The Lengths I will go to.....

People often ask me where I get all my materials from to make my furniture and home decor items.  Most of the time it is research, searching, scrounging, garbage picking and knocking on doors (virtual and literal)....but today it was good old fashioned thievery!!!

There is a development happening down the street from my son's school and I pass by it each day at least twice.  Four homes have been slated for tear down since the project was posted and I have been scoping, lurking, stalking and creeping the street ever since.  I have harassed the foreman, real estate agent, dump truck driver and the guys who were only building the "keep out" fence.  With very little luck.  I have been asking if it would be okay to come in and have a look to salvage anything from the homes.  No.  I asked if they could grab the doors for me and leave them outside.  No.  I asked about the posts from the front porch of one of the houses and "could I have it please?"  No.  It may not have helped that most times I asked them I was in old sweaty running gear with hair sticking up.  I contemplated coming back in something a little nicer with maybe a 24 of beer under my arm to sweeten the deal but I have my limits.  So today as I was walking past with a friend and our dogs I saw that they had bulldozed the entire block of houses!!

They were all there yesterday and this morning....gone.  I went over to peer through the fence and saw piles of great old wood, some doors and just tons of junk.  Then....my eyes wandered to just in front of the huge pile.  There, all on its own, lay 1 solitary post from one of the houses that I had my eye on all these months.  I don't know whether some kind soul separated it from the rubble for me or whether it was divine intervention.  Whatever the case...it was GAME ON.  My friend held my dog (thanks Mare, partner in crime and general egger-onner) and I snuck inside a small opening in the fence....grabbed the column and ran like heck!!!

I was gleeful!! Partly for the thrill of the find, and partly for the good old fashioned feeling of making away with it.

I don't know what I am going to do with it yet, but I am pretty happy about scoring this find! 

Part of what I love about making things from salvaged goods is the story behind the items.  I often wonder whose hands opened the windows, and who walked through those doors...for this piece I will forever remember my sprint away from the scene of the crime.  As for the cost of the post....it was an absolute steal!!