A wonderful Monday Night...if you are a junker and enjoy your neighbors!

Last Monday night turned out to be an AMAZING night! It is also what kicked off the craziness, but I wouldn't trade it for ANYTHING!!!!!

When I pulled into the driveway I noticed the neighbors one house up the street had some cabinets sitting at the curb. Always looking for things to repurpose I checked them out.  Here is what I found, AND brought home!

I was initially attracted to the doors to these cupboards.  I'm thinking they would make a couple really cute signs. What do you think? Once I got beyond the sign thought I noticed the hardware.  I LOVE IT!!!

The hardware could be repurposed to a hook on a shelf as seen here. Oh the possibilities. The more I look at them the more I think at least one of them will remain intact and end up in the kitchen. Again, the possibilities!

I had worked all day and was supposed to come home and do some overtime. I wasn't quite ready to jump right back into it and Jim was working until 10:30 so I got myself a glass of ice water and walked three houses down the street to do some porch sitting with the neighbor lady there.  Marty is always up for porch sitting and you never stop and visit without sitting for at least a small spell. I was there for, oh, two and half hours!  WELL ON MY WAY TO GETTING WORK DONE TONIGHT!!!!! :) Marty's son had been in town over the weekend and he is always trying to get her to eat healthy. He made a chick pea salad while he was here. She liked it enough she wrote the down the recipe and had gone back to the store to get the ingredients to make it for herself. We moved our porch sitting to the kitchen and she put this salad together (no help permitted). I am not a big fan of chick peas but I had convinced myself to try this salad.  She put the salad together and even laughed at herself and said "If I can make this while talking away, ANYONE can make this salad!" She got a couple bowls, silverware and some crackers out and we ate.  Much to my surprise, it was tasty. I copied down the recipe and brought it home. It is definitely one of those salads that is much better after some time in the fridge because it was even better the next day. Here's the recipe:
CHICKPEA SALAD
2 CANS CHICKPEAS (Marty used the 15 ounce cans)
1 CAN MANDARIN ORANGES (the can was half the size of the chick peas)
1 BUNCH PARSLEY, NO STEMS
1/2 RED ONION
1/2 - 3/4 CUP DRIED BERRIES (Marty used cranberries)
1/2 -3/4 CUP WALNUTS OR PECANS
4 OUNCES FETA CHEESE
SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE
2 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL
2 TABLESPOONS APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
1/4 TEASPOON CHOPPED/MINCED GARLIC

Toss it all in a bowl and wah-lah! Marty sent me home with a small bowl to share with Jim. He liked it too. We decided we will pulse the chick peas in a food processor when we make it for ourselves. It was definitely good on crackers. Tasty, healthy and easy to make. Sounds like a keeper.
I know, I know. You are wondering where the picture is. Well, sad to say, there isn't one. I didn't take one that night and then the week got away from me. It was pretty though.
So, I walked three houses back up the street put the salad in the fridge and did some things in the house. At some point, I decided to take the garbage to the curb and when I got out front Marty, and the neighbor from across the street were in front of the neighbor's house 2 houses down. The neighbor that I got these from! Back down the street I go! I asked the neighbor across the street if she was protesting the for sale sign in Barb's yard? Yes, I am very sad to say that Barb and Dick are moving. They just got here after all and we haven't had enough time to get to know each other very well. I have definitely enjoyed the times we have shared though!!! We were all standing there talking about a number of things. One of Marty's children called so she walked away and Barb says "Did you pick up any junk on your way home?" I replied with "Yes, but it came from our own street!" She said something along the lines of "let me get my keys and we'll go picking! I know where there is some stuff." LOL!!!! TOO FUNNY!!!! Of course the neighbor across the street was finding this all too funny and even offered up her husband's truck for the purpose. Barb was insistent. SO, I came back up the street to get some shoes and my house keys. Barb meets me out front and off we go. On our way to the "stuff" Barb was talking about we came across this chair!

The chair had been broken in the past and if I would have taken a picture of the bottom of the seat you would see that someone tried to fix it. Well we don't need to fix it, we want the spindles. YEP! Brought home some junk for Jim! Nothing says love like someone else's junk right? <3 Here's a closer look of the spindles.

The rest of our journey wasn't fruitful as far as the junk goes. We gained some memories and some things to laugh at and that is truly what is important! I won't give away the secrets of Barb's driving habits when she's junk drunk!  That wasn't the end of it though. Turns out Barb had some stuff in the car for me. Remember I said she's moving...sniff sniff. She brought me some of her "junk" that she thought I might be able to love. Ok, I'll take back the sniff sniff just for a minute!

The chair is from her new home. I am thinking I am going to re-cover it to match the dining room and we will have it for the dining room or the living room when we need an extra chair. It is a nice sturdy chair. The basket, I am seeing it getting a makeover with some spray paint and perhaps making an appearance at Christmas time! The grapevine wreath, I have some thoughts for it, I just need some more time (like everyone else). The white shelf I am giving to Sister # 5 for her to put in her consignment space! The table runners are awesome!!! A fall one, a Christmas one and an old handmade one!!! Another look...

It truly was a perfect night for enjoying the people around me and making memories! Thanks to all of my neighbors that I mentioned!!!!!
So, have you repurposed? Porch sat? Gone trash picking? or just plain enjoyed the people that make life special?

Thanks for stopping by! Please leave some comment love. Til next time. ~Jen