Hand-Me-Downs!

My friend and former neighbor Martha [we lived next to each other for 7 years in Gloucester before I moved to Ipswich to live with hubby] is downsizing, and asked if I’d come to her house to see if I’d be interested in anything she was getting rid of.  Yay!

I ended up taking a really tall bookcase which is PERFECT for the girl cave [and replaces the one I sanded down for my parents two weeks ago]:

                

It’s 7½’ tall [!] x 22″ wide x 13″ deep.  It’s awesome.  With a new coat of purple paint it will be perfect.  It was so tall I had to rent a UHaul van to get it home!  The only downside to that was when we arrived at the UHaul place at noon, which is when I’d reserved it for, it wasn’t there.  The man said a woman had rented it yesterday and was supposed to return it by noon today.  He finally called her at 12:15 and she said she’d have it back by 12:30.  So hubby and I ran a few errands and got back to the UHaul place around 12:45.  She still wasn’t there!  WTF?  She finally pulled in just before 1:00, and wasn’t the least bit apologetic.  In fact, she didn’t even acknowledge us!  It was SO RUDE!  But at least I have a kick-ass new bookcase, which goes wonderfully with the tall ceilings in the girl cave.

I also snagged a little mission table that matches the mission furniture I already have in the girl cave:

I’m not sure what I’ll be doing with it yet, but for now it’s making a perfect little spot for the kitties to enjoy the open window right above it:

       

It’s so great to have the windows open!!!  And to see buds on the trees.  Yay!

I also snagged a super cool Chantal “harmonica” tea kettle:

       

When the water boils, the kettle emits a two-toned whistle that sounds like a cross between a harmonica and a train whistle.  It’s so cool!  From the Chantal website:  “Our Classic Teakettle rocketed to popularity when introduced 30 years ago… Featuring our exclusive two-tone harmonica whistle, this kettle doesn’t just whistle – it sings!”

Martha also gave me this super cool miniature futon frame.  She used to own a futon store in Gloucester, MA, and this was a model used to demonstrate how they worked, and also to dress up the storefront window.  How cute is that?  It goes from flat, to couch, to bed!  It’s made from Bubinga wood from Cameroon, Africa:

        

        

Martha thought maybe the cats would like it for a unique cat bed.  I’m still trying to convince them to try it out:

Martha also gave me a set of 4 metal greyhound sculptures.  She and I have both had rescue greyhounds in the past.  I will cherish them:

Best of all, I inherited Martha’s vintage Makita drill!

She bought it over 20 years ago to keep at the futon store.  Now I have 3 drills, but I don’t care!  You can never have too many 🙂

Hooray for hand-me-downs!