Other people’s trash- vintage card catalog.
One of our elderly neighbors moved to Florida… His son came by and asked Paul to give him a hand moving some furniture down from the second floor.
When Paul came home, he was carrying a box.
He said – I brought you something.
I said – A BOX OF CATS?
But it wasn’t. It was a box of old glass juicers.
The Hoarder Troll hopped around spastically… because there is NOTHING more useless than TWELVE vintage juicers.
I said – I CANNOT believe you brought me all of these!
Paul said – I guess I really love you… plus, they were free.
Then he said – there’s something else in the car. It’s an old card catalog. I am not sure if you will like it, but I figured it was outdated useless trash, so I should bring it to you.
I cleaned everything up… And then left it in a pile on the dining room floor. Because once something is mine, that is good enough.
But also because I really have NO IDEA what to do with the juicers… Aside from a DIY-lemonade party, I cannot think of a single time I might think to myself– gee, I wish I had a WHOLE BUNCH of juicers.
Plus there is the added pressure of how obviously I must do something Pinterest-y… I’m pretty sure what I need here is some moss and a rustic wire basket and maybe some chipped old teacups and primroses?
Please use your imagination.
If I were a better blogger, I would fill the drawers with some kind of impractical, borderline-deranged vignette… Something that would make you question why you are not the sort of person who has whimsical vintage displays involving aged terracotta and antique silver bud vases.
But if you look closely, you will see a streak in the dust, and some cat prints on the coffee table… So CLEARLY creating whimsical vignettes should take a backseat to dusting.
September 30, 2014 @ 10:24 am
How about gift baskets? I see a pretty basket, oranges, lemons, limes, maybe a pretty tea towel, and a juicer. They would all be tastefully arranged and tied with a big bow.
September 30, 2014 @ 10:40 am
I am sending you an imaginary/psychic gift basket as thanks for the GENIUS idea!
September 30, 2014 @ 11:03 pm
What a GREAT idea for hostess or housewarming gifts! 🙂
September 30, 2014 @ 10:25 am
LOL – I would totally take one of those juicers off your hands… do you know how hard it is to juice 8 lemons for lemon curd with a fork and your hand?
September 30, 2014 @ 10:28 am
Love the card catalog! As for the juicers, keep one and sell the rest on eBay to fund your other treasure purchases.
September 30, 2014 @ 10:33 am
The idea about the valence is terrific! Cover the spring rod with material..
I’m sad now, I only have two glass juicers…..sigh
September 30, 2014 @ 10:33 am
I have a card catalog at home. I use one drawer to keep the addresses I’ve torn off of holiday cards, another drawer for old tapes (although I don’t think we have a tape deck anymore), and the last drawer for notes to future me. Those don’t always make sense.
You can use the glass juicers as a bracelet or cuff link holder. Did they come with their bottoms or is it just a box of the reamers?
September 30, 2014 @ 10:34 am
Have you noticed a lot of the commenters are re-hoarders? They want to re-hoard your hoard, hoping you will raffle/give away some of the juicers. You should indulge them by getting rid of any duplicates. Display the rest. You never know when you might need an extra juicer…or five.
BTW, your husband is a peach. Happy wife=happy life!
September 30, 2014 @ 10:35 am
Awww. Outdated, useless trash. He speaks your love language!
September 30, 2014 @ 10:35 am
You never disappoint me 🙂
September 30, 2014 @ 10:37 am
Seconding the requests for a give-away! The only juicer I’ve been able to find is one that’s the size of a freaking serving bowl, which is a pain. I’ll pay for the shipping 😀
September 30, 2014 @ 10:41 am
I just LOVE reading your blogs! Sounds so much like something I think but don’t express as well in words as you do!!
September 30, 2014 @ 10:47 am
I first thought of some sort of rain chain (which would involve drilling), since they’re on my brain, I need to create two of them for my garden. But on second thought, that will NEVER happen, so I’m truly loving the party favor idea – maybe for a brunch? Or name card holders for that same brunch?
September 30, 2014 @ 10:49 am
ah, what a guy! always thinking of you 🙂
Now i know why i love your posts, because you and i share the same feeling about blog vignettes! So many vignettes, so little time…….sheesh……..life’s too short to do vignettes!
I myself am totally agreeing with leaving it in a pile on the dining room floor, at least for a few months…..until you move the pile to a different room…..where you can admire it for another few months 🙂 !!
September 30, 2014 @ 10:51 am
You should figure out a way to hang the juicers and then make a wall of them. Or hang them in a window for suncatchers…
September 30, 2014 @ 10:52 am
I’m just wondering why your neighbor a. Had so many juicers in the first place, and b.Didn’t take them to Florida with him… I mean it is the citrus capital of the world or something, isn’t it? He would have been quite the hit with the ladies in his age bracket!
September 30, 2014 @ 10:54 am
I was going to say jewelry storage/ display for the juicers. Find a tray large enough to hold them all and then use for bracelets and fill the edges with rings and earrings. Sparkly and still contained. I just took my hoard of milk glass and used it for jewelry storage. The card catalogue is just necessary. Who cares what you use it for, it’s yours now!
September 30, 2014 @ 10:55 am
I vote for an actual card catalog for your actual (gorgeous) library. Then, when friends/relatives borrow a book, you could record the name on the card and stamp the book with a due date. There’s something so sad about getting a book from a library and seeing the last stamped date on the card, maybe 1995 from when everything switched to digital. Borrowers might even be lulled into thinking that you would return the books you’ve stolen from them over the years. I love all my books, but have a particular fondness for the ones I should have given back . . .
September 30, 2014 @ 11:16 am
hehehe, this comment: ” I love all my books, but have a particular fondness for the ones I should have given back . . .” made me laugh out loud! A guilty laugh. I am normally very good about returning loaned books to their rightful owners. But I have 1 old cookbook that a former boss loaned to me and then one or the other of us left the company. I need to look him up and return it. I have another book about quilts though that someone years ago in a quilting club lent and I don’t even know her name. I love that book though so I’m kinda glad that I cannot be held responsible for returning it now.
September 30, 2014 @ 11:05 am
the juicers are fantastic! I have one from my mother. They are SO MUCH BETTER than modern cheaper hand juicers. Keep one or two and give the rest as gifts to your favorite family members and besties!
September 30, 2014 @ 11:06 am
I like Wilma’s gift basket idea. Everyone gets a citrus gift basket this Christmas!
Just send me Paul, no gift needed. 🙂
September 30, 2014 @ 11:09 am
I started reading your post out loud to my kids (because that is something I always do with you) without telling them it was you. My daughter heard “Paul” and said “Bed Troll!”
That is your name in our family. I’m sorry, but Victoria just doesn’t cut it anymore.
Please say you are coming back out to Exton sometime soon to host another craft party.
September 30, 2014 @ 11:25 am
My husband has that exact same card file. He has photos in it, all categorized of course. He thinks file cabinets are the best form of storage for everything and has at least 20. They are in his shop where he fixes absolutely anything, including lamps. Who could complain?