Sunday, June 30, 2013

Raiding My Childhood Garage


Two weeks ago I visited my sister and we dropped by our childhood home which is now inhabited by my niece.

I wanted to look through the garage in the hope of finding an old ladder, a few old folding chairs, film reels and anything rusty.


No ladder, no folding chairs, but I did find some fun items and there are 5 vintage trunks full of stuff just waiting for a day when Marcia and I have the time to dig into them.


I cleaned up the blue Pepsi crate for storage in my "creative space" to hold odd bits.


Growing up in the orange groves of southern California, orange crates were ubiquitous.

I remember my dad painting this one green for my sister and me for playing - it served as a grocery store some days, a library on others and most frequently it was used to play school.

I cleaned it up and installed it on a shelf in the garage to hold fabric and other sewing supplies.


The only rusty bit I found was an old lantern.

I cleaned it up the best I could and added it to a little vignette on the patio.

I didn't need it . . . I would not have purchased it . . . but finding it in the garage was a bonus and I am sure it will be featured in a variety of vignettes around the garden.


There was a bounty of boxes in the garage that day, but I won't be using these two for anything.

JP wanted the metal box because it had been his grandfather's.

BATES
SF -LA 
is stenciled on each side.

Marcia and I vaguely remember the box and think our father must have used it for his supplies when he worked as a railway mail clerk on the San Francisco to Los Angeles line.

Steve grabbed up the old fishing box to store some of his supplies when he does plein air painting.


Inside the fishing box was a fishing reel given a new life on the hallway cabinet.

I love the texture and the color of the fishing line and might use it to crochet a little bag.

When the fishing line is gone, I think the reel would look good with ribbon or jute.

The reel sits next to my grandfather's bottle capper from his beer making days.


The webbing will come in handy for these flatware pockets I pinned from Pandora's Box.


I cleaned up the green wooden box and put it into the living room, but there was just too much green together.


This morning I got out my can of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White.

I wanted to retain a little memory of the vintage green shade so I taped off a stripe down the center before painting.

I love the green popping through after a good sanding.


It doesn't look like much, but the visit evoked some great memories like the time I threatened to run away, but actually only made it as far as the garage - boy did I get in trouble after they searched the neighborhood for me!

And, those 5 trunks are just waiting for us to return.

What will we find?

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I am partying at

A Cultivated Nest - The Creative HomeAcre Blog Hop

Boogieboard Cottage - Masterpiece Monday

Twigg Studios - Sunday Show Off Linky Party

Little Red House - Mosaic Monday



37 comments:

  1. Wow, I wish I had a garage to rummage through. It's great stuff especially those blue cubbies and the green crate - I don't remember my Dad ever picking up a paint brush in his life !

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  2. Amazing, isn't it, what treasures one finds. Loved all the family stories about the various objects -- what they were used for and what they are going to be use for now. And, you have 5 trunks to go through on your return. Have fun!

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  3. OH!!! That so fun!! I absolutely love old things, but they are even better when they hold your own memories. Thanks for sharing!!!

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  4. Wonderful finds, I love the blue crate and the old trunks. And your flatware pockets are cute, great idea! Have a happy week ahead!

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  5. These are some great finds and I can't wait for you to open those trunks! Honestly I don't know how you can wait, I would be going nuts ..and I love how creative you are with your finds, what does your Sis think about all these things you do with old, cool stuff?
    Leslie

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  6. Love how you repainted the box!

    Just wanted to tell you that I featured your post today on The Creative HomeAcre Blog Hop!

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  7. Wow! Those wooden pieces are some great treasures! How neat to have some that are so personal and filled with such wonderful memories too. Lucky you!

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  8. Everyone needs a storage of things from the past you never know what you will find.
    Merle........

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  9. What wonderful finds and memories!! And you've made so much of them ~ now I can't wait to see what is in the trunks, and what you'll do with those goodies!

    Hugs ~

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  10. I'm with you...what will those trunks hold?
    I love BOXES-period.
    So the crates, the green box with lid, the fishing box...all would have come home with me and filled to the brim with crochet items, etc.
    I like all your little vignettes with different bits of history and memories of your childhood.
    Your decor style...has me 'reeling'!!!
    :P

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  11. What great finds! There is no better place to shop than a family closet or garage :)! I look forward to rummaging through my parents' garage the next time I visit them!

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  12. Carol,
    What sweet memories you have with all the treasures you found. I can't wait to see what you find in those trunks too. Woooooo Hooooo how much fun is this to dig through great treasures and bring up such beautiful memories.
    Kris

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  13. Cool stuff. The bottle capper is very unique. I have a purse that my mom made out of some of that same type of webbing.
    Blessings,
    Lorilee

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  14. What awesome treasures you found! I would be so anxious to dig into those trunks! I don;t think I would have the patience you have...lol! I love all the projects you shared yesterday as well. Every. Single. One. The sweet little bunting on your bench is absolutely perfect. I may end up ordering that pattern....I haven;t embroidered in years even though I love it! Oh....and I love how you left the green stripe on the box....sweet! Hope you had a wonderful weekend and blessings for the upcoming week!

    Vicky
    Life On Willie Mae Lane

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    Replies
    1. Drives me crazy when I hit the wrong punctuation key and forget to proof before I post!!! Oops!

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  15. Carol, anything in your hands gets a new life, a new coat of paint that gives it another chance. How fun it would be to go back into the childhood closet and actually find what you were looking for, but that doesn't happen often. ENJOY! And I grew up in South Central L.A, Pico Rivera and Whittier! Anita

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  16. How fun that must have been to go through and find stuff! It's like Christmas in June! :-D

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  17. What a fun time and look at all those treasures. Nothing better than treasures with family history.

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  18. What fun treasures and great memories!!!
    Mary Alice

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  19. What a great score - and cost free and full of wonderful memories!
    Erin

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  20. Ooh! There is a plein air group here in Juneau! They are called "Plein Rein". Jim Fowler, who is a great artist, is a friend of ours and a member. Maybe you should come up and Steve can do some plein air painting!

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  21. Here is Jim's website: http://www.jimfowler.us/Jim_Fowler_Art/Welcome.html

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  22. I love all the things you brought home. How is it that you still have your parent's garage? Do you still have their house too? Mimi

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  23. All you came back home with is great and it's always better if seeing an item reminds you of a memory. It was such a cute thing to do to keep a stripe of the box original colour!

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  24. Oh I would love to go through those trunks with you! I love the fact that the items you found all have a history, a story, a memory! I love the burlap webbing idea....and no sew makes it a craft to do with my daughter!

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  25. Five trunks full of stuff, huh? And I bet you'll find creative ways to use everything - you always do!

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  26. Fantastic treasures, and I love what you did with the box...the stripe is so cute!

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  27. Wow, so many nice and fantastic items you found. Teasures! I love the rusty stuff:)

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  28. How great to find all these treasures, lucky you.

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  29. So many wonderful finds! The bottle crates make such fun cubbies...

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  30. Wow! You DID find some fun things in your childhood home. So great to have vintage items that actually belonged to family. Thanks for sharing and blessings to you, Patti

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  31. What fun to find these old, but precious, treasures! I know you will manage to do something uber creative with each and every one of them!! Love that reel - the colors are wonderful!

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  32. I love the treasures you have found in your childhood garage and the make overs you have given them.
    Sarah x

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  33. Seeing your post linked up at the Creative HomeAcre Hop was great! I love the history behind these items and the creative things you did with them. Thanks for joining us and we hope you'll come and party creatively again on Sunday at http://mumtopia.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-creative-home-acre-hop-23.html
    I wonder if you would perhaps like to write a guest post for Mumtopia. Please let me know - I'm sure my readers would benefit from what you have to say. For more information, please read the "Be My Guest" page at Mumtopia: http://mumtopia.blogspot.co.uk/p/write-for-mumtopia.html#.Uc3dNzvOZwQ

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  34. How fun to find old things/memories in the childhood garage.
    I like the old lantern

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