Monday, August 6, 2012

Canadian Picking Tobey Style





I was a Canadian Picker long before anyone ever heard of picking. I was a single mom for 12 years before meeting Brian. And being on my own with 5 kids you have to be resourceful when you don't have big bucks.

I have always looked for treasures in the trash and upcycled furniture from garage sales, barn sales and thrift stores. I have champagne taste on a beer budget I guess you could say. Now that the kids are grown and have families of their own I have turned my thrifty shopping into a hobby and a second income.
Some treasures I keep but most I resell, some I have to give a new look too and some I resell just the way they are. If I see something I can make some money on I buy it and resell it.

I always felt proud when friends would compliment how nice my house looked and how they loved my decorating. I swear when I used to rent places the landlord would hike up the rent after I moved out because I would always spruce the place up.

So when I said a few weeks ago that I was going to TRY to cut back on my thrifty finds.........I really did try. But it is an addiction and I can not walk away from a good bargain or a unique find.

So on that note, here are my treasures for this week................



Isn't this desk cute, I am hoping it will sell the way it is, if not I will repaint it white and sell it that way. It is so cute if it stays around too long I may be tempted to keep it lol



This is an old sewing desk I picked up for a few dollars, I love the curvy legs. I am thinking I might gut it and make a storage area inside of it and used it as side table. A few friends have said a large jewelry box, but I am not big on jewelry. I am not a girly girl, I wear one ring and that's about it, I am blue jeans and tshirt girl. I have more tools than I have jewelry.


I found another cute little sewing stool and this I will redo and sell.
Here is a pic of the last one that I did


I used a piece of material from another chair for this stool


Isn't this cake plate gorgeous, I scooped this up as soon as I saw it at Salvation Army. I love the mirrored top and the jewels all along the edge. And at $1.75 it was a STEAL of a DEAL



For now I am using to display small nick knacks, a few silver swan and 2 pewter cat statues


I love these frames and will most likely paint these white and display family photos in them. I got them for 2 dollars


I will be painting these as well and save them for our new home in Ontario, I know I will have use for them when I have a place I can go wild and not have to worry about a landlord freaking out because I put holes in the walls for shelves

I sold these ladder back chairs a few weeks ago to a young girl who is just getting into DIY
I asked her to send me a pic once she had finished them


She did an amazing job, the chairs look fabulous
Way to go Stacie
One day I hope to be reading your blog

Brian's son and his girlfriend are here from Ontario for the next two weeks so I won't be painting too much. We are going to tour them around and show them BC. And although I don't plan on shopping I will probably come home with some treasures lol
I will be picking up some ASCP for sure in our travels

hope everyone is having a great long weekend
going to be 100 degrees here all week
good week to take off from painting in the garage

stay cool

hugs



6 comments:

  1. What great finds Tobey - but then you have a lot of experience!!!
    I am new to all of it - I'm ashamed to say I was one of those people who was too embarrassed to go into 2nd hand stores - My mother always did - and I would walk around outside waiting for her hoping no one I knew would walk by ( pathetic ) and now I'm happy to say I will grab something out of the garbage, quite proudly - if I can fix it up!!!!
    I thought you lived in Ontario already!!!
    Big hugs,

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  2. Thanks Suzy, We are from Ontario but hubbys company is working in BC right now, we were only supposed to be here for 6 months and we have been here for 2 years now. I am eager to get back to Ontario, I have been travelling with him for 5 years now. This is my last trip we will be buying a home in Ontario and I will stay put and the company will fly him home on his time off. I miss my kids and grandkids too much and I want a permanent home again.
    I was embarassed of my Mom buying used clothing to clothe us when I was younger but now I live in the thrift shops lol
    Funny how things change.
    hugs
    Tobey

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  3. I'm like both of you. Embarrassed when I was a kid in thrift stores with my mom. But I can sniff them out now a mile a way..lol Like Suzy I thought you were in Ontario as well. Hmmmm When do you come "home"?

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    Replies
    1. I wish I was in Ontario miss my kids and grandkids so much. Not sure when we come back, everytime they say the contract is ending it gets extended for a few more months. They are saying Christmas now, but we will not be moving across country in the winter. I will stay here till spring and hubby will fly back and forth on his time off. Then we will be moving back to the Huntsville area, 2 hours from his kids and 2 hours from mine, and beautiful cottage country, lots of lakes. Can't wait .. hugs Tobey

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  4. LOVE the sewing stool redo that you previously did! I enjoyed looking at your finds. I am your newest follower! I hope you will visit my blog at www.chirpingwithexcitement.blogspot.com and follow me if you like my blog. Have a great weekend! Tonya :-)

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  5. Thank you so much Tonya, I did check out your blog and I am now a follower as well. love you blog, have family visiting for the next couple of weeks so not much getting done around here except showing them the sites. Will be back thrifting and painting soon. hope your weekend is fabulous. Welcome to my blog so glad you are here, hugs Tobey

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