As I've been sitting at home the last few days, not going out of the house and trying my best to be a good citizen in this scary time, I've been trying to think of things I can write about here that might give you a bit of a distraction.
A little bit of inspiration or maybe just a few minutes of fun reading.
And I thought, hey I haven't shown you this bookshelf/hutch piece I bought last summer. That's something distracting!
Way back in July I spied it at a local antique/junk store and as soon as I saw it I fell in love with it and just had to have it. While I was paying for it, the workmen at the store tossed it in the back of my van and off I went with my prized find.
It wasn't until I got home and tried to get it OUT of the van, that I realized this thing weighs a TON!
I couldn't even begin to budge it by myself. I normally can wiggle just about any piece of furniture back and forth to "walk" it across the floor, but this piece was not cooperating. At all.
I really can't overstate how HEAVY this sucker is.
Enlisting the help of my husband, it was all we could do to drag it out of the van and get it inside the front door. We literally dropped it just a few steps into the house and decided to tackle it again some other time. When we had recovered from the Great Bookshelf Ordeal Of 2019.
So for months it sat right smack dab inside the front door.
You could barely get past the thing to get into the living room and I was perfectly fine with that as long as I didn't have to lift the dang thing ever again.
It sat in the hallway through late summer decorating. It sat in the hallway through fall decorating. It sat in the hallway through holiday decorating.
I was beginning to be blind to it. Bookshelf, what bookshelf? Oh, that bookshelf.
When spring cleaning time arrived, it had finally gotten to the point where it was either going to the curb (not sure how we were going to get it there) or I was going to have to do something with it. So when an unsuspecting neighbor stopped by one day we casually asked him to help us get it up on top of the oak dresser.
I may have thrown my knee out getting it up there. Pretty sure my husband's back will never be the same. Haven't seen the neighbor since.
Now, it's not a perfect match, but it's close enough for me.
Some people call this type of furniture "married" - where you match pieces together that weren't meant to be together. But I sort of like the look of an obviously married piece of furniture.
I imagine them having been an older couple when they met. They'd had previous marriages that didn't work out for some reason unbeknownst to us and had been looking for their true love for quite some time. They've accumulated a few nicks, scars and age spots along the way that have made them appreciate each other that much more.
And the best part of getting these two old love birds hitched is I can once again walk straight through the front hallway into my living room without out stubbing my toe!
Shirley
Not only is it a beautiful old dresser but that shelf knocks it out of the park! I mean, yeah they don’t match but then again they do. I’d “dye” for something like that! Wonder how the guy got in your vehicle by himself? I too have a hutch top that is so heavy it literally takes 6 of us to move it. You couldn’t have found a more authentic looking piece and it looks so nice where it is!
Paulette Morris
Beautiful piece and, someone likes their McCoy pottery.
Pam Kessler
I didn't see them actually loading it since I was paying at the time and I just handed them my keys, but it was actually 2 guys. But still, it had to have been a beast to get into the back of the van.
Shirley
Well when I need 6 to lift the beast I have, even two is not enough!
Janet D
It's perfect! Would love to find a shelf like that.
Thanks for keeping us entertained! Stay safe.
Megan
Glad you finally got that bookcase in its resting place. My story is similar to yours, but not near as much trouble. I was with a friend at a garage sale when I spotted an outdoor 3’ St Joseph statue. $5 was definitely my price range. “Helga” who was at least 20 years older than us picked him up and spirited him to my car. When we tried to get him back out we realized how heavy 3’ of solid concrete can be. We struggled mightily and finally got him out and into my front yard. He is still in the same spot 2 years later. Helga didn’t look it, but she was sure a strong woman. We still laugh about us being such weaklings.
Pam Kessler
That's funny. Helga must be working out at the gym!
Sue Pagels
Love it! So glad I'm not the only one who leaves furniture where it is until I find a place for it. Our fair city used to have a Smith Brothers cough drop factory here for decades. I found an awesome wood crate that said the name and Michigan City, Indiana on it. My husband drove an hour and a half to get it for me (sweet guy) and some other furniture to work one. He brought the crate home and it's HUGE. Like HUGE!. It could be an awesome coffee table....I have no room for it,but I love it. It will end up in the middle of my enclosed back porch until I figure this out. Love your spring decorating - keep us cheered up! Stay safe and be well!
Pam Kessler
Your crate sounds pretty cool! I'm picturing your husband picking it up and thinking "why in the world would she want this huge thing".
Shelly
I bought a really neat cupboard at our local online auction house. It is primitive, wainscot type painted a pale blue. My husband picked it up and the auction house owner helped him load it. (Even though they have a policy that you bring your own help to load things) My plan was to put it in our bedroom upstairs. We unloaded it from the truck bed, just him and I and it was crazy heavy! We managed to get it on our dolly, but it was so heavy we couldn't push it! We managed to get it in the garage, so there it sits. For 4 months now. Waiting on a strong visitor to drop in! Lol
Pam Kessler
Your cabinet sounds gorgeous! If all else fails you can store gardening tools in it 🙂
Jeannie
A really nifty piece! That married couple looks pretty happy!
Florence
Wow, that's a gorgeous hutch! I never would have known they didn't go together if you hadn't told me. And I know about those heavy pieces young guys lift effortlessly, while my hubby and I struggle, struggle, struggle. So is it the top part you bought, or both?
Leslie Schmidt
The two pieces look great together, Pam. I really like the hutch. You made me chuckle out loud with your descriptions. I so enjoy your writing. Stay safe and stay sane!
Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces
That is such a great piece, Pam! And the way you have decorated is so pretty for spring! You are going to have fun with that piece all year!