A subject fit for 5x7

After being away from the DPW for a week or two it is extra fun to go back and see what has turned over, and what new treasures await the patient peruser.  In early August, after being on just such a hiatus, I came across this flagrantly fake wooden frame:

At one point this was on special offer....

Not much going on back here.

Such a small frame inspired Creative Roommate to paint a picture of a small subject. The unappreciated, and probably widely unloved, fruit bat.

Oh....was this pepper for you?

Naturally a picture of a feeding animal made it on to the 'feeding wall' in the kitchen- in the picture below you will find Mr. Fruit Bat's new portrait in the lower left corner.

 Fruit-a-licious freestyle for all! Yum.

Owl together now

Owls seem to be quite fashionable as of late, and I’m in support of their popular resurgence. I appreciate their classical association with Athena, they are beautiful birds of prey, and they have curved faces that concentrate sound (much like a satellite dish concentrates a signal). Awesome.   

Given my enthusiasm you can imagine my double delight when I found this charming pair of owls with old tea light candles inside of them on the swap shelves at le dump.  After cleaning them up they looked like this:  

 I’m not a candles person, so how best to use these glass containers?  My natural inclination was to make them into planters, and with the leftover moss from a centerpiece I did just that.

It seemed fitting that owls should perch on the bookshelf, out of direct sunlight of course!  Maybe their steady gaze over the shoulder of the reading chair will help us attend to our studies...

Aside from owls, another awesome thing from a strictly freestyler point of view, is the start-of-September move time. Good weather, the end of summer sublets, and the start of new leases means Cambridge is on the move.  Labor Day weekend’s good weather this year also saw 'yard sales' springing up on front steps and sidewalks, such fun to peruse, even though I don’t aim to spend money on miscellany.  Stay tuned for the results from our walkabouts…. 

A demure demi-lune enters the picture

I admit, there are times when it might be handy to have a car.  Such as when you are walking home from the grocery store, loaded down with bags, and you spot a lovely wooden table on the curb.  (The counter-argument is that if I had been in a car I would not have seen this table because I would have been on a different street.)

Waiting

But such sweetness! Such scalloped edges! Such a nice finish, especially for a street find!  I knew I couldn't just walk home and come back, in 20 minutes it could be gone forever. So I planted my grocery bag on top, got out the phone, and started dialing.  After a few no-answers (and many curious looks from passers-by) I reached one of my roommates, who graciously walked over and helped me out by carrying the table all the way home.  Who needs a car when you have friend power?

Here to stay

At first I thought to paint it some outrageous color, like cobalt, then something classic, like ecru, but in the end I kept its original finish.  Creative Roommate pointed out that it seemed a shame to potentially obscure the lovely details on the turned-wood legs with paint, and the finish is neutral enough that it fits with the apartment.  It moved around a few times during the summer (I found it back in May!) before it found a place, but now this quasi demi-lune table has a place to call home.

Demi-lune, meet silver lamp and bowl of moss.

Someday, once I have a freestyle home, I can see this table in the entryway welcoming visitors with its graceful lines... and great story!

Freestyle on the road - Finds!

Just because I leave Cambridge doesn't mean I stop freestyling!  

While driving with my parents through a rather posh part of my home state we saw this sign for an Estate Sale (below).  

It might surprise you that I'm not a frequenter of Estate Sales given my enthusiasm for re-use, but three things have kept me back.

1. I have never been an early riser 

2. Graduate student budgets (and apartment sizes) do not lend themselves to the purchase of antique credenzas or heirloom jewelry

3. Not owning a car means many sales are un-reachable, even if I were organized enough to know when and where they were happening....

But all that doesn't mean I don't like to look if I serendipitously happen to come across a sale.  Turns out, it was the 2nd day of the estate sale and most of the remaining stuff was free, the house had been sold and the guy running the sale just wanted to get rid of stuff. Score!  

Mom and her free framed Monet poster

Some other passersby with their freestyle finds

The double score was that guy from the first sale told us that the house next door had put all their garage sale leftovers in the backyard for people to take. Surely an opportunity not to be missed.

Perusing the garage sale leftovers

"Garage sale leftovers" does not have the most glamorous ring to it, but some of the stuff was pretty nice.  I must also compliment the organizers for their well-arranged display of the goods on folding tables.  We weren't in need of lamps or clothes, but I did snag a few frames since I have a thing for those. I also grabbed a set of 6 little butter knives in a holder (ultimately those stayed with my folks since they couldn't fly with me), hopefully they will end up with someone who does a lot of entertaining and has a need for small utensils.

Mmmmm, garage sale leftovers

Corner detail of a funky art nouveau-inspired frame.

This experience just goes to show that it doesn't hurt to just pop in for a quick look.... you never know what freestyle finds await!