Curbside Rescues

My neighbors were at it again this week, tossing things to the curbside that should have been donated to charity instead. First up, this sweet little cubby:

Granted, it's dusty and grandma-looking, with its current dark-brown stain. But look at the appealing, curvy lines it has:

Here's the back of it, looking down as I hold it against my knees:

I imagine it painted glossy white and hung on a wall above a dresser in a little girl's room, or perhaps a crafts room, like this gorgeous one.

The same household that tossed out the cubby also chucked two chairs currently lacking seats:

Such nice lines! Picture them with a modern, edgy fabric on the seat and painted a kicky color, like high-gloss tangerine or turquoise. They'd be so sweet.

Unfortunately, I learned that Goodwill has a nationwide policy of only accepting things "in working order," meaning they can't take these chairs. *Sigh.* Too bad; all they need is somebody with a little imagination and some simple DIY skills.

Also this week, somebody tossed out two nice-looking decorative pots.

Judging from the greenish stain and dirt inside this one, it had a plant in it. It could, again; there's not a chip or a crack on this thing. It just needs a good scrubbing.

The same household tossed this attractive metal planter:

My mother called these things by their French name, "cachepot." It just means an ornamental pot for holding and concealing a flowerpot. 

Today, I ran across this handsome side table left in an alley:

Again, you have to look past the dust. Then you can see it's a very sturdy, masculine design, with ornamental leather straps and metal studs:

Next to the table was this basket:

It, too, had leather-and-metal accents:

Everything except for the seatless chairs went to Goodwill. Somebody, somewhere, will love these finds. And a worthy charity will profit from my finds. AND stuff will stay out of our overflowing landfills.

Please, folks, help spread the word: Don't be lazy and leave your stuff by the curb or the trashcan. Take it to a charity and let it have a second life.

Thank you!