receptacle. We then looked at each other then dove into the keyboard to search the seller’s “see my other ads” page. On the page, were a few miscellaneous items that looked like they came from a ‘certain someone’s’ bedroom. We saw an Xbox console and a bunch of old games, when my husband exclaimed “Hey! That’s my controller!”.
Suffice to say, after we were done our bout of incredulous laughing, I composed myself and emailed the poor unsuspecting seller and caught her in her tangled Kijiji web. The next day, my daughter posted the following on her status update on her Facebook Page:
“My Mom is so Hardcore….She stalks me on Kijiji”
Fast forward to late 2014. I am in the market for a makeup table. Not just any makeup table. This one has to be well made, it has to have some charm, it can’t be IKEA breakdown furniture. So off to my favourite online shopping site to see what I can drum up. I came across this MAC’s signature series makeup table.
It looks sort of dramatic and something that I can work with. However, upon closer inspection, I see that its co-branded “Barbie”. Well, I can’t possibly buy myself a Barbie makeup table?” My husband would have a fit. Plus, I check out the price. – $799 USD? Am I seeing that correctly?
I took to my favourite Ad’s site, and lo and behold, right here in Hamilton. Some very nice girl named Becky, who lived in Hamilton’s east end is selling the following unit for fifty dollars.
That’s FIFTY dollars…
She says she will take less, but she is expecting a baby, so I give her full asking price. I ask my husband to come with me to pick up the unit. The first thing he asks is ” what piece of junk are we picking up this time? Where are you putting it? Is it big and heavy like that 400 lb china cabinet you bought? that Steve and I, broke our backs moving?”
No honey, I said. **big smile**
The following Saturday while my dear husband was out running errands, I had our kitchen, set up as a make-shift shop. Stripping down all the components of the table, I sanded each piece before priming them with KILZ General Purpose Primer Sealer.
After this coat dries, I begin to apply two coats each of the Sherwin Williams All Surface Enamel HP in two colours 1) French Roast – 6069 2) Moderate White – 6140. Each coat must dry well in between coats.
Hamilton’s fashion district is renowned in the province for its wide selection of designer fabrics at reasonable prices. Designers and seamstresses/tailors come from southern Ontario to shop here. I picked the following pattern for the vanity seat. I also purchased enough to make matching window treatment and bolster pillows for the bed.
Recovering the stool is quite straight-forward. remove any staples and fabric, replace the foam if required, and definitely replace any batting just under the fabric. Measure around the stool an extra 2.5″ all around. Fold over and staple in place with staple gun. Cut out heavy weight paper backing and staple to clean up the edges.
Now comes the fun part. Trace on fabric pattern design with paint pen onto table top surface. I chose opposite colours to make the pattern stand out.
Once dry, the last step is to paint on two coats of Verathane diamond surface water-based clear-coat.
Le voila.
The next project? We’ll have to wait and see.
https://elastictits.com/category/42/