Transforming Trash

02/12/2026

It’s been over a year since my last post 😞 Between traveling, volunteering, ear surgery, tennis responsibilities, kidney stones, and life in general, time has run away from me. I will get back to my mission at some point; in the meantime feast your eyes on this, by my daughter. What’s not to love about a cute capybara Valentine’s cake?!

2 days until Valentine’s Day! Mr. Capybara loves you ❤️

02/14/2025

02/13/2025

I said I would post a video so I have, even though it pains me to do so! Anyone else hate the sound of their own voice?😂

02/12/2025

As forecast, the last couple of days have been wet and cold and, as promised, I have been shopping.
Eugenia's Antique Hardware Inc did not disappoint. I’m like a kid in a candy store at their booth; just look at all that hardware! And that’s just one case out of many. I didn’t find an exact match, but I found one that’s close enough to work with. However, it does present me with a conundrum that I will explain in a video tomorrow.

02/09/2025

400 Followers!!
I am pleasantly surprised, grateful, and humbled.
A big thank-you to all my followers (new and long term) who stick with me, even though my posts are often few and far between.
I’m going to take this opportunity to shamelessly plug my daughter’s FB page: If any of you enjoy cake decorating as much as you like furniture makeovers, then check out (and consider following) Helen's Cake Shoppe: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554036410361
There’s inspiration aplenty.

02/08/2025

Pulling out (and starting to document) a beautiful piece that I picked up from the side of the road last May. It is a mahogany drum table with two drawers, manufactured by Columbia Mantel Company. The Columbia Mantel Company was a furniture and mantel factory in Louisville, Kentucky. It operated under that name from 1905 until (I think) 1958, when it ceased making mantels and was then Columbia Manufacturing Company.
This piece is heavy, well made, and likely an antique. Two of its legs are detached and it is missing one of it's lion head pulls. The top features a lovely, diamond book matched veneer that I hope I can restore; it's a bit worse for wear but it's not peeling or chipped.
There is a good bit of rain in the forecast this week so my first job might be shopping for a replacement lion head pull, and my first stop will be https://www.facebook.com/www.eugeniaantiquehardware/
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12/31/2024

As I look back on 2024 I can't help but feel disappointed at having had my least productive year since I began this mission 7 years ago. "Why is that?" you might ask. Well, there are a number of reasons:

• Half of my garage/workspace is mostly full of the accumulated debris of two of my adult children who have moved back home. There is little to no space left for me to store projects.
• In October last year I joined the board of our neighborhood driving club. My role as the tennis/pickleball chair has taken up more of my time than I thought.
• I have been distracted by another side project: Finding hidden treasures at estate sales and listing them in my online Chairish store. This also takes up valuable real estate in the garage.

But probably the main culprit:

• I have stalled on the transformation that involves chair caning! It is the most intimidating work I have attempted so far and, being the perfectionist I am, I can't stand the prospect of it not being done well or (worse still) of me being defeated. I am determined to prevail, and when I do, it will hopefully open the floodgates to a lot of projects.

And so I go into 2025 with some trepidation, some determination, some hope of getting over the caning hurdle, and some excitement for what might follow.

Wish me luck, and I wish you all the same for the year to come!

05/20/2024

The ice cream parlor set in its new home in Athens, Georgia 🥰

05/19/2024

OMG this is brilliant. I might have to steal this idea one day. I see a lot of these two-tier tables.

Such a clever end table repurpose for kids' creativity!
by Kelly Anne Graham on Pinterest!

05/06/2024

Better late than never: It was a busy weekend.

A friend asked if I wanted to transform this table and three chairs she was getting rid of. I didn't hesitate to accept. Even though they were in a bad way, they have a charm I couldn't resist. I've always loved bistro-type sets; they conjure up visions of outdoor dining in romantic European cities. It was only when I started work on them that I discovered they are 130+ years old and are a true gem....

A friend asked if I wanted to transform this table and three chairs she was getting rid of. I didn’t hesitate to accept. Even though they were in a bad way, they have a charm I couldn’t…

05/03/2024

All better