Antique-ie Junkie

I am a little bit of an antique/vintage junkie. I have my favorite three places that I try to get to about twice a week. Most of the time I'm stalking a few different items to see if they get marked down, or hit the jackpot- which in my book means that they've been tossed outside in the 30% off area!!! In the past year, my main intent has been to put the finishing touches and objets d'art in our home. I have to watch the show Hoarders frequently to keep myself in check.  

Today I finally swooped in on a piece that I have been circling for a couple months now. One, I liked it the instant I saw it- it has a dab of that teal green that catches your eye. Two, it looked useful, though I couldn't commit to what I could use it for... Three, it was old and worn yet still sturdy, which to me means, well-loved, like the old skin horse in The Velveteen Rabbit. Four, I expected it to be gone after the first time I found it, so when it was not gone on the second or third visits, I started to think that maybe it wasn't as great as I thought it was in the first place. But, I realized that maybe the terribly old pine cones and dead wet leaves stuffed inside probably deterred others from buying it- an actual plus for me so I could come to visit and think about it some more. Yesterday while waiting in the grocery store line, I came across another reason to have it that crossed over from wanting it to NEEDING it. In a magazine called, Storage (not my usual reading material but it had the phrase, "Cut Clutter, Stress Less!" on it), I saw this pic

p. 45 of Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications: Storage

and knew that I had the fifth and final reason to buy my little vintage treasure. 

Do you see those little colored pencils in that box? I have been truly trying to organize my art studio in our dark basement since we moved in almost a year ago. It's just that I haven't found anything that truly organizes me other than a great big Ikea cubicle wall with an attached desk- it gives me ample cubbies to tuck things in. Probably still a mess to most anyone, but for me it is close to rocket science. Not much makes me WANT to organize. Now that this pic gave me a vision, purpose, and need for my find, I could not wait to get to the outside 30% off area of my little treasure trove and stake my claim. I did panic a little bit on the way there that someone had suddenly seen its true value just as I had, and it would be gone. But there it was, the old dusty wood almost gleaming in the suddenly sunny day. The objet d'art that made me WANT TO ORGANIZE. A true miracle. And, for only $11.

It is such the perfect toolbox for me in so many ways. I had cardboard stationery boxes scattered on my desk that were supposed to be holding pencils and brushes, but they weren't sturdy or heavy enough so they just tipped over... always. The magazines were just a crazy pile- if you could even call it a "pile."

Upon filling it with my supplies I found a feature of the old wooden toolbox that just made my heart soar.  If you look carefully and upside down below, you can see the word CALIFORNIA. Of course, this box came from California! No wonder I was so drawn to it. No wonder the sun was shining on it. No wonder it makes me feel like I can create great things from it. It's how I felt when I lived in California and I am so glad I have a little piece of it in my dark basement to brighten and organize things up!