UPDATE: If Only I Had More Storage Space AAAARGH!!

Take a look at the awesome china cabinet in my previous post......Awesome! I know. I have been in turmoil for two days over this thing, buy it, don't buy it, where could I store it temporarily if I got it...Either no one else saw the potential in this or they thought it would be to cumbersome or maybe it's just crap and I'm crazy...The online auction just closed and this sold, it was a real battle between two bidders. After three bids it sold for T-W-E-N-T-Y FREAKIN DOLLARS yes you read right $20.00..Can you believe that? You should have seen the crap that sold for hundreds and this had 3 fargin bids in $5 dollar increments. WHAT THE "F"! Someone made off like a thief here and it wasn't me. Makes me want to puke.

If Only I Had More Storage Space AAAARGH!!

If only I had the space to store this beauty I'd bid on it!!! It's currently available at an online auction that closes in 5 days..AAAARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lane End Tables & unknown Walnut Dresser

I seem to be accumulating Lane end tables, there were the two in my very first blog that I have kept for myself for now and then I found one Perception end table and now these two. I only pick it up because 1. it's solid wood and 2. it's tough as hell, these two tables need minor TLC. The dresser I'm keeping for myself and tossing the less stylish hand-me-down that my girlfriend has. Paid a grand total of $43 dollars for the dresser(value village) and end tables(estate sale)

Retractable Lamp, Star Trek Thermos, Turquoise and Gold Whiskey Tumblers, Oil on Canvas, Polka Dot Pyrex

Back into the swing of things,some new scores and some I've held for a month or two.

really nice set of whiskey tumblers

Excellent condition Aladdin 1978 Star Trek Thermos

Kirk to Spock! Kirk to Spock!

Very nice large Pyrex Polka Dot mixing bowl

Retractable lamp needs a little TLC on the cloth wire covering

And this monstrosity, 5ft long and almost 3ft high. Oil on canvas with real wood frame. Bought it for just the frame but am rethinking and will likely sell as is. Not sure of the signature but am researching it

Back From The Wilderness

Emerald Lake, YOHO Ntl Park

Prince of Wales Hotel, Waterton Lakes Ntl Park. Had breakfast here, best Eggs Benedict ever.

Takakkaw Falls, YOHO Natl Park, second highest falls in Canada after Niagara Falls

Crow Foot Glacier, Ice Fields parkway Banff Ntl Park

Time to get back to business, spent three weeks on the road camping (in a tent) from Ontario to British Columbia and racked up about 9500kms (about 6000miles) encountered all manner of wildlife from the small furry kind to bears, big horn sheep and elk. Sat in a natural hot spring with some new-age hippie kids after travelling 20km across a treacherous mountain logging road, learned a lot about the history of this country and took in some of the most breath taking views after hiking to the summit of a mountain, and many more not so high up.That was two weeks ago, since being home I've done more camping closer to home and spent more time in the wild. Spirit Of The West(Home for a rest) seemed fitting as summer is closing out but thankfully summer will be back again after a few months of recharging the batteries and dreaming of what new adventures await me.

Happy Independence Day To Our Neighbours

HAPPY CANADA DAY

Pumped for a Canadian road trip

Seeing Mr Modtomics  blog from the road has me dreaming of my upcoming  third cross Canada road trip, these lyrics are some of my favourite from my favourite Canadian band "The Tragically Hip" and the link has video to many more of their hits that I always enjoy playing on the road. I little bit”Oh”Canada for my southern friends and anyone else, please enjoy.

I've got a job, I explore, I follow every little whiff
And I want my life to smell like this
To find a place, an ancient race
The kind you'd like to gamble with
Where they'd stamp on burning bags of shit.
Looking for a place to happen
Making stops along the way

Wayward ho! Away we go,
It's a shame to leave this masterpiece
With its' gallery gods and its' garbage-bag trees
So I'll paint a scene, from memory,
So I'd know who murdered me
It's a vain pursuit, but it helps me to sleep
Looking for a place to happen
Making stops along the way

Jacques Cartier, right this way,
I'll put your coat up on the bed
Hey man you've got a real bum's eye for clothes
And come on in, sit right down,
No you're not the first to show
We've all been here since, God, who knows?
Looking for a place to happen,
Making stops along the way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6QDjDPRF5c&feature=BFa&list=AL94UKMTqg-9Ct459_3aKwmqzfd1j4oZFC 

Another Slow Week for Blogging

My 9-5 and trying to maintain two homes (yard work etc) is kicking my ass lately all while trying to finish some ongoing re-finish projects hasn't left me much time to get out salvaging etc. Just for fun here's my version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, I get asked regularly if it's from the 70s and comments on what a cool truck. It's a 1993 (not vintage) that I paid $500 for and $1000 in parts to make road worthy, it's not cool it just so happens to run very well and drags my ass from A to B while allowing me to keep junking, thrifting, salvaging. On the plus side while gas prices here hover around $1.28 per litre this gem runs on Propane at 0.59cents per litre, can you say savings. I knew that you could. No there is no snow here in the Great White North, this photo is from January 2011 while this past winter we're lucky if we got 1ft of snow all season.

Yard Work-New Foundry Patterns-Missed Shows ETC,ETC

locking stone boarder in place now for mulch, grass seed and new plants

more locking stone boarder and a Rose Of Sharon to be planted

New umbrella and Steel Motel chairs (still waiting for there fresh lime green paint)

Slavic chairs I refinished

Foundry pattern I'd like to make a table(uncleaned)

                                           

Cleaned

More patterns freshly scrubbed

just a sample of my fav salvage yard (10 acres of salvage heaven) lots of pastel coloured bathroom fixtures. These old buses and shipping containers are jammed full of everything you could imagine plus a yard full of industrial steel what nots.

This past Saturday May 26 was the first of the twice a year "Christie Conservation Area Antique Show & Sale". Its 10acres and over 300 vendors of awesome and I totally bailed on it http://www.conservationhamilton.ca/christie-antique-show. My girlfriend has been volunteering for a young girls group and Saturday was a 10km run that was part of that, I could have gone to the show myself but I know she likes it as well so instead I did something she hates and went scrambling thru a fav salvage yard digging thru junk and doo-doo to find some neat things, then spent the rest of the weekend fixing some botched gardens and cleaning up around the yard. I'm thinking I might make a short table out of the round pattern and get glass cut for it, the others I'll sell individually.

Chinese Boy & Girl Chalk Ware

I've been crazy busy trying to refinish a Dining room set and some other chairs I have, but in between while waiting for coats of finish to dry I manage to finish some other projects like the lamps in my last post. I have little time to find new things but I did find these pieces of chalk ware, while not high style they have kitschy appeal to them and they are green my fav colour. I'd like to hang them up but the GF squashed that, oh well sacrifice is the price you pay for love. I managed to take down the headboard I made and repaint the panels white since the bronze paint I applied didn't suit anything. The duvet cover I got on sale at The Bay the stripe pillow cases from the Dollar store and brand new still sealed in the original bag goose down feather pillows from Value Village (Three huge scores for the boudoir) the small orange stripe oval pillows I made with fabric from Value Village.

Pairpoint Dolphin Lamp - Antique Floor Lamp

Finally got around to cleaning tons of crude off what might be one of my favourite lamps (Dolphin). Not sure why dolphins there actually fish. I'm glad I did it proper and took it apart as someone had spliced and taped the original cloth wiring onto some newer wiring in the column. So I scrubbed with vinegar and toothbrush, rewired and removed a goofy makeshift washer that was added. I'll never be able to afford a signed original hand painted glass shade (not that I like them much) but I really like the black cloth one I found.                       

The floor lamp must have been in a barn or garage, the cloth wiring smelled like rat urine and inside the tri-light was packed with bugs. I totally dismantled the entire light separating the base the column and the light head then wiped down with WD-40 to remove gunk and rust, rewired and replaced one switch. Just picked up the fibreglass shade at the market which alone cost me more than I paid for both  lamps.

Local One of Kind Tin Wall Art by Kerry Foster

Bought this at Value Village I assume it to be one of a kind art, each piece has a small unassuming sticker on the back saying "made by Kerry Foster Toronto" I'm not sure if it was an art project or someone trying to break onto the scene but who ever this person is they've made interesting pieces here. All three can be hung individually, one has the tin pieces bent concavely while the others both have flat lying tin. Sorry about the shotty pics I really have to find a space to photograph things.

Aberfoyle Antique Market-Opening Weekend

nice set reasonably priced at $175

awesome set solid teak, thick & chunky well worth $345 though they are new  

not to fond of tile inlay but the tile pattern caught my eye

impressive mostly single plank(some 2ft wide) tables of walnut, cherry, oak, 2" thick rough cut finished 2 sides. many more on other side of tent

nice set for an office just need a little leather conditioner and a light cleaning of the wood

mosaic tile coffee table

interesting lounge chairs, overpriced as many had tears in the vinyl

my personal favourite of the day is this 50s folding serving cart, was in immaculate condition but the $150 price was a little steep for me

This was the first weekend for the Aberfoyle Antique Market, I wasn't overly impressed with the permanent vendors wares but the once per week parking lot space vendors never fail to have some great stuff. These are some pics of some things I found interesting. No purchases today, this was more of a fact finding mission.