My incredible Friday find!

I am not sure if it is being in the right place at the right time, or destiny that your paths should cross, but yesterday, for whatever reason, I found this beauty~

Now there are a couple of things that make this find rather extraordinary.  First of all, I am an organization, well, freak is a bit harsh, but if there was a pretty, complimentary word for freak, then please insert that here.  I love tidiness/hate clutter.  Much of my house is relatively organized - things have a home, where they live, and where they return to once they have been out to play (or so goes the theory, but often, with a house full of boy-men, things seem to forget where they live and they assume the "thing fairy" will just return said things to their home...apparently she is closely related to the dish fairy and the laundry fairy.).   One of the *exceptions* to this organized standard is my breakfast nook/work space/girl spot/keep your silly little self out of there area.  With a 1928 home, storage space is at a premium (read: next to none) and so I have to be creative if I want things to be kept tidy. 

When we renovated our kitchen - which is attached to the breakfast nook - we put in one floor to ceiling cabinet with three drawers that was meant for my projects/craft items.  That baby filled up in about 38 seconds.  So lately, the nook pretty much looks like Ben Franklin or Michael's threw up on it.  My cute little antique table is covered completely and, I kid you not, piled high with at least two feet of paper, and frames, and a sewing machine, and yarn, and wire baskets, and tins, and card stock, and books, and magazines, and linen, and tulle, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera...  (and look at that - the rain just turned to snow... Sorry, tangent...)

So while driving home with a teenager who thankfully hung out with friends for a couple of hours after school yesterday, I happened to be driving by another neighborhood on the hill here, and noticed out of the corner of my eye a whole lot of drawers.  Stop car.  Back up.  See a whole lot of drawers in a very cool, rusty old cabinet sort of thing, with a large FREE sign on top.  #1, who has known me for a very long time doesn't even bother shaking his head.  He simply gets out of the car and starts organizing the back to make space.  Such a good lad.  This is one of those days that I love my Land Cruiser.  Rather large things will fit in the back of her. 

The man and his daughter, who seemed to be organizing their garage came up to chat. Completely lovely people.  ( I stole a few glances at their huge garage building, busting to the brim with all sorts of treasures and decided then and there to drive by multiple times this weekend to make sure nothing else fabulous ends up at the curb without me knowing...) Apparently she tends to be a keeper of all things interesting (kindred spirit!) and is thrilled that I love it.  I ask how heavy it is - he says very.  I wonder why - until I open one of the drawers.  

The ENTIRE cabinet is filled to the brink with every old metal thing you can imagine - hinges, screws, bolts, clips, gauges, locks, old outlets, antique window latches, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.  Now, I know I haven't properly introduced my boys, but let me share a little something about #3.  If I bring this home to him, it will be like his birthday, Christmas, and every other holiday rolled in to one afternoon.  The boy absolutely loves things like this.  He makes robots and vehicles, and all sorts of other fun oddities with this sort of thing.  It has now become clear that I have struck gold.  No, platinum.  Well, whatever is worth more these days. 

Copper perhaps?  :)

Needless to say, Riley and I had to remove all 30-odd drawers to get it all into the back of the vehicle.  

It all fit just fine, Mike (my new neighbor friend) and his daughter were happy that we loved the entire lot, and off home we went.  As predicted, #3 was ecstatic and spent an hour going drawer by drawer with me, sorting the true garbage from the treasures, and putting aside a rather large bin for a friend of his who also loves all things of this nature.  (yeah - the snow stopped!)  

I brought all of the drawers inside, washed them out, dried them, and began filling them right away.  The cabinet itself was cleaned out this morning, and I am happy to say now sits in a place of honor, much like an apartment building (on a very trendy road in the heart of Paris perhaps, with a coffee shop and a fabulous flower shop nearby...) for crafts, goodies, and pretty things with potential.  

(sidenote: the following photos are in no way intended to persuade or convince a certain young London resident to visit her Auntie Kim - certainly not!)

Have a lovely weekend~

xo