my heart beats for barn sales!

has your heart ever beat so fast that you thought for sure everyone around you could see it? 

oh my, that happened to me on sunday!

i was on my way home and spotted a sign similar to this. 



source

my car couldn't turn fast enough down the road.  as i rounded the bend in the road i came upon this older house with a pole barn next to it.  i could tell right away that there was some goods to be found.  i wish that i had my camera with me so that i could show you but alas i did not.

there were years and years of collected items stuffed into this barn, a side garage and other areas, which included a parked tractor trailer! 

i.was.in.junk.heaven.

two brothers were selling off all that their father had collected and left to them.  the dad, i was told, had collected & sold various items with his mom as a hobby, bought out a hardware store, and was a carpenter/builder who liked to have things on hand.  there were tools that took up the whole garage, stacks of china, vintage hubcaps, boxes of canning jars, shutters, shelves full of glassware, enamelware, vintage car parts, yardsticks, glass baby bottles, safety glasses, knick knacks, linens, coke bottles, furniture, a "cadillac" baby buggy, metal signs, folding rulers, hardware galore, a vintage car and MUCH more.

as i was talking to one of the brothers, i asked if he had any furniture castors.   he said he thought there might be some in the trailer.  at first, i don't think he was going to show me, but then said, follow me.  well, he wasn't kidding...next to the barn was a tractor trailer filled with hardware.  it was arranged in a somewhat organized fashion along the outside walls.  he showed me where to start and then said, have fun. 

and fun is what i had!  i was in the trailer for almost an hour, solo with only the light from the door to illuminate the trove of pieces and parts.  there were boxes, bins, shelves and a makeshift hardware cabinet with about 25 drawers.  the drawer pulls were old nails pounded into the front.(love the thriftiness)  while i was treasure hunting, i came across a gym locker basket filled with more hardware.  i knew i couldn't leave that behind, so i emptied it's contents into another container.  then i found a second locker basket and did the same.   i filled the basket with castors, vintage coat hooks, locker hooks, latches, etc.  it was great fun as long as you didn't mind the mouse poo, nests made from insulation, years of dust, and the lack of lighting inside  i washed my hands 3 times with wipes, just to get the dirt off.  mind you, i was wearing a summer dress and sandals... the perfect junking attire, dontcha think?.

here's the best part.  i asked the older brother what kind of deal would he give me.  he said that the items i already had set aside were about $45 and that didn't include the trailer finds. whoa, that was much more than i had wanted to spend.  i counter-offered and held firm.  he asked his brother what he thought and he said,

i'll do it all for that amount. 

i like his brother's deals.  

don't you just love the vintage galvanized patina?!

it's about what i had in mind, considering i had 5 vintage folding rulers, 2 vintage metal signs, 3 aqua canning jars, a vintage baby bottle, lots of hardware, two locker baskets, 7 yardsticks and various other items.

i will most likely be going back...they plan to have this sale ongoing all summer long! 
did you hear me squeal with delight?   
i have my list ready. 
and as time allows some of these items will be in my etsy shop.   

i'll leave you with more pictures of my haul of treasures.

 black trunk locker was a $2 find at a garage sale on saturday

 see the lettered cottage for some furniture upcycling with yardsticks

(i plan to use these on my chicken crate)

 the two pieces of dishware are syracuse china

which i've started collecting because they are sturdy and last a long time.

my walmart made in china dish set is cracking and chipping.

time to replace it with something that lasts

 love the handlettered typography!

 folding rulers, worklight cages and lots of hardware!

perfect zinc lids

i'll be sure to let you see what else i discover in the barn.

what awesome deals or sales have
caused your heart to beat faster?

have a great week!

building is for the birds!

it seems that i am not the only one this week who is into building. 

these industrious little feathered friends decided that our dryer vent

would be a great place to make a home for themselves. 

well, we all know that dryer vents and nesting materials do not mix.  so we had to send these little cuties packing, but not before i shot some pics of their nest building.  they certainly did not give up too easily as we turned the dryer on (no heat) to get them out of the vent so that we could fix the problem. 
unbeknownst to us, the flap was stuck open,

so it was a perfect spot for a sheltered nest.

 even with the dryer running and the nesting material flying out

they kept coming back with dried grass & leaves.

it was an entertaining afternoon...

the little love birds will need to find a new place for a nest...

just not in our dryer vent!

 i think this one is either sulking or trying to figure out

how to get that vent flap back open

stay tuned for more building projects
(the human kind)

a gated deck

you've heard of gated communities right?
well we now have a gated deck
for our puppy, laci.

my second project this past week required major power tools
and let me tell you...
i LOVE me some
table saw,
miter saw,
cordless drill, 
nail gun action

a puppy gate for our deck

 made from leftover pressure treated

decking and fence pickets

first i cut the wood into two inch widths and the length that i needed,

countersunk holes about 1 inch from the ends,

squared up the corners and attached together with wood screws,

when the four sides were all put together, then i added the pickets

that were previously cut to length with a nail gun.

all that was left was to put the two sections into place and add a hook & eye.

i rummaged through my hardware to find something cool or unique

but i decide that simple was best for now.

who knows when a better idea will pop into my brain,

and if that happens i'll be sure to change it up then.

 the two gate sections are wider than the width of the stairs
and slide between the top railing balusters.

to open, unhook latch and pull one side in or slide sections apart

since our pup is small, no hardware was needed to secure to the railing

much like funky junk donna, i LOVE using my power tools

(ok, actually they're mr.1829's but he shares)

there's nothing like the smell of sawdust,
the feel of raw wood, heavy metal and
some kicking power to get one's
creativity motivated

added bonus:
 there was no cost to build this
other than time!

so glad to be back posting...
oh how i've missed it so!

until next time
have a great week my friends!

linking up to:

bait and switch it on

 just popping in to say hi,

i've missed you all,

and i so appreciate your sweet, caring comments regarding

my dad's passing and the grieving process.

mr. 1829 and i were able to get away for 8 glorious days

to sarasota/siesta key, florida the last week of april. 

it was just what i needed to regroup,

get some much needed vitamin d and rest.

now that spring has finally arrived in the northeast, 

(our area had a record rainfall in april of 8.53 inches)

we are getting our lawn mowing caught up,

 flowers planted, gardens cleaned out, veggie's planted,

and so on.

i have a long list of to do's to finish before mid-june,

so i am up and going every morning to

git er done!

 and now to show you the reason for the title and what i've been up to...

 i've created a few things this past week. 

it feels sooooo good
to get my brain and hands working on a project!

and this happens to be a super easy one.

a peek inside

socket attachment

love the red handle...

illuminating dontcha think?!

 our screenhouse...

a repurposed corn crib

our summer set up

a new light fixture...

all because of some spring cleaning

and a desire for a more vintage look.

necessity is the mother of invention!

still have some tweaking to do but for now,

the screenhouse is clean, neat and ready for use.

my daughter said she'd consider sleeping out there this summer.

let the fun times begin.

linking up to