Mission: Completed

As you all know, we have a FROG or family room over the garage, remember, FROG sounds funnier. *wink* It is a multi-functional space serving as a school room, an office, a spare room, and kids playroom. I like to call it The Little Room That Could. Right before we moved down here, Kevin told me that I was asking a lot from this room, but I knew she could pull it off. I was right.

Enter the dilemma. Our house before was cramped, the rooms were small and I can't bear to feel closed in or cluttered so I didn't have a lot of furniture. We have really been in need of some school type furnishings but I didn't want to spend a lot of money. I began combing used furniture stores and consignment shops for short bookcases and tables for the boys to do their work on during school. Short bookcases are difficult to come by round here.

One store in particular, F's Used Furniture, looked to be very promising but I have come to discover that F has some shoddy business practices. I heard from a very reliable source, Judy, F's competition down the road, that F likes to price things based on the appearance of the shopper. Judy knows what she is talking about.

There are no prices on any of F's merchandise. None. And apparently F thinks that I am rich, because all rich people seek used furniture to furnish their homes. The straw that broke the camels back was last week. Out of sheer desperation, I once again went to see F. He had one bookcase, labeled simply: Chelf $50. No, spell checker didn't miss it, shelf was spelled with a "c." F yelled across to me, "Whatcha lookin' for sug?" I told him that I need a couple short bookcases and asked if he had any. He said, and I quote, "Run on down to K-mart and buy yourself some. You can afford to but new bookcases. "

I was so taken aback by his rude assumption that I just left. F and I? We are no more.

Do you know what time it is in Wilmington? Yard sale time! It's hysterical to see what some folks will do. They load up their trucks and trailers with stuff, drive to an open field or gas station parking lot (yes, I really saw that and I stopped to look, too!) pitch a sign in the grass and open for business. It's very funny.

For two weeks now, Jeremy and I have gotten up early on Saturday morning to begin the hunt for bookcases and tables. He is a good spotter for me and will say, "No furniture, mom, keep going." LOL, I love that little bargain shopper! Here is what we have nabbed so far...


This bookcase we found, our first Saturday out, for $3.00! The man wanted $5.00 for it but I had three singles or a twenty and he didn't have enough change so Jeremy and I got a bargain. The book case is in a closet that we turned into a reading nook. It's a large closet with a platform that my mom laid a remnant over so it would be comfy to lay on and read. She also shot herself with the staple gun. Reading can be dangerous!


These we just found this past Saturday, we got the deal of the century at this yard sale. I bought the two shelves, the two bookcases, four paper organizers, a five foot level and a blow torch for $15.00 The last two were for Kevin. Really now, what on earth would I do with a blow torch?


The table and chair I bought from another used furniture store for $20.00 The rug, a beautiful braided wool, we got at a yard sale for $20.00 That seems like a lot but I had just been shopping for rugs and I know how much these can cost in the store. The man that we bought it from was very nice. His wife just redecorated the whole house in oriental rugs and so they had to get rid of this one, it's really pretty.

I am so proud of myself for bargain shopping and using a map to find my way around town. Golf clap? Anyone?

Look to the finish!