Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Strangely Beautiful

I managed to hit a few thrift stores
in another town last Saturday.

There wasn't much that caught my eye,
except for this little item.I didn't know what it was.
And neither did my husband who has
a knowledge of
unusual things.
His best guess was that it was a container
for something at a work site.

It appears to be handmade.
It's a heavy metal with a black foam insert.
It was unusual, but I could see potential.
Do you?
First I removed the foam insert
and gave it a good cleaning.

Now are you beginning to see it's beauty?Of course it needed a new coat of paint.

It looks great as a candle holder.How about a snazzy utensil caddy?Or a pretty T.P. container?Insert a glass vase and it makes a home grown bouquet
look like it belongs on the cover of a magazine.It looks wonderful filled with seasonal decorations
and tied with a bow.
Everything looks better when you see it's true beauty.

45 comments:

  1. Oh, and you are the best at bringing out something's (anything's) inner beauty. That sure is cute now and WHITE (not black)...OMG!!!

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  2. Love it! So very clever and simple! Looks good in white too.

    Go for the Twilight advevture-you won't be sorry!

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  3. You have the eye for anything! I love it! Thanks for sharing and helping me see what to look at and that most anything can be turned into something creative and beautiful.

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  4. I love that 'thing' and everything that you did with it, too :)

    Bella :)

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  5. I bought something very similar at a garage sale last week. Only instead of a foam insert mine had a galvanized bucket. I removed the bucket and spray painted my "vase/basket" black. Two peices for the price of $.25! Great to see what you did with yours.

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  6. you have a very special talent! I would've left it in the junk pile. Do you design for other ppl's homes?? if you don't, you should!
    ps thanks for honoring me with a note yesterday! It made my day

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  7. Talk about muliple uses. You are so talented!!

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  8. HAH I love the way you see the potential in things. It looks beautiful in all it's various uses!

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  9. Wonderful find! I love it when things are useful AND pretty! I think I like it with the flowers best.

    Manuela

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  10. You are so creative. I bet the big masculine, construction site worker who made would be very surprised! :) Looks great!

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  11. Awesome find Joy! And yes, what a small world we live in. When did your daughter serve? I was there from Nov 2003 - March 2005. Its possible we had some of the same companions and served in the same areas, just at different times. Send our love and greetings their way. My husband thinks the world of Lincoln and has nothing but awesome things to say about him.

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  12. Very interesting and useful find! I would never have thought of all those ways to use it!

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  13. oh how i wish i could see potential like you do! it's truly a gift!

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  14. I love it! And you have one of a kind! :o) It looks great in all the pictures!
    Sincerely ~ Tricia Anne

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  15. Very cool find, I don't think I would have been a creative with it. Great job!

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  16. Unbelievable! I'm sure I would have passed that right up....but it looks great in the ways you've pictured it!
    Diane

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  17. I don't know what it is either but you did a great job with it!!

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  18. Great find and love all the ways that you found to use it. Very creative!

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  19. You are so good at seeing potential in things! I think I like it with the seasonal things best!

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  20. Wow, great buy, and so many ideas. I would love for you to look at all my chicken feeders and give me some more ideas before my hubby tries to wrestle them back from me!!!!
    Blessings,
    Debbie

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  21. Wow, good eye! I need to work on that. You came up with so many great uses for that thingy.

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  22. Ha! Who cares what it was when there are so many cool things it can be in your house? :)
    Carrie

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  23. What a great idea - I would've never thought of that. Nice to meet you - I found you through Susie's blog at Bienvenue. :)

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  24. Wow. Not sure I would've seen the potential in that little treasure. Good for you. You have quite a way of finding these diamonds in the rough!

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  25. Love how you can see beauty where others see trash, this turned out so great, I love it as the utensil holder!

    Your blog is always such a joy to read, Joy!
    XO,
    Donna Lynn

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  26. Are you alright? You know you painted it white right? Ha! I'm just messing with you. It looks awesome! I love it as a vase and as a seasonal holder - the ribbon is really pretty. Great work! Last weekend I pleaded for me & the fam to go about an hour away to a big thrift store and it was a bust...BUT at least we had some family time in the car and the babies are always happy rolling down the road. Ha! Ha!

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  27. Wow...that is truly amazing! One good idea but that many???? You have a special "eye" for things!

    Love every idea you did! The tp is so creative!

    -Sandy Toes

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  28. Love it - the white makes it look so fresh and new! Good thinking and great ideas for using it different ways.

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  29. Happy Birthday to you!!!! I hope you had a great day and painted something fun or did something to make the day special.

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  30. You are brilliant! I love coming to your website because you have a way of finding the true beauty in these things and it make me see things from a different perspective. that is a very cool item!

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  31. The knew header sure makes me think fall is in the air! Love what you did with this unique find!

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  32. Great job re-purposing this too cute thrift store find! I love when objects can be used several different ways :)

    Blessings,
    Stacey

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  33. Is it really heavy? Looks like a vase for putting flowers on a grave.

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  34. Great ideas, I would have been happy with just one idea but you had several. Let those creative juices flow girl!

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  35. You have got to be one of the cleverest people...you have the best ideas..I am so glad I stumbled on to you BLOG...I love it!!

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  36. Wow! Thanks so much for the inspiration! I found your blog last week while I was home sick and am thoroughly enjoying your creativity!

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  37. I LOVE WHAT YOU CREATED WITH THE (WHAT EVER IT IS) YOU HAVE LOADS OF VISION. LOVE YOUR BLOG ADDING TO MY FAVORITES.

    SUE

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  38. It looks like an outdoor flower vase - the type they used to put on graveyard headstones. Especially makes sense in light of what miss canadian pie said re: the metal insert. Your metal insert may have gone missing and just the foam is left.

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I am truly humbled and thrilled that you read and comment on my blog. If you have a question for me, please feel free to email me.
Thank you so very much for inspiring me to be more creative!